Worker peasant red air fleet. Chiefs and commanders of the rkkvvf, air force of the red army

commanders Notable commanders

Cm. Chiefs

Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF)- auxiliary branch of the Red Army, formed during the Civil War. Main tasks: combating enemy aircraft, reconnaissance, air support for ground forces. Historically, the RKKVF was divided into aviation and aeronautics.

History of creation

Personnel and training

During the Civil War

At the initial stage, the basis of the personnel of the RKKVF was made up of revolutionary-minded pilot-officers, pilot-soldiers, minders who joined it. At the same time, the training of pilots began at the Moscow, Yegoryevsk (on the basis of the evacuated Gatchina) and Zaraisk schools, as well as at the Petrograd school of aeronauts. In 1919, a school of aviation mechanics was relocated to Moscow from Kyiv, a school of pilot-observers was opened here (both were transferred to Petrograd in 1921), and a higher aerial photogrammetric school began to operate (in 1920 it was transformed into a school of aviation special services). In Sept. 1919, on the initiative of N. E. Zhukovsky, the Moscow Aviation College was established - the country's first educational institution for the training of engineering and technical. personnel for aviation (in 1920 it was transformed into the N. E. Zhukovsky Institute of Engineers of the Red Air Fleet). In total, during the war years, 292 specialists were trained for the RKKVF, including 155 pilots, 75 observer pilots, and 62 aeronauts. The training of minders was carried out at courses at front-line aircraft fleets. In 1919, by order of the RVSR, reserves of aviation specialists (27 permanent and 350 variable personnel) were created in the Moscow Military District, on the North Caucasian and Southern Fronts to replenish the active units of the RKKVF.

The creation of the RKKVF, which had a strong core of personnel, a single system of recruitment and supply, a stable and uniform organization, and centralized management, was completed in the spring of 1919. In August. This year, only in the active army there were 146 aviation units and institutions, including 4 field aviation and aeronautics departments of the fronts and 16 army departments, 67 squadrons, a division of heavy airships, 3 special-purpose aviation units, a special-purpose group. They were armed with about 350 aircraft. 28 aeronautical detachments and 5 aeronautical divisions were formed. The total staff strength of the RKKV personnel was 22,974 people, including 9,006 in land aviation, 5,190 in aeronautical units, and 8,778 in repair and supply agencies. In naval aviation, there were 2904 people. Subsequently, the combat strength of aviation was maintained at approximately the same level. Most of the units were attached to the combined arms armies. At the disposal of Ch. command were the Ilya Muromets airship division and 3-6 squadrons.

Separate detachment of the RKKVF- the initial basic unit of the formation of the RKKVF, which was a military unit with an independent economy. At the head of a separate detachment of the RKKVF was a Council consisting of a military leader and two military commissars. He had a small headquarters and an inspectorate.

• Floating air base "Amur" (68th separate river aviation detachment) RKKVF;

Aircraft fleet and aviation industry of the republic

During the Civil War

Of particular difficulty in the construction of the RKKVF was its equipping with aircraft and various technical equipment. Initially, aircraft of the old army (over 1300 aircraft of various brands) were used to create aviation detachments. Measures were taken to release new aircraft. By October 1917, the Russian Empire had 18 aviation (11 aircraft, 5 engine, 2 propeller) and several mixed factories, but many of them ended up in the hands of the White Army and interventionists. Therefore, the production of aircraft and engines was established only in Moscow (Dux, formerly F. E. Moska, Ikar, aerotechnical) and Petrograd (Russian-Baltic, formerly V. A. Lebedev and S. S. Shchetinkin) factories. To manage these plants in Dec. In 1918, the Main Directorate of United Aviation Plants (Glavkoavia) was formed as part of the Supreme Council of National Economy.

In 1918-20, the country's aviation industry produced over 650 aircraft, and captured aircraft were also used (over 250 aircraft). In total, during the war years, the RKKVF had about 2300 aircraft, of which about 300 remained in service by the end of the war. An important role in the construction of the RKKVF was played by the 2nd (June 1918), 3rd (March 1919) and 4th (June - July 1921) All-Russian congresses of workers in aviation and aeronautics, which discussed the development of the aviation industry, science and technology, the training of flight and technical personnel, improving the organizational structure of the RKKVF and methods of its combat use.

Awards

For high combat qualities, 219 pilots and pilot-observers were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, 16 of them were awarded this award twice, and P. Kh. Mezheraup, Ya. N. Moiseev and E. M. Ukhin - three times. The 1st Fighter Aviation Battalion, 35th Reconnaissance, 51st Heavy Bomber Aviation and 9th Aeronautical Squadrons were awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Red Banners. On the combat operations of the RKKVF and its tasks in battles and operations, see Art. Military aviation, Aeronautics.

Literature

• Civil war and military intervention in the USSR. Encyclopedia. M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1983.
• Berezin P.F. Red aviation in the fight against the White Poles. - M.: Military Publishing House of NKO USSR, 1940. - 88 p.

