VVS

VVS = Soviet Air Force - also the Naval Air Force

Version 2006_01_07
68 pics of aircraft

 

General Information
иап (IAP)'s were Fighter Regiments.
From 1941, an IAP was comprised of 3 squadrons, normally 40 a/c.
Each squadron was divided into flights or 'zveno.' During Barbarossa zveno referred to tight defensive formations of 3 or 4 planes.
Gv.IAP's were Guardian Fighter Regiments.
A regiment could receive recognition for courage and achievement and be designated "gvardeiskii" (guards) .
In 1943 Divisions and Corps could be so entitled.
Many guards units used the guards insignea, but not all!
 
Fighter Aviation Division (IAD)
A Fighter Aviation Division (IAD) consisted of 3 fighter regiments.
120 a/c +  (4 ?!)  replacement airframes.

(example: Yak1 'White58' of 270.IAP,203 IAD, 2nd Ukranian Front , 11/43)
Aviation Army Corp (IAK)
Until May '42 an Aviation Army Corp (IAK) was comprised of 2 or 3 IAD's.
(just add XXX IAK behind the IAP & IAD)
VA
In May of '42 this changed with the formation of independent air armies (VA's) comprised of 5 or more Fighter Aviation Divisions.
(IAD's) usually subordinated to front line commanders.
18 Air Armies (VA's) were formed between 42 + 44.
Formed to ensure improved coordination of the avation divisions, previously under the Front Air Forces or the 16 Army Air Forces.
VA's consisted of fighter, bomber, ground attack and long range divisions.
By 1944 an air army could have over 1000 aircraft - fighters, bombers, ground attack, and recon divisions.
IA PVO
Also in early '42 some 40 fighter regiments were given to the IA PVO - a new air arm for defence duties.
By 1945 almost 100 fighter regiments were in the IA PVO.

(example: Mig3 'Black7" of 6.IAP,6IAK PVO, Moscow Winter '41-'42.)

 

Soviet National Guards
Is this an own unit, or just meaning part of a regiment in Guardian Status ?
1944   -   Yakovlev Yak-9U

(17)
1945   -   Spitfire LF.Mk.IXe

(78)

 

 

2nd Gv.IAP

Part of 937. IAD
1945   -   Lavochkin La-7

(_+12)
Major Filip Makarovics Kosolapov, 18+6 victories

 

3th Gv.IAP (VVS-KBF)

 

4th Gv.IAP (VVS-KBF)

 

 

French 3rd Groupe de Chasse 'Normandie-Niemen'
French pilots fighting the Axis in Russia after the fall of France.
Since there is also a Russian 3rd Gv.IAP, I believe, this is the French designation.
1942   -   Yakovlev Yak-7

Trainer
1943   -   Yakovlev Yak-1b

(11)
-
(23)
-
(33)
Sous-Lieutenant Adrien Bernavon

(44)
Polotniani-Zavod, april 1943		 - -
1944-45   -   Yakovlev Yak-3
-
(00)
Commandant Louis Delfino		 -
(1) (2)
(3)

(4)
Robert Marchi, 13 airborne kills
(5)
Sous-Lieutenant Adrien Bernavon
(6)
-
-
(12)
(24)
1944-45  -   Yakovlev Yak-9T

(6)
Marcel Albert
(14)
-
(21)
Joseph Risso, Doubrovka, Juin 1944

(35)
-		 - -

7th IAP (VVS-ChF)

 

8th IAP (VVS-ChF)

 

9th IAP (VVS-ChF)

 

12th Gv.IAP
Part of 6. IAK
1942   -   Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3   -   Moscow

(_+02)

 

16th Gv.IAP
1944   -   P-39N Airacobra

(8)
(10)
(11)

(18)
-
-
(105)
Aleksandr Ivanovich Pokrychkin (3x HSU)
(59 victories)
(PTA)
Grigori A. Rechkolov, June 1944
-
1944   -   P-63A Kingcobra

(105)

 

30th Gv.IAP
1944   -   BELL P-39Q Airacobra   -   Front de Bielorussie

(93)
Cdt. Mikhail Rents

 

32nd IAP (VVS-ChF)

 

44th IAP
-
-
-

 

 

