Night Witches of WWII

If you’ve never heard of them, check out this article on the Night Witches of WWII, an all female regiment of pilots who flew under the cover of darkness against the German’s, who gave them their name.

This video (beginning at 17:30) talks about the Night Witches and how they earned their name. Hint: it was because they would reduce their power to idle and largely glide into the target zone before beginning their bombing. Hence they were very quiet, and apparently sounded like a broom.

Here’s a list of books on the Night Witches if you’re interested in learning more!

Group photograph of several members of the Night Witches, all of whom became heroes of the Soviet Union. Left to right: Tanya Makarova, Vera Belik, Polina Gelman, Yekaterina Ryabova, Yevdokiya Nikulina, and Nadezhda Popova. Via WikiMedia Commons