CMK F48298 Czechoslovak pilot (1938) with a parachute on his back

The Czechoslovak air force began to form shortly after the independence of our southern neighbors in 1918. Thanks to the well-developed aviation industry in this country, with such factories as Avia, Aero and Letov, also the Czechoslovak military aviation was not among the weakest in Europe. In the second half of 1938, it had about 1,500 machines, of which about 850-900 were operational and ready to fight. Among them were Avia B-534 fighter planes, Letov S-328 observation planes and Avia B-71 bombers. Quantitatively, the Czechoslovak aviation was clearly larger than the Polish one, but it was inferior to the German aviation. It is also worth adding that compared to its potential German adversary, it had much less modern equipment - especially when it comes to fighter planes. The Czechoslovak pilots did not have greater combat experience either. Interestingly, the doctrine of Czechoslovak aviation before 1938 assumed primarily cooperation with land forces and providing them with air support.