After rigorous training, and in nothing more than canvas and wood biplanes, nadia and her friends are sent to the front line, where theyll become the legends history calls the night witches. Wein provides a meticulously detailed account of marina raskovas aviation. It is about the coming of age of a young russian woman who becomes a night witch. Marina raskova and the night witches home background rise to fame convincing stalin women in combat legacy sources after raskovas death in a flying accident, the women of the 588th bomber regiment requested that it be renamed the 125th m. When raskova died, she was celebrated with the first state funeral of world war ii and her ashes were buried in the kremlin. Taking inspiration from the night witches crimereads. This nonfiction book is an excellent choice for accelerated tween readers in. She later became one of over 800,000 women in the military service, founding three female air regiments which would. The book recounts the story of three regiments of female pilots flying bomber. The night witches was the nickname given by the german soldiers, engaged in operation barbarossa, to the russian women who every night, on board silent biplanes, bombed their positions. During the war, the night witches lost 32 pilots, including colonel raskova when she was sent to the front line. One regiment in particular, the soviet 588th night bomber regiment, or the night witches, became especially notorious for their stealth and effectiveness among german pilots. Quinns new historical novel the huntress, published last month. Its wellwritten and researched and i feel it needs to be on high school curricula alongside the book thief.
Night witches has become a popular moniker for all soviet female. The night witches were led by marina raskova, a famous russian aviator who convinced soviet dictator joseph stalin to use female bomber pilots after. The littleknown story of the night witches, an allfemale. Marina raskova and the night witches badass chicks of. Raskova persuaded stalin to let women fly and fight the germans. This is an incredible book that kept turning pages right until the end. Soviet night witches pilots aircrew remembered site. Marina raskova is recruiting women for three fighting regiments. In the years to come, raskovas regiments would fly as many as 300 missions a night an estimated 24,000 in all under conditions so brutal as to be absurd. Nadezhda popova, celebrated soviet night witch aviator. Mirren hogans night witches is an engaging and fascinating historical novel that tugs at the emotions while delivering authentic details and events.
From the start of the war, colonel marina raskova, a soviet pilot who. Namely the night witches, an allfemale squadron of. Meet the tough and photogenic marina raskova, commander of the socalled night witches. Though women were initially barred from combat, major marina raskova. Fortunately, i found night witches by mirren hogan. Noggle was also a noted aviation photographer, and her 1994 work contains photographs and direct accounts of the soviet pilots. Marina raskova 19121943 was a soviet pilot, navigator, and commander who founded 3 famous female air regiments during the second world war born to a middleclass russian family, raskova initially had aspirations of becoming a musician, but eventually abandoned the idea to study chemistry.
The night witches name stuck and is how they are commonly referred to now. See more ideas about women in history, wwii and female pilot. With clear, instructive writing and design by jason morningstar creator of fiasco and striking visual design by brennen reece the warren, the book does a great job evoking the ww2 eastern front milieu and lets players tell exciting stories of these underdog heroines. The night witches was the brainchild of the wellknown soviet navigator marina raskova. The night witches were a highlyskilled and cunning unit. Raskova trained her recruits as pilots and navigators, and also as. They wore handmedown pilots uniforms and, even worse, they had to cut their long hair to a regulation two inches. Marina raskova marina raskova, often referred to as the soviet unions amelia earhart is perhaps the most underrated figure of influence in the formation of the the. An analysis of the motivations and accomplishments of the all. Night witches is a roleplaying game of soviet airwomen at war. The night witches didnt have great planes, or superior bombs, or even very much support for their unit, but they nonetheless became one of the most remarkable fighting forces of world war ii.
It is written for the younger generation, so being old i did wish that sometimes kathryn lasky had gone into more details. It is written for the younger generation, so being old i did wish that sometimes kathryn lasky had. The heroic airwomen of the soviet union in world war ii, wein brings her masterful storytelling skills to the littleknown role of female soviet combat pilots known as the night witches. Flying through the night to defeat the nazis the new york times. On the allwomen night bomber regiment that fought the nazis. May 31, 2019 russian pilot marina raskova was famous for her longdistance flying records. The night witches harassed many german units during the red armys continued push out of its oncebesieged homeland. Meet the night witches, the daring female pilots who bombed. In ww ii, she gathered the soviet armys first female pilots into the 588th womens night bombardment regiment. Far less is written about their russian counterparts, the night witches of the 588th night bomber regiment.
