After all, if women were allowed to fight alongside men on the ground, why not in the air too? Disbanded and OverlookedTheir last flight took place on May 4, 1945when the Night Witches flew within 60 kilometers (approx. They had to fly Polikarpov Po-2 aircrafttwo-seated, open-cockpit biplanes that were obsolete even by the standards of the day. If they put their bare hand on the fuselage, the flesh might come off when they pulled their hand away. [2], An attack technique of the night bombers involved idling the engine near the target and gliding to the bomb-release point with only wind noise left to reveal their presence. Amazing, brave, gutsy fearless women I could go on & on. Because the Po-2 could only carry two bombs, pilots and navigators flew as many as 18 combat missions per night, reloading after each trip. Most runs would happen with three planes, the first two meant to draw attention and enemy fire, with the third being the one to drop the bomb. But on Oct. 8, 1941, Joseph Stalin issued an order to deploy three regiments of female pilots, one of which became the Night Witches. A real live family member of one of these brave women soldier/pilots. In Amy Goodpastor Stebes Flying For Her Country: The American and Soviet Women Pilots of World War II, Popova recalled watching the smiling faces of Nazi pilots as they mercilessly gunned down women and children fleeing their homes. [2][3] Due to the weight of the bombs and the low altitude of flight, the pilots did not carry parachutes until 1944.[4][5]. The Night Witches were largely unique among the female combatants -- and even the female flyersof World War II. The planes they used could only hold two bombs at a time, so one pilot would fly up to eight or more missions nightly. They had to tear up their bedding and stuff them in their boots to get them to fit, said Prowse. Seeing an opportunity, Raskova petitioned Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to let her form an all-female fighting squadron. Buy Now The future pilots were greeted by Raskova herself with a no-nonsense, military manner. The pilot sat up front and the navigator, who also was the bombardier, sat in the rear. And in doing so, they became a crucial Soviet asset in winning World War II. In addition to bombings, the unit performed 155 supply drops of food and ammunition to Soviet forces. When coming under enemy fire, pilots had to duck by sending their planes into dives (almost none of the planes carried defense ammunition). Some of the most amazing facts and true stories I have ever seen or read. Each night, in general, 40 planeseach crewed by two women, a pilot and a navigatorwould fly eight or more more missions. When the navigator tapped her on the shoulder, she would kill the engine and drift in near-silently toward the target, with only the faint whooshing sound of wind through the struts signaling the impending attack. I can still imagine myself as a young girl, up there in my little bomber. Related: Amy Johnson: England's Pioneering Female Pilot Died Under a Shroud of Mystery. Nadezhda Vasilyevna Popova (standing) and sister Night Witches (Nikolai Ignatiev/Alamy Stock Photo). Its light weight made it more maneuverable than the German planes, which made them harder to shoot down. One general, male, initially complained about being sent a "a bunch of girlies" instead of soldiers. We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! By Whats especially cool about the Night Witches is that of all the allies during World War II, the Russians were the only country who put women into combat officially.. Theyd sing and dance on the airfield while waiting for the sun to set. The Russian Night Witches of World War II - YouTube Address In order to make meaningful dents in the German front lines, the regiment sent out up to 40 two-person crews a night. You must be so proud of your Grandma! It is an aspect of the war that is little known and fascinating I would be so grateful if someone could help me with this, thank you very much indeed this is one of my earlier books for your information: https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/remarkable-journeys-of-the-second-world-war/9780750994866/. Only 1 left in stock - order soon UK imports may differ from local products. Did you know? The Night Witches preferred to deliver their devastating payloads without being seen at all. While women had been. Later the unit received the Guards designation and reorganized as the 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment. It was Tamara Pamyatnykh, one of the members of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces. With sexual harassment and ridicule a daily occurrence, these women had to learn quickly how to be stronger both in and outside of battle. Their planes were slow but very maneuverable. Things made even more remarkable considering the limited technology the woman had at their disposal. All the members of the 588thwere women, including the navigators, ground crews, and support staff. Members of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment decorated their planes with flowers and dropped 