Growth of the Soviet Air Force
From OnAirpower.org
Contents |
[edit] Growth of the Overall Red Army Officer Corps, 1936-41
The following table shows the growth in the Red Army officer corps (including Air Force) between 1936 and June, 1941, just prior to the war[1].
| Rank | 1936 | June 1941 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Col. | 1713 | 4788 | 279% (Col. only), 700% (Col. vs. Col. + Lt. Col) |
| Lt. Col. | -- | 7246 | * |
| Maj. | 5501 | 20430 | 370% |
| Capt. | 14369 | 47710 | 332% |
| Sr. Lt. | 26082 | 50619 | 195% (Sr. Lt. only), 345% (Sr. & Lt. only vs. all Lts.) |
| Lt. | 58582 | 147320 | 251% |
| Jr. Lt. | * | 95797 | N/A |
| TOTAL | 106247 | 373910 |
Notes (*): The ranks of Lt. Col. and Jr. Lt. were not introduced until after 1936.
[edit] Leningrad Military District
Between 1933-1938 seven aviation brigades were formed in the District, including the 1st and 3rd Heavy Bomber Aviation Brigades, the 250th Light Bomber Aviation Brigade, the 243rd Light Ground Attack Aviation Brigade, the 147th Fast Bomber Aviation Brigade, the 111th Fighter Aviation Brigade, and the 3rd Air Assault Aviation Brigade[2].
On February 1, 1938 the District had a total of 705 aircrews. During the summer of 1938, 443 pilots were transferred into the District, along with an additional 560 pilots received fresh from flight school. The growth in air crews resulted in an overage in some regiments at the start of 1939, for example the 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment which was authorized 60 pilots but had a total of 87[2].
The primary aircraft in the District at the time were the TB-3 bomber and the R-5, with a total of only 97 SB fast bombers. Fighters made up only 18.5% of the District's aircraft, approximately 130 in total, primarily the I-16[2].
As of May 1, 1939, there were only 25 airbases and air fields in the Leningrad Military District, located mostly in the south of the District, around Leningrad, Gdov, Pskov, and Novgorod[2].
