Intro

The most important warplanes for combat activities were fighter, bomber and reconnaissance. This units was cluster under the high command as well the opinion of the Yugoslav officials, in 1940, was that it is the best way to operate with relatively weak forces.

         Fighters were formed into escadrilles, groups, regiments and brigades. Escadrille was base units, which had 12 planes and it could be divided into patrols with two to three planes each. Escadrille was lead by captain. Group was tactical unit leaded by major and consisted of two to three escadrilles. Regiment present higher tactical unit, strength of two to three regiment and lead by lt. colonel or colonel. Brigade was formed from two to three regiments and is always lead by officer in rank of colonel. Higher unit could present air division with two to three brigade or four to six regiments. Only distance of this rule present proposed twin engine fighter units, where the escadrille should have nine planes. Yugoslavia does not have twin engine fighter unit but there was intention in peacetime order to operate two group, 51. and 52., with that kind of planes.

        History of the fighter units begin in 1919, when was formed four escadrille of mixed equipment (fighter and reconnaissance). That was 1., 2., 3. an 4. escadrille on Novi Sad, Sarajevo, Skoplje and Zagreb airfields. Each escadrille had approximately six planes and that was SPAD, Berg, Albatros and D-3. In the autumn of 1919 were formed fighter department in Nis, which was disbanded in spring 1921. In November 1923 was formed, on Novi Sad airfield, fighter escadrille of 1. vazduhoplovna komanda (1. aeronautical command) and deployed all planes from equipment of 1., 2., 3. and 4. escadrille. This fighter escadrille was renamed, in November 1924, in 5. lovacka eskadrila (5. fighter escadrille). In spring 1926 was formed, on Novi Sad airfield, 10. lovacka eskadrila.

        In the spring of 1927 on Novi Sad airfield was formed staff of 121. lovacka grupa (fighter group), which employ 5. and 10. lovacka eskadrila, renamed as 251. and 252. eskadrila; also was formed 125. lovacka grupa with staff and 271. and 272. eskadrila, which was later permanently rebased and stationed on “Beograd” airfield. Staff of 6. vazduhoplovni puk was established, in spring 1928, on “Beograd” airfield, employing 125. lovacka grupa. Summer 1929 bring to 6. vazduhoplovni puk new 127. lovacka grupa, with staff, 281. and 282. eskadrila. In the beginning of 1932 on “Beograd” airfield was established new 274. eskadrila within 125. grupa of 6. vazduhoplovni puk. When the new 126. grupa was formed (with staff and 275. eskadrila), in the beginning of 1937, 274. eskadrila was deleted from 125. grupa and join this new group. Great organization was done in 1938 with some new units formed.

        The new Dewoitine D.1-01 fighter made its first flight on the 19 Nov. 1922. Before the France the Serbia placed an order in March 1924 for 60 fighters (contract n° 6/4). However this order was decreased to only 44 in 1925. Already in December 1923 the Serbian military attachee in Paris, comm. Radovic, tested this fighter.

        The 44 Serbian D.1 fighters were produced in 1926 at Tolouse and sent by crates to Novi Sad. On the 1st July 1928 the VV KJ still had 48 (?) D fighters. In January 1933 Ikarus requested Dewoitine for helping remotoring these fighter to the new GR K-7 Titan engine. With this motorisation the D.1s were used until 1937.  Already in 1925 Dewoitine produced 6 modified D.9s for the VV KJ. These were numbered from 1 to 6. Certainly these aircraft were counted in the 48 in 1928. These fighters had also Jupiter engines. The advanced D.27-01 made its first flight on the 3rd June 1928 in Switzerland. This fighter was presented by the famous French pilot Doret, on the 28 October 1928 in Novi Sad. The VV KJ ordered 3 exemplaires and requested the licence. The aircraft were delivered spring 1929, two in parts. These were assembled by ZMAJ at Zemun. But the VV KJ prefered the Ikarus built BH-33.

