Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet. Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet Red Air Fleet

b) 9th " " " " " (Kursk)

c) 21st (Orel)

d) 22nd (Orel)

2

3

4

5. Ibid. - L.5, 71, 73.

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 . Ibid.-P.261, 275.

14

15

Notes:

Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet of Ukraine

Dear readers! Issues "AH" 2"92, G93 introduced you to aviation U HP and Hetman P. Skoropadsky. Concluding the cycle, we post material about the Ukrainian Soviet Air Fleet 1917 - 1919, in the history of which there are still many "white spots". We express our gratitude Director of the Museum of Air Transport KNIGA P. I. Vlasov for assistance in the work.

Even before the October events of 1917, the Bolsheviks managed to find solid support among the personnel of many air units of the Russian army stationed in Ukraine. The proletarian origin of the majority of soldier-aviators made itself felt. And when news of the October 25 coup reached Ukraine, the confrontation between the revolutionary troops and units loyal to the Provisional Government reached its climax. The soldiers were on the side of the Bolsheviks, and it happened that some officers of the 3rd and 5th air fleets in Kyiv, the 1st air fleet in Odessa, the squadron airships in Vinnitsa, Sevastopol hydroaviation base and some other aviation formations. Among them were the most famous personalities: M. Efimov, K. Artseulov, A. Berbeko. These facts are known. It is also not news that the signal for an armed uprising on October 29 in Kyiv was the flight of an airplane with a red flag over the city. The historic flight was carried out on the Voisin, piloted by military pilot A. Egorov with mechanic N. Kipchuk on board.

During 1917-1920 The Bolsheviks repeatedly tried to establish their power in Ukraine. The first such campaign ended in April 1918, when their forces were driven out by the German-Austrian army, which appeared in our area after the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk agreements. There is no need to talk about any regular military formations of the People's Secretariat, as the Soviet government of Ukraine was then called, during this period. But nevertheless, there are facts of their use of aviation. For example, the already mentioned A. Berbeko in January 1918 managed to organize the “First Socialist Air Squad” in Odessa and, on his only plane, take part in battles with the troops of the Central Rada, and later conduct several air battles with Austrian pilots.

Having reorganized their units under the Moscow protectorate in the so-called “neutral zone,” the Ukrainian Bolsheviks launched a new offensive in November 1918. Their forces consisted mainly of participants in a broad insurrectionary movement, who were driven out of the territory of Ukraine in the summer by the joint efforts of the occupation and hetman forces. This “army” already had some semblance of a military organization and was well equipped.

There is an opinion that the Bolshevik leaders underestimated or completely ignored aviation. This is far from true. The air fleet paid tribute to L.D. Trotsky, and in one of the documents of the People’s Commissariat of Military Affairs of Ukraine it was directly stated that aviation is one of the main auxiliary means, without which it is impossible to “create a great and truly powerful... Red Army.” This view was quite modern and was determined primarily by the technical capabilities of the aircraft of those years. Therefore, there is nothing unexpected in the fact that the People's Commissar of Military Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR V.I. Mezhlauk, by his order No. 8 of 02/03/1919, decided: “... to form the Directorate of the Red Air Fleet...”.

This document was signed on the eve of the entry of Soviet troops into Kyiv, and when red banners were already waving in the streets ancient capital, they also appointed the “chief” of the newly created department - former aircraft mechanic N. Vasilyev. His Directorate was entrusted with: “the organization and management of all aviation and aeronautical affairs in Ukraine.” This primarily meant “searching, registering and recording aviation and aeronautical property scattered throughout Ukraine.” Important tasks were also the formation of new air units, personnel training, ensuring the functioning of repair units, establishing the work of aviation enterprises, and organizing industry-specific research laboratories and stations. All structures associated with the Air Fleet were subordinate to the department, with the exception of combat units, which were placed at the direct disposal of the commanders of army formations. In total, Vasiliev’s farm turned out to be about one and a half dozen different objects, among which were workshops at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, aircraft parks, the Deka aircraft engine plant in Aleksandrovsk, and the Kiev Aviation School. The latter was a subject of special concern.

The fact is that the situation with the flight personnel in the Red Army

was critical. Vasilyev, in a memorandum sent in March 1919 to the People’s Commissariat of Military Affairs of Ukraine, noted: “The number of pilots capable of combat air activities who are now on the territory of the Russian and Ukrainian Republics (300-400) is far from insufficient... the retirement of pilots reaches 60%" and exists real threat that “by the fall of this year the army risks being left without eyes.”

