Факторы боевого применения советской авиации в конфликте с Финляндией 1939–1940 годов

Abstract

This article is devoted to the analysis of the factors which influenced the effectiveness of the combat use of the Soviet aviation during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. The object of the study is the armed forces of the Red Army, the subject of the study is the air force of the Red Army which participated in the war with Finland in 1939-1940. The sources for the work are archival materials - reports on the combat work of the Air Force of the combined arms armies during the conflict, on the use of certain types of aircraft, as well as military command work documents. In addition, the study contains published materials from compilations - documents of the Main Military Council, the Headquarters of the High Command, the command of the Leningrad Military District, as well as the conclusions and minutes of meetings of the Main Military Commission and the Air Force Commission. The aim of the work is to study various conditions and factors which inluenced the work of Soviet pilots during this conflict. The study examined the initial plans and tactics of the Soviet command for the use of aviation, their evolution in the course of hostilities. In addition, various problems and emergency situations which Soviet pilots faced with during the war were analyzed in this study. For the sake of completeness of the study at the end of the article attention is paid to the post-war analysis of the participation of the Soviet aviation in hostilities, and those problems which the Soviet command drew attention to are considered. The main factor underlying the entire combat work of the Soviet aviation at the initial stage of conflict was the fact that for the Soviet command the war with Finland was the first large-scale clash with another state, when a large number of aircraft were to participate in the hostilities. The Soviet leadership simply did not have experience in such operations, did not know how to use aviation correctly and what those operations required for. It were namely these facts which determined the initial not entirely successful tactics of using aviation, the poor preparedness of air reconnaissance. In addition, misunderstanding of the conditions of the future theater of operations played a significant role. Soviet air units were not equipped with the necessary uniforms and machinery. Weather conditions, in turn, also made their own adjustments to the work of aviation. At the same time, it is necessary to point out the insufficient training of pilots.