Russian Baltic Fleet Airbases in 1914-1918

Jungfrusund Airbase 1915-1918

During World War I, the Russians equipped the naval defenses of Peter the Great with airbases, which were under the control of the navy. The air forces were divided into two brigades. The first brigade was stationed in the southern Gulf of Finland and the second in Finland.

The headquarters of the second brigade was in Turku. The brigade comprised two divisions, with the fourth division in Åland and the fifth division in Southwest Finland and Satakunta. There was also an airbase in Helsinki. The fifth division's airbases included Vähä-Heikkilä, Jungfrusund, and Lappvik, as well as the bases in Jurmo and Mäntyluoto. The division was supposed to have 19 aircraft, but in practice, the numbers varied significantly.

Operations and Aircraft

The aircraft were Russian-made seaplanes that landed on water or ice. They were reconnaissance aircrafts of the type Zetinin M-9. With their three-person crews, these planes were particularly useful for reconnaissance and surveillance tasks along coastal areas. The Jungfrusund airbase included support stations at Jurmo, Korppoo, Lappohja, and Hanko; later on, it also included Hermanni in Helsinki and Porkkala.

Approximately 100 crew members and officers were stationed at the airbase. It is estimated that the airbase had 6-10 seaplanes. The first section of the Jungfrusund airbase was responsible for identification and submarine defense south of Örö, while the second section focused solely on reconnaissance flights.