A group of female pilots went out in teams of two. The only warning of their arrival was the wooshing sound of their rickety airplanes, rigged together with plywood and canvas. It was during those dark nights of World War II that Nazis feared the dreaded sound. They named these dark specters Nachthexen: the Night Witches. It was the distinct noise of their rickety aircraft–which sounded like the sweeping flight of a witch’s broom–that earned these pilots their name. They took it as a compliment.
While the tale of this brave group of Russian women has largely been overlooked in historic recountings of the war, their story is unique. The 80-strong group of female aviators flew their wood planes in over 30,000 missions in just four years, dropping a total of 23,000 tons of bombs on invading Nazi forces. They were part of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces, and the Germans were terrified of them. (1)
Female Pilots Respond To Hitler
It was on June 22, 1941, that Hitler’s armies invaded the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa. That same summer, record-breaking aviator Marina Raskova began training the group of 20-something women that would become the 588th. Already well-known for her prowess in the skies, she convinced Stalin to send in female bomber pilots to bolster Russia’s depleted army. (1, 3)
One of the first volunteers was Nadezhda Popova, who flew in over 852 missions. She had tried to enlist as a pilot at the beginning of the war, but Moscow had barred women from combat. Popova, whose brother’s death in battle prompted her desire to fight, had been flying planes since 15. When Stalin issued an order in October of 1941 deploying regiments of female pilots, she was proudly one of them. (2)
Rickety Planes And Old Uniforms
The 588th’s band of female pilots had the same heavy burden of combat as the men–without the same caliber of gear. The Night Witches wore old hand-me-down uniforms and boots from their male counterparts. With no parachutes, guns, or electronics, each flight had to be navigated under the cover of night with a simple map and compass.
Po-2 biplanes, converted crop-dusters constructed mostly of plywood and canvas, served as their aircraft. Despite their seemingly shoddy construction, they had a few surprising advantages. Compared to the German’s fast and deadly planes, the P0-2s were light and maneuverable. Since the Nazi aircrafts’ stall speed was faster than the P0-2s maximum speed, they were harder to shoot down. The fierce female pilots did what they had to do and used what they could. (1, 2)
The Night Witches’ Battle Tactics
In November of 1941, the German army had made their way just 19 miles from Moscow. Many Russians had been taken prisoner, and Leningrad was under siege. As the 588th trained during this time, they were finally ready for their first mission in June of 1942. Targeting a key headquarters of the Nazi army, the air raid was successful. This was the start of a series of deadly nighttime campaigns. (3)
The women flew in groups of two to a plane, three planes to a formation. Sending two planes in as decoys, searchlights would spot them and leave the third plane undetected. The decoy planes would dive, circle and twist as they bravely avoided gunfire from the ground. This left the remaining team of Night Witches to stealthily make their way to their targets, dropping bombs to the enemy below. It was their skill that incited fear amongst the Germans, and rumors ran rampant. The Russian women were supposedly given special pills and injections that would give them night vision. The truth was simply that these women were fearless and determined.
The Night Witches were not without their setbacks during their four years of combat. The planes easily filled with bullet holes, and Popova herself was shot down a few times. Conditions were harsh, and the biting cold of flying in an open cockpit froze the faces of the pilots. Consequently, at least 30 of the Night Witches never returned from their missions. (1, 2)
Despite the challenges, these brave female pilots defied convention when the world needed them most. Their strength in the face of evil, flying quietly through the night, will long be remembered.