55th Gv.IAP
1942   -   Hawker Hurricane Mk.II

(55)
-

 

 

100th Gv.IAP
Part of 9. IAD
1944   -   BELL P-39N Airacobra   -   Moscow

(_+01)
Ivan Iljitsch Babak (HSU)

 

 

126th IAP
1941, December   -   Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk

(-)
Lt. S.G.Ridnyi
1942, Spring   -   Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk

(-)
A.I. Smirnov
1943   -   Curtiss P-40M Warhawk  -   Germany

(23)

 

145th IAP (VVS-KBF)

 

154th IAP
1942   -   P-40B Tomahawk   -   Leningrad

(12)
(24)

 

156th IAP

 

176th Gv. IAP

 

178th Gv. IAP
1944   -   Lavochkin La-5FN

(_+96)
K. A. Yevstigneyev

 

 

198th SzAP (Sz ? -probably Attack unit)
IL2-M3 Sturmovik
1st Squadron 2nd Squadron 3rd Squadron
-
(2)
Capt JM Jefimowa		 -

 

 

254th IAP
1941   -   Polikarpov I-16 Ishak Tip 24   -   Leningrad Front

(27)
Lt Krichevskiy

 

 

609th IAP
In period 1941 (period October-December)   -   reorganized from 145.IAP   -   Kandalaksha
This unit was equipped with I-16, LaGG-3 and MiG-3s.
Major Galchenko was made commander of the new unit.
1941-1942, winter   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 35   -   Murmansk
The period of December-February/42 was of very active combats.
-
(76) CAT
Commander of 609th IAP
Major Leonid "Crazy Catman" Galchenko (HSU)
Note:flew this A/C without canopy		 -
1942, spring-summer   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 1   -   Murmansk
-
(76 overpainted) CAT
Commander of 609th IAP
Major Leonid "Crazy Catman" Galchenko (HSU)		 -
1942, summer   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 11   -   Moscow
-
(w 78)
Commander of 609th IAP
Captain Viktor P. Mironov (HSU)		 -
1942, winter   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 11   -   Moscow
-
(w 78)
Commander of 609th IAP
Captain Viktor P. Mironov (HSU)		 -

 

 

863th IAP
1942, Autumn   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 35   -   Kuban

(w 10)
D. P. Savlevskiy

 

 

 

8.IAK
Red nose and spinner were distinctive 8th IAK markings

 

215.IAD
(3 IAPs)

 

156th IAP
(215.IAD, 8.IAK)
1942   -   Yakovlev Yak-1b2

(38)
Alexander Sokurov
1945   -   Lavochkin La-7   -   Germany
156th IAP applied 3 alternating red and white tail stripes to its aircraft

(93)
last wartime Commander
Lt-Colonel S.F. Dolgushin, 25. April 1945
17 individual victories +11 team victories

 

- - -

 

 

 

302.IAD
(3 IAPs)

 

176th Gv. IAP
1945, Spring   -   Lavochkin La-7   -   Germany

(_+27)
Deputy Commander
Ivan "Ivan the Terrible" N. Kozhedub (3x HSU)
 (leading allied ace WW2 - 62 victories)

 

 

240th IAP
1943, April-June   -   Lavochkin La-5FN   -   Leningrad Front

(_+14)
Ivan "Ivan the Terrible" N. Kozhedub (3x HSU)
 (leading allied ace WW2 - 62 victories)

- - -

 

 

303. IAD
(3 IAPs)
1944, Autumn   -   Yak-3   -   Leningrad Front

(_+1)
Commander 303rd IAD
General Zakharov

 

- - -

 

 

Naval Air Arm
VMF (?)
Divided into 4 Air Forces (Fleets)
independent since 1938.
(example: Yak9D 'White 22' of 6.Gv.IAP. VVS ChF,5/41- Black sea- guards unit - Gv = guards)

 

 

Red Banner Baltic Fleet
(VVS-KBF)
КБФ

 

 

3rd Gv.IAP (VVS-KBF)
1943,w   -   Lavochkin LaGG-3   -   east of Lake Lagoda

(_+30)
(_+35)
(_+52)
(_+59)
(_+64)
1945   -   Lavochkin LaGG-5   -   Leningrad

(_+15)
 Captain Georgiy Kostylev

 

