This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: "1st Czechoslovak Mixed Air Division" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2019)
.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Czech. (September 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Czech Wikipedia article at [[:cs:1. československá smíšená letecká divize v SSSR]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|cs|1. československá smíšená letecká divize v SSSR)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division
1. československá smíšená letecká divize
Active1944–1945
Country Czechoslovakia
RoleAir Forces
SizeAir Wing
Part of1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in USSR
8th Air Army of USSR - operationl control
Engagementsliberation of Ostrava
Flying hours264
Commanders
CommanderLt.Col Ludvík Budík
Aircraft flown
AttackIlyushin Il-2
FighterLavochkin La-5, Lavochkin La-7

The 1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division (Czech: 1. československá smíšená letecká divize; Slovak: 1. česko-slovenská zmiešaná letecká divízia) was the air arm of the Czechoslovak armed forces in the Soviet Union during World War II, operating under the operational command of the Soviet Air Force. It existed during 1944 and 1945, being merged into the Czechoslovak Air Force upon the cessation of hostilities.[1]

History

The 1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division was created in January 1945 from the already battle experienced 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Aviation Regiment commanded by Staff Captain František Fajtl with most of its pilots previously transferred from the Czech units of RAF. The 1st Regiment flew from the Zolná u Zvolena Airfield and later Tri Duby Airfield in Slovakia during the Slovak National Uprising, the newly created 2nd Fighter Air Regiment based on the Combined Squadron of the Slovak Air Force that was able to escape together with Fajtl's forces to the Red Army controlled Territory and the Attack Air Regiment that used the Iljushin Il-2 Shturmovik aircraft.[2] The reorganisation and training of the new pilots took a long time and the 8th Soviet Air Army Command decided to deploy the combat ready units of the Division, the 1st Fighter Air Regiment and the 3rd Atack Air Regiment in April 1945. They flew air support missions during the operation to liberate Ostrava and Opava. The 2nd Fighter Regiment was at that time still training with the new Lavochkin La-7 airplanes and was not able to flew combat misions yet.[3] The pilits wanted to flew to help the Prague Uprising but the command did not allow it as the Prague was at the limit of the range for the La-5NF aircraft from their base at Poreba airfield in Poland.[4] After the end of the WWII, the unit was transferred to the Prague Airports and with the ransformation of the Czech military to the peacetime organisation it was renamed the 4th Air Division and later operated from airfield in Slovakia.[5]

Structure

Aircraft

References

  1. ^ "Výstavba 1. čs. zmiešanej leteckej divízie v ZSSR z pohľadu Júliusa Trnku (30. august 1944 - 15. január 1945) - Bibliografie slovenské historiografie". husav.portaro.eu. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. ^ Krupka, Jaroslav (20 August 2022). "Létal na dvou frontách, přežil sestřel. Před 110 lety se narodil František Fajtl". denik.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  3. ^ Adam, Tomáš (20 October 2006). "Českoslovenští letci v SSSR". fronta.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  4. ^ "1. československá smíšena letecká divize v SSSR". Druhá Světová Válka (in Czech). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. ^ Fidler, Jiří (25 August 2011). "1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division". valka.cz. Retrieved 13 September 2023.


Categories