Night Witches
Sign in to saveAlso known as 588th Night Bomber Regiment, 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment
all-female regiment of the Soviet Air Forces
In the Vinony graph
Within Vinony's link graph, Night Witches is referenced by 112 other articles, and connects out to Polikarpov Po-2 Kukuruznik, 4th Guards Air and Air Defense Forces Army and German.
Vinony files it under Air units and formations of the Soviet Union in World War II, All-female military units and formations and Bomber aviation units and formations of the Soviet Air Forces.
Its subject is documented across 35 Wikipedia language editions.
Key facts
- Active
- 1942–1945
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Branch
- Soviet Air Forces
- Role
- Harassment and tactical bombing
- Nickname
- Night Witches
- Engagements
- World War II Eastern Front
- Decorations
- Guards designation , Order of the Red Banner , Order of Suvorov
- Regimental commander
- Yevdokiya Bershanskaya
- Deputy regiment commander
- Serafima Amosova
- Commissar
- Yevdokiya Rachkevich
- Bomber
- Polikarpov Po-2
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Conflict
- World War II
- Military branch
- Soviet Air Forces
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Night Witches
- topic's main category
- Category:Night Witches aviators
- dissolved, abolished or demolished date
- 1945-00-00
- inception
- 1941-00-00
- commanded by
- Yevdokiya Bershanskaya
via Wikidata · CC0
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
"Night Witches" was a World War II nickname for the all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known later as the 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviation Red Banner and Order of Suvorov Regiment, of the Soviet Air Forces.
Major Marina Raskova used her position and personal contacts with the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to obtain permission to form female combat units. Combat facilitated and ushered in a reluctant acceptance of women in military, based more upon practicality and necessity than for equality. On October 8, 1941, an order was issued to deploy three women's air-force units, including the 588th Regiment. The regiment, formed by Raskova and led by Major Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, was composed primarily of female volunteers in their late teens and early twenties.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Night Witches” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.