The first flights were completed April 16, 1942, in North-Western Front Western Crimean and Voronezh fronts. The main task was to deliver cargo troops. Crews regiments of the division involved in the supply of the Red Army had kept the Germans in the Demyansk pocket. During the second half of April was carried out 324 sorties, dropped 323 tons of cargo. Cargoes discharged without parachutes from an altitude of 100 – 400 m. In April, the division suffered the first losses - some TB-3 was shot down by night fighters. In September 1942, regiments of the division were rearmed with Li-2 aircraft, which were used as bombers.