JPRS ID: 8344 TRANSLATIONS ON USSR MILITARY AFFAIRS THE SIXTEENTH AIR ARMY

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~i MARCH i9T9 Cf 0U0 9l79 ) i OF 3
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JPR5 L/8344
21 March 1979
~
TRANSLATIONS ON USSR MILITARY AFFAIRS
CFOUO 9/79)
THE SIXTEENTH AIR ARMY
U. S. JUINT PUBLICATIONS RESEARCH SERVICE
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SNEET JPRS L/ 8344
I. u r.~o~ `.u ~ ~t r
'I'WINSLATLON5 ON US5R MI L['1'AkY Ah'~AIRS, ~~porc .ce _
The Sixteenth Air Army (FOUO 9/79) 6 21 Maroh 1979
- 7. Au~l~ur(.l S. Per(ormina Ora~nisriion Reps,
No.
_ 9. f~etlaming Orgrnit~tion N~mt ~nd Addte~~ 10. Project/T~~ic/pork Unit No.
JoinC Publications Reeearch Service '
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~ Covered
- As above
1S. Supplcment~ry Note~
16. Abetr~ct~
Tlie report contains information on the Soviet military and civil defense
establishments, leaderahip, doctrine~ policy, planning, political affairs,
organization, and equipment.
17. K.�y R'ords ~nd Document Analysi~. 7a De~ctiptors
USSK
Military Ocnanizations
- Military Facilities
Military Personnel
116. IJ~nri(irrsil)pcn�F:aded Tetms
17c. ~ (i~A'1I Pi~�Id/(.rnup lsC
18.:1v~i~rt~~i~ty ~tatement 19. Seeurity Cl~st (This 21. i~o. o( Psaes
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JPR5 L/8344
21 MarcYl 19 79
TRANSlATIONS ON USSR MILITARY AFFAIRS
(FOUO 9/79)
- TH~ SIXTEENTH AIR ARMY -
Moscow io-YA VOZDUSHNAYA in P~ssian 1973 signed to press
28 Sep 73 pp 1-393
[Book by G.K. Prussakov (leader oF author collective),
A.A. Vasil'yev, I.I. Ivanov, F.S. Luchkin and G.O. Komarov
(3eceased), Voyenizdat, 40,000 copies, 393 paqes. The boo;c is
subtitled: "A Military His~orical Essay on the Cam~iaiqn
Record of the 16th Air Army (1942-1945)"]
CONT~NTS PAGE
Annotation 1
For Our Soviet Motherland : ~
CHAPTER 1. In the Battle on the Volga 6 -
Baptism by Fire 6 -
In the Defensive Engagement at Stalingrad 12
Operations of the Air Army During the Countercffensive 31
The Air Blockade and Participstion in Eliminating the
- Surrounded Grouping 36
CHAPTER 2. From the 'Fiery' Arc to the Dnepr 52
The Preparations for the Battle on the Kursk Salient.. 52
~ SupFort of the Troops in the befensive Engagement..... 65
The Air Army in the Counteroffensive of the Front..... ~h ~
- a - [III - USSR - 4 FOUO] .
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CONTENTS (Continued) Page
Heading Toward Kiev~ 84
Below--Belorus~ia 91
CHAPTER 3. In the Bobruysk-Warsaw Sector 101
Preparations f~r the Offensive 101 -
The Bobruys~: ~)ifensive Operation 111 ~
In Che BatCles for Liberating the Western Regiona
of Belorussia and Eastern Poland 129
In the Battles for Bridgeheade and Help for Che
Warsaw Rebels 142
CHAPTER 4. From the Vistula t~ the Oder 170 -
Preparations for Combat 170
In the Vistula-Oder OperaCion 180
In .*.he Battles for the Kustrin Bridgehead 203
OvQr Eastern Pomerania ~13 _
~
CHAPTER 5. The Battle for Berlin 223 =
Ready for the Offensive 223
' 229
The AA in the Concluding Battle _
Conclusion 268
- b -
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Frequently encountered abbreviation~ found in Chis work: _
16th AA--16Ch Air Army
Arkhiv MO SSSR--Archives of the USSR Ministry of Defense
bad--bomber air diviaion
bak--bomber air corpa
- bao--airfield aervice battalion
bap--bomber air regimsnt _
.