Kyiv was perfect for organizing an aviation school. All the necessary infrastructure existed here, and most importantly, the city had large reserves of alcohol, which, in combination with ether, could replace the acutely scarce fuel for airplanes.

The opening of the school was prepared very carefully. It was supposed to be given 22 aircraft: 6 reconnaissance aircraft, 4 fighters, 8 training aircraft and 4 spares - six more aircraft than the entire Ukrainian Front had by June 1919! Its staffing list included 8 instructors and 2 heads of departments, who were supposed to simultaneously prepare 50 accounts. They even foresaw that in such a specific educational institution the “possibility of a large number of accidents” could not be excluded, and a special health insurance fund was founded to provide assistance to unlucky cadets.

The school officially opened on May 14. However, in July, the commission of the Higher Military Inspectorate noted that an aviation school was just about to open in Kyiv. If we take into account that at this time the offensive of Denikin’s Dobrarmiya was already in full swing and the situation in Kyiv was becoming threatening, then it seems extremely unlikely that it would be possible to graduate at least one set of pilots.

An extremely important task for the Directorate of the RKVF of Ukraine was the creation and maintenance of the functioning of an international communications squadron (sometimes you can see the name “special purpose squad”). There is a legend that the initiative to create this unit belonged to Lenin himself, for whom it was very important to establish connections with the newly formed Hungarian Soviet Republic (proclaimed on March 21, 1919) as soon as possible. It is unlikely that this will ever be documented, but the fact that the People’s Commissar of Military Affairs of Ukraine N.I. was responsible for the creation of the detachment. Podvoisky speaks for itself.

The task was very urgent. Having quickly received three aircraft (at least one of them was an Elfauge), the Directorate began recruiting personnel. The first pilots of the detachment were military pilots I. Baryshnikov, V. Korolkov and R. Piir. Other specialists were also selected in a short time. Proskurov was chosen for the main base of the detachment, and while this city was in the hands of Petliura’s troops, it was planned to be stationed in Vinnitsa.

The first overseas flight was carried out on April 12, 1919. On this day, the pilot of the Kyiv Aviation School V. Khodorovich with an important passenger, the Hungarian communist F. Gyorgy on board, took off from the Vinnitsa airfield at seven o’clock in the morning and headed for Budapest. A few hours later, he safely landed his Elfauge near the village of Palfalva, not far from his final destination. There were several holes in the planes as a result of fire from the ground to which the airplane was subjected while flying over territory occupied by UPR forces; not a drop of fuel remained in the tanks, but overall the flight could be considered quite successful. In Soviet literature there is rather scant information about the activities of this detachment. They make it possible to conclude that, starting from the 20th of April, a fairly reliable air bridge was established with “red Budapest”. This allowed the Hungarian pilot I. Dobos to deliver his People’s Commissar T. Samueli to Soviet territory at the end of May, who held negotiations with the governments of the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR,

Scout of the RKK VF of Ukraine "Farman-ХХХ" with a gondola from "Farman-ХХИ". Photo from the archive of M.B. Lyakhovetsky

Airplane "Voisin" at the Post-Volynsky airfield in Kyiv after the end of the civil war. Photo by TsGAKFD of Ukraine

Airplane "Anasal" in Kyiv. Fs

Scout LVG.C-V "Elfauge" in Kyiv. Photo from the archive of S.A. Popsuevich

However, archival data raises doubts about such great successes of the Proskurov detachment. Just two weeks after Dobosh’s flight, affairs in this formation caused such great concern that an inspection headed by the Commissioner of the RKKVFU Directorate N. Kolosov was sent there. She found that despite the presence in the detachment of the best aircraft, on which it is possible to “overcome significant distances, such flights are practically not carried out.” Not a single task was successfully completed by the detachment itself, and during the training flight Proskurov - Kozyatin, the pilot simply got lost and during a forced landing he broke his best airplane. Most of the planes are generally in disassembled condition. This makes it clear why the first flight was carried out by a non-staff pilot, and the Hungarians took it upon themselves to transport their emissary! What were the reasons for this situation? Obviously, once again everything was decided by the personnel. Kolosov, in “his report, indicated that “personnel, recruited without any filtering, most of them serving Hetman and Petlyura,” never found a common language with their commander and commissar. Kolosov’s conclusions were similar to a sentence: “The detachment cannot fulfill the work entrusted to him."