       The VV KJ manifested big interest for the modern Dewoitine D.500 already at the time of the official testing of the prototype, in September 1933 at Villacoublay. The VV KJ compared this plane with the Czech Avia and Smolik fighters, PZL, Fokker and Hawker fighters. The D.500 had only two weak points; the high landing speed and the high price.

       Thus VV KJ interest turned to the cannon-armed D.510, this was presented in Zemun in January 1934. The VV KJ requested at once 10, plus licence right to produce 40 D.510. The max. speed of the aircraft was 388 km/h. On the 5th February Dewoitine proposed the 10 aircraft, 267 000 francs each; and requested for the licence right for 40 fighters; 1 040 000 francs. But the VV KJ found these prices too expensive...The Yugoslav interest turned to other monoplanes.

      " The Air Force Command is the suppreme authority as regards the command and administration of the of the Air Force and the technical air services. It also act as the Inspectorate of the Air Force. All commands and institutions relating to land aeronautics are under the Air Force Command. In peace time the Air Force Command is under the Ministry of War and Marine, except as regards training, for which it is attached to the General Staff like to the other Inspectorates of the various arms and services.

       Communication from the Yugoslav Government dated September 14, 1931:

Land Army;      568 aeroplanes with a total of 269 585 horse power

Navy;                59         "                              23 706        "

(This figure represents the number of aeroplanes in commission in the present organic units, and does not include 263 training aircraft (34 seaplanes for the Navy)"

       The Commandant General Milutin Nedic of the VV KJ, in 1935 requested 1 391 800 dinars for the purchase of 495 modern aircraft. 212 of these would be fighter aircraft. The special acquisition commission selected the Hurricane, Spitfire, MS 405, He 112 and Bf 109 aircraft.

       Exportation of German aviation equipment was a minor consideration of the industry and the RLM until after 1936, when the basic expansion had occured. In 1930 German exported 20 million RM worth of aviation goods, but in 1933 Hitler's Third Reich less than 4 million. The first series of comprehensive regulations covering the export of aviation materials were issued only June 8, 1936. German firms found particularly irksome the currency restrictions and the RLM policy of pricing German equipment 15-20 % over their own domestic price.

       Due to the lack of money and raw materials, on December 16 RLM decided to discontinue further work on 9 new combat planes, including these the He 112 fighter. But the plane was proposed on the export market. The Yugoslav Goverment wanted the He 112, the plane in which Udet had set a world record of 635 km/h. The RLM would approve only an export model with a Jumo 210G engine, which allowed a top speed of 475 km/h...As a result Heinkel lost the contract to the British: 12 Hurricanes were ordered, and the first 2 were delivered by air on 15 December 1938...These still have fabric covered wings. But the second order specified already metal wings, Merlin III engines and DH propellers. Delivery of these starting in February 1940.

        But the VV KJ showed much more interest for the more advanced Spitfire fighters. On the 25 February 1938 a batch of 12 were ordered, unfortunatelly never delivered. The VV KJ had also a plan to acquire 25 French MS 406 fighters; these also never reached Yugoslavia.

        In January 1939 the RLM approved the sale of 60 Bf 109E and 240 Do 215 to Yugoslavia. Later the VV KJ placed orders for 100 Bf 109E-3s, 100 Do 215B, 34 Fi-156C, 13 Bf 108B and 400 Bü 131... If the Do 215s were never delivered, Messerschmitt Regensburg plant delivered the Bf-108/109 aircraft. The Bf-109E-3 production line here worked for Switzerland and Yugoslavia. Eg. W.Nr.2351-2364 were Swiss, 2365-2372 Yugoslav,  2373-2381 Swiss, 2382-2384 Yugoslav,  2385-2386 Swiss, 2387-2391 Yugoslav planes, etc. If all Swiss planes were delivered, it was not the case for Yugoslavia. From W.Nr. 2443 all fighters went to the Luftwaffe!

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