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patron-saints:

The Overlooked Ladies of History:

     The 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces (aka “the Night Witches”) was formed in 1942 to perform harassment and precision bombings against invading German troops.  Led by Major Yevdokia Bershanskaya, the 588th was an all-female regiment, from its pilots - which numbered around 80 at its peak - on down to its mechanics and ground support. Equipped in biplanes effectively intended for cropdusting, a pilot was only capable of carrying two bombs at a time, necessitating multiple missions per plane per night. Additionally, the slow speed of the planes required the 588th to utilize bold, innovative, and incredibly dangerous maneuvers to evade enemy fire. One tactic included cutting the engine of the planes mid-flight in order to glide low over a target while avoiding detection. The incredible success rate of their missions earned the 588th the nickname “nacthhexen”, or, “night witches”, from German troops. Galina Belstova later stated, “…Maybe they called us something worse. We, of course, would have preferred to have been called ‘night beauties,’ but, whichever, we did our job.” Throughout the duration of the war, the Night Witches flew over 23,000 sorties, averaging over 1,000 missions per pilot. Thirty of those enlisted died in combat and twenty-three were awarded the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union”, the highest distinction offered by the nation.

(via the-seed-of-europe)

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