Aviation Division

An Aviation Division (Russian: авиационная дивизия) was a type of formation of the Military Air Forces of the Red Army during the Second World War, the Soviet Air Forces, Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) and Aviation of the Military Naval Fleet, and since 1991 remain major formations within the Military Air Forces of the Russian Federation.^[1]

Before the start of the Second World War, the aviation divisions formed parts of the Long Range Aviation (13.5% of aircraft), and Frontal Aviation (Military Air Forces of the Military Districts in peacetime; 40.5% of aircraft) of the Red Army Fronts, and units assigned to the Combined Arms Armies as the Army Aviation (43.7% of aircraft). There was also a Forces Aviation (2.3% of aircraft) flying liaison aircraft as part of the Corps and Armies’ independent flights and squadrons.^[2]

From 1942 the aviation divisions were combined into the Air Armies of the Red Army ground forces, assigned one to each Front, Air Defence Forces (PVO) Armies (including the 1st Fighter Army of the PVO), Soviet Naval Aviation and Aviation of the Reserve of the Supreme Command.

In organisational terms the aviation divisions were often combined into the aviation corps or an Air Army. In terms of combat assignment the aviation divisions were divided into the bombardment aviation divisions, assault aviation divisions, fighter aviation divisions, mixed aviation divisions (usually one to a Combined Arms Army) and transport aviation divisions.^[3]

The composition of the aviation divisions during wartime was not uniform or constant. Although many divisions begun the war with 3 – 5 aviation regiments, due to the heavy losses suffered in the initial period of the Summer-Autumn Campaign of 1941 (22 June - 4 December), during Operation Barbarossa, from August this was reduced to two with consequent reduction in aircraft from 150-180 to 40-50. However, commencing with Autumn 1942 the size of the aviation divisions began to increase again, and some had four aviation regiments, or five in the PVO and mixed divisions. However the number of mixed divisions, and expediency of 1942, was gradually reduced and from 1944 the Frontal Aviation divisions adopted a 3-4 regiment structure, with the 3 regiments being the more common occurrence in the bombing divisions with some 100 aircraft while the fighter and assault divisions were issued 124 aircraft. The mission profile was flexible depending on the target, with the aviation division deploying as part of the aviation corps, Air Army or independently, utilising the entire aircraft complement, or by regiments, squadrons, flights and even individual aircraft.

Bonn et al. wrote in 2005 that the Soviet Air Forces included 10 basic air divisions at the start of the war, 37 basic air divisions were formed during it, of which only three survived to the end. Seven mixed air divisions existed at the start of the war, and 44 were generated during it. Thirteen were destroyed and disbanded, and the rest converted into other types of divisions. Not a single mixed air division was active at the end of the war. Only one was raised to Guards status, and that, the 1st Guards Mixed Air Division, was converted to the 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division after November 1944. Seven bombardment air divisions were active at the beginning of the war, with 66 created during its course. Twenty-seven of the 66 were destroyed, disbanded, or otherwise converted. Eighteen became Guards divisions.

Twenty-two specialist long-range air divisions were created during the war, though all were converted to bomber divisions. Forty-eight ground-attack divisions were formed during the war, of which two were destroyed or disbanded and eighteen which became Guards. Eleven fighter divisions existed at the beginning of the war. A hundred and nine in total were formed, of which eleven were destroyed or disbanded, fifteen converted, and 18 became Guards.^[4]

Soviet aviation divisions during the Second World War[]

The list below includes divisions of the Long Range Air Force.

