103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment

The 103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Serbo-Croatian: 103. izviđački avijacijski puk / 103. извиђачки авијацијски пук) was a unit established in 1947 as the Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Serbo-Croatian: izviđački avijacijski puk / извиђачки авијацијски пук).

103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
103. izviđački avijacijski puk
Active1947–1966
Disbanded1966
Country Yugoslavia
BranchYugoslav Air Force
RoleAerial reconnaissance
Size2 aviation squadrons
Part of1st Air Corps

History
Hawker Hurricane Mk IVRP of No. 351 Squadron RAF, at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, it was used by the 103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment from 1947 to 1951

Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment

The regiment was formed on May 10, 1947, at Mostar from Hurricane and Spitfire fighters of the former 1st Fighter Regiment and Harvard trainers. It was subordinated to the direct command of the Yugoslav Air Force.

By 1948 this regiment was renamed like all other units of the Yugoslav Army, becoming the 103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment.[1]

103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment

The 103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment was based at Mostar airfield until 1949, when it was re-located to Pančevo airport. In 1952 it moved briefly to Batajnica Air Base, and it subsequently returned to Pančevo where it remained until 1960 when it moved to Tuzla. It was equipped with British-made fighters and trainers, domestic Aero 2 trainers and Soviet Yak-9P fighters until 1951 when they were replaced with British-made Mosquito Mk 38 night fighters. By 1952 the regiment was subordinated to the 44th Aviation Division. In 1953 it was attached to the 7th Air Corps. The Mosquitos were replaced by US-made RT-33A reconnaissance jets by 1956.

By 1961 the "Drvar" system was being used to identify squadrons, the two units of the 103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment became the 350th and the 351st Reconnaissance Aviation Squadrons.

It was disbanded in 1966 due to an order of February 17 of the same year. Its 351st Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron was also disbanded, while the 350th Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron was attached to the 98th Aviation Brigade.

The commanders of the regiment were Mića Marijanović, Spasen Zarevski, Miljenko Lipovščak, Ante Sardelić, Nikola Žutić, Tomaš Samardžić, Stojan Mutić, Borivoje Petkov and Stevan Leka.[2]

Assignments

Previous designations
  • Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (1947–1948)
  • 103rd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (1948–1966)

Organization

1961-1964

Bases stationed
  • Mostar (1947–1949)
  • Pančevo (1949–1951)
  • Batajnica (1952)
  • Pančevo (1952–1960)
  • Tuzla (1960–1966)

Commanding officers
Date appointed Name
Mića Marijanović
1951 Spasen Zarevski
1953 Miljenko Lipovščak
1954 Ante Sardelić
1955 Nikola Žutić
1959 Tomaš Samardžić
January 5, 1961 Stojan Mutić
July 23, 1963 Borivoje Petkov
March 9, 1964 Stevan Leka

Equipment
  • Hawker Hurricane IV (1947–1951)
  • Supermarine Spitfire VC (1947–1951)
  • Supermarine Spitfire IX (1947–1951)
  • Norodyn Harvard Mk IIB (1947–1951)
  • Ikarus Aero 2B/C (1949–1951)
  • Yakovlev Yak-9P (1950–1951)
  • de Havilland Mosquito NF Mk 38 (1951–1956)
  • Lockheed RT-33A/IT-33A Shooting Star (1956–1966)

References
  1. Dimitrijević, Bojan. Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo 1942-1992. Beograd, 2006, p. 357.
  2. Dimitrijević, Bojan. Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo 1942-1992. Beograd, 2006, p. 358.
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