16th Air Defense Fighter Regiment

For the entire period of its existence, the regiment did not change its name:

• 16th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiment ^{[1] [2]} ;
• 16th Fighter Aviation Regiment ;
• Military Unit ( Field Mail ) 35488 ^{[1] [2]} .

The 16th fighter aviation regiment was formed in the Moscow Military District on the basis of the 68th fighter squadron as part of 5 squadrons on the order of the Moscow Military District, military unit No. 00102 of 05/09/1938. It is included in the 92nd air brigade of the Air Force MBO (renamed 57th Air Force Aviation MBO) ^[1] .

In January 1940, three squadrons of the 16th IAP were assigned to form the 146th and 148th fighter regiments. In February 1941, the regiment began to rearm on MiG-3 fighters. On August 12, 1940, the regiment was included in the 24th Fighter Air Division of the Air Defense of the Moscow Military District ^[1] .

On June 20, 1941, the regiment became part of the 6th Air Defense Air Corps , deployed on the basis of the 24th IAD and 78th Air Defense Iad . It is equipped with 15/21 staff (4 squadrons and 63 aircraft), armed with MiG-3 (mainly) and I-16 aircraft ^{[1] [2]} .

On June 22, 1941, as part of the 6th Air Defense IAC of the Moscow Air Defense Zone, it entered into hostilities against fascist Germany and its allies on MiG-3 and I-16 aircraft. He provided cover for the city and military installations of Moscow from the air, in addition to performing air defense tasks, he flew out to cover his troops and attack the enemy troops, acting in the interests of the command of ground fronts ^[1] .

On July 24, 1941, the regiment's first known air victory in World War II was won: senior lieutenant Buryan N.P., piloting an I-16, shot down a German bomber Ju-88 in a night air battle near the southern outskirts of Moscow ^[1] .

On August 1, 1941, the regiment was reorganized to state 015/134 at the Lyubertsy airfield by separating from the regiment a new 17th fighter aviation citadel ^[1] .

On April 5, 1942, the regiment, together with the 6th IAK air defense, became part of the troops of the Moscow Air Defense Front . In May 1943, 1 squadron (10 crews) was rearmed with Spitfire-V fighter jets, and the 2nd and 3rd squadrons were kept in service with the MiG-3 ^[1] .

After the conversion of the 6th Air Defense Iac to the 1st Air Defense Fighter Army of the Moscow Air Defense Front, on June 9, 1943, the regiment entered the 320th Air Defense Air Defense Division re-formed as part of this association ^[1] .

The Moscow Air Defense Front on July 4, 1943 was transformed into the Special Moscow Air Defense Army as part of the Western Air Defense Front . October 1, 1943 the field was expelled from the army ^[1] .

In July 1944, the 2nd and 3rd squadrons were rearmed with Kittyhawk American fighters. On July 28, 1944, the regiment was transferred from the 320th Air Defense Iad to the 319th Air Defense Fighter Division of the 1st Air Fighter Army of the Northern Air Defense Front ^[1] . December 24, 1944 from the disbanded OMA air defense along with the 319th IAD air defense was transferred to the Central Front Air Defense Forces and completely re-equipped with the English Spitfire-IX fighter ^[1] .

The results of the combat activity of the regiment in the Great Patriotic War

• Committed sorties - 4198, of which ^[1] :
  • for the attack - 218
  • to intercept - 306
  • on patrol - 3179
  • to patrol at night - 348
  • for escort - 147
  • Air battles - 143 (39 single and 104 group)
• Downed enemy aircraft - 84, of which ^[1] :
  • bombers - 42
  • scouts - 2
  • 40 fighters
• Destroyed during the attack ^[1] :
  • tanks - 8
  • guns PA - 3
  • BRM - 8
  • tractors with implements - 6
  • cars - 431
  • cars - 8
  • wagon - 209
  • bridges - 8
• Losses (before 01.10.1943) ^[1] :
  • combat
  • 4 pilots, of which:
    • died in air battles - 1
    • shot down FOR - 2
    • died at airfields - 1
    • 11 aircraft, of which:
      • shot down in air battles - 4
      • shot down FOR - 2
      • did not return from the combat mission - 4
      • destroyed at the airdromes - 1
  • non-combat
    • pilots — 2
    • aircraft - 5

In the army

As part of the army ^[3] :

• from July 22, 1941 to October 1, 1943.

Regiment Commanders

• Major Prutskov Fedor Maksimovich, 11/05/1939 - 04/02/1942 ^[1] ;
• Major Marchenko Georgy Aleksandrovich, 04/02/1942 - 10/17/1942 ^[1] ;
• Major, Lieutenant Colonel Lopatko Alexey Akimovich, 10/17/1942 - 12/31/1945 ^[1] .

Post-War Regiment History

On October 1, 1948, the regiment became part of the newly formed 97th Air Defense Fighter Division of the 33rd Air Defense Air Defense Fighter Corps of the Moscow Air Defense District . In 1950, he received new MiG-15 fighters. Together with the 97th Air Defense Iad, on December 22, 1951, he went on a government business trip to the PRC. He arrived in China on 01.01.1952 as part of the 97th Iad ^[1] .

During the period from January 16, 1952 to August 10, 1952, a regiment consisting of the 97th IAD of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps took part in the armed conflict on the territory of Korea (on the DPRK side) on MiG-15 aircraft ^[1] .

Combat Results

• Done sorties - 1762 ^[1]
• Air battles held - 69 ^[1]
• Aircraft shot down by UN forces - 26, of which ^[1] :
  • 4 fighter bombers
  • fighters - 22
• The losses ^[1] :
  • 8 pilots (one of them is non-combat loss)
  • aircraft - 11.

After completing the hostilities on September 1, 1952, the regiment, together with the 97th Air Defense Iad, left the PRC. On September 13, 1952, as part of 97 IADs, he arrived in the 42nd Air Defense Fighter Army of the Baku Air Defense District . In the period from October 25 to November 5, 1952, a regiment consisting of the 97th Air Defense Iad was relocated to the Air Force of the Tauride Military District , where it entered the 52nd Fighter Aviation Corps of the Air Force of the Tauride Military District . In 1955, the regiment retrained for MiG-17 aircraft ^[1] .

In connection with the dissolution of the Tauride Military District, on June 15, 1956, together with the 97th Iad, it became part of the 48th Air Army of the Odessa Military District. Due to reductions in the USSR Armed Forces, from October 15, 1959 to January 3, 1960, the regiment was disbanded along with the 97th Iad to the 48th VA at its Saki airfield ^[1] .

  Arkady Sergeyevich Boytsov , deputy squadron commander for political affairs of the 16th fighter aviation regiment (97th fighter air defense division, 64th fighter aviation corps), major, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 14, 1953 for courage and heroism, manifested in the performance of military duty was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (medal No. 10861) ^[4] .

• Team of authors. List No. 11 of the formations, units and subunits of the air defense forces of the country, which were part of the army during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 / Zavizion. - The Ministry of Defense of the USSR. Military Scientific Directorate of the General Staff. - Moscow: Military Publishing House, 1973. - T. Directive of the General Staff of 1973 No. DGSh-044. - 112 p.
• Anokhin V.A. Bykov M.Yu. All fighter aviation regiments of Stalin. The first complete encyclopedia. - Popular science publication. - Moscow: Yauza-press, 2014 .-- S. 40–41. - 944 p. - ISBN 978-5-9955-0707-9 .

1. List of operations of the armed forces of the USSR in World War II
2. Heroes of World War II
3. Air force
4. 16th Air Defense Fighter Regiment
5. World War II Aviators