Jun 07, 2019 meet the night witches, the daring female pilots who bombed nazis by night. It was the only one of the three to remain under the control of a woman, major yedokia bershanskaya, throughout the war. The night witches took advantage of this interim to escape into the darkness. The planes also produced a sound similar to a sewing machine, which is how the finnish troops referred to them. May 26, 2018 night witches is a roleplaying game of soviet airwomen at war. To the right of her is yevdokiya bershanskaya, the units commander. Mar 12, 2017 mirren hogans night witches is an engaging and fascinating historical novel that tugs at the emotions while delivering authentic details and events. Though women were initially barred from combat, major marina raskova used her position and personal. Mar 01, 2019 taking inspiration from the night witches. Night witches by mirren hogan meet your next favorite book.
The amazing tale of the night witches of wwii mysterious. Jul 20, 2017 fortunately, i found night witches by mirren hogan. The night witches were largely unique among the female combatants and even the female flyersof world war ii. Iwm rus5179 and nataly meklin 980 night combat missions decorated as heroes of the soviet union for their service with the famed night witches unit during world war ii. Flying through the night to defeat the nazis the new. Night witches by kathryn lasky night witches is set in stalingrad, russia in 1942 and is a fictional account of a young girl who joins 588th night bomber regiment of the soviet airforce. This book gives an overview of the major air armies and their campaigns. After the devastating aftermath of operation barbarossa, the soviets became the first to allow women into combat because of an influential female aviatrix, marina raskova. Jun 24, 2017 night witches by kathryn lasky night witches is set in stalingrad, russia in 1942 and is a fictional account of a young girl who joins 588th night bomber regiment of the soviet airforce. Fascinating history of russian women fighter pilots in wwii. Jun 25, 2015 the night witches didnt have great planes, or superior bombs, or even very much support for their unit, but they nonetheless became one of the most remarkable fighting forces of world war ii. She later became one of over 800,000 women in the military service, founding three female air regiments which would eventually fly over 30,000 sorties in world war ii.
Soviet night witches flew bombing missions against the nazis. The book tells the story of nadia and her comrades in the night witches a group of brave young russian women who flew fighter planes bombing nazi encampments. Raskova went from a young woman with aspirations of becoming an opera singer to a military instructor, the first female navigator in the soviet union. In the nazioccupied soviet union, german soldiers had a very real fear of witches. Meet the night witches, the daring female pilots who. Well, full disclosureeg dad found hogan and her novel at supanova sydney 2017 and knew it was exactly the type of book i would love to read. The women sometimes flew multiple missions in a single night, once 18 missions in one night by a single crew. In the united states, the history of the womens air service pilots wasp is reasonably well known, and their heroics are celebrated.
These three regiments were longdistance bombers, night bombers and fighters. The women sometimes flew multiple missions in a single night, once 18. Jul, 20 nadezhda popova, a soviet aviator who became one of the most celebrated of the socalled night witches, female military pilots who terrorized the nazi enemy with their nocturnal air raids. Jul 15, 20 the night witches were largely unique among the female combatants and even the female flyersof world war ii. She fought tirelesslyand ultimately successfullyto put women pilots in the cockpits of russian bombers during world war ii. Mar 17, 2019 the night witches took advantage of this interim to escape into the darkness. The night witches were led by marina raskova, a famous russian aviator. I had never heard of the night witches, nor had i ever read a book on wwii based in russia. The most renowned of these units was the 588th night bomber regiment, nicknamed the night witches, who flew 30,000 missions during the war, dropping 23,000 tons 20,865 metric tons of bombs on the german forces, according to this 20 atlantic article. She became driven to assemble three regiments made entirely of women in 1941 as the german troops were advancing towards moscow. Some of the members returning to civilian life, and some stayed on in the soviet air force.
The soviet night witches female bomber pilots of wwii. She learns that the air force is recruiting women under the leadership of aviator marina raskova and at once goes to enlist. The title of night witches was given to the night bomber squad by the german enemy, because they flew in quietly in their biplanes under the cover of darkness, like witches on brooms. Night witches by mirren hogan nook book ebook barnes. Night witches mirren hogan 9781988281162 netgalley. Marina raskova marina raskova, often referred to as the soviet unions amelia earhart is perhaps the most. The squadron was the brainchild of marina raskova, known as the.
