5th Air Army (USSR)

Formed in June 1942 in accordance with the order of the NPO of the USSR dated 06.06.1942 from the units and formations of the Air Force of the Crimean Front , the Air Force of the 44th, 47th, 51st and Primorye armies of the North Caucasus Front , as well as the 15th th strike fighter air group.

• 5th Air Army from the moment of formation to 10.01.1949.
• On January 10, 1949 it was renamed the 48th Air Army (48 VA). In the period from 1947 to 1958, it also controlled the airspace over Romania.
• In April 1968 it was renamed the 5th Air Army (5 VA)
• In April 1980, the 5th VA was renamed the Air Force of the Odessa Military District
• In May 1988, the Air Force of the Odessa Military District was renamed the 5th Air Army (5 VA)
• In January 1992, the 5th Air Force became part of the Ukrainian Air Force.

Initial composition:

• 236th Fighter Aviation Division;
• 237th Fighter Aviation Division;
• 265th Fighter Aviation Division;
• 238th assault aviation division;
• 132nd Bomber Aviation Division;
• two separate aviation regiments; ^[one]
• army newspaper "Soviet pilot".
• 511th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (ORAP)
• A separate aviation detachment of the 5th Air Army is part of the Army: from July 11, 1942 to April 23, 1943, from July 9, 1943 to May 11, 1945 ^[2]

On May 09, 1945:

• 3rd Guards Fighter Aviation Corps
  • 13th Guards Poltava-Alexandria Fighter Aviation Division
    • 149th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
    • 150th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
    • 151st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
  • 14th Guards Kirovograd Fighter Aviation Division
    • 177th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
    • 178th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
    • 179th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
  • 8th Guards Separate Aviation Communications Squadron
  • 43rd Separate Guard Communications Company
  • 2638th Military Post Station
• 3rd Guards Assault Aviation Corps
  • 7th Guards Assault Debrecen Red Banner Aviation Division
    • 130th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (IL-2)
    • 131st Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (IL-2)
    • 132nd Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (IL-10)
  • 12th Guards Assault Aviation Division
    • 187th Guards Assault Red Banner Aviation Regiment Il-2
    • 188th Guards Assault Budapest Orders of Kutuzov and Alexander Nevsky Aviation Regiment IL-2
    • 190th Guards Assault Budapest Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Aviation Regiment Il-2
• 5th Assault Aviation Corps
  • 4th Guards Assault Kiev Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Aviation Division
    • 671th assault aviation regiment ( 90th guards assault Starokonstantinovsky Red Banner Aviation Regiment )
    • 685th assault aviation regiment ( 91st guards assault Vladimir-Volynsky Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Aviation Regiment )
    • 687th assault aviation regiment ( 92nd guards assault Kamenetz-Podolsky orders of the Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky aviation regiment )
  • 264th Assault Aviation Kiev Red Banner Division
    • 235th Proskurovsky Aviation Regiment
    • 451st assault Kamianets-Podilsky Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Aviation Regiment
    • 809th assault Kamianets-Podilsky Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Aviation Regiment
  • 331th Fighter Lviv Aviation Division
    • 122nd Fighter Budapest Suvorov Aviation Regiment
    • 179th Yaroslavl Fighter Order of the Suvorov Aviation Regiment
    • 513rd Fighter Kamenetz-Podolsky Order of the Suvorov Aviation Regiment
  • 423rd Separate Aviation Communications Squadron
  • 294th Separate Communications Company
  • 29th separate aerial services platoon
  • 1457 military post station
• 218th Bomber Aviation Division ;
• 312th Aviation Regiment of night bombers;
• 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Division
• 279th Fighter Aviation Division
• 331st Fighter Aviation Division
• 511th reconnaissance aviation regiment
• 95th Transport Aviation Regiment
• 207th reconnaissance aviation regiment of artillery fire spotters
• 44th Air Regiment

