Have you ever heard of the Night Witches?

Last night while I was scrolling Instagram, I came upon a story I have not yet heard. Most of us have heard of the American WASPs in World War II, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, but we have never heard of the Soviet Army’s Night Witches.

Unlike the WASPs primary objective of ferrying aircraft and instructing pilots, the Night Witches were fighter pilots for the USSR. They were the first women pilots to engage in aerial combat, ever. I was blown away that I had never heard of them.

How did these ladies get the name of the Night Witches? They were aptly named by Nazi soldiers in WW2. These women would idle the engines of their “Russian Plywood” crop dusters, flying low over the trees and dropping bombs on targets below. The legend says they sounded like witches riding above on broomsticks.

These badass ladies were deployed in 1941, carried only two bombs per run, flying without radios or navigation equipment in an aircraft that could not sustain enemy fire. They didn’t even carry parachutes until 1944.

The aircraft they used was not intended for aerial combat. The Polikarpov Po-2 was a crop duster, primarily used for training and transport. The leader of the Night Witches, Marina Raskova, petitioned Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to allow women to aid in the battle against the Nazis. The only aircraft available to this newly formed squadron were these humble training aircraft.

Just like the WASPs, and many female aviators today, the Night Witches faced doubts from male pilots, experienced harassment, and many times did not receive the credit due to their accomplishments even though they were the most decorated unit in the Soviet Airforce in WW2.

Their aircraft, the Polikarpovs, were slower and more maneuverable than the Nazi aircraft, which meant they were hard to target. I’m not sure if it was the insult to German’s to be bombed by women, or if it was the fact these planes were so ill-equipped, but those Nazis whom successfully shot down one of Night Witches were immediately awarded an Iron Cross.

According to this article, the Nazis had two theories about why the women were successful:

1. They were all criminals who were masters at stealing and were sent to the front line as punishment

2. Or, they had been given a special injection that allowed them to see in the night.

My recollection of all the cool stories regarding these women is incomplete, I encourage you to go read about these female aviators as people far more educated than I have written about them at length.