From 1942 to 1945, this allfemale squadron dropped 23,000 tons of bombs and was feared by. From mechanics to navigators, pilots and officers, the 588th regiment was composed entirely of women. You can also see squad members engaging in a dance battle, and one embroidering a pillow. The story of the womens air service pilots wasp in the united states is relatively well known. Jun 18, 2015 night witch commemorative stamps photo. Her mother, a teacher, had a great respect for knowledge and had seen to it that raskova s brother, boris malinin, became a scientist who specialized in shipbuilding. The women never called themselves night witches, and so wein doesnt. Marina raskova, mother of witches history of yesterday. The 588th was so successful and deadly that the germans came to fear them, calling them.
Namely, the night witches, an allfemale squadron of bomber pilots who ran. In fact, the night witches would prove to be the most decorated force the soviet air force had ever seen, not bad for a motley crew of peasant women wearing oversized uniforms, lacking the most cutting edge technology, and flying flimsy, rickety wooden cropdusters without any amenities. Flying at night, pilots endured freezing temperatures, wind. This fictionalized account made the women come to life. Nadia valinksky, a student teacher from moscow, wants to do more than dig ditches as the nazis advance on moscow in 1941. Night witches is a fictional novel, telling the story of the night witches through the eyes of one pilot, nadia valinsky. After the war, the 588 th night bomber regiment was disbanded. Mar 01, 2019 the night witches were led by marina raskova, a famous russian aviator who convinced soviet dictator joseph stalin to use female bomber pilots after germany invaded russia. Much less well known however is the story of the night witches, an incredible group of soviet women who flew bombing missions during world war ii. The female fighter pilots of world war ii the atlantic. An engaging and sharply written story about the soviet night witches of world war ii. The regiment was formed by colonel marina raskova and led by major yevdokia bershanskaya.
Marina raskova, born in 1912 in russia, was a pioneering aviatrix, an inspiration to millions of young russian women, and the founder and leader of the only allfemale fighting force in world war 2. Wein is a pilot herself, and her respect for these intrepid airwomen and the challenges they faced is clear. All the more amazingly, the women of the 588th did all that while flying slow, flimsy woodandcanvas biplanes that once had served as. Marina raskova and the soviet women pilots of world war ii. It was the 588th night bombing regiment of the red army, made up of women only. She learns that the air force is recruiting women under the leadership of aviator marina raskova and at once goes to. Women pilots of the night witches receiving orders for an upcoming. After setting the longdistance flight record across russia, she was the first female to be designated hero of the soviet unionrussias highest honorand became a. Night witches was a world war ii german nickname for the all female military aviators of the 588th night bomber regiment, known later as the 46th taman guards night bomber aviation regiment, of the soviet air forces. Center stage, with her arms crossed, is marina raskova, the woman who put the night witches together originally. The 588th night bomber regiment was set up after the famous russian woman aviator, marina raskova urged stalin to allow women to become fighter pilots. Soviet air force officers, rufina gasheva 848 night combat missions. Among their ranks were women like marina raskova, the soviet amelia earhart, a renowned aviator who persuaded stalin in 1941 to establish the allwomen regiments. Members of the 588th night bomber regiment decorated their planes with.
But since the germans surrounded stalingrad, valyas been forced to stay on the ground and watch her city crumble. To create a sense of voice for night witches, the script draws on the spellbinding work a dance with death, a book by anne noggle, who was an american pilot and member of the women airforce service pilots. The littleknown story of the night witches, an allfemale force in. Shes a pilot whos always felt more at home soaring through the sky than down on earth. Amid their heroism, many of the women lost their lives when shot down by antiaircraft fire and, in some cases, fired upon by the huge german fockewolffe 90 aircraft. Russian pilot marina raskova was famous for her longdistance flying records. Nadezhda popova, a soviet aviator who became one of the most celebrated of the socalled night witches, female military pilots who terrorized the nazi enemy with their nocturnal air raids. The night witches night witches has become a popular moniker for all soviet female pilots of world war ii, but is properly applied only to the women who. In kathryn laskys novel night witches, the protagonist sets out to enlist in the. When her mother is killed during the siege, valya is left with one burning desire. The lobbying of marina raskova, who had set several flying records and became the first commander of the womens units, helped greatly. March 28, 1912 january 4, 1943 was a famous soviet navigator. The night witches achieved great success during the war, many of them receiving the honorable title of hero of the soviet union.