Yak-3 Fighters of the Normandie-Niemen Regiment Serviced in Stuttgart, June 1945

October 11, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Soviet-built Yak-3 fighters of the French Normandie-Niemen Regiment being serviced by Soviet mechanics in Stuttgart before their return to France, June 1945.

WWII photo showing Soviet Yak-3 fighters of the French Normandie-Niemen Regiment being serviced by Soviet technicians in Stuttgart, Germany, before their return flight to France in June 1945.

This rare 1945 photograph shows Soviet-built Yakovlev Yak-3 fighters of the French Normandie-Niemen Regiment undergoing technical maintenance by Soviet ground crews at an airfield near Stuttgart, Germany. The servicing took place shortly after the end of World War II in Europe, as the aircraft were being prepared for their final flight home to France.

The Normandie-Niemen Regiment, formed in 1942, was composed of French volunteer pilots who fought alongside the Red Army Air Force on the Eastern Front. Flying the agile and powerful Yak-3 fighters, they became one of the most successful Allied air units, achieving more than 270 confirmed victories against the Luftwaffe.

In a gesture of deep respect for their bravery, Joseph Stalin gifted 41 Yak-3 aircraft to France after the victory over Nazi Germany. The photo captures the moment of transition — Soviet technicians performing final checks before handing over the planes to their French comrades.

On June 20, 1945, the regiment departed from Germany, flying westward to France on their Soviet-built Yaks, which would later serve in the French Air Force until 1956.