1st mixed Aviation Division
1st ferry red banner Aviation Division GVF (Civilian Air Fleet)
1st air transport division GVF
1st transport Aviation Division
1st Stalingrad long-range air division, later 1st bomber Stalingrad red banner air division ([2])
1st night heavy bomber air division
1st school bomber air division
2nd mixed air division
2nd Special Purpose Aviation Division
3rd bombardment air division
3rd long-range air division
3rd special red banner communications air division GVF
4th mixed air division
5th mixed air division
6th mixed air division
7th mixed air division
8th mixed air division
8th bombardment air division
9th mixed air division - Served with the Western Special Military District at the outbreak of war, comprising the 13th, 14th, 124th, 126th, 128th, and 129th Fighter Aviation Regiments. Just days before the attack the 9th Mixed Air Division had received 233 new MiG-3s, but they lost 347 of 409 operational aircraft on the first day of the war with almost all of the MiG-3s destroyed on the ground by bombs.
10th mixed air division
11th mixed air division
12th bomber air division (1st form.)(22.6.41-23.7.41 formed from 12th Mixed Aviation Division)^[5]
12th Mginskaya long-range air division, later 12th bomber Mginskaya red banner air division (2nd form.)(formed from 12th Aviation Division, Long Range (ад ДД) 26.12.44-9.5.45)^[5]^[6]
12th mixed air division is
13th bomber air division
14th air division
15th mixed air division
16th air division
17th air division
17th long-range air division
18th air division
19th air division
20th mixed air division
21st mixed air division
22nd air division
23rd mixed air division
23rd heavy bomber air division
24th long-range air division, later 24th bombardment air division
25th bombardment air division
26th long-range bombardment air division
27th bombardment air division
28th mixed air division
29th bombardment Amur air division
30th long-range bombardment Khinganskaya red banner air division
31st mixed air division
32nd bombardment red banner air division
33rd Bomber Aviation Division - Activated 5.11.40 in Vozdvizhenka, Primorskiy Kray, as the 33rd Aviation Division Long-Range. Under 9th Air Army until 1944. 26.12.44 renamed 33rd Bomber Aviation Division. Disbanded 1951.^[7]
34th bomber red banner air division
35th long-range bombardment air division
36th fighter air defence division (PVO)
36th Smolensk long-range air division
36th bomber Smolensk red banner air division
38th bombardment air division
38th mixed air division
39th bombardment air division
40th long-range bombardment air division
41st air division
42nd long-range bombardment air division
43rd bombardment air division
43rd mixed air division
44th bombardment air division
45th mixed air division
45th Gomel air division of distant action
45th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division - "Gomel"
46th Aviation Division - Formed in accordance with an Ukaz of the VVS on 12.08.1940. Part of the Air Forces of the Moscow Military District. June–July 1941 assigned to the Air Forces of the 12th Army (Soviet Union). Reassigned to the Air Forces of the 22nd Army (Soviet Union) 10.07.41, and then Western Front Air Forces in August 1941. Disbanded 1 March 1942.^[8]
47th mixed air division
48th long-range bombardment air division, later 48th Riga long-range air division
48th bomber Riga air division
49th mixed air division
50th long-range bombardment air division
50th Crimean long-range air division, later 50th bomber Crimean red banner air division
51st long-range bombardment air division
52nd long-range bombardment air division
53rd long-range bombardment air division (DVF), later 53rd Stalingrad long-range air division, later 53rd bomber Stalingrad air division
54th bombardment air division
54th Orel long-range air division, later 54th bomber Orel air division
55th Composite Aviation Division
56th air division
56th Breslavlskaya long-range air division fighters
57th mixed air division
59th bombardment air division
60th mixed air division
61st mixed air division
62nd air division
62nd Aviation Division Long-range
63rd air division
64th air division
65th air division
66th air division
67th bombardment air division
68th bombardment air division
71st air division
72nd bombardment air division
73rd mixed air division
74th mixed air division
75th mixed air division
76th mixed air division
77th mixed air division
78th bombardment air division
81st long-range air division
83rd bomber air division
90th air division
91st air division
92nd air division
96th assault Amur air division
101st fighter air defence division (PVO)
102nd fighter air defence division (PVO)
103rd air division
104th fighter air defence division (PVO)
105th fighter air defence division (PVO)
106th fighter air defence division (PVO)
113th bomber Leningrad red banner air division
113th long-range air division
122nd fighter Pecenga air defence division
123rd fighter air defence division (PVO)
124th fighter air defence division (PVO)
125th fighter air defence division (PVO)
126th fighter air defence division (PVO)
127th bombardment air division
128th mixed Kurile air division
