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Army Air Force
(Armijsko Vazduhoplovstvo)
Army Air Force represents units added to individual Armies with task of reconnaissance and direct support of ground forces using liaison and utility aircraft. History and organization Army Air Force was formed in 1940 with headquarters in Zagreb. Total of seven aviation Reconnaissance Groups were formed each with two squadrons with nine aircraft each. Supply, maintenance, technical support, fuel and armament in each group was task of added airfield companies with proper motorization. Air defense of each group was provided by around 12 anti-aircraft machine-guns, actually modified old infantry machine-guns Schwarzlose, St. Etienne and Hotchkiss, 8mm. According to military doctrine each army got one group to carry out reconnaissance for needs of army HQ and lower commands, tactical co-operation with land army, close and tactical reconnaissance, liaison flights, forward observer for artillery, co-ordination with infantry and also tactical attacks by bombs and machine-guns on target on the battlefield.
Aircraft for this new formation weren't available so equipping of units could only be carried out with obsolescent aircraft withdrawn from operational air force units. With arrival of new aircraft types as replacement in bomber units earlier primary aircraft types - Breguet 19 and Potez-25 - were transferred for equipping Army Air Force units. Each group also received one modern liaison and reconnaissance aircraft Fieseler Fi-156 Storch B. But insufficient number of reconnaissance aircraft give only around 50% strength - only 100 aircraft instead of 205.
Mobilization of Army Air Force was carried out by so-called "activation" during 6 to 12 March 1941. Formed and mostly filled with equipment and manpower, many of them reservist, units moved to combat airfields in period 13 to 20 March planed by war planed R-41. From 22 March units of Army Air Force where put on high alert. Time until beginning of war was used for training, familiarization with terrain and other combat preparations.
Plan of actions of Army Air Force in case of war was contained in classified "Instruction No.2" and orders for actions each group was suppose to receive from commander of army to which it was assigned. Dispersed and camouflaged aircraft of Army squadrons were waiting for war mostly ready.
Combat History Actions of Army Air Force depended on many factors: weather, enemy activity, development on the front, condition of airfield or equipment and of course command. Because of break up in communications with army headquarters often these units acted independently resulting in many of these flights being unrecorded.
Unit Army Aircraft Location 1st Aviation Reconnaissance Group 1st Army 15 Breuget-19/8 Ruma 2nd Aviation Reconnaissance Group 5th Army 16 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV Å arlice (Leskovac) 3rd Aviation Reconnaissance Group 2nd Army 19 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV St. Topolje (Äakovo) 4th Aviation Reconnaissance Group 4th Army 18 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV Pleso (Zagreb) 5th Aviation Reconnaissance Group 3rd Army 14 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV Tetovo 6th Aviation Reconnaissance Group 7th Army 16 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV Brege and Cerkalje 7th Aviation Reconnaissance Group 6th Army 18 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV Smederevska Palanka Independent Reconnaissance Squadron Coastal Army District 4 Breuget-XIX & Potez-XXV D. Jasenica (Mostar) Researched by Ivan Bajlo & Vladimir Trendafilovski
