86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
86th Guards Maritime Fighter Aviation Regiment
(1989–1992)

86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
(1943–1989)

744th Fighter Aviation Regiment
(1942–1943)

20th Fighter Aviation Regiment
(1941–1942)
Active1941–1992
Country
Branch
TypeFighter Aviation regiment
Garrison/HQ
Engagements
Decorations
Borisov

The 86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Military Unit Number 06858; 86th Gv. (Guards) IAP) was an aviation regiment of the Soviet Air Forces, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the main formation of the Moldovan Air Force.

The regiment traced its history back to the formation of the 20th Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP) in mid-1941 after the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa. The 20th IAP became the 744th IAP in January 1942 and then the 86th Guards IAP in May 1943, and operated the Yakovlev Yak-1, Yak-7, Yak-9, and Yak-3 fighters during the war. Postwar, the regiment was stationed in Germany before being moved to Mărculești in Moldova in 1950. It served as a fighter unit there for the rest of its existence and in 1989 was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, becoming a Naval Aviation unit and adding "Maritime" to its name. In 1992, the regiment was transferred to the Moldovan Air Force, with which it saw little flight operation, as almost all of its aircraft were sold off to other countries. In Moldovan service, the regiment was converted into a mixed aviation brigade and then the Decebal Air Base in 1999.

History

World War II

The regiment was formed between 14 July and 18 August 1941, training with the 8th Reserve Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Volga Military District. The IAP was organized according to shtat 015/134, equipped with Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters, and based at Bagay-Baranovka. Some of its pilots arrived from the Southwestern Front's 20th Fighter Aviation Regiment, and the new regiment temporarily took the number of the 20th IAP. After completing its formation, the 20th was sent into combat on 20 August as part of the 61st Mixed Aviation Division (SmAD) of the Air Force of the Bryansk Front (VVS), operating from the Alekhina-Mertvoye airfield.[2] Two days later, a group led by Captain Vasily Dmitrievich Gulyayev downed a German Henschel Hs 126 observation aircraft near Mglin, the regiment's first known victory. On 18 January 1942, the 20th IAP was redesignated the 744th IAP by an order from the 61st SmAD. On 9 February, the regiment was pulled out of combat to receive replacements, part of the 1st Reserve Aviation Brigade of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK), stationed in the Moscow Military District, remaining there until 18 February.[1]

On 19 February, the regiment returned to the front, joining the VVS

Nevel Offensive until October.[2] On 20 October, the Kalinin Front became the 1st Baltic Front. The regiment was again pulled out of the frontline on 17 October to integrate new pilots into the regiment at Dobovitsy rear airfield, remaining there until 17 April 1944. While in the rear, the regiment was also reorganized according to shat 015/364.[1]

A Yakovlev Yak-3 of the type operated by the regiment

On 17 April, the 86th Gv. IAP returned to combat with the 240th IAD, which had been transferred to the

Berlin Offensive, during which it provided air support for the Soviet advance. The regiment left the active army on 9 May after the surrender of the German forces. [3] During the war, the regiment flew 10,865 sorties, reported shooting down 393 enemy aircraft, and destroyed 40 on the ground for a total of 433 destroyed aircraft. This came at a cost of 120 downed aircraft and 71 pilots killed, divided as follows: 22 in aerial combat, 33 failed to return, 7 in air raids and other non-combat losses, and 9 died in crashes and of wounds.[4]

Cold War

The regiment spent the early postwar period on occupation duty in Germany. Immediately after the end of the war in May 1945, the regiment was based at

Köthen, and two years later relocated to Falkenberg. In February 1949, the 240th IAD became the 119th IAD, part of the 24th Air Army (later the 16th Air Army). The 86th Gv. IAP received Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighters in 1949, and on 24 October 1951 transferred with the 119th IAD to Mărculești air base in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, where the division became part of the 48th Air Army (the 5th Air Army from 1968).[5] Between 1954 and 1955, the regiment converted to newer Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 fighters,[6] and in 1964 received the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PF fighter, operating the MiG-21PFM variant from 1966 and the MiG-21bis from 1974. From April 1960, the regiment was tasked with protecting Soviet airspace, and participated in numerous large-scale exercises.[2]