129th bombardment Koenigsberg order of Kutuzov air division
130th bombardment Insterburg order of Suvorov air division
132nd Sevastopol Bomber Aviation Division ([3])
133rd air division
134th long-range bombardment air division
135th mixed air division
135th bombardment air division
136th assault Nizhnednestrovskaya order of Suvorov air division
140th air division
141st fighter air defence division (PVO)
142nd fighter air defence division (PVO)
144th fighter air defence division (PVO)
146th air division
147th fighter air defence division (PVO)
148th fighter air defence division (PVO)
149th Fighter Aviation Division (PVO) - activated June 1942, later became a bomber aviation division and served with 4th Air Army and 76th Air Army before disbanding in 1998^[9]
179th bomber air division
181st bombardment Chenstokhovskaya order of Kutuzov air division
182nd assault Tilzitskaya orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
183rd bomber Berlin air division
185th bombardment air division
188th bomber Riga air division
189th assault Nizhnednestrovskaya order of Suvorov air division
190th bombardment Polotsk red banner order of Kutuzov air division
193rd bombardment Demblinskaya order of Suvorov air division
194th bombardment air division
196th assault Zhlobinskaya red banner air division
197th assault Demblinskaya red banner air division
198th assault Warsaw red banner air division
199th assault Slonimskaya red banner air division
201st bombardment Stalingrad air division
202nd bombardment air division
202nd bomber Mid-Don red banner order of Suvorov air division in the name of Supreme Soviet of Tatarskaya ASSR
203rd mixed air division
203rd bombardment Znamenskaya air division
204th mixed air division
204th bomber air division
205th Kirovograd Fighter Aviation Division - Activated 5.42 as the 205th Fighter Aviation Division. Under 7th Fighter Aviation Corps, June 1943 - 10.44; 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Corps, 10.44 - 3.47. On 27.10.44 renamed 22nd Guards Fighter Aviation Division. Disbanded March 1947.^[10]
206th bombardment air division
206th assault Melitopolskaya red banner air division
207th mixed air division
207th bombardment air division
208th mixed air division
208th night bomber Kiev red banner air division
209th bombardment air division
210th bombardment air division (1st form.)
210th bombardment air division (2nd form.)
211th mixed air division
211th short range bomber air division
211th night bomber air division
211th assault Nevelskaya order of Lenin red banner order of Suvorov air division
212th mixed air division
212th assault air division
213th night bomber Vitebsk red banner orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
214th assault Kerch air division
215th mixed air division
215th bombardment Tannenbergskaya red banner air division
216th bombardment air division
216th mixed air division
216th Fighter Air Division, later became 9th Guards Fighter Air Division.
218th Yasskaya red banner Night Bomber Aviation Division - had 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, the "Night Witches" under its command.^[11]
219th bomber Chenstokhovskaya orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
220th bombardment air division
221st bomber Bakhmachskaya order of Suvorov air division
222nd long-range aviation division, later 222nd long-range bombardment air division
223rd bomber air division
224th assault Zhmerinskaya red banner air division
225th assault Riga air division
226th Assault Aviation Division
227th assault Berdichevskaya red banner air division
228th assault air division
229th bombardment Taman red banner air division
230th assault Kuban red banner order of Suvorov air division
231st assault Roslavl air division
232nd assault air division
233rd assault Yartsevskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
234th bombardment Mozyrskaya order of Suvorov air division
235th bombardment Stalingrad air division
236th bombardment Lvov red banner air division
237th bombardment air division
238th assault air division
239th bombardment air division
240th bombardment Nevelskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
241st bomber Rechitskaya order of Kutuzovair division
242nd night bomber Lyublinskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
243rd assault air division
244th bomber Lozovskaya red banner of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy's order air division
245th bombardment Port-Arturskaya air division
246th bombardment Mukdenskaya air division
247th bomber air division
248th assault Port-Arturskaya air division
249th bombardment red banner air division
250th bombardment red banner air division
251st assault red banner air division
252nd assault red banner air division
253rd assault Amur air division
254th bombardment Amur air division
255th mixed Sakhalin air division
256th bombardment Kiev red banner of orders of Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitskiy air division
257th mixed Svirskaya air division
257th bombardment Svirskaya air division
258th bombardment Svirskaya aviation division
