4th Air Army - Regiments of The Army

Regiments of The Army

The 11th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment traces its history back to 19 July 1942, when it was formed at Goroshino airfield, 24 km west of Torzhok in the Kalinin Oblast. Holm states it was formed at Koplachki, Kalinin Oblast, from the 3rd independent long-range Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron and from parts of the 506th Bomber Aviation Regiment. Holm also says in November 1942 a third squadron was formed from the 320th independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron. The regiment was equipped with the Pe-2 reconnaissance fighter/bomber and joined 3rd Air Army, fighting in the Vitebsk-Polotsk operation and the defence of Vitebsk, for which it received the honour title 'Vitebsk' on 11 July 1944. After its participation in the Shyaulyay Offensive Operation? Shyaulyay-Mitava operation, it received the Order of the Red Banner on 10 August 1944. In 1952, the regiment converted to the Il-28 Beagle, based at Jekabpils and Krustpils in the Latvian SSR. It moved to Neu-Welzow in the German Democratic Republic in July 1954, joining 16th Air Army. In August 1968 it took part in the invasion of Czechoslovakia. In the early 1990s it was withdrawn from the former GDR to the North Caucasus.

The 368th Assault Aviation Regiment was formed on 12 July 1984, at Zjovtnevoye (Zhovtnevoye?) in Ukraine. In October 1986, the regiment moved to Chirchiq in the Uzbek SSR, where it prepared to join the Soviet effort in Afghanistan. Two weeks later it was relocated to Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul. From October 1986 to November 1987 the unit's aircraft fought in Afghanistan, with two squadrons operating from Bagram and the third from Khandahar, though aircraft were occasionally deployed to other airfields, including Shindand and Kunduz. The regiment was relocated to Kalinov, moving to Chortkov in Ukraine in May 1988. It then joined the 16th Air Army in East Germany in December 1988, moving to Demmin.