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| 1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division | |
|---|---|
| 1. československá smíšená letecká divize | |
| Active | 1944–1945 |
| Country |  Czechoslovakia |
| Role | Air Forces |
| Size | Air Wing |
| Part of | 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in USSR 8th Air Army of USSR - operational control |
| Engagements | liberation of Ostrava |
| Flying hours | 264 |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Lt.Col Ludvík Budík |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Ilyushin Il-2 |
| Fighter | Lavochkin La-5, Lavochkin La-7 |
The1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division (Czech:1. československá smíšená letecká divize;Slovak:1. česko-slovenská zmiešaná letecká divízia) was the air arm of theCzechoslovak armed forces in the Soviet Union duringWorld War II, operating under the operational command of theSoviet Air Force. It existed during 1944 and 1945, being merged into theCzechoslovak Air Force upon the cessation of hostilities.[1]
The 1st Czechoslovak Composite Air Division was created in January 1945 from the already battle experienced 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Aviation Regiment commanded byStaff CaptainFrantišek Fajtl with most of its pilots previously transferred from the Czechoslovak units of RAF. The 1st Regiment flew from the Zolná u Zvolena Airfield and laterTri Duby Airfield in Slovakia during theSlovak National Uprising, the newly created 2nd Fighter Air Regiment based on the Combined Squadron of the Slovak Air Force that was able to escape together with Fajtl's forces to the Red Army controlled Territory and the Attack Air Regiment that used theIljushin Il-2 Shturmovik aircraft.[2] The reorganisation and training of the new pilots took a long time and the 8th Soviet Air Army Command decided to deploy the combat ready units of the Division, the 1st Fighter Air Regiment and the 3rd Atack Air Regiment in April 1945. They flew air support missions during the operation to liberateOstrava andOpava. The 2nd Fighter Regiment was at that time still training with the new Lavochkin La-7 airplanes and was not able to flew combat missions yet.[3] The pilits wanted to flew to help the Prague Uprising but the command did not allow it as the Prague was at the limit of the range for the La-5NF aircraft from their base at Poreba airfield in Poland.[4] After the end of the WWII, the unit was transferred to the Prague Airports and with the ransformation of the Czechoslovak military to the peacetime organisation it was renamed the 4th Air Division and later operated from airfield in Slovakia.[5]
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