As already noted, field air units were not subordinate to Vasiliev’s Directorate. Today it is quite difficult to establish exactly how many such units there were, their deployment, what kind of personnel they had, what aircraft they were in service with. The documents cited in printed sources and the known historical literature on this period do not provide precise answers. Archival materials located in Ukraine are far from complete, and those stored in Russian archives, alas, are almost inaccessible to a Ukrainian researcher.

Summarizing the entire array of available data, we can present the following version. The first regular air detachments were formed on the territory of the “neutral zone” and, far from being in full strength, began to be transferred to Ukraine in February 1919. In order No. 14 of 02/04/1919 of the commander of the Ukrainian Front V.A. Antonov-Ovseenko we read: “I announce for information and leadership that the aviation and aeronautics of the front include the following aviation and aeronautics units of the front:

a) 24th reconnaissance aviation detachment (Konotop)

b) 9th " " " " " (Kursk)

c) 21st (Orel)

d) 22nd (Orel)

e) train-workshop No. 5 (Kursk) Four months later in information about the composition of combat units

On June 1, 1919, the Ukrfront had only two air squadrons listed - the same 21st and 24th. They included as many as 9 aircraft and 7 more vehicles for the troops of the “Crimean direction”.

The appearance of air units on the Southern Front in Donbass is noted later. At the end of June, the 8th Fighter Detachment was transferred here, which had 6 aircraft and was understaffed by a third (only 4 pilots and 72 ground crew). Later, the 22nd Fighter Squadron appeared here. This unit, having the same ratio of aircraft and pilots, had almost a full ground crew - 92 people.

In addition to these detachments, various sources mention very mysterious units, which, having appeared once or twice on the pages of certain studies, disappeared into historical obscurity: the 1st Air Detachment named after. Council of Workers, Red Army and Peasant Deputies of Odessa, 1st Odessa Fighter Detachment led by the already mentioned A. Berbeko, 50th Reconnaissance and 1st Artillery Air Squadrons.

It is worth dwelling on the very specific relationship with Moscow. Due to the limited volume, a journal article does not provide an opportunity to delve into all historical events, and our attention will only be drawn to events related to the main subject of the study.

By April, the Ukrfront troops achieved significant victories over the UPR army and Entente forces. However, at this time, General A.I. launched an offensive in the south. Denikin. He struck through the Donbass, which was defended by the rather weak Southern Front and the 1st Trans-Dnieper Division P.E. Dybenko (including the “separate brigade” of Father N.I. Makhno). Lenin's government constantly demanded that part of the liberated forces of the Ukrainian Front be transferred to a threatening area in the Donbass. However, obsessed with the idea of ​​​​bringing the proletarian revolution to Europe as quickly as possible, the Bolshevik leaders of the Ukrainian SSR were in no hurry to carry out the order of Moscow.

At this time, a delegation from the Field Aviation Directorate of the RSFSR, led by its chief Sergeev, arrived at Vasiliev’s Directorate. In mid-May, he reported to Trotsky: “What is happening now in Ukraine must be put an end to now, otherwise an organization of the Air Force will develop there, not coordinated with the Central Plan... Formal considerations cannot allow such absolute independence as is being pursued in Ukraine". Moscow representative Special attention drew attention to the fact that “... by order of Comrade Podvoisky, it is forbidden to even give information about the aviation and aeronautical property available in Ukraine.”

After Lenin’s reprimand to Podvoisky and Antonov-Ovseenko, the required transfer of forces began. And in early June, after the famous decision of the Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR on the military-political union of Soviet republics, the Ukrainian Front was completely abolished. Vasilyev’s administration was preserved, but by order of the People’s Commissar of the RSFSR it was “subordinated both in military and economic terms Central Authorities Aeroflot Department..."

It continued to properly perform its functions, paying special attention to providing aviation detachments with materiel - Denikin’s offensive required more and more forces. Desperate attempts were made to restore the work of Ukrainian airlines. And their potential was very significant. According to calculations by the RKKVFU Office, up to 14 aircraft and up to 20 engines for them could be repaired every month in the aircraft repair shops in Kiev and Kharkov alone; there were also good prospects for breathing life into the Anatra, Matias, and Deka plants. But the civil war has its own logic. It was not possible to solve the problem of replenishing the aircraft fleet with fully combat-ready aircraft, and the “red military pilots” had to carry out missions on “flying coffins.”

