The air force of Southwestern Front in the Great Patriotic War

The article describes a group of Soviet and German troops involved in combat operations from June 22to July 6 1941; the oncoming tank battle in the area of Lutsk, Dubno, Rovno, requiring a lot of effort from the aviation front which consistedin daily organization of 600 sorties from June 22 to 30, yet defeated due to the uncoordinated acts different kinds of troops. Analysingaviation activity, the author concludes that fighters led the struggle for air superiority primarily by patrolling above the groundforces, the most important objects, accompanied by attack aircrafts; air raids on enemy airfields in this case were not organized, whichallowed the enemy to feel safe on their territory. Actions of the South-western Front Air Force, as noted by the researcher, allowedreducing the combat capabilities of German armoured and motorized formations, but the final results of air strikes did not satisfy theFront Military Council. The efforts of the front air force were sprayed on numerous targets. Such actions more severely affected onlythe rear of the column and transports of the enemy, but they did not exert serious influence on the course of the cross-border battle. Thearticle notes the reasons for unsatisfactory performance of the air reconnaissance; compares the reports on casualties in the fightingalong the line of staff and political personnel; identifies a feature that while on other fronts they exaggerated the losses of the enemy(sometimes significantly), the Ukraine somehow lowered the data about the success of the aviation front; characterizes the losses ofunits of the 4th Air Force and military aviation of the enemy; shows the losses of the Soviet Air Force Front, whose combat losses by theend of June amounted to 697, total to 911 aircrafts. The practical significance of this paper is that it partially closes the gaps in the studyof the fighting troops of the boundary cover, and researchers dealing with the war can use its factual material. The main causes of failuresand losses, according to the author, were inadequate operational training senior officers, the lack of a clear interaction betweendifferent kinds of troops, lack of trained young pilots and confusion of the command. Concluding the article, the author notes that during15 days of fighting the Soviet troops of 864 600 people (excluding the data of the 18th Army) suffered irrecoverable and sanitation lossesof 241 594 people, and the air force lost 1218 combat aircrafts. The depth of withdrawal of the Soviet troops from the border was 300-350 miles, and only at the price of a great loss the Front's troops with air support slowed the main enemy force in Kiev direction andthereby allowed the front of the main forces to withdraw and take up defence in the fortified areas of the old state border.

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