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5 GIAP History



5th Guards Fighter Air Regiment
Originally 129 IAP, then designated 5 GIAP on 6 Dec 1941
Key Commanders: Mai.T.G.Vikhrov, Mai.Yu.M.Berkal(as of June, 1941), Polk.V.I.Zaitsev (September, 1942-April,1944)
Assignments: 47 SAD, 9 SAD, 207 IAD, 11 GIAD
Aircraft: I-153s, MiG-3s, LaGG-3s, La-5s (as of November, 1942), La-7s
Battle Honors: Spas-Demensk, Smolensk, Kalinin, Kholm, Byelyi, Zubtsov, Stalingrad, Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Byelgorod-Kharkov, Izyum, Zaparozhye, Dnyepropetrovsk, Nikopol, Krivoi Rog, Kovel, Breslau, Berlin
Combat Record: The regiment was at its home base of Tarnovo with I-153s and MiG-3s when German forces knifed into Soviet Russia on June 22, 1941. Starshii Politruk A.Sokolov, flying a MiG-3, drew first blood with a Bf 109 while others brought the day's tally to six for the loss of only a single aircraft. Four days later the unit was withdrawn to Balbasovo and then to Shaikovka on West Front, eight kilometers south of Spas-Demensk. It came under operational control of the 47 SAD and became greatly involved in the fighting for Smolensk being occupied with escorting Il-2s of the 61 and 215 ShAPs and conduct fighter sweeps out to Dukhovshchina, Yelna, and Yartsevo. It had a big day on August 20 when nine enemy aircraft fell to its guns in the vicinity of Dukhovshchina (NE of Smolensk). In late 1941 the regiment was posted to Kalinin Front, seeing some action around the city of Kalinin. A short time later it was awarded the Guards Banner for distinguishing itself in combat and in recognition of 62 enemy planes destroyed in the air and 20 on the ground during 1,793 sorties for 1,980 combat hours. In June, 1942 the regiment engaged in heavy action over Kholm and Byelyi, providing ground force cover and flying escort for Il-2s and Pe-2s. Two months later it fought a hard battle against the Luftwaffe along the Vazuza and Osuga Rivers, at Zubtsov and Gnezdilovo.

In early November it reassembled at Gorkii where it was re-equipped with Lavochkin La-5s, and after a working-up period was posted to the 207 IAD on December 15, 1942, to participate in the big air battles that broke loose along the Don when Southwest Front launched a massive offensive the following day to smash the German-Italian front in this area and to take part in the interdiction of the Stalingrad pocket. Starshii Leitenant Igor Shardakov scored the first success in this theater by splashing a Bf 109 near Novaya Kalitva. In four weeks' combat the pilots claimed 45 kills, most of these being gained on fighter patrols instigated to catch the sluggish, almost defenseless transport aircraft that were thrown into the fray in desperate attempts to supply and evacuate the Stalingrad pocket. On December 29,1942, the regiment flew in to an advanced airfield near Radchenkoye on the Don River, and on January 16,1943, Maior V.A.Zaitsev took off with eight fighters to strafe Gartmashevka airfield where great slaughter was done. On their first run Zaitsev, Ivan Kildyshev, Nikolai Makarenko, and Aleksandr Masterkov all shot up single Ju 52s, while Dmitrii Shtokolov and Vitalii Popkov caught the alert flight of two Bf 109Fs from behind, claiming both destroyed in quick succession. In all, 10 Luftwaffe planes were destroyed on the ground without loss. February was to be a bright month with 39 victory claims being filed in the areas of Slavyansk-Kramatorsk, Zvanovka, Kremennaya, Lisichansk, Konstantinovka-Krasnoarmeiskoye. On the 30th five La-5s with Kapitan Laveikin in the lead stormed into a formation of 14 Ju 87s while providing ground force cover between Slavyansk-Kramatorsk, six of these being shot down by Sverlov(2), Laveikin, Shtokolov, Lavrenko, and Yermolayev. Shortly afterward the regiment moved again, this time to Krasnii Liman (SE of Kharkov), from where Vasilii Zaitsev took six La-5 on a fighter sweep on March 10 out to Yarovaya-Bannovskii-Prishib areas. They first spotted and shot down three of the elusive Fw 189 reconnaissance aircraft before engaging a flight of Ju 87s, the formation being dispersed and five being knocked down by Zaitsev(2), Kiyanchenko, Shtokolov, who had also claimed one Fw 189, and Karayev. Soon after a move was made to Polovinkino, from where the regiment saw some action at Starobyelsk, and on June 2 arrived in Shchenyachye to engage in heavy action over Kharkov, Byelgorod, and Izyum. On July 5 it was tasked with flying massive airfield strafes against Rogan, Sokolniki, Osnova, Barvenkovo, where about 11 enemy planes were destroyed in the air and on the ground. Mladshii Leitenant Belyakov was hit and wounded by groundfire and made a force-landing in Soviet territory.

