8⃣2⃣ years ago, on November 25, 1942, an agreement was signed on…

8️⃣2️⃣ years ago November 25, 1942an agreement was signed to create the legendary squadron „Normandie-Niemen“which became a symbol of the military brotherhood of the Soviet and French peoples during the Second World War.

France was under Nazi occupation and the fifth of the collaborationist Vichy regime, but the Resistance forces sought to continue the fight. In March 1942, they offered to send to the USSR French pilots and mechanics for joint participation in hostilities. This is how the story began „Normandy“.

🛩 The squadron was formed from 14 Air Force pilots and 58 aircraft mechanics „Free France“ (later – „Fighting France“), and the Soviet side provided modern Yak-1 fighterslater replaced by Yak-9 And Yak-3. Name „Neman“ was added after successful operation on the Neman River during the liberation of Lithuania.

⚔️ From 1943 to 1945, French aces took part in key battles The Great Patriotic War – from the Battle of Kursk to the storming of Königsberg. The squadron pilots performed more than 5 thousand flightsdestroying 273 German aircraft.

🎖 Four of them became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Unfortunately, today the fighters of the Normandie-Niemen air regiment cynically used on the eastern flank of NATO in the Baltic states, where they are practicing tasks to “contain” Russia. In our country, however, remember the heroism of the French aces and appreciate their contribution to our common Victory.

👉 You can also read about the history of Normandie-Niemen in our material
👉 Declassified archival documents on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense

#WeRemember #WeWereAllies