Moscow Air Defense Front
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The Moscow Air Defense Front () was an air defense front of the National Air Defense Forces, responsible for the
air defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
of
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was formed in April 1942 in response to predictions of a German bomber concentration against Moscow, and its units were used to cover troops and rear areas on the front after the halting of German air raids against that city. In June 1943 it was reorganized as the Special Moscow Air Defense Army.


History

The front was formed by an order of 5 April 1942 from the Moscow Air Defense Corps Region to provided air defense for Moscow and other key facilities in the Central industrial region, under the command of Lieutenant General Daniil Zhuravlyov. With its headquarters in that city, the front was the first such formation of its name and scope to be created, in response to a perceived increase in the strength of the German
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
forces against Moscow, specifically the movement of ten squadrons and detachments of bombers. An order of 6 April stipulated its composition and ordered its formation to be completed by 10 April. It was responsible for the same area as the Moscow Air Defense Corps Region along the line of
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, Yuryev-Polsky, Kashin, Nosilovo, Kalinin,
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,
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, Dobraya,
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,
Serpukhov Serpukhov ( rus, Серпухов, p=ˈsʲerpʊxəf) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Oka River, Oka and the Nara (Oka), Nara Rivers, 99 kilometers (62 miles) south fro ...
,
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,
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, and Kasizmov, forming a ring around Moscow. It included the 6th Fighter Aviation Corps (IAK) with 23 fighter aviation regiments stationed at eight aviation base areas, thirteen anti-aircraft artillery regiments, thirteen separate anti-aircraft artillery battalions, three anti-aircraft machine gun regiments, three anti-aircraft searchlight regiments, two of which were formed, two regiments of the VNOS (Air Observation, Warning, and Communications Service), two
aerostat An aerostat (, via French) or lighter-than-air aircraft is an aircraft that relies on buoyancy to maintain flight. Aerostats include unpowered balloons (free-flying or tethered) and powered airships. The relative density of an aerostat as a ...
regiments, separate communications battalions, and training units. These forces totaled 500 fighter aircraft, 1,560 anti-aircraft guns, 430 anti-aircraft machine guns, 1,300 searchlights, and 1,060 barrage balloons. The creation of the front was credited with improving the air defense command and control system. In mid-1942 the fighter regiments of the 6th IAK were moved to aerodromes that allowed them to intercept German bombers approaching the city. An increase in the number of anti-aircraft artillery regiments and batteries allowed a consolidation of units to directly defend the capital, and the creation of a stronger ring around it. Beginning in July, the mass German air raids on Moscow ceased. This freed up the units of the front to cover the communications, supply bases, and troops of the Northwestern, Kalinin,
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
, and
Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front () was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the World War II, Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it fi ...
s of the army. Its forces were subsequently used in the spring of 1943 to defend the troops and rear area of the Central and
Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...
s in the
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area. In May and June 1943, the front was reorganized. In accordance with an order of 21 May the units of the front were used to form the 1st Fighter Air Army PVO, fifteen anti-aircraft artillery divisions, four searchlight divisions, three anti-aircraft machine gun divisions, two VNOS divisions, and four aerostat divisions, as well as five anti-aircraft artillery regiments, thirteen separate anti-aircraft artillery battalions, three anti-aircraft machine gun battalions, a communications regiment, and a VNOS battalion. As a result of the reorganization, on 29 June the front was redesignated as the Special Moscow Air Defense Army to become part of the newly created Western Air Defense Front.


References


Citations


Bibliography

* {{Cite encyclopedia, title=Московский фронт ПВО, encyclopedia=Военная энциклопедия в 8 томах ilitary Encyclopedia in 8 volumespublisher=Voenizdat, location=Moscow, last=Golotyuk, first=V.L., date=2001, editor-last=Sergeyev, editor-first=Igor, volume=5, pages=279–280, language=Russian, isbn=5-203-01876-6, trans-title=Moscow Air Defense Front Soviet fronts Units and formations of the Soviet Air Defence Forces Air units and formations of the Soviet Union in World War II Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943