The 562nd fighter aviation regiment (562 iap) was formed in September 1941 as part of the 6th fighter air defense corps (6 iac) of the Moscow Air Defense Zone (Moscow PVO), based on the 12 iap and 121 iap and equiped with Yak-1 aircraft. The regiment was based at the airfields of Vatulino, Kubinka, Kozelsk and Inutino. On April 5, 1942 the 652 iap together with the 6 iak became a part of Moscow Air Defense Front. On June 9, 1943, when 6 iak PVO was transformed into 1st Air Fighter Army of the Moscow Air Defense Front, 562 iap became a part of the newly formed 318th Air Defense Fighter Division (318 iad) belonged to this 1st Air Fighter Army of the Moscow PVO. In the winter of 1943/1944, in addition to the Yak-1, 562 iap received the Yak-9 fighters.

Yak-1B late, 562 iap PVO, 1943 with my interpretation of the painting on the fuselage:

Camouflage shades are light in comparison with grass and soldier’s uniforms what points more at grey-grey than black-green colors. Camouflage fields are painted in the new experimental layout with which Yakovlev experimented from beginning 1943. Blue color painted on sides of the fuselage should mask flying arcraft against bluish horizont. Red star without outline was standard, or at least usual for the first half of GPW. Board number 22 is red, same as an arrow around exhaust pipes. Photos also shows, athough very unclear and incomplete, an artistic painting of a soldier fighting with a leopard or panther.
More about camouflage development in 1943 at https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/colors/1943-45-fighters/1943-45.html.

Photos of the original:

Darkened photo with added contrast – red arrow around exhaust pipes and part of the painting is better visible:

Another darkened photo with added contrast shows the bigger part of the painting:

Details of the painting:

Photos are from http://ava.org.ru/iap/562.htm

Disclaimer:

this work collects a lot of photos from many sources, not always identified and mentioned.
If someone has rights on the images reproduced on this site, please don't feel hurted, email to me and I shall provide to remove or to credit them.

massimo.tessitori(nospam)@libero.it

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