CMG--Cavalry Mechanized Corps
Hq SHC--Headquarters, Supreme High Command
iad--fighter air division _
iak--fighter air corpa
iap--fighter air regiment
lbap--light bomber air regiment
nbad--nign~ bomber air division -
i nbap-~-night bomber air regiment
NKO--Pea~le's Commissar[iaC] of Defense
odrap--detached long-diatance reconnaissance air regiment
okrae--detached correction and reconnaissance air aquadron
okrap--detached correction and reconnaissance air regiment
orae--detached reconnaiasance air equadron
RAB--re~ional sir base
RGK--High Command Reserve
sad--mixed air division
sak--mixed air corps
SCAA--small-caliber antiaircraft artillery _
- shad--assdult air division
ahak--aseault air corpa
shap--assault air regiment
trap--air tranaport regimF;�nt
- utap--training regiment -
VKP(b)--All-Union Communist Pbrty (Bolehevik)
. VNOS--aircraft warning ~ervice
VPU--auxiliary control point
_ c
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ANNOTATION
[Text] The book describes the glorious campaign record of the 16th Air
Army [AA] during the yeare of the Great Patriotic War.
The pilota of the 16th AA defeated the Nazi invadera at Stalingrad and Kursk,
in the Ukxaine and Beloruseia, in the ekies over fraternal Poland, and they
participated in the Berlin Operation. always firmly maintaining air superi-
ority.
The aviators of the AA made around 290,000 combat aorties. Over 200 pilots
and navigatora received the title of Hero of the Soviet Unio~, gnd more
than 27,OOO.aviatora were preeented governmental decorations.
The bouk has been written on the basis of the archival materials and memoirs
_ of the veterane of the paet war. It ia designed for a broad range of readers. -
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FOR OUR SOVIET MOTHERLANDI
The campaign record of the units and formations of the 16th AA during the `
yeara of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union against fascist Germany
and ita satellites is wreathed in undying military glory.
- Organized upon Che order of the USSR People's Commiasa~c of Defense in August -
- 1942, on the ehorea of the great Russian river, the Volga~ the 16th AA par-
ticipated in ~he great BatCle of Stalingrad initially as part af the troops -
of the Stalingrad Front, and from September 1942, ae parC of the Don Front. -
_ During the first days of its existence, the AA had a total of 4 air division~ _
and 2 separate air squadrons which had 152 combat-ready aircraft.
Regardless of the difficult situation in the air, the flight personnel of ~
tre AA in the battle against the fascist invadera showed examples of bravery, -
- heroism and profound awareness of military duty. The air formations of the _
= 16th AA provided tan~ible air aupnort to the troops of the front during the
period of the unprecedented defense of the hero city and subsequentl,y in the
counteroffensive and defeat of the surrounded Nazi army 330,000 strong in
the region of Stalingrad. _
In the summer of 1943, in the very fierce Battle of Kursk, the formationa
of the 16th AA, in actively supporting and providing air cover to the troops
of the Central Front, helped thwart the plans of the enemy who was expecting
to gain revenge for the defeat ar Stalingrad. The 16th AA and the air armies
of the ad~acent fronts cooperatinp, with it won the battle for air superiority.
~ After the defeat of the Nazi troops on the Kursk 5alient, the 16tt~ AA pro- _
vided air aupport fox the troups of the Central Front (lat~r the Belorussian
and Firat Belorusaian fronts) in the summer-autumn and winter campaigns of _
1943-1944 on the Konotop-Kiev, Chernigov-Mozyr' and Gomel'--Bobruysk sectors.
In t1~e summer of 1944, the AA which had grown by more than 10-fold over the
2 years, in cloae coordinat'ion with the ground forces, carried out active
combat to defeat the Nazis in the offensive operations on the territory of
Belorussia and in the eastern regions of Poland, in firmly maintaining air
superiority.
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' In Jflnuary-Febxuary 19G5, tl~e AA participated in Che off~nsive of r..t?e troopa
of the I~'irsC Beloruseian Front, having provided enormoua aupporC 2o them in -
surroundir.g and destroying the enemy troops in the battles on the path from
~ the Vistula ta Che ~der on the Warsaw--Kustrin aector. Then Che AA aidPd
~ the troope of the front in defieating Che Eastern Pomeranian enemy grouping. -
~ And finally, having received reinfo~cements from the Reserve of the High -
- Command (RGK), the 16th AA with Lhe forces of around 30 air divisions (over ~
3~000 combat aircraft), as part of the troops o~ the rirst Be~.aru~sign Front
and in cooperation with th~ air armies of khe ad~acent fronts, participated
in the conaluding batCle, the Berlin Operation which ended wiCh the final
_ defeat of Nazi Germany.