258th mixed Svirskaya air division - became 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division, which see.
259th bombardment Gorodokskaya order of Lenin red banner order of Suvorov air division
260th bomber air division
260th mixed Svirskaya air division
260th assault Svirskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
261st mixed air division
261st assault Svirskaya order of Suvorov air division
262nd night bomber Lozovskaya red banner order of Kutuzov air division
263rd bombardment air division
263rd bomber air division
264th assault Kiev red banner air division
265th bombardment Melitopolskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
266th bombardment air division
266th assault Poltava air division
267th assault air division
268th bombardment air division
269th bombardment Novgorod red banner air division
270th bomber air division
271st night bomber Stalingrad-Rechitskaya air division
272nd night bomber air division
273rd bombardment Gomel order of Suvorov air division
274th bombardment air division
275th bombardment Puskinskaya red banner air division
276th bomber Gatchinskaya twice red banner of orders Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
277th assault Krasnoselsk red banner of orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
278th bombardment Siberian-Stalin red banner order of Suvorov air division
279th bombardment red banner air division
280th bomber air division
280th mixed Ostrovskaya air division
280th assault Ostrovskaya air division
281st assault Novgorod red banner air division - activated August 1942 from the VVS/4th Army, assigned to 13th Air Army April 1944. In May 1945, in the Lithuanian SSR, the division comprised three assault aviation regiments of Il-2s: the 448, 703rd, and 872nd. Redesignated the 281st Military Transport Aviation Division on 27 April 1946 and resubordinated to Headquarters Airborne Forces (which appears to have controlled all military transport aircraft at the time.)^[12]
282nd bombardment Gomel red banner order of Suvorov air division
283rd bombardment Kamyshinskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division ^[13]
284th night bomber Novosokolnicheskaya air division
284th bombardment air division
285th bomber air division
286th bombardment Nezhinskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
287th bombardment air division
288th bombardment Pavlograd- Viennese red banner order of Suvorov air division - also 288th Fighter Aviation Division^[14]
289th assault Nikopol' red banner air division
290th Assault Aviation Division
291st mixed air division
291st assault Kiev air division
292nd assault Krasnogradskaya air division
293rd bomber Cherkass air division
294th bombardment Poltavsko-Alexandriyskaya air division
295th bombardment Novomoskovsk red banner order of Kutuzov air division
296th bombardment air division
297th fighter air defence division (PVO)
298th fighter air defence division (PVO)
299th assault Nezhinskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
300th assault Tomashuvskaya order of Suvorov air division
301st bomber Gomel order of Kutuzovair division
302nd bombardment Kirovograd air division
303rd bombardment Smolensk red banner air division
304th Cherkass Bomber Aviation Division - Activated March 1943 as the 304th Bomber Aviation Division. 6.43 renamed 304th Fighter Aviation Division. Under 7th Fighter Aviation Corps, 6.43 - 10.44; 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Corps, 10.44 - 3.47. On 27.10.44 renamed 23rd Guards Fighter Aviation Division. Disbanded March 1947.^[15]
305th assault Pavlograd red banner air division
306th assault lower-Dneprovsk red banner order of Suvorov air division
307th assault Leeds red banner order of Suvorov air division
308th assault Kraków red banner order of Suvorov air division
309th bombardment Smolensk red banner air division
310th fighter air defence division (PVO)
311th assault Molodechnenskaya red banner air division
312th night bomber Znamenskaya order of Suvorov air division
313th night bomber Bezhitskaya air division
314th night bomber Polotsk red banner order of Kutuzov air division
315th bombardment Riga air division
316th assault Mukdenskaya air division
317th fighter air defence division (PVO)
318th fighter air defence division (PVO)
319th fighter air defence division (PVO)
320th fighter air defence division (PVO)
321st bomber air division
322nd bombardment Minsk red banner order of Suvorov air division
323rd bombardment Baranovichskaya red banner air division
324th bombardment Svirskaya red banner air division
325th night bomber Osovetskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
326th night bomber Tarnopolskaya order of Kutuzov Aviation Division
327th bomber Gdansk air division
328th fighter air defence division (PVO)
329th bombardment Kerch red banner air division
330th bombardment Ostrovskaya air division
331st bombardment Lvov air division
332nd assault Vitebsk red banner air division
334th bomber Leningrad red banner order of Suvorov air division
335th assault Vitebsk order of Lenin red banner order of Suvorov air division
336th bombardment Kovelskaya red banner air division

