MiG-3s on the West front (June 1941)

Updated on February 20, 2023

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Western Special Military District (ZapOVO, later Western Front)

The unit of the Air Force of the Red Army (VVS-KA) in the Baltic Area were included in a command structure called Western Special Military District (ZapOVO); later this structure was renamed Western Front.

Here are the units known to be equipped with MiGs at the date of 22 June 1941:

9 SAD (Mixed Air Division), Bialystok: 1 MiG-3 at division command; this division had these regiments equipped with MiGs:

41 IAP, Byalystok and Seburchin AB, 56 MiG-1 and MiG-3 and 22 I-16 and I-15bis

124 IAP Bialystok and Vysokie AB,70 MiG-3 and 29 I-16

126 IAP Belsk and Dolubovo AB, 50 MiG-3 and 23 I-16

129 IAP Zabludovo and Tarnovo AB, 61 MiG-3 and 57 I-153

 

 

GALLERY OF PROFILES

 

 

White 1 of 124 IAP

 

Right: plane White 1 captured by Germans on the Wysokie-Mazowieckie airport just after the war outbreak.

The available photos of planes of 124 IAP with prewar markings seems to show that all numbers were white, while the caps seem of different colors, probably according to the squadron with the following rule:

  • 1 squadron: red;
  • 2 squadron: blue;
  • 3 squadron: yellow;
  • 4 squadron: white.

The plane of the photo doesn't seem to have a red cap, as often described, when compared to the darkness of the red star on the fuselage; so the cap was drawn as blue.

Note the lack of radio mast and wires and of the sliding hood.

The photo shows also the sad wreck of another MiG-3 that was destroyed by a fire. Note that the paint of the burnt planes changes because of the heat and could give the illusion of a camouflage with light areas and black lines.

http://ava.org.ru/iap/102g.htm

 

Left: photo of plane 'White 13' of 124 IAP captured by Germans, mounted on a car to be evacuated. The cap atop the rudder seems white. The photo seems to show the sliding hood but not the radio mast.

The plane show a font for '3' rarely used in Soviet Union because it looks similar to the cyrillic 'Z'.

http://ava.org.ru/iap/102g.htm

 

White 5 of 124 IAP

Plane 5 of 124 IAP, presumably on the Bialystok airfield, June 1941.

We see a white 5 on the rudder. On this photo, the color of the cap looks compatible with the shade of the red star. Again, the thin white line under the cap seems to extend on the leading edge of the fin.

The paint looks worn, and this increases the difference of shade of the green color between wooden and metallic parts.

 

White 7 of 124 IAP


These photos show a MiG-3 n-7captured by the Germans at Bialystok air base at the beginning of the war.

On the background, we see plane White 5 of the same unit.

It is difficult to interpretate the colors of the cap and their meaning. By sure, the cap wasn't red nor white, so yellow and light blue are possible options. It isn't clear if this color was indicative of the regiment or of the squadron.

Both number 1 and 5 of the same unit seem white, but 7 seems a bit darker; it could be a darkened white, or some shade of yellow or light blue according to the squadron.

http://ava.org.ru/iap/102g.htm

http://imf.forum24.ru/?0-4

 

Red 7, 124 IAP (?)

MiG-3 Red 7 captured by Germans, presumably of 124 IAP.

The outline of the red 7 is painted with an unidentified light color, possibly light blue or yellow.

 

Disclaimer

This work collects also a lot of photos and drawings from many sources, not always identified and mentioned.
If someone has some rights on the images here reproduced, please email to me and I shall provide to remove or to credit them.
While the historical photos are of public domain (except where otherwise stated), my color profiles and coloured photos are copyrighted.
If someone is interested in any use of them, please email me; higher resolution version is available for printing purposes.
If someone has questions, critiques or corrections, or some further images to show, please email to me.
Massimo Tessitori