Despite this, as well as the chronic shortage of flight personnel, aviation was used very intensively by the Bolsheviks. Thus, in February, Berbeko’s detachment took part in battles with Romanian and French aircraft in the Tiraspol direction. The enemy had a significant advantage in strength, but we must give credit to the red pilots - they fought courageously. Berbeco himself once met in the air with six Romanian airplanes that were going to bomb Soviet troops, and forced them to turn back. At the same time, he managed to damage one airplane and force its pilot to land at the Reds' location. Soon this aircraft was repaired and put into combat operation. In July, aviators of the 21st and 24th detachments distinguished themselves in the Kiev direction. The commander of the 21st military pilot Kravtsov with his flight engineer (Pashkov) bombed the railway tracks and “two enemy cars with shells” at the Derezhnya station.

The actions of another pilot of the same unit, Tsivinsky, were so extraordinary that it is surprising how Soviet times he did not make it into the pantheon of “heroes of the revolution.” During one of the reconnaissance flights over enemy territory (near Bar station), the engine of his airplane stalled. There was nothing else left to do but go to the forced one. “Having removed the instruments from the apparatus, the pilot, having passed the enemy’s front line, reported to his detachment and, taking motorists Comrades Maslyuzhenko, Lavrents, Petrov, Kruglyakova and Pavlov, went to rescue the plane. Having arrived at the position with the motorists, he was appointed military leader of the combat section and in the advanced chains with motorists, by his example he captivated the Red Army units, which resulted in the capture of Bar station.” Tsivinsky’s exploits did not end there. From July 13 to 16, he made three combat sorties along the routes: Kiev-Vasilkov-Obukhov-Trypillya-Kiev and Kiev-Trypillya-Obukhov-Rzhishchev-Vasilkov-Kiev, in which he dropped 11 pounds of bombs and 5 pounds of proclamations.

The named aviators were noted in the award order for the 12th Army. The commander of the 24th reconnaissance air detachment, military pilot Isakov, also ended up there, but not so much for his military merits as for his “conscious attitude.” A story similar to Tsivinsky’s misadventures happened to him in the air. He also managed to land safely far behind the front line, but then he was less fortunate - the plane was discovered and already fired upon on the ground. Then Isakov set fire to the car and disappeared into the nearby forest. Three days later he came to his unit, which probably surprised the command the most, because... desertion of former officers was quite common.

In August 1919, it became obvious that the Bolsheviks would again have to leave Ukraine. By that time, the total strength of the Red aviation group had reached 30-35 aircraft. Among them there were hopelessly outdated "Neuport-4" and fairly new German "Elfauge", French "Spada", domestic "Anade" and "Anasal", not to mention such common aircraft as "Farman-XX, -XXX" , "Voisin", "Neuport-17, -21, -23". Such a wide variety of types was explained by the lack of a unified supply base, and by the fact that the Bolsheviks, like no one else, used captured airplanes. In documents you can often find reports like: “An airplane landed near the Kurgan station. Two pilots with a machine gun and a working airplane were captured.” Naturally, after such an incident, the aircraft was put into service with the nearest air squadron. On August 30, the Bolsheviks left Kyiv. The administration of the RKKVF of Ukraine was evacuated to Moscow. There were only seven people left in it: Vasiliev, Kolosov, Vechfinsky, Lavrov, Metlin, Todosyev, Ulitin. They were instructed to “begin the disbandment of aviation units from Ukraine and distribute their property” among the units of the RSFSR air fleet.

Vasiliev’s Office was finally disbanded in December 1919 and did not resume its activities. In the further course of the civil war, the aviation forces of the Red Army in Ukraine were divided according to a combined arms scheme and were subordinate to a single command.

1 . TsGAVOV.- F.1122.-O.1.- D.9.- L.1.

2 . Civil war in Ukraine.- K.1967.- T.1.- P.601.

3 . TsGAVOV.-F.1122.-O.1.-D.9.-L.8.

4 . TsGAVOV.- F. 1122.-O.1.-D.9.- L.8. 5. Ibid. - L.5, 71, 73.

5. Ibid. - L.5, 71, 73.

6 . RGVA.- F.29.- 0.4.- D.232.- L.8.

7 . Civil war in Ukraine, - T. I. - P.604.

