No Broomstick Required
The Soviet "Night Witches" of World War II
After a long night trying to figure out how to set up the new speaker system downstairs, we found ourselves wide awake into the wee hours of the morning. Unable to fall asleep, we did what any sensible cellar dweller would do and tossed on a World War II documentary, hoping the sounds of war would lull us to sleep. No luck. We were wide awake, eyes glued to the TV as we learned about the reign of the “Night Witches”.
It’s that time of year when images of witches in black garb with green faces populate our feeds, television, and convenience store decoration aisles. But we’re not talking broomsticks here, Dorothy. For those unfamiliar, “Night Witches” was a nickname given to the all-women pilots of Russia’s 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment by the Germans during World War II. With the hope of contributing to the war effort, Major Marina Raskova, a top aviator of her time, wanted a little action during the war. Specifically from above. At the time, women were allowed to fight on the front lines but barred from the Soviet Air Force. After receiving letter after letter from women looking to start an integrated Air Force, Marina presented the demand to some higher-ups and boom the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment, 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment and 588th Night aka “Night Witches” Bomber Aviation Regiment were born.
The least qualified and inexperienced pilots, typically ranging from 18-25 years old, were placed in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment and with that, got the short end of the stick regarding their equipment. While other regiments boasted jets and radios, the 588th Regiment made due with outdated two-person Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes made of wood and canvas, better known as “coffins with wings.” With an open cockpit, pilots and navigators were exposed to the elements and could only carry two bombs at a time with no room for a parachute as they added too much weight. Oh, and all of these bombing runs were done in the middle of the night. No compass, no radios.
Despite having the odds stacked against them, what they lacked in equipment made them the most feared and deadly out of all the women-led Soviet Air Regiments. Due to the wooden construction of the planes, they were undetectable by German radar. They could also land and take off in just about any terrain, creating flexibility when changing refueling bases, which happened quite often.
When it came to bombing strikes against German encampments, they would run in sets of three. Two planes would lead the charge taking fire and exposure from German anti-aircraft, while the third plane would target the objective. To remain stealthy, the pilots would cut their engines, glide low over objectives, drop their load and hope they could start the engine again to maneuver away. German soldiers described the attacks starting with a “whoosh” sound, a gust of wind over their head, followed by explosions from above.
The “Night Witches” reigned from June 1942 to October 1945. Over those 3 years the 588th:
Flew approximately 23,672 combat runs
Logged 28,676 flight hours
Dropped over 3,000 tons of bombs and 26,000 incendiary shells.
Destroyed:
176 armored cars
86 prepared firing positions
26 warehouses
17 river crossings
12 fuel depots
11 searchlights
9 railways
2 railway stations
Oh, and they also made 155 supply drops of food and ammunition to Soviet forces1
To go along with the 3,000 tons of shells the Night Witches dropped, there are about 3,000 lessons this story can teach us. The one lesson that sticks with us is despite the lack of proper equipment or resources, making due with what you have, combined with perseverance is an unstoppable force. Also, don’t fuck with the Night Witches. Happy Halloween.
The Soviet Night Witches.” Wright Museum of World War II, 1 Oct. 2020