A few days ago (October 2004) was edited in Poland my story about “The Day of Armagedon - 22 VI 1941”. Smashing the Stalin’s Air Power.
The story (I part) is edited in Militaria i Fakty 4/2004. All text in Polish, no any English captions (only Polish readers).
This is long article (more then 131.000 signes). It is divided on two parts. The first has 10 A-4 pages + 13 photos, 7 tables. Second part will have probably the same size + colour drawing of Soviet planes.
I have written about one day of air war over Russia –the first one. This specific day Germans had smashed Stalins power including crashing the power of Red Air Force (about from 9.970 to 10.700 planes standing along the whole Soviet Western border).
Germans premptive attack had stoppted and saved Western Europe before Reds invasion on July 1941. Soviets would destroy, rope the whole Continent if Hitler would not stoppted them.
This is the following part of “Red Blizkireg in July 1941” see Militaria i Fakty 2/2004 (17 A-4 size about 30 photos, tables, 2 maps), edited about four months ago (June 2004).
There is interesting to present all factors which had lead to this memorable day (big victory for German and big catastorphy for Soviets) - crusial day.
Now I have written more about Geramn air reccon operation over Russia before 22 VI 1941 and Soviet countr-measures to break them. There were several cases of force landing on Soviet territory (or Polish territory under Soviet occupation), also there were several air “combats/clashes” between Germans and Soviets. The most famoues was this Ju 86 P shot down near Rovno by 3 I-16 of 46. IAP by leytnant Szolunov.
Quite much I have written about pruges among Reds Army Air Staff including unknow for many the second pruges, which had began in May 1941 and lasted up to the begining of 1942. This “red cleaning” were among high command and aviation industry staff of VVS RKKA. The next 200-300 people form aviation had perished in NKVD pruges.
There is written about the whole structure of VVS RKKA (including the amount of planes in the Soviet – all 24.488 military planes: combat and noncombat –218 combat ready air regiments of which 159 were focused along Western border).
This not including civil aviation (Areoflot too). Total amount of planes in Soviets was about more then 32.000.
Next part of this story will be about the combat of 22 VI – air war.
Contents of the Day of Armagedon.
Enemy air/spy reccon over Soviets territory and Soviet countr-actions before 22 VI 1941
Pruges in VVS RKKA 1937-1941/42
Structure of VVS RKKA [DBA, VVS (frontal, army and co-operation corps units), VVS VMF]
Comparniosn of aviation power of both side
22 VI 1941 The Day of Armagedon
Air War over Northern Front
Air War over Northern-Western front
Air War over Western Front
Air War over South-Western Front
Summary of the first day of war (losses of both side).
