1st Air Army
Encyclopedia
The 1st Air Army was an Air Army
Air Army (Soviet Union)
An air army was a type of formation of the Soviet Air Forces from 1936 until its dissolution in 1991. Air armies continued to be used in the successor Russian Air Force until 2009....

 in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...

. It was formed on May 10, 1942 within the Soviet Western Front, and renamed the 26th Air Army on January 10, 1949 in the Belorussian Military District
Belorussian Military District
The Byelorussian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces. Originally in the times of Russian Civil War it formed as the Western Front, and in April 1924 it was renamed to the Western Military District. In October 1926 it was redesignated the Belorussian Military...

.

History during Second World War

When it was formed, the 1st Air Army was made up of two fighter aviation divisions (with four fighter aviation regiments each), two mixed aviation division
Aviation Division
An Aviation Division was a type of formation of the Military Air Forces of the Red Army during the Second World War, the Military Air Forces of the Soviet Union, Forces of Anti Aircraft Defence of the Soviet Union and Aviation of the Military Naval Fleet, and since 1991 remain major formations...

s (with two fighter aviation regiments, two assault aviation regiments and one bombing regiment each) a training aviation regiment, a long-range reconnaissance aviation regiment, a communications squadron, and a night close-range bombing aviation regiment.

In 1942, the 1st Air Army fought alongside the troops of the Western Front, supporting them near Yukhnov
Yukhnov
Yukhnov is a town and the administrative center of Yukhnovsky District of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Kunava River northwest of Kaluga. Population: It has been known since 1410. Town status was granted to it in 1777....

, Gzhatsk and Rzhev
Rzhev
Rzhev is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population:...

. The Air Army later participated in the Rzhev-Sychevka
Operation Mars
Operation Mars was the codename for the Rzhev offensive operation part of the Rzhev-Vyazma strategic offensive operation launched by Soviet forces against German forces during World War II. It took place between 25 November and 20 December 1942 in a salient in the vicinity of Moscow...

, Rzhev-Vyazma, Oryol, Smolensk
Battle of Smolensk (1943)
The second Battle of Smolensk was a Soviet strategic offensive operation conducted by the Red Army as part of the Summer-Autumn Campaign of 1943...

, Belarusian, Memel
Battle of Memel
The Battle of Memel or the Siege of Memel took place when the Soviets launched their Memel Offensive Operation in late 1944. The offensive led to a three-month siege against German forces in a small bridgehead in the town and its port....

 and East Prussian
East Prussian Offensive
The East Prussian Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front . It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May...

 offensive operations.

In May 1945, the 1st Air Army comprised the:
  • 129th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 130th Fighter Aviation Division (Chernyakhovsk, Kaliningrad Oblast)
  • 303rd Fighter Aviation Division (Elblag, Poland)
  • 330th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 1st Guards Assault Aviation Division (Ketrzyn, Poland)
  • 182nd Assault Aviation Division
  • 277th Assault Aviation Division (Yudino, Kaliningrad Oblast)
  • 311th Assault Aviation Division
  • 6th Guards Bomber Aviation Division (Chernyakhovsk
    Chernyakhovsk
    Chernyakhovsk is a town and the administrative center of Chernyakhovsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Instruch and the Angrapa Rivers, forming the Pregolya...

    , Kaliningrad Oblast)
  • 213th Night-Bomber Aviation Division (Paslek, Poland)
  • 276th Bomber Aviation Division
  • 1st Free French Fighter Aviation Regiment (Mamonovo
    Mamonovo
    Mamonovo , prior to 1945 known by its German name Heiligenbeil, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. Population: Mamonovo is named after a Soviet Commander, Nikolai Vasilyevich Mamonov , killed in action near Pułtusk on 26 October 1944, who was posthumously given the title Hero of the Soviet...

    , Kaliningrad Oblast
    Kaliningrad Oblast
    Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...

    )
  • 406th Night-Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 10th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 90th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 142nd Transport Aviation Regiment
  • 117th independent Artillery Correction Regiment
  • 151st independent Artillery Correction Regiment
  • 1st Medical Aviation Regiment
  • 354th independent Communications Aviation Regiment
  • 1st independent Agitation Aviation Squadron
  • 33rd independent Communications Aviation Squadron
  • 203rd independent Communication Aviation Squadron


Throughout the war, the 1st Air Army made 290,000 sorties. Five of the Air Army's formations where reorganized as "Guards Unit
Guards unit
Guards units are elite units and formations in the armed forces of the former Soviet Union, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. These units were awarded Guards status after distinguishing themselves in service, and are considered to have elite status. The Guards designation originated during the...

s", 50 formations were given "honourable titles", 44 formations received various awards, 145 pilots and navigators received the title "Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...

" and over 17,000 of its servicemen were also given various medals and decorations.

Commanders

  • Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

     (of Aviation) T. F. Kucevalov (May — June 1942)
  • Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     (of Aviation) S. А. Hudyakov (June 1942 — May 1943)
  • Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

     (of Aviation) М. М. Gromov
    Mikhail Gromov (aviator)
    Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gromov was a famous Russian aviator and Hero of the Soviet Union.On 12-14 July 1937, Mikhail Gromov, A. B. Yumashev and S. A...

     (May 1943 — July 1944)
  • Colonel General
    Colonel General
    Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...

     (of Aviation) T. T. Khryukin (July 1944 — May 1945)

Chiefs of Staff

  • Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     (of Aviation) A. S. Pronin (5 May 1942 — 9 August 1944)
  • Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     (of Aviation) I. M. Belov (12 February 1945 — )

Military Commissars

  • Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     (of Aviation) I. G. Litvinenko (5 May 1942 — )
  • Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     (of Aviation) I. T. Chernyshyov (23 March 1942 —)

Structure

May 10, 1942:
  • 201st Fighter Aviation Division
  • 202nd Fighter Aviation Division
  • 203rd Fighter Aviation Division
  • 214th Close air support
    Close air support
    In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

     Aviation Division
  • 215th Mixed Aviation Division

May 23, 1942:
  • 201st Fighter Aviation Division
  • 202nd Fighter Aviation Division
  • 203rd Fighter Aviation Division
  • 234th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 235th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 204th Bomber Aviation Division
  • 213th Night Bomber Aviation Division
  • 215th Mixed Aviation Division
  • 214th Close air support
    Close air support
    In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

     Aviation Division
  • 224th Close air support
    Close air support
    In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

     Aviation Division
  • 231st Close air support
    Close air support
    In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

     Aviation Division
  • 232nd Close air support
    Close air support
    In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

     Aviation Division
  • 233rd Close air support
    Close air support
    In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

     Aviation Division

In March 1943, the Air Army also included the French Normandie-Niemen
Normandie-Niemen
The Normandie-Niemen Regiment was a fighter squadron, later regiment of the French Air Force. It served on the Eastern Front of the European Theatre of World War II with the 1st Air Army...

squadron, which was later reorganized into a regiment.
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