Author: Trisha Leigh Zeigenhorn / Source: did you know?
Any group of people, regardless of gender, who sent Nazis running is okay in my book. That said, The Night Witches have a particularly bada** story, so buckle up.
During World War II, Soviet women grew tired of watching their men go off to the front lines while they stayed home, unable to contribute except in supportive, behind-the-scenes ways.
Many wanted to engage in direct combat, and one of those women was Colonel Marina Raskova (the “Soviet Amelia Earhart”). When she learned of other women with similar desires, she petitioned Joseph Stalin for the right to organize a regiment of female pilots. She also lobbied for Soviet women to be included in the draft.He granted her request in October, 1941, and the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Forces – the Night Witches – was born. Every single individual, from the pilots all the way down to the planes’ mechanics, was female.
The 400 (or so) women, aged 17-26, were given uniforms that were too large, boots that…
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