Wonder Women of the Week: The Night Witches
Name: The 588th Night Bomber Regiment aka The Night Witches
Life: 1942 - 1945
Occupation: Bomber Pilots
Super Power: Stealthy War Heroines
With the invasion of the Soviet Union by German forces, Russian women were called upon to assist in the war. Though women were originally barred from combat, record-breaking aviatrix Marina Raskova was tasked with organizing a trio of female bomber pilot regiments, most notably the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, to fight the German invaders.
Dubbed The Night Witches by their enemies due to their stealth techniques, these badass ladies flew roughly 30,000 missions and dropped a total of 23,000 tons of bombs on the invading Nazi armies. The most highly decorated female unit in the Soviet Air Force, each pilot flew over 800 missions by the end of the war and twenty-three were awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title. Though they didn’t have great planes, superior bombs, or even very much support for their unit, the Night Witches nonetheless became one of the most remarkable fighting forces of World War II. No magic needed.