Links

• Photo album of pilot-observer F.S. Hot photographs of the early history of the Red Army Air Force: photographs of aircraft of various types, pilots and technicians, airfields, aerial photographs.

see also

Red Army and Red Navy civil war
Red Guard | February 23 | History of the Red Army
Sections of the Veil Northern | North East | Western | Southern
Main fronts Eastern | Western | Caucasian | Caspian-Caucasian | Northern | Turkestan | Ukrainian | Southern | Southeast | Southwestern
Combined arms infantry and cavalry, labor armies Combined arms infantry: 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 10th Terek-Dagestanskaya | Belarusian-Lithuanian | East Siberian | Donetsk | Western | Crimean Soviet Army | Red Army of the North Caucasus | Latvian | Taman | Turkestan | Ukrainian | Estonian | 1st Ukrainian | 2nd Ukrainian | 3rd Ukrainian Mounted armies: 1st | 2nd Labor armies: 1st Revolutionary | Ukrainian | Caucasian | Petrograd | 2nd Special Railway | 2nd Revolutionary | Donetsk | Siberian Spare armies
Armies of allied states and national formations Red Army of Azerbaijan | Red Army of Armenia | Red Army of Bukhara | Red Army of Georgia | Red Army of Khorezm | Red Ukrainian Galician Army | Ukrainian Soviet Army | People's Revolutionary Army of the Far East National formations:

Under the jurisdiction of the Russian Republic came: 8 aviation schools, 3 central warehouses, 6 parks, 10 bases, 5 workshop trains, 10 divisions and combat groups, 49 ground aviation detachments and 21 aircraft building and aircraft repair plants. Undoubtedly, the new structure of the CVF required high-quality and professional management. The issue of preserving and increasing aviation personnel was put at the forefront. At first, the leadership of the Red Army and the KVF managed to find a common language with the majority of the pilots of the old Russian army. However, many of them, dissatisfied with the policy of the new authorities, chose later to go over to the camp of the enemies of the revolution.

The resulting vacancies were often filled by yesterday's minders and mechanics who were not sufficiently literate and prepared for flight work, who had only completed accelerated courses in aviation schools. A sharp increase in the number of aviation accidents and accidents began in the Red Air Fleet. They can only be judged by the mean lines of obituaries placed on the pages of newspapers and magazines of that time. Thus, the Bulletin of the Air Force No. 1 (June 1918) reported with great regret the death of pilots: Platonov, Lavrentiev, Lyakhov, Gavrilov, Maskhulya, Borodulin and others. Along with little-known pilots, experienced and famous Russian aviators became victims of disasters: V.I. Nikolsky, V.B. Agafonov, V.I. Gnilosyrov, K.K. Vakulovsky. The causes of the accidents investigated for each fact were different: from the engine stop to the complete destruction of the device in the air. At the same time, the fault in creating an emergency situation was not removed from the pilots themselves. So, in an obituary on the occasion of the death of the instructor of the Moscow Aviation School V.B. Agafonov, in particular, it was said: "... our common misfortune: virtuoso pilots, believing in their own strength, begin to" flirt "with the apparatus and altitude."

The Civil War only expanded this mournful list. According to the surviving archival documents, over 90% of fatal accidents in the Red Air Fleet were not directly related to combat clashes in the air. In the period from June 1918 to December 1920, the Red Aviation lost 65 of its pilots for various reasons (Tables 1-3).

Table 1

The number of air crashes in the KVF of the army

table 2

Classification of pilots - participants in air crashes

Table 3

The main causes of accidents and disasters

Motor failure
Sliding on the wing
The destruction of the device in the air
Dive
Emergency landing
Poor device control
Airplane fire
Bad weather conditions
Unexplained circumstances

Unfortunately, the mechanics and mechanics who died along with the red planes remained outside the tragic list presented. For some reason they have been forgotten in history. There were also a large number of injured pilots. By the spring of 1920, their number reached 307 people. Many of them, for health reasons, were forced to say goodbye to flight work forever and retire from military service. The situation was no better in flight schools, where accidents occurred with noticeable frequency. The stumbling block was the low training of young pilots, focused mainly on simple piloting.

According to experts, most of the graduates of the KVF schools during the Civil War did not meet their flight qualifications. Individual instructors, flaunting their reckless prowess in the air, were not an example to follow. According to the head of the KVF A.V. Sergeev, such "flyers" were "something between a Red Army soldier and a ballerina" and with their actions only supplemented a long "mournful list with a stamp of death."

Among them was the ace pilot of the Western Front G.S. Sapozhnikov, who tragically died in a plane crash. An attempt to perform a “slide” climb on a turn at a height of only 20 meters on his Snipe aircraft cost the aviator his life. Also, the cause of many accidents was the desire of pilots to perform complex and aerobatics at low altitudes. This was especially flaunted by graduates of the Moscow Aviation School, where this technique has been cultivated since 1918. The resulting critical situation in aviation forced the Air Force command to temporarily limit the performance of most low-altitude maneuvers in the training process, which contribute to the growth of accidents and catastrophes in the air. One of the best red pilots, A.D., also got it. Shirinkin, who tried to demonstrate his signature number at the next air festival in Moscow - "Shirinkin's troika" ("corkscrew to the ground" with a landing "close" to the ground). During the show at the capital's Khodynka airfield, his plane refused to obey the pilot and with a running engine fell to the ground. By a lucky chance, A.D. Shirinkin got off with injuries of moderate severity and a "tarnished" reputation as a master of aerobatics. Many apprentice pilots were infected by their senior comrades with the spirit of "air recklessness", often thoughtlessly ruining expensive equipment, crippled themselves, and sometimes "gave their soul to God." Such "unfortunate pilots", according to the caustic definition of A.V. Sergeev, in the Red Air Fleet was called "self-fighters". Every year, up to 10-15% of the flight personnel of the Moscow Aviation School were written off as irretrievable losses. To reduce the number of fatal accidents, a commission specially created at the school developed standards for assessing the ability of student pilots to fly. If a young pilot, after 30-60 flights with an instructor, could not freely control his aircraft in all planes of stability, he was immediately expelled from school. The expulsion could have taken place earlier, if the student had obvious signs of fear, insecurity or unwillingness to learn. For the period from January 1, 1920 to June 23, 1921, 45 people were expelled for poor progress at the Moscow School of Aviation per 100 graduates.