8 . TsGAVOV.- F.2.-O.1.- D.104.- L.63-68.

9 . Ibid – F.2.-O.1.- D.136.- L.3-9.

10 . RGVA.- F.29.- O.4.- D.232.- L.2.

11 . TsGAVOV.- F.1122.-O.1,-D.9.-L.52-61.

12 . Civil war in Ukraine.- T.2.- P.275.

13 . Ibid.-P.261, 275.

14 . TsGAVOV.- F.2.-O.1.- D.171.- L.33-34.

15 . RGVA.- F.29.- O.4.- D.232.-L.15.

Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF)- an auxiliary branch of the Red Army. Formed in the years Civil War . Main tasks: combating enemy aircraft, reconnaissance, air support ground forces. Historically, the RKKVF was divided into aviation and aeronautics.

In the Soviet Republic, 33 air detachments (out of 97) were retained, concentrated in the areas of Petrograd and Moscow.

Ivan Petrovich Shuman, first commander of the 1st air squadron of the Moscow flying detachment

At the initial stage, the basis of the personnel of the RKKVF was made up of revolutionary-minded pilot officers, pilot soldiers, and engine mechanics who joined it. At the same time, pilot training began at the Moscow, Yegoryevsk (on the basis of the evacuated Gatchina) and Zaraisk schools, as well as at the Petrograd Aeronautics School. In 1919, a school of aviation mechanics was relocated to Moscow from Kyiv, a school of observation pilots was opened here (both were transferred to Petrograd in 1921), and a higher aerial photogrammetric school began operating (in 1920 it was transformed into a school of aviation special services). On Sept. 1919, on the initiative of N. E. Zhukovsky, the Moscow Aviation College was created - the country's first educational institution for the training of engineering and technical specialists. personnel for aviation (in 1920 it was transformed into the Institute of Engineers of the Red Air Fleet named after N. E. Zhukovsky). In total, during the war years, 292 specialists were trained for the RKKVF, including 155 pilots, 75 observer pilots, 62 aeronauts. Motor mechanics were trained at courses at front-line aircraft fleets. In 1919, by order of the RVSR, reserves of aviation specialists (27 permanent and 350 variable personnel) were created in the Moscow Military District, on the North Caucasus and Southern fronts to replenish the active units of the RKVF.

The creation of the RKKVF, which had a strong core of personnel, a unified recruitment and supply system, a stable and uniform organization, and centralized control, was completed in the spring of 1919. In August of the same year, there were 146 aviation units and institutions in the active army alone, including 4 field ones aviation and aeronautics departments of the fronts and 16 army departments, 67 air squadrons, a division of heavy airships, 3 special-purpose aviation units, a special-purpose group. They were armed with about 350 aircraft. 28 aeronautical detachments and 5 aeronautical divisions were formed. The total number of personnel of the RKKV was 22,974 people, including 9,006 in land aviation, 5,190 in aeronautical units, and 8,778 in repair and supply departments. There were 2904 people in naval aviation. Subsequently, the combat strength of aviation was maintained at approximately the same level. Most units were assigned to combined arms armies. At the disposal of Gl. command was the airship division “Ilya Muromets.

A particular difficulty in the construction of the RKKVF was equipping it with aircraft and various technical equipment. Initially, aircraft from the old army (over 1,300 aircraft of various brands) were used to create aviation detachments. Measures were taken to produce new aircraft. By October 1917 Russian Empire there were 18 aviation factories (11 aircraft manufacturing, 5 engine manufacturing, 2 propeller factories) and several mixed factories, but many of them ended up in the hands of the White Army and the interventionists. Therefore, the production of aircraft and engines was established only in Moscow (Dux, formerly F.E. Mosca, Icarus, aerotechnical) and Petrograd (Russian-Baltic, formerly V.A. Lebedeva and S.S. Shchetinkina) factories To manage these factories on Dec. 1918 The Main Directorate of United Aviation Plants (Glavkoavia) was formed as part of the Supreme Economic Council.

In 1918-20, the country's aviation industry produced over 650 aircraft; captured aircraft were also used (over 250 aircraft). In total, during the war years the RKKVF had about 2,300 aircraft, of which about 300 remained in service by the end of the war. The 2nd (June 1918), 3rd (March 1919) and 4th (June - July) played an important role in the construction of the RKKVF 1921) All-Russian congresses of aviation and aeronautics workers, at which issues of development of the aviation industry, science and technology, training of flight and technical personnel, improvement of the organizational structure of the RKKVF and methods of its combat use were discussed.