 

4th Gv.IAP (VVS-KBF)
1942   -    Polikarpov I-16 Ishak I-16 Ishak Tip 17   -   Stalingrad

(28)
Snr. Lieutenant M. Vasiliev, spring 1942

 

 

12th IAP (VVS-KBF)
1937   -   Polikarpov I-16 Ishak Tip 5

(6)

 

 

145th IAP (VVS-KBF)
1st Squadron 2nd Squadron 3rd Squadron
This unit was equipped with I-16s at the age of the Operation Barbarossa
- - -
1942, spring-summer   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 1   -   Murmansk
The unit received a dozen of LaGG-3
- -
(76) CAT
Major Leonid "Crazy Catman" Galchenko
Commander of the second squadron		 -
In period October-December/41 the 145 IAP was moved from the front and reorganized into 609 IAP at Kandalaksha.

 

 

unknown IAP (VVS-KBF)
1941   -   Polikarpov I-16 Ishak Tip 5

(50)

 

- - -

 

Northern Fleet
(VVS-SF)

 

72th IAP (VVS-SF)
1941   -   Polikarpov I-16 Ishak Tip 5

(11) '3A CTARNHA'
First Lieutenant Boris Safonov, Vaenga (USSR), Summer 1941
1941   -   Polikarpov I-16 Ishak Tip 5

(13) '3A CCCP!' (For USSR!)
S.G. Surzhenko, Murmansk

 

- - -

 

Black Sea Fleet
(VVS-ChF)

 

7th IAP (VVS-ChF)
1941   -   Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3b   -   Leningrad

(04+_)
Capt. S.N.Polyakov
(42+_)
October
1943, spring   -   Curtiss P-40K Warhawk

(04+_)
 K.D. Denisov		 -

 

 

8th IAP (VVS-ChF)
1940   -   Polikarpov I-15 Type2   -   Sevastopol
I. Squadron II. Squadron (?) III. Squadron
-
(6)		 -
1941   -   Polikarpov I-15 Type3 CHATO   -   Sevastopol
-
(6)		 -

 

 

9th Gv.IAP (VVS-ChF)
 New formed in1942 (possibly october) under command of the SCW-veteran Lev Shestakov.

This regiment was built only from pilots, who had at least 5 kills.
They were stationed at Zeta-airfield, Stalingrad Front
I. Squadron II. Squadron III. Squadron
1942   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 35   -   Kuban
-
(43)
Yuri Shipov		 -
1943   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 35
- -
(_)
Commander of III./-
Captain Sultan Amet-Khan
1944   -   Lavochkin Lagg-3 type 35
- -
(24)
?? Commander of III./-
Captain Sultan Amet-Khan ??
1944-45, Winter   -   Lavochkin La-7   -   probably Germany
- -
(23)
 P.V. Golovachev
- -
(24)
Commander of III./-
Major Sultan Amet-Khan
1945, spring   -   Lavochkin La-7   -   probably Germany

(17)
E. Lavrinenkov		 - -

 

 

32nd IAP (VVS-ChF)
1941, August   -   Polikarpov I-16SPB / 24   -   Chernavoda (Romania)

First Lieutenant Boris Filimonov
1943, July   -   Lavochkin La-5FN   -   Latvia

(23)
V.A. Orekhov
1944, September   -   Lavochkin La-7   -   Latvia

(23)
Maj V Orekhov ,32.Gv.IAP, 3Gv.IAD,1 Gv.IAK,Latvia

 

- - -

 

Pacific Fleet
(VVS-TOF)

 

- - -

 

 

HSU
Hero of the Soviet Union
Awarded to 895 pilots in the GP (Great Patriotic -WW2) War.
26 got it twice,

and 2:

Kozhedub (leading allied ace WW2 - 62 victories) and
Pokryshkin (59 victories)

received three.

(It is unclear what parameters were used to award the HSU)
Holders of the HSU could have the five pointed gold star painted on the tail of their aircraft.

Can also be seen on many profiles on a variety of places on the fuselage.

 

References
Some URSS air forces info from "Soviet Aces of WW2" by Hugh Morgan (Osprey AofA #15)

 

 

 

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