Yak-3 Fighters of the Normandie-Niemen Regiment in France, 1945

October 11, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Soviet-built Yak-3 fighters of the French Normandie-Niemen Regiment in France, 1945.

WWII photo showing Soviet-built Yak-3 fighter aircraft from the French Normandie-Niemen Regiment in France after their return from the Eastern Front in 1945.

This World War II photograph shows Soviet-built Yakovlev Yak-3 fighter aircraft from the Normandie-Niemen Regiment, stationed in France after the end of the war in 1945. These aircraft, which once bore Soviet red stars, had their markings repainted following the regiment’s triumphant return from the Eastern Front.

The Normandie-Niemen Regiment was a unique Franco-Soviet fighter unit formed in 1942, composed of Free French pilots who fought alongside the Red Army Air Force against Nazi Germany. Over the course of the war, its pilots flew more than 5,000 combat missions and achieved 273 confirmed aerial victories, earning high honors from both the USSR and France.

In recognition of their valor, Joseph Stalin personally gifted 41 Yak-3 fighters to France in June 1945 — the very aircraft they had flown in battle. On June 20, 1945, the French pilots flew these planes home, landing to a hero’s welcome.

The Yak-3, one of the finest Soviet fighters of the war, was renowned for its agility, climb rate, and superior performance at low and medium altitudes. The aircraft remained in service with the French Air Force until 1956, symbolizing the enduring friendship forged in combat between France and the Soviet Union.