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I wonder how do you work with Soviet Air Force once it increases the maximum size of air regiments from 20 to 32 (and later to 40).

With 20 planes per regiment I was happily loading my airbases with 6 or 7 air units (3-4xFtr/FB, 2xTacB, 1xLB) and they used 210 out of 250 support. Having most airbases at 6-7 air groups also allowed for the creation of one new airbase per turn, as the average number of air groups per air base was higher than 6.

Once the change to 32 max kicked in, my airforce started to suffer massively (160 operational losses per turn). Also, higher vehicle need of those overloaded airbases didn't help with general truck shortage.

Now I think I am forced to keep just 5 air groups per air base (3xFtr/FB, 1xTacB, 1xLB - only Pe-2/A-20 as SB-2/B-25 are "too heavy"). This will result in average load to fall below 5 (4.86) which will prevent new air base creation, while at the same time I will have 150+ air groups in reserve. I'm afraid to think about another reorganization when Ftr/FB/TacB will move up to 40 max planes in late 1943.

How do you cope with this issue and how do you load out your airbases? Do you keep 6 groups per airbase and accept higher operational losses or do you try to keep below the 250 support threshold? What do you do with all those unemployed air groups?

I start to think the special rule that creates Soviet air bases should be tied to either number of planes per airbase (so if average number of planes per airbase is above 120 a new airbase should be created) or support requirements (if average AV support need per airbase is above 240 a new airbase should be created), not number of air units per airbase (as 20-strong units is a different beast than 40-strong unit).

What was the historical size of Soviet airforce in each year of the war? How many "air bases" (air divisions) did they have?

very good question.

I could use the answer as well as this is my situation versus Pelton!

Actually now that i think about it...... I may load up enough FB airbases so that I start getting aibases produced. Until the reserves backload gets some relief.

5 fighter air groups will be close to the limit, 6 may be over 250. With other bases having less than 6 air hroups and including the frozen airbase you may still be below 6 on average.

Some Lend Lease Fighter-Bomber require more support than genuine Soviet models so be careful when choosing types to place.
The situation with bombers is really problematic - two Il-4 units with 32 a/c require the majority of support on an airbase ~ 225 points. Just enough room for a fighter unit.

What WitE lacks is a differentiation between highly mobile forward airfields with size reduction and well prepared rear area airfields with increased size but movement reduction and limits on terrain use.

But since we NEED airbases, it seems the fastest way is too overload, get bases and then lower the amount thereafter, It should take 1 to 2 months. Best during non clear months. Which does not help me as I just entered summer 43.

And If my figher bombers get kia, too bad i have more waiting in reserve.

"During non clear months" means you will kill a lot of trucks that will be unable to cope with the strain the bases put on them.

You may have a lot of fighter bombers and IL-2s, but more rare plane types (very good fighters, recon planes, long range level bombers and transports) need to be protected as you can't afford losing too many to operational issues. Also, on overloaded airbases the air groups tend to operate below maximum planes. With 7 old groups (20 max) I had all at 20 (140 planes per airbase), with 7 new groups (32 max) I have most of them at 22-27 (154-189 planes per airbase instead of 224). From all other aspects than creating new air bases (trucks, morale, experience, fatigue, losses) it seems it's better to reduce groups to 5 (later to 4) per air base than to insist on using max number of groups but with a lot of damaged/reserve planes. This will result of course in no growth of the number of air bases, but for that one has time until December'42 (when the change to 32 kicks in).

I will be happy with that, if I will know that I have already reached historical number of "air bases" (air divisions) and planes on the front line. Let's see...

In the '44 scenario Soviets have 99 air bases and 10 000 planes on the front line. I now (March'43) have 101 air bases and 18 000 planes on the front line (13 500 after I reduced from 6/7 to 5 air groups per base, which should grow to 14 500 when the air groups will fill to max). It seems like it's enough to get new airbases until the end of '42 and reduce the number of planes after the switch and still be on par or above historical numbers.