~ Thus, Che aviatore of the 16th AA participated in battles and engagemen;:,~
_ againse the enemy on the main strategic ~ector~ of Che Soviet-German Front,
- having made ovsr 288~000 combat sorL�ies for the campaign record.
~ The aviatora of the 16th AA, in, acqu~ring and creatively using the experience =
of the front~ conetantly impraved the~ forms and meChode of the cumbat use of
- the vartioue br~nches o` aviation and developed to perPection cooperation with
the ground forces.
They made a weighty contribution to developing tY~e Cheory of operational art
and tact~ica of the Soviet Air Force.
The commandera, the political workera and the party organizations of the AA ~
units were active proponents of the polic~ of the Communist Party. They or-
ganized and inapired the military aviators to a sacred struggle against fas- _
cism, they indoctrinated in the personn~l ~oldness and courage, valor a~nd
- readiness for self-sacr{f ice, a total loyalty to the Soviat motherland and
hate f~r its enemies, and were constantly concerned w~th the strengthening
of diacipline and organization.
. The personnel of the AA posseaeed a strong morale and excelled in co~~bat
enthusiasm and an unrestrained aggreasive drive. The pilots and navigators,
the gunners and radio opsratore, engineera and technicians, the mechanics
and other apecialiata and the men of the aviation rear aupport services ~
lionorably carried ou~ their duty to the motherland. ~
By their heroic feats, the men of the AA, the fighter and assault plane
pilots, the bomber pilota and acouta, inscribed indelible pages in the mili-
t$ry chronicle of the Soviet Armed Forces. More than 30 flight crews re- -
- peated the immortal feata of the Russian pilo~ P. N. Nesterov and the coe~-
munist pilot N. F. Gastello, in ramming the enemy in the air and on the
ground. ~ �
The communista and Komaomol members have alcoays ~een in the ~anguard of
the air fightera of the AA. Their number increased continuously. Over -
the period from August 1942 through May 1945, 20~275 of the beat aviators
~oined the ranka of the Communiat Party and 4,735 became Kc:nsomol members.
.3 ~ -
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The herotem and military ekill of Che pereonnel in the 16th AA were properly
a prnised by Cha parCy and government. For the exemplary execution of combat
_ miasione of Che command on the front in combaCing Che Nazi invaders and for
- the valor and heroiem ehown in Chis, 200 pilots and navigaCore were awarded
the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 3 received thia twice~ and 1 received
a third Go1d Star. Among Che holders of the Red Star were Russians and
Belorussiar.s, Ukrain~ans and Gaorgians~ Armenians~ Oser,Yane and men from -
- oCher nationalities. More than 27,000 aviatora were awarded orders and
meda].s of the USSR for miliCary excellence.
The capital of oux mo~:herland, Moacow, 53 times ealuted with artillery salvas -
= Che valorous troopa of the Central~ Belorusaian and First Beloruseian fronts,
and here in the congratulatory ordera of the Supreme Commander-3n-Chief, the
outstanding formations and unita of the 16th AA were mentioned 47 times. -
_ ~ Many air formations and units of the A.~ in fierce oattles against the faecist -
invaders righ*.ly earned Che title of guarde (one out of every three regi-
- ments became guards). Thre~ air formationa and units received the Order of
Lenin, and 93 re4Aived the~Order of the Red Banner, 61 received the Order of -
- Suvorov, 22 the (s;3~r of Kutuzov, 11 the Order of Aleksandr Nevakiy, 4 the
Order of Bodgan ?~hm~l'nitskiy and 14 the Order of the Red Star. Subsequently
the 16th AA became Red Banner.
Virtually all the forr.~ationa and unita were awarded honorary namPS euch as
- Volga~and Stalingrad, Bakhm~ch and Nezhin, Chernigov and Gomel', Mozyr' and
Rechitsa, Bobruysk and Breat, Prague and Warsaw, Lodz and Brandenburg. Pomer-
anian, Berlin and othera (a total of 64 honorary names).
Many prominent leaders of the Air Force were promoted from among the front
line avi$tion comanandera of the 16th AA.
Many glorious air aces laid down their livea in the battles against the
Nazi invadera. The aurviving comrades-in-arms held sacred the bright memory
of the heroes who died a death of the brave for the happiness of future
generatiot, .
The guns fell ailent.... Thous~nds of aviators upon reaching the given age
- were d,ischarged into the reserves or retired, thousands worked in the nation-
al economy and took an active part in social work and in the military patrio-
Cic indoctrinaCion of the youth.