By the 1980s, in event of a war with NATO, the regiment, as part of the 119th IAD, was to protect infrastructure and military bases in southwestern Ukraine and Moldova from airstrikes. In addition, plans were made to use the division to blockade the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits. 86th Guards IAP aircraft were nuclear-capable, and according to a different plan, the regiment was to move to bases in Bulgaria and Romania in event of conflict and launch strikes on Turkish airfields with Tactical nuclear weapons from there. It was assumed that after such an attack, the aircraft would land in Bulgaria, and for testing cooperation, exercises were held during the 1980s, during which a squadron of the 684th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment landed in Bulgaria.[2]

A MiG-29 of the type operated by the regiment

On 24 October 1989, the regiment and the 119th IAD were transferred to the VVS

CFE Treaty data, the 86th Guards Maritime IAP had a strength of 33 MiG-29s.[6]

Moldovan service

14th Guards Army claimed that the bombs had caused civilian casualties and that their anti-aircraft fire downed one of the fighters. Moldova denied the loss, and Moldovan Air Force records show that all of the MiG-29s returned to the base after the mission.[7]

Eventually, a squadron of 16 pilots was formed, but this was not enough for a full-strength regiment, and it was converted into a three-squadron mixed aviation brigade on 16 October 1992.[8] The three squadrons were equipped with the MiG-29, Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter, and Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter, respectively, although the 3rd Squadron later disbanded as a result of a shortage of Mi-24s. Soon after its conversion into a brigade, the unit was renamed the Decebal Aviation Brigade, after ancient Dacian king and national hero Decebalus, as a result of a desire to move away from the Soviet past. Over the 1990s, all but six of the MiG-29s were sold to various foreign countries, including the United States. On 23 December 1999 it became the Decebal air base.[5] After years of inactivity, the six remaining MiG-29s, which were supposed to have been sold to Belarus, became unserviceable, and after efforts to find a buyer for them beginning in 2010 were unsuccessful, it was announced that they would be scrapped if no buyer could be found.[7]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by 20th IAP/744th IAP/86th Guards IAP, data from [2][6]
From To Aircraft Version
July 1941 1942 Yakovlev Yak-1
November 1942 1943 Yakovlev Yak-7 Yak-7B
July 1943 1944 Yakovlev Yak-9
October 1944 1950 Yakovlev Yak-3
1949[2]-1950 1955 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
1954 1966 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
1966 1988 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 MiG-21PF (1964), MiG-21PFM (1966), MiG-21bis (1974)[2]
1989 1992 Mikoyan MiG-29 included several MiG-29UB

Commanders

The following officers commanded the regiment during World War II:[5]

  • Captain (promoted to Major and Lieutenant Colonel) Semyon Naidenov (14 July 1941 – captured 15 September 1943)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Chistyakov (25 October 1943 – 31 December 1945)

The following officers commanded the regiment during the late 1980s and early 1990s:[2]

  • Lieutenant Colonel Yury Komissarov (acting; Unknown–March 1989)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Rudenko (March 1989–Unknown)
  • Colonel Vladimir Koval (Unknown–April 1992)

The following officers commanded the regiment, brigade, and Decebal Air Base from 1992:[8][7]

  • Colonel Ion Rotaru (1992)
  • Colonel Vasile Braghiş (1992–Unknown)
  • Colonel Oleg Coroi
  • Colonel Sergiu Ciobanu (2000–2004)
  • Colonel Sveatoslav Neburac (2004–Unknown)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Mititelu

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Bykov 2014, p. 164.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pavlov, Anton (15 August 2014). "86 гвардейский Краснознаменный истребительный ордена Суворова III степени Борисовский авиационный полк" [86th Guards Red Banner Borisov Order of Suvorov 3rd Class Fighter Aviation Regiment]. airforce.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  3. ^ Bykov 2014, p. 165.
  4. ^ Bykov 2014, pp. 166–167.
  5. ^ a b c Bykov 2014, p. 167.
  6. ^ a b c Holm 2013.
  7. ^ a b c Pavlov, Anton (10 September 2015). "Авиационная база "Дечебал"" [Decebal Air Base]. airforce.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  8. ^ a b Ciobanu 2011, p. 151.

Bibliography

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