Medical specialists also spoke about the general low training of the flight crew in their reports to the Main Directorate of the RKKVVF. So, Doctor of Medicine D.V. Delberg, in particular, pointed out: “The composition of students in aviation schools was mostly recruited from persons who did not correspond either in age or in psychophysiological organization to the increased requirements that the pilot’s profession places on the body. As a result, the percentage of accidents that had the result is serious injury and death: Relative to the number of students in schools, the percentage of graduate pilots who meet the requirements of the front has fallen to a minimum. But during the period of military hard times, this issue did not find its solution. It was only returned to him in the mid-1920s.

Numerous orders of that time spoke about the problems of air security. Undoubtedly, air accidents were thoroughly investigated at various levels. Mostly, commissions were created in aviation detachments (groups, divisions) with a subsequent report on the results of their work to the army (front) aviation inspector. The most stringent measures were taken on the ground against violators of flight discipline, up to and including dismissal from the Air Force. In 1920, a commission composed of doctors S.E. Mints, A.B. Granovsky and pilot V.V. Makeev, a special statistical map was developed, thanks to which it was possible to objectively study the causes of a particular flight accident. The following year, this map was sent to all aviation units of the KVF and was adopted as a guide to action.

By the end of the Civil War, the Red Army Air Force felt ": a large shortage of experienced and seasoned pilots." Many of the aviators, who had more than one war behind them, became extremely arrogant and often lost their sense of self-preservation, which led to tragedy. The reasons for the latter were such aerobatics (given in the text of A.V. Sergeev's speech on the causes of aviation accidents in the KVF), such as:

deployment for landing at low altitude;

lifting with a turn with weak engine operation;

"hills" on a car whose planes are not designed for this, a large beautiful roll and fatal slip near the ground itself;

sick "corkscrew" and dashing "barrels" low above the ground;

steep climb in a spiral, etc.

Inherited from the air force (commander of aviation of the army in the field) and the Moscow aviation school. According to Sergeev: "She apparently still continues to cultivate, choke on the poeticism of the Aerobatics of polished fighters (read - self-fighters): At the flight school, obviously, they do not teach the basic provisions of takeoff and landing - because this requires the seriousness of aerial work. Not virtuosos are needed in the Red Fleet, and aviation workers with completed training in sustained takeoffs and confident landings. It was on this that special attention was focused in the training of the future flight crew, not forgetting the issues of air security.

Meanwhile, the Red Air Fleet, with the defeat of the main air forces of the White armies, soon collided with the power of the Polish Air Force during the outbreak of the Soviet-Polish war (1920).

Chief of Aviation of the 11th Army I.V. Mikhalyuk, together with the military commissar of aviation of the army Mikhailov and the pilot-observer Mikhailyuk, tragically died on December 7, 1920 while flying around the area near the village of Dashmaly (Republic of Azerbaijan).

Alexey Lashkov,

Candidate of Historical Sciences

The Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) is an auxiliary branch of the army within the Red Army, organized during the Civil War. Main tasks: combating enemy aircraft, reconnaissance, air assistance to ground armies.
The Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) was divided into aeronautics and aviation.

In December 1917, a special Directorate of the Air Fleet was created, which was transformed on May 24, 1918 into the Main Directorate of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Force (Glavvozdukhflot). In parallel, the Stolichny, Petrogradsky, Yuzhny and other district air fleet directorates are being created. To control the Air Force specifically on the fronts of the Civil War, in September 1918, aeronautics and the Field Aviation Administration of the Army (Aviadarm), and similar administrations at the headquarters of the armies and fronts, were created.

After the adoption of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) on the organization of the Red Army on January 15 (28), 1918, the creation of volunteer air squads began, which, together with the Red Guards, sailors and revolutionary soldiers, took part in the struggle to establish Soviet power in the suppression and country of the first counter-revolutionary actions. With the transition in the summer of 1918 to the construction of a regular Red Army, the RKKVF began to streamline the combat use and formation of units, the elimination of differences in their structure, and the development of unified states. The first aviation research institutions were created: the Flying Laboratory (March 1918), the Central Aerohydrodynamic University - TsAGI (December 1918), the scientifically skilled airport (September 1920).

As the main organizational units in the RKKVF, a flight detachment of 6 aircraft and a single-station aeronautical detachment were accepted. 3-4 squadrons were united into aviation divisions. In order to mass aviation in the decisive areas of military operations, temporary formations were created - aviation groups. The first 9 squadrons of the new organization in August 1918 were sent to the Eastern Front. By January their number had risen to 50.

