Russian air advisors

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Spearfish
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Russian air advisors

#1

Post by Spearfish » 14 Aug 2014, 22:51

I believe Kombrig Yakov Smushkevich ('Duglas') returned to Moscow in June 1937.
Does anyone know who replaced him and when, and who, replaced him?

durb
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Re: Russian air advisors

#2

Post by durb » 21 Sep 2014, 19:00

If you can read Spanish, this book might be helpful for your search: Asesores Sovieticos en la Guerra Civil Española by Alcofar Nassaes.

There is a website offering this book in reasonable price of 6 euros + delivery: http://www.uniliber.com/autor/ALCOFAR-NASSAES-L.html


Orwell1984
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Re: Russian air advisors

#3

Post by Orwell1984 » 22 Sep 2014, 18:46

Schiffer Publishing also has the following book scheduled to release October 2014

Image

Soviet Airmen in the Spanish Civil War: 1936-1939
http://www.schifferbooks.com/soviet-air ... -5530.html

durb
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Re: Russian air advisors

#4

Post by durb » 04 Nov 2014, 14:59

"I believe Kombrig Yakov Smushkevich ('Duglas') returned to Moscow in June 1937.
Does anyone know who replaced him and when, and who, replaced him?"

The replacement might have been one of these: "Montenegro" (?), "José" (?) or Mitrofan Nedelin. Suggestions by Alcofar Nassaes (1975). But I think that the suggested book on Soviet Airmen in previous post is the best way to find out.

Spearfish
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Re: Russian air advisors

#5

Post by Spearfish » 21 Nov 2014, 23:28

Gentlemen
A belated thanks for your advice.
After having no initial response I did not revisit the site until very recently, then the site was offline.
I will check the Spanish book

VG 33
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Re: Russian air advisors

#6

Post by VG 33 » 09 Dec 2014, 22:06

Hello,
Spearfish wrote:I believe Kombrig Yakov Smushkevich ('Duglas') returned to Moscow in June 1937.
Does anyone know who replaced him and when, and who, replaced him?
He was replaced by Kombrig V.N. Ptukhin.
But why him? The senior soviet aviation advisor was Komdiv Bergolts at that time, replaced by Komdiv Lopatin from may 1937.

Regards

Spearfish
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Re: Russian air advisors

#7

Post by Spearfish » 10 Dec 2014, 16:28

VG 33
Many thanks for your response.
I have my doubts about Bergolts whom I think was arrested and/or shot in the 1936/1937 time frame.
I am unable to trace Lopatin.
Kombrig Evgemy Savich Ptukhin (General Jose) was certainly in Spain, memory suggests as a fighter unit commander, and it does seem likely he replaced 'Douglas' until mid 1938 when he returned to the Soviet Union.
Both men got caught in the 'Barbarossa' purge, conducted against the VVS from the spring of 1941 onwards. Novikov was supposed to replace Ptukhin in the Ukraine but the outbreak of war meant he was still running the Leningrad VVS.
Again many thanks for your trouble.

VG 33
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Re: Russian air advisors

#8

Post by VG 33 » 10 Dec 2014, 23:49

Many thanks for your response.
You’re welcome.
I have my doubts about Bergolts whom I think was arrested and/or shot in the 1936/1937 time frame.
Bergolts, the commander of the MVO’s (Moscow Military District) aviation forces was appointed to Spain from october 1936 to the 18/01/37*. He was arrested in USSR in december 1937.
A link: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0 ... 0%B8%D1%87
I am unable to trace Lopatin.
LVO’s aviation commander (Leningrad military district). Was in Spain from 26/05/37-09/09/37*. Codename “Montenegro”. Made a lot to organise respublican aviation, at least from soviet archives...
Kombrig Evgemy Savich Ptukhin (General Jose) was certainly in Spain, memory suggests as a fighter unit commander, and it does seem likely he replaced 'Douglas' until mid 1938 when he returned to the Soviet Union.
In spain from the 15/05/1937 – 25/02/38*. Previously the 142th iab (fighter brigade) / ( from the...) BVO commander. A link between others: http://airaces.narod.ru/spane/ptuhin_e.htm

Both men got caught in the 'Barbarossa' purge, conducted against the VVS from the spring of 1941 onwards. Novikov was supposed to replace Ptukhin in the Ukraine but the outbreak of war meant he was still running the Leningrad VVS.
Again many thanks for your trouble
Back to Spanish chronology: Ptukhin was replaced by Andreev in june of 1938, but at time when spanish haedquaters leaded by Hidalgo de Cisneros were considered as fully skilled and autonomous.
Regards.

* means from Sergei Abrossov's book.

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Ironmachine
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Re: Russian air advisors

#9

Post by Ironmachine » 11 Dec 2014, 08:26

Spearfish wrote:Kombrig Evgemy Savich Ptukhin (General Jose) was certainly in Spain, memory suggests as a fighter unit commander
He was the commander of Grupo 26 (I-15 fighters).

VG 33
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Re: Russian air advisors

#10

Post by VG 33 » 13 Dec 2014, 10:11

Hello
Ironmachine wrote: He was the commander of Grupo 26 (I-15 fighters).
Really, was he? I know theat there are some old sources to assert that.
Anyway, the time he was in spain, his name is never quoted as I-15 group commander, unlike 8 other names (Kopets, Shustov, Osadtchy, Eremenko, Serov etc...) from archive documents.
Only as whole fighter aviation commander when he replaced Ivan Kopets, in that rule. (He was "Jose" N°2, in fact), then as whole republican aviation operationnal commander, when he took Smushkevitch's seat. ("Douglas" n°2, codenames were unchanged).

So for I-15 group commander rule, not impossible, but not proved yet; until other archive documents are not found.

Regards

Spearfish
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Re: Russian air advisors

#11

Post by Spearfish » 13 Dec 2014, 18:14

Gentlemen
Very many thanks for your continued stream of information.
Can you give me the full names of Lopatin and Andreev please?

VG 33
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Re: Russian air advisors

#12

Post by VG 33 » 14 Dec 2014, 12:00

Spearfish wrote:Gentlemen
Very many thanks for your continued stream of information.
Can you give me the full names of Lopatin and Andreev please?
Lopatin Vsevolod Nikolaievich.

Andreiev A P, i don't know...

Spearfish
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Re: Russian air advisors

#13

Post by Spearfish » 14 Dec 2014, 13:39

Gentlemen
Again very many thanks for all your help.
This suggests the following sequence, although criticisms or comments are more than welcome
Smushkevich November 1936 to May 1937
Komdiv Vsevolod Nikolaievich Lopatin May to September 1937
Kombrig Evgeniy Savich Ptukhin September 1937 to February 1938 (wounded or injured)
A.P.Andreiev February 1938 (possibly acting to June) to February 1939
Andreiev might possibly be Aleksandr Petrovich who was a divisional command during the Second World War

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