What nationality were the Night Witches?

German
“Night Witches” (German: die Nachthexen; Russian: Ночные ведьмы, Nochnyye Vedmy) was a World War II German nickname for the all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known later as the 46th “Taman” Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, of the Soviet Air Forces.

What were the names of the Night Witches?

The Germans nicknamed them the Nachthexen, or “night witches,” because the whooshing noise their wooden planes made resembled that of a sweeping broom. “This sound was the only warning the Germans had.

Who started the Night Witches?

Marina Raskova
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. Furious attacks by the Germans left Stalin short on men. The female pilots were treated like male bomber pilots — well, sort of.

Who are the Night Witches in World War 2?

Who were these Night Witches? They were the all-women pilots of Russia’s 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. In World War II, American women such as the WASPs supported the war by ferrying and testing planes. But the Night Witches were the first women military pilots in the 20th century to directly engage an enemy in combat.

What kind of plane did the Soviet night witches fly?

So the 588th was given out-of-date Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes that were primarily used as crop dusters and training planes. The pilot sat up front and the navigator, who also was the bombardier, sat in the rear. The plane was like a death trap waiting to spring.

Why did the Night Witches use female pilots?

Women pilots of the “Night Witches” receiving orders for an up-coming raid. (Credit: Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images) Using female bombardiers wasn’t a first choice. While women had been previously barred from combat, the pressure of an encroaching enemy gave Soviet leaders a reason to rethink the policy.

Who is the director of Night Witches in the sky?

In 1981, a Soviet feature-length film called Night Witches In The Sky [ru] (В небе ночные ведьмы) was directed by Yevgenia Zhigulenko, Hero of the Soviet Union, and one of the members of the regiment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–xfK_Uhly4