In 1918-1919. The air defense fighter aviation of Moscow, Petrograd, Tula, Kronstadt, Saratov was organizationally formalized.
In total, during the years of the Civil War, the RKKVF had about 2.3 thousand aircraft, of which about 300 remained in service by the end of the war.

Personnel of the Aircraft Division. Sarapul. 1920

pilots and Aircraft of one of the fighter squadrons of the RKKVF.

According to the decision of the RVSR of March 25, 1920, the Supply Department of the RKKVF was formed. aeronautics and the Field Aviation Directorate were transformed into the Headquarters of the Air Fleet, naval aviation (14 hydro detachments, 4 hydro divisions, about 80 aircraft) was merged with land aviation. In August 1921, the Headquarters and the Air Fleet Supply Directorate merged into the Glavvozdukhoflot, which from that time became the unified aviation control body of the Soviet Republic.

At the end of the Civil War, the main tactical unit of the Soviet aviation was the special air detachment. According to the peacetime states introduced on September 12, 1922, the aviation detachment had 8 active and 2-4 spare aircraft. Three detachments were reduced to a squadron, which was a military unit, two squadrons - to a squadron. There were also squadrons and separate detachments. All air units on the territory of the army district were subordinate to the assistant district commander for aviation.

There were also parts of the central subordination that performed special functions.

All aviation was divided into military and corps. The first included fighter and detachments and assault squadrons, the second - reconnaissance. Bomber aviation was separated into an independent branch of the air force in the first half of the 20s of the 20th century, at a time when new restructuring provided for the formation of light bomber and heavy bomber squadrons. In accordance with the "schedule" of September 16, the primary unit of the Red Army Air Force was a flight of three aircraft.

The fighter aviation detachment consisted of three links, in reconnaissance and light bomber - from two. There were three aircraft in the heavy bomber detachment. In May 1925, aviation detachments of 6, 8 and 12 vehicles were introduced into the staff of rifle cavalry divisions and corps, intended for servicing artillery and close reconnaissance.

Detachments were united in squadrons. The fighter squadron consisted of three detachments of three links - 46 aircraft, of which 12 were spares.
The light bomber and reconnaissance squadrons included three detachments each and consisted of 31 aircraft, as well as 12 spares.
The heavy bomber squadron had two squadrons - only 6 aircraft, due to the lack of materiel, by the end of 1925, it was possible to organize one Heavy Squadron, which practically consisted of one training cell “and squadron”, equipped with various “imported” cars. More than 70% of the reconnaissance and bombing fleet at that time were Fokker C-IV reconnaissance aircraft; "De Havilland HD.9" and its communist counterpart - R-1.
About 300 airplanes served in the fighters, as well as 112 Fokker D.XI (FD-XI) fighters, about 30 Ansaldo A.1 Ballila cars, about 100 Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard fighters and 17 I-2 fighters (the main series of the fighter under the designation I-2bis was produced during 1926-1929).

Reconnaissance aircraft R-1.

Fokker D. very bad fighter (FD-XI).

Fighter Ansaldo A.1 "Ballila".

Fighter Martinsyde F.4 "Buzzard".

Fighter I-2bis.

On September 15, 1926, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council, the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) was renamed the Air Force of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Air Force of the Red Army).

List of sources:
Soviet Encyclopedia, 1983. military intervention and the Civil War in the USSR.
P.F. Berezin. Red aviation in the fight against the White Poles.

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b) 9th "" "" " (Kursk)

c) 21st (Orel)

d) 22nd (Orel)

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5. Ibid. - L.5, 71, 73.

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13 . Ibid.-S.261, 275.

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Notes:

Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet of Ukraine

Dear readers! Issues "AH" 2 "92, G93 introduced you to aviation. HP and Hetman P. Skoropadsky. Finishing the cycle, we publish material about the Ukrainian Soviet Air Fleet 1917 - 1919, in whose history there are still many "white spots". We express our gratitude Director of the Museum of Air Transport KNIGA PI Vlasov for help in the work.

Even before the October events of 1917, the Bolsheviks managed to find solid support among the personnel of many air units of the Russian army stationed in Ukraine. The proletarian origin of most of the soldiers-aviators made itself felt. And when the news of the October 25 coup reached Ukraine, the confrontation between the revolutionary troops and the units loyal to the Provisional Government reached its climax. On the side of the Bolsheviks were soldiers, and sometimes some officers of the 3rd and 5th air fleets in Kyiv, the 1st air fleet in Odessa, the squadron of airships in Vinnitsa, the Sevastopol hydroaviation base and some other aviation formations. Among them were famous personalities: M. Efimov, K. Artseulov, A. Berbeko. These facts are known. Nor is it news that the signal for an armed uprising on October 29 in Kyiv was the flight of an airplane with a red flag over the city. The historical flight was carried out on the Voisin, piloted by military pilot A. Egorov with minder N. Kipchuk on board.

