| 108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942–2012 |
| Country |
|
| Branch | |
| Type | Surface-to-air missile unit |
| Role | Air defense |
| Garrison/HQ | Zolotonosha |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Decorations | |
| Battle honours | Zaporizhia |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Igor Danshin |
The108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukrainian:108-й зенітний ракетний полк (108 ЗРП);Military Unit Number A4527) was an air defense regiment of theUkrainian Air Force, based atZolotonosha until its 2012 disbandment. The regiment began as the22ndAnti-Aircraft Artillery Division of theRed Army formed duringWorld War II, which was reorganized as a brigade postwar. During much of theCold War it was the108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (Military Unit Number 36836).
The 22nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division of theReserve of the High Command (RGK) began its formation in theMoscow Military District during December 1942 and on 15 January 1943 ColonelIgor Danshin (promoted to major general 18 November 1944) was appointed commander. The division included the 1335th, 1341st, 1347th, and 1353rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments.[1] After completing its formation in March, the division was sent to theSouthwestern Front, which became the3rd Ukrainian Front on 20 October of that year. The division supported the3rd Guards Army and the8th Guards Army during theIzyum–Barvenkovo offensive,Donbas strategic offensive,Zaporozhye offensive, theNikopol–Krivoi Rog offensive, and theBereznegovatoye–Snigirevka offensive from the summer of 1943 to the spring of 1944. The division received the name ofZaporozhye as an honorific on 14 October 1943 in recognition of its performance during the capture of the city.[2][3] During the fighting on the right bank of theDniester, the anti-aircraft batteries of the division came under German fighter attack that inflicted significant casualties, in advance of the German counterattack on 3 July during theFirst Jassy–Kishinev offensive.[4] Due to its losses, the division was temporarily withdrawn from action to rebuild.[5]
During theSecond Jassy–Kishinev offensive and in fighting in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, the division supported the raid of the4th Guards Mechanized Corps. On 7 September 1944 the 22nd was awarded theOrder of Kutuzov, 2nd class for "exemplary fulfillment of command tasks" in breaking through enemy defenses south ofBender and the capture ofKishinev and its "valor and courage".[6] The division, reinforced with tanks and infantry, acted as an assault group during thebattle for Belgrade, participating in the capture of the royal palace, parliament building, post and telegraph office, and the military academy. The 22nd supported the raid of the18th Tank Corps during theBudapest offensive and operated in conjunction with the5th Guards Tank Army during theVienna offensive. The division was awarded theOrder of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class, on 26 April 1945 in recognition of its performance in the capture ofPápa andDevecser.[7] From 1943 to the end of the war, the division was credited with destroying 264 aircraft, up to 3 infantry regiments, capturing up to 10,000 soldiers and officers, knocking out 45 tanks, burning three railway echelons, and suppressing the fire of 15 batteries.[3]
After the end of the war, the division became part of theCentral Group of Forces. Danshin was transferred to become an academy instructor in August 1945,[3] and was replaced by ColonelIvan Plachnida. The division was reorganized as the 449th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade in spring 1948 and in June of that year Plachnida transferred to command another anti-aircraft artillery division.[8] He was replaced first by Major GeneralArtyom Makashutin and then by ColonelPyotr Shulga in December. By December 1948 the brigade was atAkhtyrka in theKiev Military District.[9] The division was subsequently transferred to theSpecial Mechanized Army and renumbered as the 98th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade in November 1955. The brigade was expanded into the 86th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division on 22 August 1956, stationed atConstanța. The Special Mechanized Army became the 1st Separate Army in 1957, and in July 1958 withdrew from Romania to theKiev Military District. When air defense units were reorganized on 30 July 1960 due to the replacement of anti-aircraft guns bysurface-to-air missiles, the division was reorganized as the 108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the 1st Separate Army, a unit of the Air Defense of the Ground Forces.[10] The 108th was headquartered atZolotonosha as the air defense brigade of the army, which became the1st Guards Army in 1967, for the rest of theCold War.[11] The brigade had theMilitary Unit Number 36836.[12] Its 1656th Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion, formed in 1990, was the highest numbered battalion in the Army.[13] The brigade was equipped with theS-75 Dvina missile system from 1960 to 1970, the2K11 Krug from 1970, and theBuk-M1 missile system from 1990.[14]
After theDissolution of the Soviet Union, the brigade became part of theArmed Forces of Ukraine in January 1992 and was transferred to theUkrainian Air Defense Forces in July 1996,[15] continuing to operate the Buk-M1.[16] The 108th was reduced from a brigade to a regiment at some point between 2000 and 2006. It became part of theUkrainian Air Force in 2004 when the Air Defence Forces merged into the Air Force.[17][18] The 108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment was disbanded in 2012, but the planned demolition of its barracks was forestalled by city officials. The barracks were taken over by the156th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment after the latter returned from thewar in Donbas in 2014.[19][20]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)