View source for Flying Regiment 4, Finnish Air Force

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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=Flying Regiment 4, Finnish Air Force
|image=
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|dates=1 January 1938 - present
|country=Finland
|allegiance=
|branch=Finnish Air Force
|type=
|role= Bomber
|size=
|equipment=
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|identification_symbol=
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|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
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|battles=[[Winter War]], [[Continuation War]], [[Lapland War]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
}}
'''Flying Regiment 4''' ({{langx|fi|Lentorykmentti 4}} or ''LeR 4'') was a [[bomber aircraft]] regiment of the [[Finnish Air Force]]. The regiment was formed on 1 January 1938 and was active during the [[Winter War]], the [[Continuation War]], and the [[Lapland War]]. During the Winter War, the unit flew 423 war missions, of which 22 were strategic and photo reconnaissance flights with its [[Bristol Blenheim]] Mk.Is. 18 aircraft and 21 crew members were lost.
During the Continuation War the regiment was re-equipped with new Bristol Blenheims Mk.IVs, German [[Dornier Do 17|Dornier Do 17Zs]], [[Junkers Ju 88]]s, and Russian [[Ilyushin DB-3]]s, and [[Tupolev SB]]s. The unit could now mount some 50 aircraft in their largest raids. More than 4,000 missions were flown during the Continuation War. 65 aircraft and 165 crew members were lost.
During the [[Lapland War]] ''LeR 4'' flew 462 missions against the Germans, losing 7 aircraft and 16 crew members.
==Organization==
===Winter War===
*'''[[No. 42 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 42 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 44 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 44 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 46 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 46 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
===Continuation War===
*'''[[No. 42 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 42 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 44 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 44 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 46 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 46 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 48 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 48 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
===Lapland War===
*'''[[No. 42 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 42 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 44 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 44 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 46 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 46 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
*'''[[No. 48 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 48 Squadron]]''': bomber squadron
After World War II, the regiment and its squadrons were re-organized and the new squadrons were renamed [[No. 41 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 41]], [[No. 43 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 43]], and [[No. 45 Squadron, Finnish Air Force|No. 45]] Squadrons.
==Aircraft==
*[[Junkers Ju 88 A-4]]
*[[Dornier Do 17]]
*[[Bristol Blenheim I]]
*[[Bristol Blenheim IV]]
*[[Petlyakov Pe-2]]
*[[Ilyushin DB-3M]]
*[[Ilyushin Il-4]]
*[[Avro Anson]]
==Sources==
*Keskinen, Kalevi and Stenman, Kari: ''Finnish Air Force 1939-1945'', Squadron/Signal publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1998, {{ISBN|0-89747-387-6}}
*{{cite book|author1-last=Keskinen|author1-first=Kalevi|author2-last=Stenman|author2-first=Kari |title=LeR 4: Lentolaivue 42, Lentolaivue 44, Lentolaivue 46, Lentolaivue 48 |date=2002 |publisher=Kari Stenman |location=Espoo, Finland|name-list-style=amp |isbn=951-98751-2-3|series=Suomen ilmavoimien historia|volume=19}}
*{{cite book |last1=Shores |first1=Christopher F. |title=Finnish Air Force 1918–1968 |date=1969 |publisher=Osprey Publications |location=Canterbury, UK |isbn=0-85045-012-8|series=Aircam Aviation Series|volume=S2}}
{{Finnish Air Force structure}}
[[Category:Military units and formations of Finland in the Winter War]]
[[Category:Continuation War]]
[[Category:Regiments of the Finnish Air Force]]