32nd Aviation Division

The 32nd Aviation Division (Serbo-Croatian: 32. vazduhoplovna divizija/ 32. ваздухопловна дивизија) was a unit originally established in 1945 as the 4th Aviation Bomber Division (Serbo-Croatian: 4. vazduhoplovna bombarderska divizija / 4. ваздухопловна бомбардерска дивизија).

32nd Aviation Division 32. vazduhoplovna divizija
Active	1945–1959
Disbanded	1959
Country	Yugoslavia
Branch	Yugoslav Air Force
Type	Division
Size	3 regiments
HQ	Pleso

History

4th Aviation Bomber Division

The 4th Aviation Bomber Division was established by order from August 3, 1945, with headquarters at Sombor. The division was direct under the Command of Yugoslav Air Force. It consisted from 41st and 42nd Bomber Aviation Regiment.

In 1947 third regiment attached to this division, 43rd Bomber Aviation Regiment was established.

By the 1948 year this division was renamed like all other units of Yugoslav Army, so it has become 32nd Aviation Bomber Division (Serbo-Croatian: 32. vazduhoplovna bombarderska divizija/ 32. ваздухопловна бомбардерска дивизија).

The commanders of division in this period were Božo Lazarević and Sava Poljanec. Commissars were Radoje Ljubičić, Drago Vuković and Ljubiša Čerguz.[1]

32nd Aviation Division

The 32nd Aviation Bomber Division was formed by renaming of 4th Aviation Bomber Division in 1948. It suffered a changes in the organization. Division has moved from Sombor same year to Boronogaj and finally to Pleso in 1951 where it has stayed until it was disbanded.

In 1950 division was attached to 3rd Aviation Corps. It has relocated its headquarters from Zagreb to Cerklje. By 1957 it was renamed as the Aviation Fighter Division due to the replace of bomber aircraft with domestic-made fighters.

It was disbanded by the order from June 27, 1959, per the "Drvar" reorganization plan. It was transformed into 5th Air Command.

The commanders of division in this period were August Canjko, Radoslav Jović, Milan Tojagić and Stanislav Perhavec. Commissars were Ljubiša Čerguz, Ivan Dolničar and Novak Matijašević until 1953.[2]

Assignments

• Command of Yugoslav Air Force (1945–1953)
• 3rd Aviation Corps (1949–1959)

Previous designations

• 4th Aviation Bomber Division (1945–1948)
• 32nd Aviation Bomber Division (1948–1957)
• 32nd Aviation Fighter Division (1957–1959)

Organization

1945-1948

• 4th Aviation Bomber Division
  • 41st Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 42nd Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 43rd Bomber Aviation Regiment

1948-1959

• 32nd Aviation Bomber Division /Fighter Division
  • • Training Squadron of 32nd Aviation Division (1953–1959)
  • 88th Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 109th Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 184th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (1948–1953)
  • 40th Fighter Aviation Regiment (1955–1959)
  • 151st Air Base (1953–1959)

Headquarters

• Sombor (1945–1948)
• Borongaj (1948–1951)
• Pleso (1951–1959)

Commanding officers

• Major General Božo Lazarević [3]
• Colonel Sava Poljanec
• Lieutenant-Colonel August Canjko [4]
• Major General Radoslav Jović
• Colonel Milan Tojagić
• Colonel Stanislav Perhavec

Political commissars

• Colonel Radoje Ljubičić
• Colonel Drago Vuković
• Colonel Ljubiša Čerguz
• Colonel Ivan Dolničar
• Colonel Novak Matijašević

References

Notes and citations

1. Dimitrijević, Bojan. Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo 1942–1992. Beograd, 2006, p. 354.
2. Dimitrijević, Bojan. Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo 1942–1992. Beograd, 2006, p. 354.
3. 4th Bomber Aviation Division
4. 32nd Bomber Aviation Division

Bibliography

• Dimitrijević, Bojan (2012). Jugoslovensko ratno vazduhoplovstvo. Beograd: Institut za savremenu istoriju. ISBN 8674031633.