The combat composition for 1962

• 119th Fighter Aviation Division ( Tiraspol , Moldavian SSR)
  • 86th Guards Borisov Red Banner Fighter Order of Suvorov Aviation Regiment ( MiG-17 , Marculesti , Moldavian USSR)
  • 684th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( MiG-19 , Tiraspol , Moldavian SSR)
  • 161st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( MiG-17 , Sarata , Odessa region )
• 642th Guards Bratislava Red Banner Regiment of fighter-bombers ( MiG-15 , Voznesensk , Mykolaiv Oblast , Ukrainian SSR)
• 511th separate air defense reconnaissance regiment ( MiG-15R , Yak-27R , Buyalyk , Odessa region , Ukrainian SSR)
• 827th separate reconnaissance aviation regiment ( MiG-15R , MiG-17 , Tiraspol , Moldavian SSR)
• 112th separate mixed aviation support squadron (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)
• 43rd Separate Regiment of Communications and RTO (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)

Combat composition for 1970

• 119th Fighter Aviation Division (Tiraspol, Moldavian SSR)
  • 86th Guards Borisov Red Banner Fighter Order of Suvorov Aviation Regiment ( MiG-21 , Marculesti , Moldavian USSR)
  • 684th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( MiG-21 , Tiraspol , Moldavian SSR)
  • 161st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( MiG-21 , Limanskoe , Odessa Region )
• 642th Guards Bratislava Red Banner Regiment of fighter-bombers ( Voznesensk , Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR)
• 827th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (1 a - MiG-21R , 2 a - Il-28R , Limanskoe , Ukrainian SSR)
• 29th separate training aviation regiment (Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhya region)
• 112th separate mixed aviation support squadron (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)
• EW 208th Separate Helicopter Squadron (Buyalyk, Odessa Region, Ukrainian SSR)
• 43rd Separate Regiment of Communications and RTO (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)

Combat composition for 1980

• 119th Fighter Aviation Division ( Tiraspol , Moldavian SSR)
  • 86th Guards Borisov Red Banner Fighter Order of Suvorov Aviation Regiment ( MiG-21bis , Marculesti , Moldavian USSR)
  • 684th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( MiG-23M , Tiraspol , Moldavian SSR)
  • 161st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment ( MiG-21 , Limanskoe , Odessa Region )
• 642th Guards Bratislava Red Banner Regiment of fighter-bombers ( MiG-27 M (D) , Voznesensk , Mykolaiv Oblast , Ukrainian SSR)
• 827th separate reconnaissance aviation regiment ( MiG-21R , Su-17M4R since 1981, Limanskoe , Ukrainian SSR)
• 29th separate training aviation regiment (Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhya region)
• 112th separate mixed aviation support squadron (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)
• EW 208th Separate Helicopter Squadron (Buyalyk, Odessa Region, Ukrainian SSR)
• 43rd Separate Regiment of Communications and RTO (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)

In 1983, in the 5th VA, the 90th separate assault aviation regiment was formed (Artsyz, Ukrainian SSR)
In 1989, he was withdrawn from the 5th IA in connection with his departure to Afghanistan.
In 1984, the 153rd separate mixed squadron was formed as part of the 5th VA. (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR).
In December 1989, the 119th Fighter Aviation Division (Tiraspol, Moldavian SSR) was withdrawn from the 5th VA and transferred to the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet

Combat composition for 1990

• 642th Guards Bratislava Red Banner Regiment of fighter-bombers ( MiG-29 , Voznesensk , Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR)
• 827th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment ( Su-17M4R , Limanskoe , Ukrainian SSR)
• 29th separate training aviation regiment ( Su-24 , Berdyansk , Zaporizhzhya region)
• 112th separate mixed aviation support squadron (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)
• 153rd Separate Mixed Squadron. (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR).
• EW 208th Separate Helicopter Squadron (Buyalyk, Odessa Region, Ukrainian SSR)
• 43rd Separate Regiment of Communications and RTO (Odessa, Ukrainian SSR)

