1st Air Army

__NOTOC__Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 1st Air Army


caption=
dates= May 10, 1942—January 10, 1949 (renamed)
country= Soviet Union
branch= Air Force
type= Air Army
role=
size= Several
command_structure=Western Front [ [http://www.kursk1943.mil.ru/kursk/oob/ussr/units/zf_1va.html Western Front. 1st Air Army] (in Russian)] [ [http://allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/struct/h/va1.dat 1st Air Army. Allaces.ru] (in Russian)]
3rd Belarusian Front
garrison=
nickname=
motto=
battles=Battles of Rzhev
Battle of Kursk
Battle of Smolensk
Battle of Memel
Operation Bagration
East Prussian Offensive
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=
notable_commanders=T. F. Kucevalov (May — June 1942)
S. А. Hudyakov (June 1942 — May 1943)
М. М. Gromov (May 1943 — July 1944)
Т. Т. Hryukin (July 1944 — May 1945) [http://www.soldat.ru/force/sssr/rkka/vvs/06_komva.html Commanders of the Soviet Air Force 1942—1945 www.soldat.ru] (in Russian)] [http://victory.mil.ru/rkka/units/03/105.html 1st Air Army victory.mil.ru] Russian Ministry of Defense (in Russian)]
aircraft_attack=
aircraft_bomber=
aircraft_electronic=
aircraft_fighter=
aircraft_helicopter=
aircraft_helicopter_attack=
aircraft_helicopter_cargo=
aircraft_helicopter_multirole=
aircraft_helicopter_observation=
aircraft_helicopter_transport=
aircraft_helicopter_utility=
aircraft_interceptor=
aircraft_patrol=
aircraft_recon=
aircraft_trainer=
aircraft_transport=

The 1st Air Army ( _ru. 1-я воздушная армия) was an Air Army in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II. 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. [ [http://www.mod.mil.by/s37sprawka.html www.mod.mil.by] Belarusian Ministry of Defence]

History

In 1942, the First Air Army fought alongside the troops of the Western Front, supporting them near Yukhnov, Gzhatsk and Rzhev. The Air Army later participated in the Rzhev-Sychevka, Rzhev-Vyazma, Oryol, Smolensk, Belarusian, Memel and East Prussian offensive operations.

Throughout the war, the First Air Army made 290,000 sorties. Five of the Air Army's formations where reorganized as "Guards Units", 50 formations where given "honourable titles", 44 formations received various awards, 145 pilots and navigators received the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" [17 of them received this title twice] and over 17,000 of its servicemen were also given various medals and decorations.

=Command structure [http://militera.lib.ru/h/kozhevnikov_mn/app.html Commanders of the Soviet Air Force 1941—1945 http://militera.lib.ru] (in Russian)] =

Commanders

*Lieutenant General (of Aviation), T. F. Kucevalov (May — June 1942)
*Major General (of Aviation), S. А. Hudyakov (June 1942 — May 1943)
*Lieutenant General (of Aviation), М. М. Gromov (May 1943 — July 1944)
*Colonel General (of Aviation), Т. Т. Hryukin (July 1944 — May 1945)

Chiefs of Staff

*Major General (of Aviation) A. S. Pronin (5 May 1942 — 9 August 1944)
*Major General (of Aviation) I. M. Belov (12 February 1945 — )

Military Commissars

*Major General (of Aviation) I. G. Litvinenko (5 May 1942 — )
*Major General (of Aviation) I. T. Chernyshyov (23 March 1942 —)

tructure

May 10, 1942:
*201st Fighter Aviation Division
*202nd Fighter Aviation Division
*203rd Fighter Aviation Division
*214th Close air support Aviation Division
*215th Mixed Aviation Division May 23, 1942: [ [http://www.soldat.ru/doc/nko/1942ss.html] (in Russian)]

*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 Aviation Division
*224th Close air support Aviation Division
*231st Close air support Aviation Division
*232nd Close air support Aviation Division
*233rd Close air support Aviation Division In March 1943, the Air Army also included the French Normandie-Niemen squadron, which was later reorganized into a regiment.

References