The Story About The Night Witches

Although their outdated planes were painted with flowers, and even the Russians laughed at them, Nazis were so frightened of women's war fleet that they were called "witches of the night."

Night Witches

After the 22 June 1941, forces of the Third Reich set out to conquer Russia in the framework of action "Barbarossa", Russia was faced with one of the biggest dangers in the state's history. At that moment began the general conscription, and the entire economy was subordinate to the military machine. It was a matter of life and death.

Seeing that the in the heart of Russia rushes four million German troops, their contribution to the defense of the state wanted to give the brave Russian women. Before that moment, in the Russian army were not women. But soon that changed, and mostly thanks to Marina Raskovoy.

Women's air fleet that became a legend

She, in fact, started to receive letters from Russian women in the midst of the war, who were interested in a fight in the first rows. For many, it then was unthinkable because women were forbidden to participate in the fighting, and in the army, they could only have a secondary role. Marina Rask was the navigator.

Seeing how these women were motivated, Marina began to lobby for them, and it was very successful. Army started to open its lines for women and Marina won for the establishment of units in which all positions were exclusively given to women.

In history, Marina, however, is most remembered for establishing three female air fleet ,which became a legend during the war.

Although the founding of these fleets was ordered by Stalin, the fact is that the Russians were not expecting too much from women army - women were wearing unsuitable equipment for men and the old and outdated airplanes were assigned to them. These flying machines almost had no protection and their cockpits were open, so the Russians often received severe frostbite.

Training aviator aged between 17 and 26 years began in the town of Engels in 1942. For a few months later, 588 Regiment began the action. Given that piloted the planes that were very light, but slow and vulnerable, women's fleet could fly only at night. During the day, they were just cannon fodder on which the Nazis practiced shooting.

By the end of the war, all three women's fleet had a total of 40 teams of two, each team could make about 18 bombings during the night.

Russian women see at night like cats

Due to the small capacity, in one mission Russians were able to carry only six bombs. Furthermore, capacity has been such a problem that women with them were not able to take even parachutes!

Three aircrafts went in each mission. While the first distracted the Nazi forces, the other two would shut down the engines and quietly flew slightly above German soldiers and threw grenades at them. Because of the terrifying sound of an airplane that flew over the extinguished engine, the Nazis 588. Regiment awarded the title of "Nachthexen or Night Witches" or "Witches of the Night".

Among them, there were rumors that the Soviets give vicious Russian women pills for which they see at night like cats.