VVS in Italy in 1944?

[Gielle]

I read that in 1944 the VVS 236 IAD operated some missions from Bari Palese, in Allied held Southern Italy, providing support to Yugoslavian partisans in the Balkans and escort to the USAAF “shuttle” bombing missions over German occupied Eastern Europe.

The Soviet air unit was outfitted with Yak 9 DDs (long range version).

Does anybody know a little more, or can address me to some readings about the matter?

Thanks.

[MB]

That wasn't 236 iad, but only AGON - Special Prescription Air Group, about 20 pilots, the main task of it was escorting transport C-47s delivering supplies to partisans in Yugoslavia.

[Gielle]

Thanks MB. Do you have any link or reading suggestion about that kind of missions operated by VVS from Italian airbases?

[Laurent Rizzotti]

The Soviet Air Force had transports units in Italy to support Yugoslav partisans and sent fighters to escort them.

[DavidIsby]

The Soviet presence included a squadron of 10 Lend-lease C-47s (not Li-2s).

A thorough article on this force came out in the 1980s in English in a scholarly historical journal that usually does not do much military history (I THINK International Historical Review but I am not sure). If you try a reference database (especially of the type libraries have to pay to get access to) you may find it.

[Gielle]

Thanks.
BTW there's another thread started by Kari Lumppio http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=1328
which forwards to another forum in Russian language (which I don't understand) with a beautiful colour picture of a Yak and Russian C-47s, presumabily taken in Bari.

[MB]

There is the book about AGON published in Russia but sadly I haven't it .