Posted on 12/07/2021 8:06:57 AM PST by ammodotcom
The name alone would strike terror into the hart of even the most battle-hardened German soldier: The Night Witches.
Although these women were not Americans, we decided that since they fought as allies against Nazi soldiers and their story is not commonly known, we would give them an honorable mention in our Forgotten Americans section. Named for the sound of their rudimentary, plywood biplanes as they cruised slowly overhead at low altitude dropping bombs, the Night Witches were the all-volunteer, all-female air raid squad that the Soviets deployed against the Third Reich. The spooky “whoosh” as they circled overhead reminded the German troops of women sweeping. The association with a broom led to them calling these night-time raiders “Nachthexen” – Night Witches.
A term of derision for the Nazis, a badge of honor for the women of the Soviet Union’s all-female bomb squad.
The Night Witches were so hated by the powers that be in Berlin that anyone who could down one of their crop dusters was awarded the prestigious Iron Cross award.
But who were these brave women who battled against the Nazi Luftwaffe in the freezing cold of the Eastern Front?
(Excerpt) Read more at ammo.com ...
Now you’ve done it.
Bubblegummer will be along soon.
There’s a Russian mini series about them on YouTube. Also lots of documentaries. The krauts definitely hated them.
A good Russian-made TV Series about them.
Night Swallows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFK9wAOatGE&list=PLwGzY25TNHPCp3TFPpD69-FxUc6VrpPwy&t=0s
Yep, I provided the link, I really enjoy these Russian series. It’s not necessarily pro-Soviet, it’s just history as it was.
Also reminds me of “The Dawns Here are Quiet”
Don’t F___ with Slavs!
Commies.
Shoot them down.
Eff Nazi Scum!
I read that they had originally volunteered to be conventional fighter and bomber pilots. They were rejected because they were female. Someone decided to let them fly the obsolescent biplane and the rest is history.
Should be: biplanes
Polikarpov U-2 biplanes were later used in night-time air raids against United Nations forces in Korea, sometimes with highly successful results. On our side, they were known as Bed Check Charlies.
A popular rock band appears to have taken its name from these aircraft.
Great movie (both, 1972 and newer 2015 version). The newer version was the first Russian movie my Russian wife showed me. I’ve been hooked on Russian war TV series and movies since - there are tons of them.
Night witches... thought it was an article about the view
They’re “Day c***s”…
Tough women! Good article, thanks for posting.
I sometimes wander around Netflix and other online video providers, looking for television programs made in other countries. Last year I came across a Russian drama about these women. I think the show was called (translated) “Night Swallows.”
There were a few fascinating aspects to the show which stood out. The communism of the era was very subdued. I recall one scene in a tent with one of the pilots, and there was a very small photo of Stalin, in the corner. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know it was taking place in the Soviet Union. The mood of the show was very patriotic - lots of exhortations about defending Russia, lots of uplifting talk about the people and culture. The love of country is in stark contrast to most American programming, where there is always some kind of snark about our flaws, or a statement about trying to be better people.
Everyone around the world, at least in the televised programs I have watched, are proud of their culture - except for the Americans and the rest of the west. It’s pathetic.
Yep YouTube has a bunch of these series with English subtitles, I’d rather watch them then the dreck Hollywood spews out.
There was a great Russian detective series I watched a few months back called “The Second Sight”.
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