Wings, Women, and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat

USArmyWarCollege via Youtube ^

[wetphoenix]

Dr. Reina Pennington, Associate Professor of History Norwich University. The Soviet Union was the first nation to allow women pilots to fly combat missions. During World War II the Red Air Force formed three all-female units--grouped into separate fighter, dive bomber, and night bomber regiments--while also recruiting other women to fly with mostly male units. Their amazing story, fully recounted for the first time by Reina Pennington, honors a group of fearless and determined women whose exploits have not yet received the recognition they deserve. Pennington chronicles the creation, organization, and leadership of these regiments, as well as the experiences of the pilots, navigators, bomb loaders, mechanics, and others who made up their ranks, all within the context of the Soviet air war on the Eastern Front. These regiments flew a combined total of more than 30,000 combat sorties, produced at least thirty Heroes of the Soviet Union, and included at least two fighter aces.

[Don Corleone]

When you are in danger of losing your country you must do everything you can to survive. A lesson well to be learned here.

[ought-six]

There were many Russian women who fought valiantly in WWII. Some were very accomplished snipers.

[ansel12]

During the war, we didn’t believe the fantastical claims of German pilots having hundreds of kills, with Aces being credited with kills in the 300s, while our Aces were giants with 10% of those totals.

After the war we discovered that the Germans were very good about their records and air kills, it’s just that they were fighting the Russian meat machine, and that the extraordinary numbers were accurate.

[wetphoenix]

Well, the Germans were prepared and that is why did better, especially early in the war.
Anyway, they lost between 3,000-4,000 aircraft on the East front during the first 6 months only.
But both sides weren’t too much accurate in their claims.
AFAIK Germans claimed a total 77,000 Soviet aircraft shot down while actual losses are about 46,000.
Soviet claims are about 52,000 German aircraft.
A realistic factual ratio believed to be some 3,5 to 1 in German favor.

[ansel12]

The Russians and Nazis as allies invaded Poland together in 1939, so the Russians were obviously where they wanted to be for conquest.

The Russians can’t be trusted for any figures, but the bottom line is that they weren’t very good, they fight with masses of human meat.

[wetphoenix]

I don’t know. My granddad was in air force. He wasn’t that much of an ace but still got three kills, of these two in one sortie. First time he shot Stuka and another time Bf-109 escort and when out of ammo rammed into He-111 bomber (though losing his aircraft in process too).

[ansel12]

The Germans had easy pickings with Russians.

Here is just the portion of the top Aces that I could capture in a screenshot. Hartmann at the top of the list was finally released from his Russian prison in 1955 after they imprisoned him on false charges.

[wetphoenix]

It doesn’t take much to make inflated claims. As I said earlier my family experience is actually 3 to 1 in Russian favor.

[ansel12]

They aren’t inflated claims, they are the historical facts, and your family story has nothing to do with anything.

What year did your granddad join the military?

[wetphoenix]

I think 1942 but I might be wrong, unfortunately he died more that 10 years ago.

[eartrumpet]

See that Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 kills? In the 50s he was trying to hover a Hawker jump jet and crashed it. They rushed to the wreck and as they helped him climb out, he said, “Drei hundert und zwei!”

[odds]

“See that Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 kills? In the 50s he was trying to hover a Hawker jump jet and crashed it. They rushed to the wreck and as they helped him climb out, he said, “Drei hundert und zwei!”” — Genau! “drei hundret und zwei” = 302!