Guards[]

Guards Bomber[]

1st guard mixed Svirskaya red banner air division
1st guard bomber Kirovograd red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy air division
2nd guard night bomber Stalingrad red banner air division
2nd guard bomber Sevastopol-Berlin air division
3rd guard bomber Smolensk of orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
4th guard bomber Borisov red banner air division
5th guard bomber Orsha red banner order of Kutuzov air division
6th guard bomber Taganrog red banner of orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
7th guard bomber Sevastopol-Berlin air division
8th guard bomber Cherkass red banner order of Suvorov air division
9th guard night bomber Stalingrad-Rechitskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
11th guard bomber Orel-Berlin red banner air division
13th guard bomber Dnipropetrovsk- Budapest order of Suvorov air division
14th guard bomber Bryansk- Berlin red banner air division
15th guard bomber Gomel aviation division is
16th guard bomber Stalingrad air division
18th guard bomber Orel-Budapest air division
10th guard air transport division GVF
21st guard transport Port-Arturskaya air division
22nd Guards Donbas red banner bomber Aviation Division (see ru:22-я гвардейская тяжёлая бомбардировочная авиационная Донбасская Краснознамённая дивизия)

Guards Fighter[]

1st Guards Fighter Stalingrad-Berlin red banner Aviation Division. Activated 5.42 as the 220th Fighter Aviation Division. 4 February 1943 renamed 1st Guards Fighter Aviation Division.^[16]
2nd guard fighter Stalingrad red banner air defence division
3rd guard fighter Bryansk red banner order of Suvorov air division
4th guard fighter Orsha red banner order of Suvorov air division
5th guard fighter Valdai red banner order of Kutuzov air division
6th guard fighter Don-Segedskaya red banner order of Suvorov air division
7th guard fighter Rzhevskaya red banner of orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov air division
8th guard fighter Kiev red banner of orders of Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Aviation Division
9th guard Mariupolsko-Berlin order of Lenin red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Fighter Aviation Division. Converted from 216th Fighter Aviation Division. Activated Dec 1942 as the 216th SAD; 7th Jun 1943 renamed 9th Guards IAD; 'Mariupol-Berlin,' orders of Lenin, Red Banner, Bogdan Khmelnitskiy.^[17] As 9 Gds IAD, fought well using U.S. P-39 Airacobras.^[18] Fought as part of 4th Air Army.
10th guard fighter Stalingrad red banner order of Suvorov air division
11th guards Dnipropetrovsk red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy fighter air division - Activated 5.42 as the 207th Mixed Aviation Division, but a few days later (20.5.42) renamed 207th Fighter Aviation Division. 24.8.43 renamed 11th Guards Fighter Aviation Division. 10.1.49 renamed 195th Guards Fighter Aviation Division; April 1968 renamed back to 11 GvIAD. Southern Group of Forces/36th Air Army 1956-1991.^[19]
12th guard fighter Znamenskaya red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy air division
13th guard fighter Poltava-Alexandriyskaya red banner order of Kutuzov air division
14th guard fighter Kirovograd- Budapest red banner order of Suvorov air division
15th guard fighter Stalingrad red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy air division
16th Guards Svirskaya Red Banner Fighter Aviation Division. Activated 11.42 as the 258th Fighter Aviation Division. 27.2.43 renamed 258th Mixed Aviation Division. 24.8.43 renamed 1st Guards Mixed Aviation Division. 11.11.44 renamed 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division. Comprised 19th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, 20th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, and 152nd Fighter Aviation Regiment in MAy 1945. Moved to Damgarten, DDR, in October 1953 and remained as part of Group of Soviet Forces in Germany until 30 October 1993. On that date it was moved to Millerovo, in the North Caucasus Military District and became part of the 4th Air Army.^[20]
22nd guard fighter Kirovograd order of Lenin red banner order of Kutuzov air division
23rd guard fighter Cherkass red banner order of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy air division

Guards Assault[]

1st Guards Assault Stalingrad order of Lenin twice red banner of orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Air Division
2nd Guards Assault Chernigov-Rechitskaya order of Lenin red banner order of Suvorov Air Division