76th Air Army
The 76th Air Army was a unit of the Soviet Air Forces from 1949 to 1980, and again from 1988 to 1998. As the 13th Air Army, it was originally formed on 25 November 1942 and based on air units of the Leningrad Front.
| 13th Air Army VVS LVO 76th Air Army | |
|---|---|
| 76-й Краснознамённой Воздушной армии | |
| Active | 13th Air Army: 25 November 1942 – 10 January 1949 76th Air Army: 1949–1980 VVS LVO: 1980–1988 76th Air Army: 1988–1998 |
| Branch | Soviet Air Force |
| Part of | Leningrad Front Leningrad Military District |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | General-Colonel S. D. Rybal'chenko (13th Air Army) former commander of the Far Eastern VVS and the Far East Military District during 1950–1956 |
13th Air Army's initial components were the 275th Fighter Aviation Division, 276th Bomber Aviation Division, and 277th Assault Aviation Divisions.
As the 13th Air Army, the formation participated in a number of offensives in 1943–45:
- Operation Iskra - 12–30 January 1943. 13th Air Army supported the 67th Army's attack.
- Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive - January 1944.
- Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive - 13th Air Army, 1,600 aircraft strong, made an attack on the German positions on 9 June 1944, a day before the main assault. Glantz also states that 13th Air Army provided pre-offensive fighter cover to discourage enemy aerial reconnaissance which might have uncovered the offensive's maskirovka measures. The offensive lasted from 10 June to 9 August 1944.
- Narva Offensive (July 1944)
- Tallinn Offensive
- Moonsund Landing Operation
During the war, the 13th Air Army made 120,000 sorties. Ten units of the army were transformed into Guards units for their services. Twenty units were awarded decorations. 151 pilots were awarded the Heroes of the Soviet Union, and one, Pyotr Pokryshev won the award twice. The 13th Air Army had but one commander throughout World War II. Stepan Dmitrievich Rybalchenko appears initially to have been a General-Major upon his appointment as commander. He was promoted to General-Lieutenant с 07.08.43, and General-Colonel с 02.11.44.