During 1917-1920. The Bolsheviks repeatedly tried to establish their power in Ukraine. The first such campaign ended in April 1918, when their forces were forced out by the German-Austrian army, which appeared in our area after the conclusion of the Brest agreements. There is no need to talk about any regular military formations of the People's Secretariat, as the Soviet government of Ukraine was then called, during this period. Nevertheless, there are facts of their use of aviation. For example, the already mentioned A. Berbeko in January 1918 managed to organize the "First Socialist Air Squadron" in Odessa and take part in battles with the troops of the Central Rada on his only plane, and later conduct several air battles with Austrian pilots.

Having reorganized their units under the Moscow protectorate in the so-called "neutral zone", the Ukrainian Bolsheviks launched a new offensive in November 1918. Their forces consisted mainly of participants in a broad insurrectionary movement, who were ousted from the territory of Ukraine in the summer by the joint efforts of the occupying and hetman troops. This "army" already had some semblance of a military organization and was well equipped.

There is an opinion that the Bolshevik leaders underestimated or completely ignored aviation. This is far from true. L.D. paid tribute to the air fleet. Trotsky, and in one of the documents of the People's Commissariat of Military Affairs of Ukraine it was directly stated that aviation is one of the main auxiliary means, without which it is impossible "to create a great and really powerful ... Red Army." This view was quite modern and was determined primarily by the technical capabilities of the aircraft of those years. Therefore, there is nothing unexpected in the fact that the People's Commissar of the Ukrainian SSR, V.I.

This document was signed on the eve of the entry of Soviet troops into Kyiv, and when the red banners were already fluttering on the streets of the ancient capital, the "chief" of the newly created department, the former aircraft mechanic N. Vasiliev, was also appointed. His Office was entrusted with: "organization and organization of the entire aviation and aeronautical business in Ukraine." First of all, this meant "search, registration and accounting of aviation and aeronautic property scattered throughout Ukraine." Formation of new air units, training of personnel, ensuring the functioning of repair units, establishing the work of aviation enterprises, organizing industry research laboratories and stations were also important tasks. All structures associated with the Air Fleet were subordinate to the department, with the exception of combat units, which were placed at the direct disposal of the commanders of army formations. In total, Vasiliev's farm turned out to have about a dozen different objects, among which were the workshops of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, aircraft fleets, the Deka aircraft engine plant in Aleksandrovsk, and the Kyiv aviation school. The latter was the subject of special concern.

The fact is that the situation with the flight personnel in the Red Army

was critical. Vasiliev, in a memorandum sent in March 1919 to the People's Commissariat of Military Affairs of Ukraine, noted: "The number of pilots capable of combat air activity who are now on the territory of the Russian and Ukrainian Republics (300-400) is far from enough ... the retirement of pilots reaches 60%" and there is a real threat that "by the fall of this year, the army runs the risk of being left without eyes."

Kyiv was perfect for organizing an aviation school. All the necessary infrastructure existed here, and most importantly, the city had large reserves of alcohol, which, in combination with ether, could replace the acutely scarce fuel for airplanes.

The opening of the school was prepared very carefully. She was supposed to transfer 22 aircraft: 6 reconnaissance aircraft, 4 fighters, 8 training vehicles and 4 spares - six aircraft more than the entire Ukrainian front had by June 1919! Her staff list included 8 instructors and 2 heads of departments, who were supposed to simultaneously train 50 accountants. They even foresaw that "the possibility of a large number of accidents" was not ruled out in such a specific educational institution, and a special sickness fund was founded to help unfortunate cadets.

The school officially opened on May 14. However, even in July, the commission of the Higher Military Inspectorate noted that an aviation school was just about to be opened in Kyiv. If we take into account that at that time the offensive of Denikin's Dobrarmiya was already in full swing and the position of Kyiv was becoming threatening, it seems extremely unlikely that at least one set of pilots could be released.

An extremely responsible task for the Directorate of the RKKVF of Ukraine was the creation and maintenance of the functioning of the international communications squadron (sometimes you can find the name "special purpose squad"). There is a legend that the initiative to create this part belongs to Lenin himself, for whom it was very important to establish contact with the newly formed Hungarian Soviet Republic (it was proclaimed on March 21, 1919) as soon as possible. It is unlikely that this will ever be documented, but the fact that the People's Commissar of Ukraine N.I. Podvoisky speaks for itself.

The assignment was very urgent. Having quickly received three aircraft (at least one of them was the Elfauge), the Directorate began recruiting personnel. The first pilots of the detachment were military pilots I. Baryshnikov, V. Korolkov and R. Piyr. In a short time, other specialists were also selected. For the main base of the detachment, Proskurov was chosen, and while this city was in the hands of the Petliura troops, it was supposed to be deployed in Vinnitsa.