Changes in the military personnel as of September 1990

• The 642nd Guards Apib was renamed the 642nd Guards IAP ( Voznesensk , Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR);
• the 29th separate training aviation regiment was disbanded (Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhya region);
• the 5th Guards Fighter Regiment was withdrawn from the UGV Air Force, the regiment was disbanded, the flight personnel was transferred to the 642nd Guards IAP ( Voznesensk , Nikolaev Region, Ukrainian SSR);
• the 294th separate electronic warfare helicopter squadron was removed and transferred to the 5th Air Army from the UGV Air Force, and its deployment location was Tiraspol (Tiraspol, Moldavian SSR)

The 5th Air Army was supposed to support their actions. Four aviation corps (1st bomber, 1st assault, 4th and 7th fighter), 312nd night light bomber air division and 511th separate reconnaissance air regiment of the air army as of January 1, 1944 had 702 operational aircraft .

- Over Right-Bank Ukraine. "Military Literature" Military History. (TsAMO, f. 327, op. 4999, d.94, l.14)

From the moment of its formation, the army was part of the North Caucasus Front and supported the ground forces in the Battle of the Caucasus . September 5 included in the Transcaucasian Front (second formation), February 4, 1943 reassigned to the command of the North Caucasus Front (second formation).

On April 24, 1943, it was withdrawn to the reserve of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, included in the troops of the Steppe Military District (from July 9, the Steppe Front , from October 20 the 2nd Ukrainian Front ).

Army Commanders

• Lieutenant General , from March 25, 1944, Colonel General of Aviation Goryunov, Sergey Kondratievich (June 3, 1942 - 05.1946); ^{[3] [4] [5]}
• Colonel General of Aviation Rubanov, Stepan Ulyanovich 05.1946 - 09.1947
• Major General of Aviation Popov, Dmitry Dmitrievich 09.1947 - 11.1949
• Aviation Lieutenant General Galunov, Dmitry Pavlovich 11.1949 - 12.1950
• Aviation Lieutenant-General Kondratyuk, Daniil Fedorovich 12.1950 - 03.1952
• Colonel General of Aviation Sidnev, Boris Arsenievich 03.1952 - 04.1961
• Air Lieutenant General Dankevich, Pavel Borisovich 04.1961 - 08.1961
• Aviation Lieutenant General Kutakhov, Pavel Stepanovich , 08.1961 - 07.1967
• Aviation Lieutenant General Aleksenko, Vladimir Avramovich 10.1967 - 06.1974
• Aviation Lieutenant General Trofimov, Igor Sergeevich 07.1974 - 04.1977
• Aviation Lieutenant-General Shmagin, Vladimir Mikhailovich 04.1977 - 12.1979
• Aviation Lieutenant General Biryukov, Alexey Alexandrovich 12.1979 - 03.1985
• Aviation Lieutenant General Shaposhnikov Evgeny Ivanovich 03.1985 - 06.1987
• Aviation Lieutenant-General Vasilyev, Anatoly Andreyevich 07.1989 - 01.1991
• Aviation Lieutenant General Lipatov, Mikhail Ivanovich 01.1991 - 08.1991
• Major General Aviation Strelnikov, Victor Ivanovich 08.1991 - 01.1992

Chiefs of Staff

• Major General of Aviation S.P.Sinyakov ( June 3, 1942 - July 1, 1943);
• Major General of Aviation N. G. Seleznev (July 1, 1943 - until the end of the war) ^{[1] [5]} .

Political Deputy Deputies

• Brigadier Commissioner , from December 5, 1942 aviation colonel A.P. Grubich (June 3, 1942 - April 14, 1943);
• Major General of Aviation V. I. Alekseev (April 14, 1943 - January 18, 1944);
• Colonel, from April 20, 1944, Major General of Aviation V. I. Smirnov ( January 18, 1944 - until the end of the war) ^[5] .

