Air Defense - Great Patriotic War
The war put everything in its place. Early on the morning of June 22, 1941 Russia's anti-aircraft units were the first to enter battle. Soviet fighters, which were then part of the air force, engaged the Germans but suffered heavy losses. Then the anti-aircraft systems in the large cities went into action. Throughout the war they, along with the air force destroyers, were able to eliminate more than 7,000 enemy aircraft.
The war became an important lesson for generals who understood the necessity of introducing a centralized anti-aircraft command and supplying it with fighter planes.
By the beginning of the War the anti-aircraft's destroyer aviation had received I-15 destroyers, and later the even faster YAK-3s. These were equipped with the 85-mm, 76-mm and 37-mm anti-aircraft guns. The military then acquired projectors, new, more powerful radio transmitters, reliable wire communication, cars and other technology.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, formations and units of the country's Air Defense Forces were withdrawn from the subordination of the commanders of military districts and fleets (with the exception of Leningrad) and subordinated to the commander of the air defense forces of the country's territory, whose post was introduced in November 1941 (the first commander major-general M. S. Gromadin). At the same time, air defense was divided into military air defense and air defense of the territory of the country. Notable structural changes occurred in the air defense forces. The advance of German troops and their allies deep into the territory of the USSR required the strengthening of air defense of strategically important centers and industrial facilities of the country. In early July 1941, the State Defense Committee took steps to improve the air defense system in Moscow and Leningrad, the Donbas, Moscow, Yaroslavl and Gorky industrial regions, as well as the organization of air defense bridges across the river. The Volga. To this end, the formation of parts of fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-aircraft machine-gun and searchlight units was accelerated, the creation of anti-aircraft defense of industrial regions of the Volga region and the Volga river route.
On November 9, 1941, by decree of the State Defense Committee "On Strengthening and Strengthening the Air Defense of the Territory of the Union", the Air Defense Forces of the country's territory (the Air Defense Forces of the TS) were separated into an independent kind of Armed Forces. For the first time the post of deputy USSR People's Commissar for Defense for Air Defense - commander of the air defense forces of the country's territory was introduced. General Lieutenant M.S. Gromadin, who until then headed the Moscow Air Defense Zone. Thus, air defense was divided into air defense of the country's territory and air defense troops. On the basis of the existing air defense zones of the European part of the USSR, hull and divisional air defense regions were formed.
In 1941, corps (Moscow, Leningrad) and divisional air defense areas were formed on the basis of the existing air defense zones of the European part of the USSR. In January 1942, as part of the air defense forces of the TS for the defense of objects, fighter aviation was organizationally organized as a separate air defense force, assigned for the defense of air defense objects was subordinate to the command of the air defense of the country's territory. In early April of the same year, the first operational-strategic (Moscow Front of Air Defense) and operational associations (the Leningrad and Baku Air Defense Forces) were formed. Their tasks they carried out in cooperation with the military air defense and fighter aircraft fronts and air defense forces of the fleets.
From April 1942, the commander of the artillery of the Red Army began to provide general control of the Air Defense Forces through the newly created Central Headquarters of the Air Defense Forces and the Central Headquarters of the Air Defense Fighter Aviation. The first operational units of the Air Defense Forces are being created - the Moscow Air Defense Front, the Baku and Leningrad Air Defense Armies. By the end of the war, the country's Air Defense Forces had 4 air defense fronts: Western, South-Western, Central and Trans-Caucasian, as well as 3 air defense armies — Primorskaya, Priamurskaya, and Transbaikalian.
In the battle for Moscow, the Guards of the Soviet Air Force received their birth. December 6, 1941 for the shown courage and heroism, the successful accomplishment of the assigned tasks, six aviation regiments: the 29th, 129th, 155th and 526th fighter, the 215th assault and the 31st bomber, were transformed into " Guards ". Later, in March 1942, the first guards units appeared in the Air Defense Forces of the TS, among them the 44th and 120th fighter regiments.
In 1942, measures were taken to expedite the commissioning of aviation plants, the construction of which, in accordance with the plan of the Third Five-Year Plan, began even before the war. In a short time, it was possible to significantly increase the power of the Soviet Air Force. New Yak-7b, Yak-9, La-5 fighters, double IL-2 attack planes, and limited Tu-2 fighters came into service. In the autumn of 1944, the front began to receive the newest types of aircraft: Yak-3, La-7, Yak-9U, Il-10.
In the course of the war, organizational forms were issued as a kind of Air Defense Forces anti-aircraft artillery and air defense fighter aircraft. VNOS troops, searchlight units and aerostats of air obstacles have been greatly developed. Operational-tactical formations of the Air Defense Forces of the country, formations and units of the armed forces were created.
The air defense forces of the country destroyed 7313 enemy aircraft: air defense fighter aircraft - 4168, antiaircraft artillery, machine-gun fire and barrage balloons - 3145.
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