The first foreign flight was completed on April 12, 1919. On this day, the pilot of the Kyiv Aviation School V. Khodorovich with an important passenger, the Hungarian communist F. György on board, took off from the Vinnitsa airfield at seven o'clock in the morning and headed for Budapest. A few hours later, he safely landed his "Elfauge" near the village of Palfalva, not far from the final destination. Several holes gaped in the planes of the aircraft as a result of shelling from the ground, which the aircraft was subjected to while flying over the territory occupied by the UNR forces, there was not a drop of fuel left in the tanks, but on the whole the flight could be considered quite successful. In Soviet literature, there is rather scarce information about the activities of this detachment. They make it possible to conclude that, starting from the 20th of April, a fairly reliable air bridge with "red Budapest" was installed. At the end of May, this allowed the Hungarian pilot I. Dobos to deliver his People's Commissar T. Samueli to Soviet territory, who held negotiations with the governments of the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR,

Scout of the RKK VF of Ukraine "Farman-XXX" with a gondola from "Farman-XXI". Photo from the archive of M.B. Lyakhovetsky

Aircraft "Voisin" at the airfield Post-Volynsky in Kyiv after the end of the civil war. Photo TsGAKFD Ukraine

Anasal aircraft in Kyiv. Fs

Scout LVG.C-V "Elfauge" in Kyiv. Photo from the archive of S.A. Popsuevich

However, archival data give reason to doubt such high-profile successes of the Proskurov detachment. Just two weeks after Dobosh's voyage, things in this formation caused such great concern that an inspection headed by the commissioner of the RKKVFU Directorate N. Kolosov was sent there. She found that despite the presence in the detachment of the best aircraft, which can "overcome considerable distances, such flights are practically not carried out." Directly by the forces of the detachment itself, not a single task was successfully completed, and during the training flight Proskurov - Kozyatin, the pilot simply got lost and, during an emergency landing, broke the best airplane. Most of the planes are generally in disassembled condition. From this it is clear why the first flight was carried out by a freelance pilot, and the Hungarians generally took over the transportation of their emissary! What were the reasons for this situation? Obviously, once again everything was decided by frames. Kolosov, in "his report, pointed out that "the personnel recruited without any filtering, for the most part serving Hetman and Petliura," did not find a common language with his commander and commissar. Kolosov's conclusions were similar to a sentence: "The detachment cannot carry out the work assigned to him."

As already noted, the field air units were not subordinate to Vasiliev's Office. Today it is quite difficult to establish exactly how many such units were, their deployment, what kind of personnel they had, what aircraft they were armed with. Documents cited in printed sources and well-known historical literature on this period do not give exact answers. Archival materials located in Ukraine are far from complete, and those stored in Russian archives, alas, are almost inaccessible to a Ukrainian researcher.

Summarizing the entire array of available data, we can state the following version. The first regular squadrons were formed on the territory of the "neutral zone" and, far from being at full strength, from February 1919 they began to be transferred to Ukraine. In order No. 14 dated February 4, 1919, the commander of the Ukrainian Front, V.A. Antonov-Ovseenko we read: “I declare for information and leadership that the aviation and aeronautics of the front include the following aviation and aeronautical units of the front:

a) 24th reconnaissance aviation detachment (Konotop)

b) 9th "" "" " (Kursk)

c) 21st (Orel)

d) 22nd (Orel)

e) workshop train No. 5 (Kursk) Four months later, in the information on the composition of combat units

On 06/01/1919, the Ukrfront had only two squadrons - the same 21st and 24th. They included as many as 9 aircraft and 7 more vehicles behind the troops of the "Crimean direction".

The appearance of air units on the Southern Front in the Donbass is noted later. At the end of June, the 8th fighter detachment was transferred here, which had 6 aircraft and was understaffed by a third (only 4 pilots and 72 ground crew members). Later, the 22nd Fighter Squad appeared here. This unit, having the same ratio of aircraft and pilots, had an almost complete ground staff - 92 people.

In addition to these units, various sources mention very mysterious units, which, having appeared once or twice on the pages of various studies, disappeared into historical obscurity: the 1st Air Squadron named after. The Council of Workers, Red Army and Peasant Deputies of Odessa, the 1st Odessa Fighter Detachment, led by the already mentioned A. Berbeko, the 50th reconnaissance and 1st artillery squadrons.

It is worth dwelling on a very specific relationship with Moscow. Due to the limited space, the journal article does not provide an opportunity to delve into all the historical events, and only events related to the main subject of study will attract our attention.

By April, the troops of the UkrFront had achieved significant victories over the army of the UNR and the forces of the Entente. However, at that time, General A.I. launched an offensive in the south. Denikin. He struck through the Donbass, which was defended by the rather weak Southern Front and the 1st Zadneprovskaya division of P.E. Dybenko (including the "separate brigade" of father N.I. Makhno). Lenin's government constantly demanded that part of the liberated forces of the Ukrainian Front be transferred to a threatening sector in the Donbass. However, obsessed with the idea of ​​bringing the proletarian revolution to Europe as soon as possible, the Bolshevik leaders of the Ukrainian SSR were in no hurry to carry out Moscow's order.

At this time, a delegation from the RSFSR field aviation administration, headed by their chief Sergeyev, arrived at Vasiliev's Office. In mid-May, he reported to Trotsky: “What is being done now in Ukraine must be put to an end now, otherwise there will be an organization of the Air Force, not coordinated with the Central Plan ... Formal considerations cannot allow such absolute independence, which is carried out in Ukraine". The representative of Moscow paid special attention to the fact that "... by order of Comrade Podvoisky, it is forbidden even to give information about the aviation and aeronautic property in Ukraine."

After Lenin's reprimand to Podvoisky and Antonov-Ovseenko, the required redeployment of forces began. And in early June, after the famous decision of the Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR on the military-political union of the Soviet republics, the Ukrainian Front was completely abolished. Vasiliev's management was preserved, but by order of the People's Commissar of the RSFSR, it was "subordinate both in combat and in economic terms to the Central Control Bodies of the Air Fleet ..."

