Document publication

DOI 10.28995/2073-0101-2026-3-904-923

For citation

Tarasov, S. A. (2026). Personnel Management in the Aviation Corps of the Supreme Command Reserve during the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945, Herald of an Archivist, no. 3, pp. 904-923. DOI 10.28995/2073-0101-2026-3-904-923

Tarasov, S. A., Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Personnel Management in the Aviation Corps of the Supreme Command Reserve during the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945

Abstract

Despite a significant number of scholarly works devoted to the history of the Great Patriotic War, the issue of organizing personnel management for the command staff of the Soviet Armed Forces, which was carried out under intense combat conditions across a vast front and involved a huge amount of human and material resources, remains understudied. Experience shows that the level of combat readiness of units and formations directly depended on the quality of personnel management. This was especially true for such a technically complex branch of the armed forces as the Red Army Air Force, where the personal example of a commander was a crucial element in achieving victory over the enemy in aerial combat. Currently, the body of archival documents covering this issue and accessible to a wide range of researchers is insignificant. This circumstance hinders a comprehensive and objective study of key aspects of military development during the years of resistance to Nazi aggression, where the task of timely and high-quality staffing of the active army with command personnel was a key factor in achieving victory. The publication of a report on the work of the 6th Guards Bomber Aviation Corps's personnel department for 1942–1945 introduces information to scholarly dissemination, allowing for a clarification of the procedures for maintaining records of the Red Army Air Forces' command personnel, organizing their service, conferring promotions, awarding the distinguished individuals, studying morale, selecting and promoting the most deserving candidates to higher positions, and processing incoming letters and appeals. The selection of materials from a personnel department at the level of the Reserve of the Supreme Command (RVGK) aviation corps is explained by the role these units played in organizing the strategic reserves of Soviet military aviation during the war. After the first months of research, this form, developed based on combat experience, proved to be the most optimal. Experience quickly demonstrated that it was fully consistent with the conditions of armed conflict that prevailed on the Soviet-German front. Due to these circumstances, the quality of the RVGK air corps' command staffing was a crucial prerequisite for their high combat readiness. Studying the results of personnel management efforts achieved during this most difficult time for our country is relevant and will contribute to both a broader understanding of the Great Patriotic War as a whole and a scientific justification for the need to improve our Armed Forces now and in the near future.

Keywords

The Great Patriotic War, the Air Force, aviation corps, command staff, personnel bodies, personnel management.

Download the article: tarasov_doi

References

Alekseenko, V. (2000). The Soviet Air Force on the Eve of and During the Great Patriotic War, Aviation and Cosmonautics Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, no. 2, pp. 1–7.

Beloborodov, A. P. (Ed.) (1963). Military Personnel of the Soviet State in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, Moscow, USSR Ministry of Defense Military publ., 624 p.

Pankov, N. A., Goremykin, V. P. (Eds.) (2018). Military Personnel, History, People, Prospects, Moscow, Kuchkovo Pole publ., 352 p.

Denisov, H. N. (1951). The Military Glory of Soviet Aviation, Moscow, USSR Ministry of Defense Military publ., 188 p.

Zaretsky, V. M. (2001). The Red Army Air Forces, on the Eve and During the Great Patriotic War, Journal of Military History, no. 11, pp. 21–27.

Iovlev, A. M. (1976). The Activities of the CPSU in Training Military Cadres, Moscow, Voenizdat publ., 238 p.

Kozhevnikov, M. N. (1985). Command and Staff of the Soviet Army Air Forces in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, Moscow, Nauka publ., 288 p.

Lashkov, A. Yu., Golotyuk, V. L. (2012). 100 Years of the Russian Air Forces, 1912–2012, Moscow, Russkie Vityazi publ., 792 p.

Loshkov, D. B. (2003) Command Cadres of the Red Army on the Eve of the Great Patriotic War, 1939 – June 1941, PhD Thesis (Hist.), Moscow, 180 p.

Pankov, N. A. (Ed.) (2003). Officer Corps and Personnel Bodies of the Armed Forces of Russia, Moscow, General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation publ., 224 p.

Pervov, A. G. (1975). Creation of Aviation Formations of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command Headquarters during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 and Their Maneuver in the Most Important Operations, PhD Thesis (Hist.), Monino, 188 p.

Pechenkin, A. A. (2003). Higher Command Staff of the Red Army on the Eve and During the Second World War, Doctoral Dissertation (Hist.), Moscow, 662 p.

Ryazanov, L. F., Sinikov, A. A. (2016). The Air Force in the Great Patriotic War, Lessons and Conclusions, Military Thought, no. 5, pp. 63–69.

(1968). The Soviet Air Force in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, Moscow, Voenizdat publ., 452 p.

Stepanov, A. S. (2009). The Development of Soviet Aviation in the Prewar Period, 1938 – First Half of 1941, Moscow, Russian Foundation for Assistance to Education and Science publ., 544 p.

Timokhovich, I. V. (1986). In the Skies of War, Moscow, Voenizdat publ., 332 p.

Shumikhin, V. S., Medvedev, A. V., Nessen, G. D. (1970). Activities of the Communist Party to strengthen the Air Force during the Great Patriotic War. Moscow, VVIA im. prof. N. E. Zhukovsky publ., 431 p.

Yakovlev, A. S. (1982). Soviet aircraft, Moscow, Nauka publ., 408 p.

Yakubovich, N. V. (2015). Our aviation in 1941, Causes of the disaster, Moscow, Yauza Publ., Eksmo publ., 176 p.

About authors

Tarasov Sergey Anatolyevich, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, Advisor, Moscow, Russia, 8-903-865-55-13, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORCID 0009-0001-3610-7390

The article was received in the editorial office on 23.4.2025, recommended for publication on 20.06.2026