During the Battle of the Caucasus, the army supported the hostilities of the North Caucasian Front and ships of the Black Sea Fleet. In April 1943, in collaboration with the 4th Air Army and the Black Sea Fleet, she participated in air battles in the Kuban . Subsequently, as part of the Steppe (from October 20, 1943 - 2nd Ukrainian ) front, she participated in the Belgorod-Kharkov operation , the Battle of the Dnieper , in the Kirovograd , Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya , Uman-Botoshansk , Yass-Kishinev , Debrecen , Budapest , Vienna , Bansk -Bystritsky and Prague offensive operations.

On February 5, 1944, for the military distinctions, stamina, and mass heroism of the personnel shown in the Battle of Kursk and in battles on the Right-Bank Ukraine, the following were ordered by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: 1st Assault Aircraft Corps (commander, Lieutenant General Aviation V. G. Ryazanov) - in the 1st Guards; 1st Bomber Air Corps (Major General Aviation I.S. Polbin) - to the 2nd Guards Bomber Corps; [148] 266th assault air division (Colonel F. G. Rodyakin) - into the 8th guards assault; The 66th, 673rd and 735th assault air regiments of this division (Major F.V. Kruglov, lieutenant colonels A.P. Matikov and S.E. Volodin) - in the 140th, 142nd and 143rd Guards 292nd assault air division (major general of aviation F.A. Agaltsov) - to the 9th guards; 667, 800 и 820-й полки этой дивизии (подполковники Д. К. Рымшин, П. М. Шишкин и Г. У. Чернецов) — в 141, 144 и 155-й гвардейские; 203-я истребительная авиадивизия (генерал-майор авиации К. Г. Баранчук) — в 12-ю гвардейскую; 247, 270 и 516-й полки этой дивизии (подполковник Я. Н. Кутихин, Герой Советского Союза подполковник В. А. Меркушев, майор А. И. Мочалин) — в 156, 152 и 153-й гвардейские; 293-я бомбардировочная авиадивизия (полковник Г. В. Грибакин) — в 8-ю гвардейскую; 780, 804 и 854-й полки этой дивизии (подполковник Ф. Д. Лушаев, майор А. М. Семенов и подполковник Л. А. Новиков) —в 160, 161 и 162-й гвардейские.

— Над Правобережной Украиной. «Военная Литература» Военная история. (ЦАМО, ф. 327, оп. 4999, д. 94, л. 14)

Всего за годы войны 5-я ВА совершила около 180 тысяч самолёто-вылетов. За боевые отличия 26 частей и соединений преобразованы в гвардейские, многие награждены орденами и удостоены почётных наименований. Свыше 16 тысяч воинов армии награждены орденами и медалями, 139 лётчикам и штурманам присвоено звание Героя Советского Союза , а Н. Д. Гулаев , К. А. Евстигнеев , С. Д. Луганский , Г. А. Речкалов удостоены этого звания дважды.

Герой Советского Союза, полный кавалер ордена Славы

        Hero of the Soviet Union and full holder of the Order of Glory Ivan Grigoryevich Drachenko senior pilot of the 140th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment ( 8th Guards Assault Aviation Division , 1st Guards Assault Aviation Corps 5th Air Army. The performance for the title of Hero was written in August 1944, by this time the regiment was already part of the 2nd Air Army
He is the only pilot in the Air Force who has received such high state awards.

Thrice Heroes of the Soviet Union

•     Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich
•     Pokryshkin Alexander Ivanovich

Knights of the Order of Glory 3 degrees

•   Vasiliev, Alexey Afanasevich , senior sergeant, air gunner-radio operator of the 511th separate reconnaissance aviation regiment.
•   Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuzmich , guard foreman, air gunner of the 90th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 4th Guards Assault Aviation Division. ^[6]
•   Makarov, Pyotr Georgievich , senior sergeant, air gunner-radio operator of the 511th separate reconnaissance aviation regiment.

• Davtyan S.M. Fifth Aerial. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1990

• 5 VA
• Militera, War memoirs
• Michael Holm. 5th Air Army