125th Guards Dive Bomber Regiment

125th Guards Dive Bomber Regiment
125-й гвардейский пикировочно-бомбардировочный авиаполк
A Soviet-made Petlyakov Pe-2 light bomber, the aircraft used by the regiment
Active 1942–1945
Country  Soviet Union
Branch Soviet Air Force
Engagements Eastern Front of World War II
Decorations Guards designation
Order of the Red Banner
Order of Suvorov
Commanders
Regimental Commander Marina Raskova (until 1943)
Valentin Markov (1943-1945)
Aircraft flown
Bomber Petlyakov Pe-2

The 125th Guards Dive Bomber Regiment was one of the three Soviet women's aviation regiments founded by Marina Raskova at the start of the Second World War. The unit was founded as the 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment in the 223rd Bomber Air Division, 2nd Bomber Aviation Corps of the 16th Air Army on 8 October 1941 and renamed 125th Guards Dive Bomber Regiment in September 1943 and reorganized into 4th Guards Bomber Aviation Division, 1st Bomber Aviation Corps, 3rd Air Army, in the 1st Baltic Front.[1][2] Unlike the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, which used Polikarpov Po-2 utility aircraft, the unit was assigned modern Petlyakov Pe-2 aircraft, which caused some resentment among male units that had older aircraft. Throughout the course of the war, the unit flew 1,134 missions and dropped over 980 tons of bombs on the Axis.[3]

Heroes of the Soviet Union

Five servicemembers of the unit were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their service in the war. They were Mariya Dolina, Galina Dzhunkovskaya, Nadezhda Fedutenko, Klavdia Fomicheva, and Antonina Zubkova. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union one member of the regiment, Valentina Kravchenko, was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 1995.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "125-й женский гвардейский бомбардировочный авиаполк - Красные соколы: советские летчики-асы 1914-1953". airaces.narod.ru. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  2. ↑ "Авиаторы". allaces.ru. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  3. ↑ Pennington, Reina (2001). Wings, women, and war : Soviet airwomen in World War II combat. Erickson, John, 1929-2002. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. p. 90. ISBN 9780700615544. OCLC 47013122.
  • "The photographies of 125th GBAP planes and pilotesses". February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
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