Many years after the end of the war the former personnel have not lost their
frontline friendahip. The meetings in Moecow and Monino in August 1967 and
- 1972 timed for the occasion of the 25th and 30th anniversary of the forma+
= tion of the army were memorable for many of the now gray-haired soldiers.
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'Ptie~glorioua combat tradiCiona of rhe aviators in the 16th AA are care-
fully preaerved r~nd added Co by the men of Che Soviet Air Force. The -
heire of the militery glory of their faChera and grandfathers poeseas
modern equipment, they are increasing their combat readinese and in cloae
cooperation with the men of Che fraterrial socialiat countries vigilantly
~ guard Che sir frontiera of the nations of the socialiat camp, and the -
peaceful labar of our people who are building communism. They are always
ready to repel any aggresaor.
On Che basia of archival documents, the memoirs of the miliCary chiefs and
Che direct participants in the evenCs ~s well as the personal memoira of ~
the authora, this book briefly tells ~f the air operations and feaLS of
Che men in Che 16Ch AA in the engsgements against the enemy on the diffi-
cu?C path from the Volga to the Elba in 1942-1945.
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CHAPTER 1: IN THE BATTLE GN THE VOLGA
Baptism by Fire '
- The second ypar of the Great Patriot.ic War of the Sovi~t people againat
Che Na~i invaders began under extremely diffi.cult conditions for the Red
Army. The enemy, having concentrated a large troop grouping on the south-
ern wing of the ~oviet-German FronC, seized the strategic initiative and
in the summer of 1942 began a ma~or offensive intending to reach the Volga,
- capture the oil fields of the Northern Caucasus and sever the lines of com-
munications linking the center of the narion with the suuth.
_ In the Stalingrad sector, fierce battles raged. The enemy possessed super-
iority in personnel and ea~!ipment, particularly in Canks and aviation.
Again, a~ in the previ~us y2ar, the Soviet troops experienced the bitterness
of retreat. By the middle of July, the Nazi troops had initiated battles
in the bend of the Don, endeavoring to break through to Stalingrad and c~p-
. ture it.
Tne threatening situation which was d.eveloping in the south of our nation
caused ~reat alarni among all the Soviet peo~le. On 28 July 1942, the
Pe:ople's Commiasar of Defense (NKO) I. V. Stalin issued Order No 227 in
wY~ich h~ demanded that the enemy advance be halted by the Soviet troops at
- any price. "The time has come to end the retreat. Not another step back!" -
demanded the order of the motherland.
The question of creating a strong and active defense in the Stalingrad sec- -
_ tor at thaC time was at the center of attention of the Soviet command. The
- order of Ehe NKO of 8 August 1942 marked the start of organizing the 16th
AA. Ma~ Gen Avn P. S. Stepanov (a member of the Mi~itary Council of the Red
Army Air Force) wab appointed temporary commander, the regimental commissar
A. S. Vinogradov was the military commissar, anc~ Ma~ Gen Avn S. I. Rudenko
was the deputy commander.
However, because of the deteriarating situation around Stalin~rad, the or-
ganization of the new AA was delayed. Moreover, regardless of the dividing
of the Stalingrad Front into two (Stalingrad and Southeastern) on S August,
- both fronts continued to be under the troop commander of the Southeastern
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F'rnnt, while the gvigtiun wa~ under the com%~nder of th~ 8th AA. At thgC
- time all their attention w~r~ focused on repelling the c~seault on 8talingrad.
' Only on 1 SepCember were Cene P~ S. Stepanov and S. I. Rudenko ~uir~mo~ned to
Kamygtiin were Che repre~entetives af the HeadqugrCers~ Supreme Ntgh Command -
[Sq SHCj~ C~ng C. K, Zhukav and A. A. Novikov~ announced to th~m the final
deciaion Co accElernte the or~anizgCion of the 16Ch AA. Sinae the army
gimultaneously wae also to engage in comb~t, Cen P. 5. Stepanov was ordered -
ro be concerned with the orggnizationa?. questions, whil~ Cen S. I. Rudenko
was to direcC the operation~ of Che eir formations and unite of the newly
orgar_ized AA~
Having returned Co the army command post at Stalin~radekiy Sovkhoz, Gen
_ 5. I. Rudenko ordered the start of operationa of the .16th AA as part of
the troopa of th~ Stalingrgd FYOnt which were under the command of Lt Cen
- V. N. Cordov.
Un 28 5eptember 1942, Cen S. I. Rudenko was appointed the commAnder of
- the 16th M.
_ Sergey Ignat'yevich Rudenko had great exoerience in life before becoming
a prominent military leader. He wae born in 1904 in the Chernigov area i~