Soviet Use of the Red Star on aircraft

[StephenLawson]

Greetings all I am doing a bit of research on a unit and commander of 1 OIAE stationed at Petrograd (Leningrad) in 1923. Pilot was A. T. Kozhevnikov. The aircraft of the squadron appear to have been divided into three flights of five plus a leaders aircraft. The squadron leaders aircraft has a Pharaoh / Sphinx bust on the fuselage side and was Kozhevnikov's personal badge. The photo I have is grainy but there does not appear to be any red stars on the upper wing. The flights all have leaf like emblems in a darker (red?) colour on the rudders in three separate forms.

It seems that the machine is purchased in 1922. Fokker sold 50 D.VII, C.I & C.III types to the Soviets. The shipment was sent by sea from Amsterdam arriving at Petrograd in May 1922. These were detailed to fighter units in Petrograd, Moscow and Kiev. The last components of this shipment were written off in 1930. Fokker was still using BMW and Mercedes motors in these airframes. Though I am of the opinion that the Mercedes may have been rebuilt versions rather than newer manufactured motors.

Would these have carried the red star on the undersurface of the lower wings in 1922-23?

Edited September 27, 2007 by StephenLawson