The 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division was an

Aviation Division An Aviation Division (russian: авиационная дивизия) was a type of formation of the Military Air Forces of the Red Army during the Second World War, the Soviet Air Forces, Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) and Aviation of th ...

of the

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

, active from 1942 to 1998. Originally activated in 1942 as the 258th Fighter Aviation Division from the Air Forces of the 14th Army, then the 258th Mixed Aviation Division 27.2.43; redesignated in accordance with NKO Decree No. 264 as the 1st Guards Composite Aviation Division от 24.08.43;AllAces.ru, http://www.allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/struct/d/sad258.dat redesignated 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division (16 GvIAD) 11 November 1944.

World War II

Regiments active with the division during the war included: *17th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (ГШАП, GShAP) *19th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (ГИАП, GIAP) (26.11.42 - 13.01.45) *20th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (26.11.42 - 13.01.45) *114th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment (ГБАП, GBAP) *152nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (ИАП, IAP) (06.44 - 13.01.45) *668th Assault Aviation Regiment (ШАП, ShAP) *773rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (09.44 - 13.01.45) *858th Fighter Aviation Regiment (08.44 - ...) From 1945 to 1949, the regiments of the division included the 19th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, 20th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, and 152nd Fighter Aviation Regiment. 152 IAP disbanded during this period and was replaced by 773 IAP. From its formation from the 258th Aviation Division, to February 1945, it was attached to 14th Army. It was then reassigned to the

Belomorsky Military District The Belomorsky Military District (russian: Беломорский военный округ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, active from in the immediate aftermath of the Russian Civil War and just after the Second World War. ...

until 1953. Thereafter it joined the 16th Air Army as part of the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...

. Its headquarters was at

Damgarten Ribnitz-Damgarten () is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, situated on Lake Ribnitz (''Ribnitzer See''). Ribnitz-Damgarten is in the west of the district Vorpommern-Rügen. The border between the historical regions of Mecklenburg and P ...

from October 1953 for many years. As a fighter formation in Germany it appears that it would have faced the NATO air forces in

Allied Air Forces Central Europe Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) was the NATO command tasked with air and air defense operations in NATOs Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) area of command. History Allied Air Forces Central Europe was activated on 2 April 1951 at Fon ...

had any conflict broken out.

Organisation 1960

*19th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Wittstock, Germany) with MiG-15/17 *20th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Parchim, Germany) with MiG-17 *773rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (Damgarten, Germany) with MiG-17 Two regiments were converted to Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiments (19th Guards and 20th Guards) in 1961, and were replaced by two Fighter Aviation Regiments (33rd and 787th), from the 125th Fighter Aviation Division.

Structure in the GDR in 1990

*33rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (

Wittstock Wittstock/Dosse is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in north-western Brandenburg, Germany. Geography It is located in the eastern Prignitz region on the Dosse River near the confluence with its Glinze tributary, about east of Pritzwal ...

) (MiG-29) *773rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (

) (MiG-29) (returned to Andreapol in 1994 and later absorbed by 28th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment)Michael Holm
773rd Fighter Aviation Regiment
accessed December 2012. *787th Fighter Aviation Regiment (

Finow Finow is a river of Brandenburg, Germany. Originally, it flowed into the Oder near Oderberg, but since the creation of the Finow Canal in the 17th century, it flows into this canal near Finowfurt. See also *List of rivers of Brandenburg A li ...

) The division remained as part of

until October 1993.

Composition 1995 in the North Caucasus

*19th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, at

Millerovo Millerovo (russian: Миллерово) is the name of several inhabited localities in Rostov Oblast, Russia. ;Urban localities *Millerovo, Millerovsky District, Rostov Oblast, a town in Millerovsky District Millerovsky District (russian: Ми́ ...

(MiG-29) *31st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, at

Zernograd Zernograd (russian: Зерногра́д, literally "Grain town") is a town and the administrative center of Zernogradsky District in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located southeast of Rostov-on-Don, the administrative center of the oblast. Population ...

(MiG-29) It was finally disbanded after serving several years with 4th Air Army in May 1998 while at

in the

North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also included the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla. It comprised the Republic of Adygeya, ...

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20120401124839/http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/division/iad/16gviad.htm *http://wio.ru/simbols/iad16g.htm Images of 16 GIAD warplanes {{Soviet Union divisions Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1998 Aviation divisions of the Soviet Air Forces Aviation divisions of the Russian Air Forces Fighter aircraft units and formations of the Soviet Union Air units and formations of the Soviet Union in World War II 1942 establishments in the Soviet Union