17th Air Army

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The 17th Air Army (Russian: 17-я воздушная армия) was an Air army of the Red Air Force and Soviet Air Forces from 1942.

World War II[]

It was formed in October (Bonn et al.: November) 1942 on the basis of the Air Forces of the Southwestern Front. Bonn et al. say that it included a mixed air corps, two fighter, one ground-attack, one bomber, and one night bomber division.

It immediately took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. On 19 November 1942 during the battle of Stalingrad it was under the command of General Major Stepan Krasovsky.

On 1 April 1943, as part of the Southwestern Front, it comprised the

• 3rd Mixed Aviation Corps (207th Fighter Aviation Division, 290th Assault Aviation Division),
• 7th Mixed Aviation Corps (202nd Bomber Aviation Division, 235th Fighter Aviation Division),
• 9th Mixed Aviation Corps (305th, 306th Assault Aviation Division, 295th Fighter Aviation Division),
• 244th Bombardment Aviation Division,
• 262nd Night Bomber Aviation Division,
• 39th, 132nd Bomber Aviation Regiments,
• 208th, 637th Attack Aviation Regiments,
• 282nd Mixed Aviation Regiment,
• 371st Transport Aviation Regiment,
• 10th, 50th Reconnaissance Aviation Squadrons,
• 34th Fire Correction Squadron.^[1]

From March 1943 until the end of the war Vladimir Sudets commanded the 17th Air Army.^[2]
From 1943-45 it participated in the Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh Offensive, Left and Right Bank Ukraine operations, and the capture of Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Austria.
Over 200,000 sorties were flown.^[3]

Post War Reorganization[]

On 1 May 1945 the army consisted of

• the 1614th, 1615th, 1654th, 1676th, 1975th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments
• the 10th Assault Aviation Corps (136th and 306th Assault Aviation Divisions),
• 244th Bomber Aviation Division,
• 189th Assault Aviation Division,
• the 194th, 288th and 295th Fighter Aviation Divisions,
• 262nd Night Bomber Aviation Division,
• 39th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment,
• 96th Separate Artillery Correction Regiment,
• 227th Transport Aviation Regiment,
• 3rd Medical Evacuation Aviation Regiment,
• 282nd Aviation Communications Regiment.^[4]

The 39th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment was transferred to Samarkand and the 6th Air Army in 1947.^[5]

Air Force Colonel General was commander of 17th Air Army between 1946 and 1949.^[6]

In February 1949 it was redesignated the 69th Air Army.
In April 1964 the 69th Air Army became the Air Forces of the Kiev Military District.
In April 1968 the Air Forces of the Kiev Military District became the 69th Air Army once more.
In April 1972 the 69th Air Army was redesignated the 17th Air Army.
In June 1980 the 17th Air Army became the Air Forces of the Kiev Military District.
In May 1988 the Air Forces of the Kiev Military District became the 17th Air Army.

In 1992 the air army became part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; by 1996 it appears to have been dissolved.

Order of battle 1970[]

Organisation 1970:

• (Mirgorod, Mirgorod Oblast)^[7]
• 255th Separate Mixed Aviation Squadron (Borispol, Kiev Oblast)
• 135th Separate Communications Regiment (Kiev, Kiev Oblast)
• Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (ChVVAUL) (Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast)
• Kharkov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (KhVVAUL) (Kharkov-Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast)
• Voroshilovgrad Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators (VVVAUSh) (Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), Voroshilovgrad Oblast)

April 1972 renamed 17th Air Army.

The 138th Fighter Aviation Division joined the 24th Air Army VGK in 1980.

Order of battle late 1980s[]

In the late 1980s its headquarters was at Kiev. This order of battle is a composite; aircraft numbers are from Vad777 and virtually all other information is from Michael Holm, with some material from Feskov et al.

• 255th Separate Composite Aviation Squadron (Borispol/Борисполь, near Kiev): transport aircraft - 7 Mil Mi-8, 2 Mil Mi-6^[8]
• 228th Separate Electronic Warfare Helicopter Squadron (Borispol, near Kiev): 15 Mi-8^[9]
• 135th Separate Signals Regiment (Kiev (city))

Lugansk Higher Military Aviation School of Navigators (Луганское ВВАУШ/Lugansk VVAUSh)^[10]

• 46th Training Aviation Regiment (Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk), Voroshilovgrad Oblast) with An-26
• 130th Training Aviation Regiment (Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast) with An-12BK
• 228th Training Aviation Regiment (Bagerovo, Krymskaya Oblast): 36 MiG-21; 20 L-29
• 286th Training Aviation Regiment (UAP) (Feskov et al.); not listed by Holm.

Kharkhov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (Харьковское ВВАУЛ/Kharkov VVAUL)^[11]

• 443rd Training Aviation Regiment (Velikaya Krucha, Poltava Oblast): 101 L-39
• 809th Training Aviation Regiment (Akhtyrka, Sumy Oblast); 102 L-39
• 810th Training Aviation Regiment (Chuguev, Kharkov Oblast): 103 MiG-21
• 812th Aviation Regiment (Kupyansk (Kurlovka), Kharkov Oblast): 102 MiG-21

Chernigov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (Черниговское ВВАУЛ/Chernigov VVAUL)

• 105th Training Aviation Regiment (Konotop (air base)): 101 L-39
• 701st Training Aviation Regiment (Chernigov air base): 101 L-39
• 703rd Training Aviation Regiment (Gorodnya/Городня): 101 L-39

The Chernigov School was disbanded 30.11.1995.^[12]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Air Forces Monthly, March 1994 (Further reading)

External links[]

• http://www8.brinkster.com/vad777/sssr89-91/vvs/fa/17-kiev.htm^{[permanent dead link]}
• Michael Holm, 17th Air Army