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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsA mighty girl -
"The Nazis called them 'Night Witches' because the whooshing noise their plywood and canvas airplanes made reminded the Germans of the sound of a witchs broomstick. The Russian women who piloted those planes, onetime crop dusters, took it as a compliment. In 30,000 missions over four years, they dumped 23,000 tons of bombs on the German invaders, ultimately helping to chase them back to Berlin. Any German pilot who downed a 'witch' was awarded an Iron Cross.
These young heroines, all volunteers and most in their teens and early 20s, became legends of World War II but are now largely forgotten. Flying only in the dark, they had no parachutes, guns, radios or radar, only maps and compasses. If hit by tracer bullets, their planes would burn like sheets of paper."
So begins a NY Times tribute to one of the most famous "Night Witches," Nadezhda Popova, pictured here. Popova, who flew 852 missions during the war, passed away this past year at the age of 91. To read more about her incredible story, visit http://nyti.ms/JbnOMC
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A mighty girl - (Original Post)
ashling
Mar 2014
OP
whenever I used to hear the old sexist arguments about why women could not be combat pilots,
niyad
Mar 2014
#12
I read a novel about WW2, and one of these pilots was a major character.
BobTheSubgenius
Mar 2014
#13
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)1. I've never even heard if these pilots.
Can't wait to read more! Thanks for posting!
niyad
(113,552 posts)12. whenever I used to hear the old sexist arguments about why women could not be combat pilots,
I reminded them about the nachthexen and our own WASPS (although technically not combat, more sexist bs). most of them had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)2. Oh please cross post this in GD.
Wonderful read.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)4. Seconded!
Autumn
(45,120 posts)5. This is so fascinating. I'm going to have to find more on these Night Witches
My god her story is amazing.
interesting!
Triana
(22,666 posts)6. WOW! Bookmarking. n/t
Lars39
(26,116 posts)7. The number of missions is astounding! By contrast:
ashling
(25,771 posts)8. On Amazon
Lucky Luciano
(11,258 posts)9. Amazing!!! This story needs to be told. 852 missions??!!
Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)10. Plywood and canvas airplanes?
Those are my kind of witches.
K&R
K&R
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)11. Thank you n/t
BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)13. I read a novel about WW2, and one of these pilots was a major character.