Flying Regiment 19, Finnish Air Force

The Flight Regiment 19 (Swedish: Flygflottilj 19, Finnish: Lentorykmentti 19 or LentoR 19), also known as the Swedish Voluntary Air Force or F 19 was a Finnish Air Force unit, manned by Swedish volunteers, which operated from Kemi in northern Finland for the last 62 days of the Winter War. The aircraft also came from the Swedish Air Force inventory. Its designation number was taken from the Swedish Air Force which had 18 flying regiments at the time. The designation F 19 has not been used in Sweden. When new regiments were formed they were named F 20, F 21 and F 22.

Flight Regiment 19, Finnish Air Force
Active10 January 1940 - 13 March 1940
Countries Finland
BranchFinnish Air Force
Rolefighter/attack
EngagementsWinter War
A Gladiator Mk.I at F 3 Malmslätt in 1976.
A Hawker Hart at F 3 Malmslätt in 1976.

The unit made a significant contribution to the defense of Finnish Lapland, from January 7, 1940, with 12 Gloster Gladiator II fighters,[1] five Hawker Hart bombers, and eight other planes. In total, the unit destroyed twelve Soviet aircraft (eight in the air, four on the ground), and lost a total of six planes; two to enemy action and four to accidents. Three of its pilots were killed and two more were captured by Soviet forces. The captives were returned to Sweden five months after the end of the war.

Organization
  • Staff
    • Staff Detachment
    • Radio Detachment
    • Household Detachment
    • Truck Detachment
    • Medical Detachment
  • Airfield Company
  • Fighter Squadron, equipped with Gloster Gladiator Mk. Is
  • Attack/Joint Operation Flight, equipped with Hawker Harts
  • Transport/Liaison Flight, various aircraft types

The unit was equipped with 12 Gloster Gladiator Mk. Is, four Hawker Hart Mk. Is, one Raab-Katzenstein RK-26, one Waco ZQC-6, and one Junkers F 13kä.

Victories
Victories claimed while flying Gloster Gladiator
NameAir forceVictoriesNotes
Per-Johan SalwénFinnish Air Force 3F 19
Einar ThelerFinnish Air Force 2F 19
Ian IacobiFinnish Air Force 1F 19
Gideon KarlssonFinnish Air Force 1F 19
Roland MartinFinnish Air Force 1F 19

[2][3]

The F 19 unit destroyed 12 enemy aircraft, and lost three Hawker Harts and three Gloster Gladiators due to various incidents, however, only one of these, a Gladiator, was lost in an air battle.

References
  1. Avrosys.nu: J 8 - Gloster Gladiator (1937-1947) Archived 2007-11-12 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Falk, Greger: F19:n - en krönika; Flyghistorisk Revy nummer 33, Svensk Flyghistorisk Förening, Stockholm, Sweden. c. 1989-1990
  3. Geust, Carl-Fredrik (1997). "F19". Ikaros: Flygvapenmusei årsbok (in Swedish). Linköping: Flygvapenmuseum. SELIBR 4110804.
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