For high combat qualities, 219 pilots and pilot observers were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, 16 of them were awarded this award twice, and P. Kh. Mezheraup, Ya. N. Moiseev and E. M. Ukhin - three times. The 1st Fighter Aviation Division, 35th Reconnaissance Division, 51st Heavy Bomber Aviation Division and 9th Aeronautical Division were awarded Honorary Revolutionary Red Banners. On the combat operations of the RKKVF and its tasks in battles and operations, see Art. Military aviation, Aeronautics.

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) is an auxiliary branch of the armies within the Red Army, organized during the Civil War. Main tasks: combating enemy aircraft, reconnaissance, air support for ground armies.
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) was divided into aeronautics and aviation.

In December 1917, a special Directorate of the Air Fleet was created, transformed on May 24, 1918 into the Main Directorate of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Force (Glavvozduhflot). At the same time, Stolichny, Petrograd, Yuzhny and other district air fleet departments were created. To control the Air Force specifically on the fronts of the Civil War, in September 1918, the Aeronautics and Field Directorate of Army Aviation (Aviadarm), and similar directorates at the headquarters of the armies and fronts were created.

After the adoption of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) on the organization of the Red Army on January 15 (28), 1918, the creation of volunteer air squads began, which, together with the Red Guards, sailors and revolutionary soldiers, took part in the struggle for the establishment of Soviet power in the suppression and country of the first counter-revolutionary uprisings. With the transition in the summer of 1918 to the construction of a regular Red Army in the RKVF, the streamlining of the combat use and formation of units, the elimination of differences in their structure, and the development of unified states began. The first aviation research institutions were created: the Flying Laboratory (March 1918), the Central Aerohydrodynamic University - TsAGI (December 1918), and the scientifically skilled airport (September 1920).

A flight detachment of 6 aircraft and a single-station aeronautical detachment were adopted as the main organizational units in the RKKVF. 3-4 air squadrons were united into aviation divisions. In order to mass aviation in decisive directions of military operations, temporary formations were created - aviation groups. The first 9 air squadrons of the new organization were sent to the Eastern Front in August 1918. By January, their number had increased to 50.

In 1918-1919 The air defense fighter aviation of Moscow, Petrograd, Tula, Kronstadt, and Saratov was organized.
In total, during the Civil War, the RKKVF had about 2.3 thousand aircraft, of which about 300 remained in service by the end of the war.

Personnel of the Aircraft Division. Sarapul. 1920

pilots and aircraft of one of the RKKVF fighter squadrons.

According to the decision of the RVSR of March 25, 1920, the Supply Department of the RKKVF was formed. Aeronautics and the Field Aviation Directorate was transformed into the Air Fleet Headquarters, naval aviation (14 hydro detachments, 4 hydro divisions, about 80 aircraft) was merged with land aviation. In August 1921, the Headquarters and the Air Fleet Supply Directorate merged with the Glavvozduhoflot, which from that time became the single aviation management body of the Soviet Republic.

At the end of the Civil War, the main tactical unit of Soviet aviation was the special aviation squad. According to the peacetime standards introduced on September 12, 1922, the aviation detachment had 8 active and 2-4 spare aircraft. Three detachments were combined into a squadron, which was a military unit, two squadrons into a squadron. There were also squadrons and separate detachments. All air units within the army district were subordinate to the assistant district commander for aviation.

In addition, there were parts of central subordination that performed special functions.

All aviation was divided into military and corps. The first included fighter squadrons and assault squadrons, the second included reconnaissance squadrons. Bomber aviation was separated into an independent branch of the air force in the first half of the 20s of the 20th century, at a time when new restructuring provided for the formation of light bomber and heavy bomber squadrons. In accordance with the “schedule” of September 16, the primary unit of the Red Army Air Force was a flight of three aircraft.

The fighter aviation detachment consisted of three units, and the reconnaissance and light bomber units consisted of two. The heavy bomber squad had three aircraft. In May 1925, the rifle staff cavalry divisions and corps, aviation detachments of 6, 8 and 12 vehicles were introduced, intended to serve artillery and close-range reconnaissance.