Beginning in August, the unit was based at Nikolayevka and was fast becoming the top-scoring VVS fighter outfit. By August 27 the bag had risen to 495 air victories. The following day Leitenant Sytov claimed two He 111s while another pilot added a Ju 88. On the 29th Vitalii Popkov, leading seven La-5s on a fighter sweep, racked up the regiment's 499th kill while Mladshii Leitenant Nikolai Marisayev went the honor of destroying the 500th when he knocked down a Ju 88 soon after. A month later the regiment operated with distinction along the Dnepr in the area of Zaporozhye. On October 15 eight La-5s tangled with 10 Bf 109s while prowling about in the frontline area. Konstantin Yevstratov, Vladimir Barabanov and Vladimir Ivashkevich all getting singles. Eight fighters with Dmitrii Shtokolov in the lead also had a tussle with Messerschmitts, three of these being forced down by Bayevskii, Voronchuk, and Vasilyev. On October 23 forces of 3rd Ukrainian Front launched the Dnepropetrovsk campaign, an all-out assault to break out of the Dnepr bridgehead and to penetrate into the western Ukraine with the 5 GIAP being continuously engaged. It next took an active part in the great battles for Nikopol and Krivoi Rog (January 30/February 29, 1944), and by June it was based at Razdelnaya, moving to Lutsk a short time later. In early July it would see very heavy combat when a main thrust by forces of 1st Ukrainian Front was initiated with overwhelming success, punching through the Kovel-Chertkov-Kolomyya frontline.

During the same period the first of the new, powerful Lavochkin La-7s were beginning to arrive to replace the La-5s. The regiment transferred to Mogilno airfield on July 23 and then moved to Razlopy five days later. It soon began to take a heavy toll of the Luftwaffe during the subsequent Vistula campaign and was occupied with flying free hunt until December, 1944. On January 25, 1945, the war had reached its final phase when forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached the Oder River at Breslau and Glogau with the 5 GIAP being engaged in escorting Il-2 formations. Seven Fw 190s fell to the pilots' guns while operating on ground-support duty on February 14 and a short time later a move was made to Sprottau. On the 28th six fighters led by Bayevskii reported the destruction of seven Fw 190s and Bf 109s near Guben, Aleksandr Buzunkin, a young buck, being killed. In early March the regiment was operating in the Glogau area and next flew Il-2 escort and massive strafes around Arnsdorf. The task of covering 93 GShAP was accomplished with such good effect that during 500 Il-2 sorties throughout March no Shturmoviks were lost to enemy action. Between April 16-19 the regiment afforded 500 sorties on Il-2 and bomber escort to the Cottbus area with six Fw 190s being destroyed in air-to-air combat. On the 25th fighters of the 5 GIAP penetrated to Berlin for the first time and five days later, it concentrated on ground attack beating up everything that moved between Wendisch Buchholz and Halbe. The following day V.I.Popkov's first Eskadrilya mixed it with Fw 190s over the German capital claiming four victories with Popkov personally upping his tally to 41. The squadron, again led by Popkov, flew the last wartime misson of 5th on May 8. In 46 months of combat, the accomplishments of the 5 GIAP had been varied and many. It finished as the top Soviet aerial scoring regiment of the war - 739 air victories, 1,832 motor vehicles and 283 artillery emplacements destroyed in ground attacks.

Aces: V.I.Popkov 41, I.N.Sytov 34, S.G.Glinkin 30, V.A.Zaitsev 30+ of 34, G.D.Onufriyenko - most of his score of 29, P.I.Peskov 26, I.P.Laveikin 24, Shardakov 21, G.A.Bayevskii 191

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  1. Excerpt from Stalin's Eagles, by Hans D. Seidl, published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1998


© 2000 Greg Leon Guerrero
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