Ranking structure in VVS Fighter Units

[SCG_Neun]

Guys, can someone tell me the standard ranking structure for a VVS Fighter Regiment.  Were there commonly flying Sgts, or were most men in the Soviet Air Force, WWII classified as Lt and above?

 

Thanks for any help.

 

[Brano]

According to People's Commissar of Defense order of 1940,all flying school graduates got rank of serzhant (sergeant) . Prior to the order they got the officer rank of leytenant (lieutenant).

In typical 41-45 IAP you had ranks from serzhant to polkovnik (colonel).

Regiment commander had usually rank of mayor (major) but kapitan,podpolkovnik or polkovnik could be commanders as well. Sometimes even political officer with rank of brigadniy komissar.

 

Ranks from bottom to top:

NCO:

Serzhant

Starshiy serzhant

Starshina

Junior officers:

Mladshiy leytenant

Leytenant

Starshiy leytenant

Kapitan

Senior officers:

Mayor

Podpolkovnik

Polkovnik

[LukeFF]

It's also important to note that, starting in early 1943, the system switched to where all new pilots were junior officers.

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Last but not least, regiments were divided in squadrons (эскадрилий), which were then divided by flights. Usually each squadron had 15 aircraft assigned to it, but combat losses made this number fluctuate. During the war the number of squadrons per regiment varied anywhere from two up to four in most cases, but in the second half of the war three squadrons per regiment became the most common. Squadron leaders were ideally Captains, with Senior Lieutenants as their deputies. Flight leaders were most commonly Senior Lieutenants and Lieutenants. Of course, all of the common guidelines go out of the window when you have a Junior Lieutenant who is hot s*** and a Captain who just arrived to the front after six years being an instructors, so flexibility happened as long as the regiment commanders had half a brain.

[Brano]

Yes,it was Order No.5/1943 issued 6.1.1943 by Stalin.

There are 3 sections included,this one is interesting for us:

1. Cadets of pilot schools (except for initial training) and gunner-bombardiers with a training period of 9 months and above will be awarded the military rank "mladshiy leytenant" at the end of study.

 

This order changed previous Order No.0362/1940 issued by Timoshenko 22.12.1940. His reasoning behind lowering cadet ranks from officer to serzhant is really an interesting reading

[SCG_Neun]

Thanks Guys. Good Stuff and much appreciated.