It continued to perform its functions diligently, paying particular attention to the provision of aviation detachments with materiel - Denikin's offensive required more and more forces. Desperate attempts were made to restore the work of Ukrainian aviation enterprises. And their potential was very significant. According to the estimates of the RKKVFU Administration, up to 14 aircraft and up to 20 engines for them could be repaired monthly only in the aircraft workshops of Kyiv and Kharkov, there were also good prospects to breathe life into the Anatra, Matias, Deka factories. But the civil war has its own logic. It was not possible to solve the problem of replenishing the fleet of aircraft with fully combat-ready vehicles, and the "red warplanes" had to carry out tasks on "flying coffins".

Despite this, as well as the chronic shortage of flight personnel, the Bolsheviks used aviation very intensively. Thus, in February, the Berbeco detachment took part in battles with Romanian and French aircraft in the Tiraspol direction. The enemy had a significant advantage in strength, but we must pay tribute to the red pilots - they fought courageously. Berbeco himself once met in the air with six Romanian airplanes that were going to bomb the Soviet troops, and forced them to turn back. At the same time, he managed to damage one airplane and force its pilot to land at the location of the Reds. Soon this aircraft was repaired and connected to combat work. In July, aviators of the 21st and 24th detachments distinguished themselves in the Kiev direction. The commander of the 21st military pilot Kravtsov with his letnab (Pashkov) bombed the railway tracks and "two enemy wagons with shells" near Derezhnya station.

The actions of another pilot of the same part of Tsivinsky were so extraordinary that it is surprising that in Soviet times he did not fall into the pantheon of "heroes of the revolution." In one of the reconnaissance flights over the territory of the enemy (near the station of Bar), his airplane engine stalled. There was nothing else to do but go on forced. “Having removed the instruments from the apparatus, the pilot, passing the enemy’s front line, appeared in his detachment and, taking the minders comrade Maslyuzhenko, Lavrents, Petrov, Kruglyakova and Pavlov, went to rescue the plane. Arriving at the position with the minders, he was appointed military leader of the combat site and in advanced chains with minders, with his example, he carried away the Red Army units, which resulted in the capture of Bar station. The exploits of Tsivinsky did not end there. From July 13 to 16, he made three sorties along the routes: Kyiv-Vasilkov-Obukhov-Trypillya-Kyiv and Kyiv-Tripoli-Obukhov-Rzhishchev-Vasilkov-Kyiv, in which he dropped 11 pounds of bombs and 5 pounds of proclamations.

The named aviators were noted in the award order for the 12th Army. The commander of the 24th reconnaissance squadron, military pilot Isakov, also got there, but not so much for military merit, but for his "conscious attitude." A story similar to the misadventures of Tsivinsky happened to him in the air. He also managed to land safely far behind the front line, but then he was less fortunate - the plane was discovered and already fired on the ground. Then Isakov set fire to the car and disappeared into the nearby forest. Three days later he came to his unit, which probably surprised the command most of all, because. desertion of former officers was a fairly common phenomenon.

In August 1919 it became obvious that the Bolsheviks would again have to leave the Ukraine. By that time, the total number of the Red aviation group had reached 30-35 vehicles. Among them, there were hopelessly outdated Nieuport-4s and rather new German Elfauge, French Spuds, domestic Anade and Anasal, not to mention such common aircraft as Farman-XX, -XXX , "Voisin", "Nieuport-17, -21, -23". Such a wide variety of types was explained both by the lack of a single support base, and by the fact that the Bolsheviks, like no one else, used captured airplanes. In the documents, one can often find reports like: "An airplane descended near the Kurgan station. Two pilots with a machine gun and a working airplane were taken prisoner." Naturally, after such an incident, the aircraft was put into service with the nearest squadron. On August 30, the Bolsheviks left Kyiv. The Office of the RKKVF of Ukraine was evacuated to Moscow. Only seven people remained in it: Vasiliev, Kolosov, Vechfinsky, Lavrov, Metlin, Todosiev, Ulitin. They were instructed to "begin to disband the aviation units from Ukraine and distribute their property" among the units of the air fleet of the RSFSR.

The Vasiliev Administration was finally disbanded in December 1919 and never resumed its activities. In the further course of the civil war, the aviation forces of the Red Army in Ukraine were subdivided according to the combined arms scheme and submitted to a single command.

one . TsGAVOV.- F.1122.-O.1.- D.9.- L.1.

2 . Civil War in Ukraine.- K.1967.- T.1.- P.601.

3 . TsGAVOV.- F.1122.-O.1.-D.9.-L.8.

4 . TsGAVOV.- F. 1122.-O.1.-D.9.- L.8. 5. Ibid. - L.5, 71, 73.

5. Ibid. - L.5, 71, 73.

6 . RGVA.- F.29.- 0.4.- D.232.- L.8.

7 . Civil war in Ukraine, - T. I. - S.604.

8 . TsGAVOV.- F.2.-O.1.- D.104.- L.63-68.

9 . In the same place - F.2.-O.1.- D.136.- L.3-9.

10 . RGVA.- F.29.- O.4.- D.232.- L.2.

