37th Aviation Division (Socialist Yugoslavia)

The 37th Aviation Division (Serbo-Croatian: 37. vazduhoplovna divizija/ 37. ваздухопловна дивизија) was a unit originally established in 1944 as the 42nd Aviation Assault Division (Serbo-Croatian: 42. vazduhoplovna jurišna divizija / 42. ваздухопловна јуришна дивизија). It was formed from Yugoslav partisan aviators, trained and equipped by the Soviet Air Force.

42nd Aviation Assault Division
The 42nd Aviation Assault Division was established during the December 1944, in Novi Sad, from Yugoslav partisan aviators with the Soviet Air Force 17th Air Army's 10th Guards Assault Aviation Division (165.GShAD). It has become independent form Soviet command and personal since May 1945. Division was part of Group of Aviation Divisions, and it consisted from three fighter regiments. It regiments took part in final operations for liberation of Yugoslavia. During the combat operations its headquarters was based at Novi Sad. Division has about 1100 personal, 114 officers, 254 NCO's and 732 soldiers. From that number 253 were pilots, and 653 were from technical service. It was armed with 125 Ilyushin Il-2 assault aircraft. By the August 1945 the division was reorganized and renamed in to 2nd Aviation Mixed Division (Serbo-Croatian: 2. vazduhoplovna mešovita divizija/ 2. ваздухопловна мешовита дивизија).

The commander of division in this period was Jevrem Bjelica and commissars was Enver Ćemalović.

2nd Aviation Division
The 2nd Aviation Mixed Division was formed by order from August 3, 1945 from 42nd Aviation Assault Division with headquarters at Zagreb. The division was direct under the Command of Yugoslav Air Force. In 1947 division was renamed in to 2nd Aviation Assault Division (Serbo-Croatian: 2. vazduhoplovna jurišna divizija/ 2. ваздухопловна јуришна дивизија).

By the 1948 year this division was renamed like all other units of Yugoslav Army, so it has become 37th Assault Aviation Division (Serbo-Croatian: 37. vazduhoplovna jurišna divizija/ 37. ваздухопловна јуришна дивизија)..

The commanders of division in this period were Jevrem Bjelica and Viktor Bubanj. Commissars were Enver Ćemalović and Stane Bobnar.

37th Aviation Division
The 37th Aviation Assault Division was formed by renaming of 2nd Aviation Assault Division in 1948. It suffered a slight change in the organization.

In 1949 division was attached to 3rd Aviation Corps. It has relocated its headquarters from Zagreb to Cerklje. By 1954 it was renamed in to Aviation Fighter-Bomber Division due the replace of Soviet assault aircraft with US-made fighter-bombers.

It was disbanded by the order from June 27, 1959 year due the "Drvar" reorganization plan. Its command was transformed in to headquarters of 7th Air Command and its units were attached to 5th Air Command.

The commanders of division in this period were Viktor Bubanj, Vladimir Bakarić, Zlatko Predavec, Milan Simović and Svetozar Radojević. Commissars were Enver Ćemalović and Veljko Ražnatović until 1953.

Assignments

 * Group of aviation divisions (1944-1945)
 * Command of Yugoslav Air Force (1945-1949)
 * 3rd Aviation Corps (1949–1959)

Previous designations

 * 42nd Aviation Assault Division (1944-1945)
 * 2nd Aviation Mixed Division (1945-1947)
 * 2nd Aviation Assault Division (1947-1948)
 * 37th Aviation Assault Division (1948-1954)
 * 37th Aviation Fighter-Bomber Division (1954-1959)

1944-1945

 * 42nd Aviation Assault Division
 * 421st Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 422nd Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 423rd Assault Aviation Regiment

1945

 * 42nd Aviation Assault Division
 * 422nd Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 423rd Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 112th Fighter Aviation Regiment

1945-1947

 * 2nd Aviation Mixed Division
 * 113th Fighter Aviation Regiment
 * 421st Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 422nd Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 423rd Assault Aviation Regiment

1947-1948

 * 2nd Aviation Assault Division
 * 421st Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 422nd Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 423rd Assault Aviation Regiment

1948-1959

 * 37th Aviation Assault/Fighter-Bomber Division
 * 96th Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 111th Assault Aviation Regiment
 * 138th Assault Aviation Regiment (1949–1958)
 * 474th Air Base

Headquarters

 * Novi Sad (1944-1945)
 * Zagreb (1945-1951)
 * Cerklje (1951-1959)

Commanding officers

 * Colonel Jevrem Bjelica
 * Colonel Viktor Bubanj
 * Colonel Vladimir Bakarić
 * Major Zlatko Predavec (defected with Po-2 aircraft to Austria in 1950.)
 * Colonel Milan Simović
 * Colonel Svetozar Radojević

Political commissars

 * Lieutenant-Colonel Enver Ćemalović
 * Colonel Stane Bobnar
 * Colonel Enver Ćemalović
 * Colonel Veljko Ražnatović