Flying Regiment 4 ( or ''LeR 4'') was a

bomber aircraft A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strategic bombing is d ...

regiment of the

Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; ; ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air ...

. The regiment was formed on 1 January 1938 and was active during the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

, the

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

, and the

Lapland War During World War II, the Lapland War (; ; ) saw fighting between Finland and Nazi Germany – effectively from September to November 1944 – in Finland's northernmost region, Lapland. Though the Finns and the Germans had been fighting together ...

. During the Winter War, the unit flew 423 war missions, of which 22 were strategic and photo reconnaissance flights with its

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

Mk.Is. 18 aircraft and 21 crew members were lost. During the Continuation War the regiment was re-equipped with new Bristol Blenheims Mk.IVs, German Dornier Do 17Zs,

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...

s, and Russian Ilyushin DB-3s, and Tupolev SBs. The unit could now mount some 50 aircraft in their largest raids. More than 4,000 missions were flown during the Continuation War. 65 aircraft and 165 crew members were lost. During the

''LeR 4'' flew 462 missions against the Germans, losing 7 aircraft and 16 crew members.

Organization

Winter War

* No. 42 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 44 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 46 Squadron: bomber squadron

Continuation War

* No. 42 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 44 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 46 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 48 Squadron: bomber squadron

Lapland War

* No. 42 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 44 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 46 Squadron: bomber squadron * No. 48 Squadron: bomber squadron After World War II, the regiment and its squadrons were re-organized and the new squadrons were renamed No. 41, No. 43, and No. 45 Squadrons.

Aircraft

* Junkers Ju 88 A-4 *

Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Large numbers were operated by the ''Luftwaffe'' throughout the Second World War. The Do 17 was designed during ...

Bristol Blenheim I The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

* Bristol Blenheim IV *

Petlyakov Pe-2 The Petlyakov Pe-2 ( — nickname «Пешка» (Pawn); NATO reporting name: Buck) was a Soviet Union, Soviet twin-engine dive bomber used during World War II. One of the outstanding tactical attack aircraft of the war,Ethell 1996, p. 152. it ...

* Ilyushin DB-3M *

Ilyushin Il-4 The Ilyushin Il-4 (DB-3F) (; NATO reporting name: Bob) is a Soviet twin-engined long-range bomber and torpedo bomber, widely used by the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Naval Aviation during World War II. Design and development In 1938, the Ilyush ...

Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), R ...

Sources

*Keskinen, Kalevi and Stenman, Kari: ''Finnish Air Force 1939-1945'', Squadron/Signal publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1998, * * {{Finnish Air Force structure Military units and formations of Finland in the Winter War Continuation War Regiments of the Finnish Air Force