Shows ink stamp of the 85th Guards Fighter Air Regiment and is hand-signed by the Regiment Commander, Guards Lieut. Colonel Smolyakov.

In outstanding, excellent condition: extremely crisp and immaculately clean, shows only mild age toning and practically no wear.

The regiment was originally named 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment when it was formed in the Kiev Military District in 1938. Initially equipped with I-16 "Ratas", it took part in the Soviet attack on Poland in 1939. In the first two years of the war, it fought under the Southwestern (still equipped with I-16s and

Shows ink stamp of the 85th Guards Fighter Air Regiment and is hand-signed by the Regiment Commander, Guards Lieut. Colonel Smolyakov.

In outstanding, excellent condition: extremely crisp and immaculately clean, shows only mild age toning and practically no wear.

The regiment was originally named 2nd Fighter Aviation Regiment when it was formed in the Kiev Military District in 1938. Initially equipped with I-16 "Ratas", it took part in the Soviet attack on Poland in 1939. In the first two years of the war, it fought under the Southwestern (still equipped with I-16s and later, LAGG-3s) and then, Stalingrad Front (by that time having in its disposal brand-new Yak-1 fighters). For its performance in the Battle of Stalingrad, the regiment was elevated to a Guards unit and became 85th Guards Fighter Regiment. It then fought at the Mius-Front, Donbass, and Nikopol, and in 1944, distinguished itself in the liberation of Crimea where it earned the honorific title of "Sevastopol" unit.

During the last year of the war, the regiment flew primarily Yak-3 and Yak-9 airplanes, and immediately after the end of the war in Europe, received American Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighters. Curiously, it continued to fly exclusively Kingcobras until at least 1951, a clear violation of the terms of the Lend-Lease agreements.
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