Active 1950-1959 | Type Aviation Regiment | |
The 256th Fighter Aviation Regiment (256th IAP) was a fighter aviation regiment of the Soviet Air Forces. It existed between 1950 and 1959 and fought in the Korean War.
History
The 256th Fighter Aviation Regiment was activated on 31 December 1950 as part of the 190th Fighter Aviation Division in Kamen-Rybolov. The regiment was initially equipped with Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighters. In July 1951, it received Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighters. The regiment was initially led by World War II flying ace and Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Semenyuk. It deployed to Myaogou in northeast China in February 1952 as part of Soviet participation in the Korean War. On 3 March, the regiment shot down an F-86 Sabre with the loss of a MiG-15 over the Sui-ho Dam. Pilots of the regiment shot down two Sabres and suffered the loss of an MiG on 24 March. It fought in the Attack on the Sui-ho Dam. Six pilots of the regiment were killed during the deployment. The regiment had shot down 16 Sabres while losing six MiGs during the deployment. From July 1952 to 1956, flying ace Vladimir Zabelin was the regimental commander. In August 1952 the 256th was moved back to Kamen-Rybolov. The division received Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 aircraft in 1954. The regiment was disbanded on 13 June 1959.