The detachments were united into squadrons. The fighter squadron consisted of three detachments of three flights - 46 aircraft, of which 12 were spare.
The light bomber and reconnaissance squadrons each included three detachments and numbered 31 aircraft, as well as 12 spares.
The heavy bomber squadron had two detachments - a total of 6 aircraft; due to the lack of materiel, by the end of 1925 it was possible to organize one Heavy squadron, which practically consisted of one training cell “and detachment”, equipped with various “imported” vehicles. More than 70% of the reconnaissance and bomber fleet at that time were Fokker C-IV reconnaissance aircraft; "De Havilland HD.9" and its communist counterpart - R-1.
The fighters served about 300 airplanes, as well as 112 Fokker D.XI (FD-XI) fighters, about 30 Ansaldo A.1 "Ballila" cars, about 100 Martinsyde F.4 "Buzzard" fighters and 17 I-2 fighters (the main series of the fighter under the designation I-2bis was produced during 1926-1929).

R-1 reconnaissance aircraft.

Fokker D fighter very bad (FD-XI).

Ansaldo A.1 "Ballila" fighter.

Martinsyde F.4 "Buzzard" fighter.

I-2bis fighter.

On September 15, 1926, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) was renamed the Air Force of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA Air Force).

List of sources:
Soviet encyclopedia, 1983. military intervention and the Civil War in the USSR.
P.F.Berezin. Red aviation in the fight against the White Poles.

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Air Force Day ☭ Aviation of the Armed Forces of the USSR ☆ Newsreel Loyalty to Traditions ☆ Soviet Union

Table of contents:
1. Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet
2. Management of the RKKVF
3. Research institutions
4. Aircraft fleet and aviation industry of the republic
5. Awards

an auxiliary branch of the Red Army, formed during the Civil War. Main tasks: combating enemy aircraft, reconnaissance, air support for ground forces. Historically, the RKKVF was divided into aviation and aeronautics.

History of creation

As a result of the end of the First World War and the demobilization of the air fleet of the tsarist army, 33 air detachments were retained in the Soviet Republic, concentrated in the areas of Petrograd and Moscow.

The first Red Guard air squad was created at the Commandant airfield in Petrograd on October 28, 1917, to fight the troops of Kerensky and Krasnov. Subsequently, according to the instructions of the Petrograd and Moscow Military Revolutionary Committees, the formation of other air squads begins: “Socialist”, “Revolutionary”, “Red”.

Aviation in the Soviet Armed Forces began to form in 1918, organizationally it consisted of separate aviation detachments that were part of the district air fleet directorates, which in September 1918 were reorganized into front-line and army field directorates of aviation and aeronautics at the headquarters of fronts and combined arms armies. In June 1920, field directorates were reorganized into air fleet headquarters with direct subordination to front and army commanders. After the Civil War of 1917-1923, the air forces of the fronts became part of the military districts. In 1924, the aviation detachments of the air forces of the military districts were consolidated into homogeneous aviation squadrons, transformed into aviation brigades at the end of the 20s. In 1938-1939, the aviation of the military districts was transferred from a brigade to a regimental and divisional organization. The main tactical unit was the aviation regiment. Aviation of the Red Army, based on the main property of aviation - the ability to inflict fast and powerful air strikes on the enemy over long distances, inaccessible to other branches of the military. Aviation combat assets were aircraft armed with high-explosive, fragmentation and incendiary bombs, cannons and machine guns. Aviation at that time had high flight speed, the ability to easily overcome the enemy’s battle front and penetrate deep into his rear. Combat aviation was used to destroy enemy personnel and technical equipment; to destroy his aircraft and destroy important objects: railway junctions, military industry enterprises, communications centers, roads, etc. reconnaissance aircraft were intended to conduct aerial reconnaissance behind enemy lines. Auxiliary aviation was used to correct artillery fire, for communications and surveillance of the battlefield, for transporting sick and wounded people in need of urgent medical care to the rear, and for urgent transportation of military cargo. In addition, aviation was used to transport troops, weapons and other means of combat over long distances. The main unit of aviation was the aviation regiment. The regiment consisted of aviation squadrons. The air squadron consisted of flights.

February 25, 1941 resolution of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR “On the reorganization of the aviation forces of the Red Army.”

To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, the aviation of military districts consisted of separate bomber, fighter, mixed aviation divisions and separate reconnaissance aviation regiments. In the fall of 1942, aviation regiments of all types of aviation had 32 aircraft; in the summer of 1943, the number of aircraft in the attack and fighter aviation regiments was increased to 40 aircraft.