23,000 tons of bombs. The ground crew Night Witches all would repair any damages, refuel the planes, and load more bombs for the next sortie. They were basically ghosts.. Its members, who ranged in age from 17 to 26, flew primarily at night, making do with planes that wereper their plywood-and-canvas constructiongenerally reserved for training and crop-dusting. At the time, women were barred from serving in combat, so Raskova lobbied to change that. On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded Russia with 3.8 million troops. And the obituaries that resulted, celebrations of a life and a legacy largely unknown to many of us here in the U.S., serve as a reminder of the great things the female flyers accomplished. Published Nov 24, 2020 6:15 PM EST. I want them remembered they are an important part of WW11 history. The squadron was never disbanded, but was instead converted into the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, which continued to fight for the Soviet Union. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. As one of the pilots would recall in a later interview, We didnt recognize ourselves in the mirrorwe saw boys there.. Then the pilot in the third plane would fly toward the objective. Their maximum speed was slower than the stall speed of the Nazi planes, which meant these wooden planes, ironically, could maneuver faster than the enemy, making them hard to target. Two of the Soviet Unions most successful female pilots, Yekaterina Budanova and Lydia Litvyak, flew with the unit, where Litvyak was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft and along with Budanova was among the first two female fighter pilots to earn the title of fighter ace. Among the male pilots of those years, there was a song whose first line goes like this. ", Once, after a successful flightwhich is to say, a flight she survivedPopova counted 42 bullet holes studding her little plane. 4.0 out of 5 stars. Some were integrated into regiments to fight alongside male pilots. Im am so impressed to have the opportunity to finally know about these amazing smart.. Brave woman. [11], The regiment flew in wood-and-canvas Polikarpov U-2 biplanes, a 1928 design intended for use as training aircraft (hence its original uchebnyy designation prefix of "U-") and for crop dusting, which also had a special U-2LNB version for the sort of night harassment attack missions flown by the 588th. But the Night Witches responded with an innovation of their own. They flew low to the ground at the slowest speeds in the Soviet air force. Night Witches preparing to inspect their Po-2 biplanes. Annie Reneau 09.29.22 Avgeekjoe/Flickr The Night Witches were feared by the Germans for their stealth bombing runs. One wonders why the women pilots were given these dated planes. Betty Joe died June 22, 2013 in Denver, just two days after her 90th birthday. These were the daring WWII female pilots known as the 'Night Witches She was hooked immediately. Flying in formations of three, they sent two planes ahead as decoys. ", the first nation to allow women to fly combat missions, would ignite like the paper planes they resembled, the modified crop-dusters were capable of carrying only two bombs at a time, counted 42 bullet holes studding her little plane, trained her recruits as pilots and navigators, and also as members of maintenance and ground crews, while decorating their planes with flowers. They were feared and hated so much by the Nazis that any German airman who downed one was automatically awarded the prestigious Iron Cross medal. The women pilots flew 1928 U-2 biplanes made of wood and canvas. From more than 2,000 applications, she selected around 400 women for each of the three units. But life was difficult for the Night Witches for another reason: they often faced discrimination from male pilots. Night Witches: The Female Fighter Pilots of World War II For more, learn about the museum of women pilots here. "Combat facilitated and ushered in a reluctant acceptance of women in military, based more upon practicality and necessity than for equality". Made predominantly of canvas and plywood, the two-person Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes were considered by most to be a death wish if used in combat. He is the author of several books on military headgear includingA Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. MondaySaturday: 10:00AM4:00PM "Katya, my dear," the pilot told her navigator, "we will live long.". MondaySaturday: 10:00AM4:00PM Using rickety plywood planes, the women of the 588th flew more than 30,000 missions and dropped more than 23,000 tons of bombs on the Nazis; 30 of them were killed and 24 received the Hero of the . My husband told me about this story, I had to investigate. | The Germans nicknamed them the Nachthexen, or night witches, because the whooshing noise their wooden planes made resembled that of a sweeping broom. There were 12 commandments the Night Witches followed. They were considered such a problem by Nazi officers, that any German pilot who . All the members of the 588th were women, including the navigators, ground . Thirty-two of its members died during the war. 5 Amazing World War II Stories That Deserve to Be Movies, Biden Kicks Off First 2024 Campaign Rally With Pro-Union Message. Stalin was quick to approve of the initiative, as he had a general interest in the women's "tremendous international propaganda value. Show more Available now 27 minutes Last on Sat 4 Feb 2023 21:32 Local. Getting the engine back up and running after the drop was always a fingers crossed kind of scenario, given the age and ability of the aircraft. When the Nazis launched Operation Barbarossa and invaded Russia, Raskova received letters from female pilots all across the country wanting to know what they could do to help the war effort. The female pilots were treated like male bomber pilots well, sort of. Yes! By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Theyd drop two bombs, return to their temporary base, refuel and take on two more bombs, and then fly off on another sortie. Lydia Litvyak - Wikipedia This is how we worked, can you imagine? Raskova, known to many as the Russian Amelia Earhart, had already made a name for herself as the first female navigator in the Soviet Air Force, with an impressive number of long distance flights already recorded. Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2008. The 588th Night Bomber Regiment was so fearsome that any Luftwaffe airman who downed . They underwent a highly compressed educationexpected to learn in a few months what it took most soldiers several years to grasp. Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II. In October 1941, Major Marina Raskova was granted authority to select candidates for the 122nd Composite Air Group, an all-female aviation regiment. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Im retired Navy why havent I heard of these women? [19][20], Senior Engineer Sofiya Ozerkova destroyed her party card to avoid being seized during a retreat from an encircled airbase after she had chosen to stay behind to deny the German Army a Po-2 undergoing repairs. Those qualities were part of the Night Witches story from the very beginning. [24], In 1917, Russia became the first country to declare legal equality for women, which allowed them to enter military service. Around400 women, ranging in age from 17 to 25, were selected and moved to Engels, where they began training at the Engels School of Aviation. READ MORE:This Teenager Killed Nazis With Her Sister During WWII. The only way British female pilots would see action during World War II was to secretly accompany RAF members in combat. Unlike theAmerican Women Airforce Service Pilots(WASP), whose job it was to fly aircraft, originally trainers but later fighters, bombers and transports from the factories to bases in the United States, the Soviet female pilots took part in combat operations. On October 8, 1941, Stalin gave orders to deploy three all-female air force units. The downside? Sunday: Noon4:00PM. The Soviet Union was the first nation to allow women to fly combat missionsto be able, essentially, to return fire when it was delivered. [31][32], "Nadezhda Popova, WWII 'Night Witch' dies at 91", "65- 4- --, 2526 2007", "Nachthexen: Soviet Female Pilots in WWII", "Night Witches: The Female Fighter Pilots of World War II", "46- . It was the spring of 1943, at the height of World War II. They damaged or destroyed 17 river crossings, 9 railways, 2 railway stations, 26 warehouses, 12 fuel depots, 176 armored cars, 86 prepared firing positions, and 11 searchlights. The president declined to back Mr Wallace after the UK began training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets without White House permission, according to the Telegraph. The 587th's Petlyakov Pe-2 dive bombers also required a tall person to operate the top rear machine gun, but not enough women recruited were tall enough, requiring some men to join the aircrews as radio operator and tail gunner. The outnumbered Soviets downed two Nazi planes before one of their own lost its wing to enemy fire. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The Russian pilot corps clearly needed bolstering; in addition . They were loathed. Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of WWII $7.95. She awed the country before Amelia Earhart even took to the skies. BRYNN HOLLAND https://www.history.com/ They flew under the cover of darkness in bare-bones plywood biplanes. "The Night Witches is the fictional account of a female Soviet pilot during World War II. Nadezhvda Popova, who was shot down numerous times and once returned from a mission to find her plane riddled with 42 bullet holes, married a fellow fighter pilot, worked as a flight instructor, and raised a son who became a general in the Belarussian Air Force. Film Club Film Club: 'The Night Witch' 44 This animated Op-Doc explores the life of Nadezhda Popova, known as Nadia, who became a World War II hero as part of a Soviet all-female bombing. The 587th Regiment was originally under the command of Marina Raskova, but after her death in 1943, a male commanding officer, Major Valentin Markov, replaced her. They described it as the sound