3rd Air Army (3 VA) was an Air Army of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Second World War. It was formed May 16, 1942, in accordance with a

People's Commissariat for Defence The Ministry of Defense (Minoboron; russian: Министерство обороны СССР) was a government ministry in the Soviet Union. The first Minister of Defense was Nikolai Bulganin, starting 1953. The Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) was the ...

order of 5 May 1942 on the basis of the Air Forces of the Kalinin Front.

Combat path

The formation's combat path began in July 1942 during a defensive operation in the town of Bely, Tver Oblast, then participated in Rzhev-Sychevskaya and in the Luki operation. In February 1943 a number of its formations supported the troops of the North-Western Front in the liquidation of the Demyansk pocket. Later , as part of the Kalinin Front (October 20, 1943, renamed to

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front (Russian language, Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenk ...

), the 3rd Air Army participated in the Front's Smolensk, Nevel, Gorodok, Vitebsk,

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

and Baltic Offensives.
In February 1945, near Koenigsberg, it came under the operational command of the

1st Air Army __NOTOC__ The 1st Air Army (russian: 1-я воздушная армия) was an Air Army in the Soviet Air Force which served during World War II. It was formed on May 10, 1942, within the Soviet Western Front, and renamed the 26th Air Army on ...

of the

3rd Belorussian Front The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War. The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fron ...

and participated in the East Prussian Offensive. On 5 May 1945, it was transferred to the operational command of the

Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front (russian: Ленинградский фронт) was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front The Karelian Front ...

and with

15th Air Army The 15th Air Army was a military formation of the Soviet Air Forces, active from July 1942 until December 1993. History It was formed between 11 July and 15 August 1942, in accordance with the directive of the commander of the Soviet Air Force ...

took part in the blockade of German forces in the Courland Peninsula. During the war 3VA flew over 200,000 sorties. It destroyed 4,000 enemy aircraft on the ground and in the air. Thousands of its soldiers were awarded orders and medals, many of the pilots and navigators the title Hero of the Soviet Union and Ivan Pavlov and Aleksey Smirnov won the title twice.

Composition

The Combat Composition of the Soviet Army for 1 June 1942 shows the 3rd Air Army with the 209th, 210th Fighter Aviation Divisions , the 211th and 212th Mixed Aviation Divisions, the 684th and 695th Lighter Bomber Aviation Regiments, the 195th, 708th, 881st, 882nd, 883rd, 884th, 885th, and 887th Mixed Aviation Regiments, and the 3rd Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron. By 1 April 1943, 3rd Air Army was reported by Soviet official sources to comprise

1st Guards Fighter Aviation Corps First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...

(3rd and 4th Guards Fighter Aviation Divisions, including 63rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment),

1st Assault Aviation Corps The 1st Guards Kirovograd-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov and Kutzov Assault Aviation Corps (1st Gv shak) was a military formation of the Red Air Force during the Second World War, and of the Soviet Air Force until 1949. It was then renamed the ...

( 266th, 292nd Assault Aviation Divisions), 2nd Assault Aviation Corps (231st, 232nd Assault Aviation Divisions), 2nd Fighter Aviation Corps (209th, 215th Fighter Aviation Divisions), 211th Night Bomber Aviation Division, 80th Guards, 780th Bomber Aviation Regiments, 6th Guards, 230th, and 280th Assault Aviation Regiments, the

11th Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

, 887th Assault Aviation Regiment, and the 13th and 36th Corps Aviation Squadrons.Combat Composition of the Soviet Army
, 1 April 1943

Commanders

* 05/05/1942 - Major General, Lieutenant General of Aviation Mikhail Gromov * 26/05/1943 - Major General of Aviation, Lieutenant General of Aviation, Colonel General of Aviation Nikolai Filippovich Papivin

Disestablishment

On May 5, 1945, the army transferred to the operational control of the Leningrad Front. On July 24, 1945, it came under Leningrad Military District. In early 1946, units and formations of the army transferred to the

, and on the basis of the remaining formed 1st Air Army long-range aviation.

Combat path

Composition

Commanders

Disestablishment

References

Further reading