11 . TsGAVOV.- F.1122.-O.1,-D.9.-L.52-61.

12 . Civil war in Ukraine.- T.2.- P.275.

13 . Ibid.-S.261, 275.

14 . TsGAVOV.- F.2.-O.1.- D.171.- L.33-34.

15 . RGVA.- F.29.- O.4.- D.232.-L.15.

Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet.

The Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) is an auxiliary branch of the Red Army, formed during the Civil War. Main tasks: combating enemy aircraft, reconnaissance, air support for ground forces.
The Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) was divided into aviation and aeronautics.

In December 1917, a special Directorate of the Air Fleet was created, which was transformed on May 24, 1918 into the Main Directorate of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Force (Glavvozdukhflot). In parallel, the Moscow, Petrograd, Southern and other district air fleet directorates are being created. To direct the air forces directly on the fronts of the Civil War, in September 1918, the Field Directorate of Aviation and Aeronautics of the Active Army (Aviadarm) was created, as well as similar directorates at the headquarters of the fronts and armies.

After the adoption of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) on the organization of the Red Army on January 15 (28), 1918, the creation of volunteer air squads began, which, together with the Red Guards, revolutionary soldiers and sailors, participated in the struggle to establish Soviet power in the country and suppress the first counter-revolutionary actions. With the transition in the summer of 1918 to the construction of a regular Red Army, the RKKVF began to streamline the formation and combat use of units, the elimination of differences in their structure, and the development of unified states. The first aviation research institutions were created: the Flying Laboratory (March 1918), the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute - TsAGI (December 1918), the scientific experimental airfield (September 1920).

As the main organizational units in the RKKVF, an aviation detachment of 6 aircraft and a single-station aeronautical detachment were accepted. 3-4 squadrons were united into aviation divisions. In order to mass aviation in the decisive areas of combat operations, temporary formations were created - aviation groups. The first 9 squadrons of the new organization in August 1918 were sent to the Eastern Front. By the end of the year, their number increased to 50. In 1918-1919. fighter aircraft of the air defense of Moscow, Petrograd, Tula, Kronstadt, Saratov was organizationally formalized.
In total, during the years of the Civil War, the RKKVF had about 2.3 thousand aircraft, of which about 300 remained in service by the end of the war.

The personnel of the Aircraft Division. Sarapul. 1920

Aircraft and pilots of one of the fighter squadrons of the RKKVF.

By decision of the RVSR of March 25, 1920, the Supply Department of the RKKVF was formed. The field administration of aviation and aeronautics was transformed into the Headquarters of the air fleet, naval aviation (14 hydro detachments, 4 hydro divisions, about 80 aircraft) was merged with land aviation. In August 1921, the Supply Directorate and the Headquarters of the Air Fleet merged into the Glavvozdukhoflot, which from that time became the unified body of aviation management in the Soviet Republic.

After the Civil War, the main tactical unit of Soviet aviation was the air squadron. According to the peacetime states introduced on September 12, 1922, the aviation detachment had 8 active and 2-4 spare aircraft. Three detachments were reduced to a squadron, which was a military unit, two squadrons - to a squadron. There were also separate detachments and squadrons. All air units on the territory of the military district were subordinate to the assistant district commander for aviation. There were also units of central subordination that performed special functions.

All aviation was divided into army and corps. The first included fighter and assault squadrons and detachments, the second - reconnaissance. Bomber aviation was separated into an independent branch of the air force in 1924, when the new reorganization provided for the formation of light bomber and heavy bomber squadrons. According to the "schedule" of September 16, the primary unit of the Red Army Air Force was a flight of three aircraft. The fighter aviation detachment consisted of three units, in reconnaissance and light bomber aviation - of two. There were three aircraft in the heavy bomber detachment. In May 1925, aviation detachments of 6, 8 and 12 vehicles were introduced into the staff of rifle corps and cavalry divisions, intended for close reconnaissance and maintenance of artillery.

Detachments were united in squadrons. The fighter squadron consisted of three detachments of three links - 46 aircraft, of which 12 were spares.
The light bomber and reconnaissance squadrons included three squadrons each and consisted of 31 aircraft, including 12 spares.
There were two squadrons in the heavy bomber squadron - only 6 aircraft, due to the lack of materiel, by the end of 1925, it was possible to organize one Heavy Squadron, which actually consisted of one squadron and a “training cell”, equipped with various “imported” machines. Over 70% of the reconnaissance and bombing fleet at that time were Fokker C-IV reconnaissance aircraft; "De Havilland HD.9" and its Soviet counterpart - R-1.
About 300 aircraft served in the fighters, including 112 Fokker D.XI (FD-XI) fighters, about 30 Ansaldo A.1 "Ballila" aircraft, about 100 Martinsyde F.4 "Buzzard" fighters and 17 I- 2 (the main series of the fighter under the designation I-2bis was produced in the period 1926-1929).

Reconnaissance aircraft R-1.

Fighter I-2bis.

On September 15, 1926, by a resolution of the Revolutionary Military Council, the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Air Fleet (RKKVF) was renamed the Air Force of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (Red Army Air Force).

List of sources:
Soviet encyclopedia, 1983. Civil war and military intervention in the USSR.
P.F. Berezin. Red aviation in the fight against the White Poles.