of brooms sweeping.. While it would take until 1993 for the United States to have its first female fighter pilot, the Soviet Union had many women flying combat missions during itsGreat Patriotic War(World War II) against Nazi Germany. Of course this tightly controlled weight limit also meant the women could not bring parachutes and also had to fly at lower, more easily spotted, altitudes. The Night Witches were led by Marina Raskova, a famous Russian aviator who convinced Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to use female bomber pilots after Germany invaded Russia. "Katya, my dear," the pilot told her navigator, "we will live long. Last week, one of the most famous of the Night WitchesNadezhda Popova, a commander of the squad who flew, in total, 852 of its missionspassed away. Nadezhda Popova, one of the most famous Night Witches, once returned from a sortie with 42 bullet holes in her plane as well as in her helmet and map. Related: 6 Incredible Female Spies of World War II, By the end of war, 32 Night Witches had given their lives in defense of their homeland. Sage, Jenny. They were the all-women pilots of Russias 588thNight Bomber Aviation Regiment. The soft whooshing of the wind off the struts of a Night Witch jerry-rigged biplane bomber; described as the eerie sound of a witchs broom as it quietly glided in to drop its payload of bombs. The plane was like a death trap waiting to spring. Here's What You Need to Know: The "Night Witches"were one of onlythree regiments to remain a solely female unit throughout the war. The women behind @everyoutfitonsatc on the shows warped version of reality and where theyd like to see Carrie and company go in the upcoming season of, Hillary Clintons Night of Schadenfreude Before Donald Trumps Second Arraignment. It was like a coffin with wings, said Prowse. Made out of plywood with canvas pulled over, the aircraft offered virtually no protection from the elements. The Night Witches carried no parachutes, guns, or radios and navigated without the benefit of radar. So the 588thwas given out-of-date Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes that were primarily used as crop dusters and training planes. The planes would then change places until all three had delivered their payloads. They braved bullets and frostbite in the air, while battling skepticism and sexual harassment on the ground. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Wolfeboro, NH 03894, May 1 October 31st All told, the Night Witches flew 30,000 missions over four years of warfare and dropped 23,000 tons of bombs. Since the women of the 588th were seen by many to be less than, or as little girls, they werent taken seriously or provided proper equipment. Women in WWII Took on These Dangerous Military Jobs Their planes were rickety biplane crop-dusters a coffin with wings, as another writer told the History Channel. Women pilots of the "Night Witches" receiving orders for an up-coming raid. Meet the Night Witches, the Daring Female Pilots Who Bombed Nazis By To create her fictional Night Witches, Quinn relied, in part, on a collection of interviews with real Night Witches titled A Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in World War II. The women described their fascination with flight in the days after Amelia Earhart captured the worlds attention. The women's uniforms were hand-me-downs from male pilots. Historians estimate for her total victories range from five to twelve solo victories and two to four shared kills in her 66 combat sorties. Raskova trained her recruits as pilots and navigators, and also as members of maintenance and ground crews. It was a mans thing. Prowse told HISTORY. Marina Raskova, who was known as the Soviet Amelia Earhart, was the first female navigator in the Soviet Air Force. Each sortie was extremely dangerous because the Germans surrounded what they thought would be likely targets with concentric circles of searchlight and flack guns that the Night Witches would have to fly through to reach their targets. The pilots werent the only women in the 588th. Undeterred by the lack of faith from many of their male counterparts, the women embraced their identities, and are said to have painted their lips with navigational pencils and to have drawn flowers on the side of their aircrafts. I look up into the dark sky, Popova said, close my eyes and picture myself as a girl at the controls of my bomber, and I think, Nadya, how on earth did you do it?. Its a story about women of the past who have done some truly amazing things, Quinn said in an interview. All told, the pioneering all-female 588th Night Bomber Regiment dropped more than 23,000 tons of bombs on Nazi targets. It was this stealth mode that created their signature witchs broom sound. This article first appeared in November 2020. Three planes would leave simultaneously, with two of the airplanes drawing searchlights and gunfire, and the third sticking to the darkness, to drop the bombs. Illuminated from below, the flimsy, slow-moving Po-2s were no match for flak guns and tracer bullets.

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