When her mother is killed during the siege, valya is left with one burning desire. In the united states, the history of the womens air service pilots wasp is reasonably well known, and their heroics are celebrated. These young women enlisted after learning to fly at their hometown clubs, and they became national heroes. Dubbed the night witches, the regiment struck terror in the hearts of german ground troops. The night witches reading the graphic novel the night witches, about female pilots who flew for the russians in world war ii, i thought about jane austen. The littleknown story of the night witches, an allfemale. Like many of her comrades, nadezhda was shot down many times. Soviet night witches pilots aircrew remembered site. Jan 02, 2019 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. Some of the members returning to civilian life, and some stayed on in the soviet air force. A history of the all female 588th night bomber regiment mason, fergus, historycaps on. It is about the coming of age of a young russian woman who becomes a night witch. Jan 01, 1981 this book entails the tales of russias women pilots of world war 2, or, as they would be nicknamed by the germans, night witches. The soviet night witches female bomber pilots of wwii the.
Night witches soviet female flying aces who struck terror. Mirren hogans night witches is an engaging and fascinating historical novel that tugs at the emotions while delivering authentic details and events. This book entails the tales of russias women pilots of world war 2, or, as they would be nicknamed by the germans, night witches. The author also covers the day bomber crews and coolest of all the free hunter fighter pilots which include the amazing litvak. Night witches by kathryn lasky goodreads share book. In 1941, after the germans invaded the soviet union, famous aviatrix marina raskova lobbied joseph stalin to form regiments of women pilots. Its spellbinding story, kickass female characters, and richly imagined worldbuilding are more than enough reasons for it to land a spot in my favorite book of 20 list. In the nazioccupied soviet union, german soldiers had a very real fear of witches. Far less is written about their russian counterparts, the night witches of the 588th night bomber regiment. From 1942 to 1945, this allfemale squadron dropped 23,000 tons of bombs and was feared by the nazis.
The german pilots had so much trouble shooting the witches down, they came up with all kinds of superstition and rumors about them. With outdated biplanes, no radio, lights, defenses nor parachutes, these ww2 soviet pilots terrorized the germans. They were dubbed night witches by the frightened german soldiers because of the deadly stealth of their light planes. They would cut engines and glide to their target, drop bombs, then speed off. Jun 25, 2015 in the nazioccupied soviet union, german soldiers had a very real fear of witches. Nadezhda popova, celebrated soviet night witch aviator of. The history guy recounts the story of the night witches, the most decorated female combat aviation unit of the second world war. Flying without parachutes, from rough fields only a few minutes away from the front, the night witches nachthexen, as the exasperated germans called them often managed five or even ten combat missions per night.
The huntress by kate quinn, a suspenseful historical novel about wwiis night witches and a quest for justice quinn follows up her breakout book, the alice network 2017, with an impressive historical novel sure to harness wwiifiction fans attention. Since there was silence before the bomb blast, the germans called them night witches and claimed they flew on broomsticks. These are the reallife super girls, wonder women of the world a genius of an illustrated story. It is written for the younger generation, so being old i did wish that sometimes kathryn lasky had gone into more details. 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. The night witches decorated their planes with flowers and painted their lips with navigational pencils then struck fear into the hearts of the.
The title night witches is a bit misleading for great patriotic war buffs. The night witches is a throat punching reality check into the spoils of ww2. 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. Jul 15, 20 the night witches were largely unique among the female combatants and even the female flyersof world war ii. Mar 17, 2019 the allfemale night witches squadron was the direct result of women in the soviet union wanting to be actively involved in the war effort. As a member of the 588th night bomber regiment, youll answer the call of your motherland in her darkest hour.
Night witches by mirren hogan goodreads share book. Namely the night witches, an allfemale squadron of. Night witches by lj adlington doesnt need aerial flips and maneuvers to become my favorite. From the very inception of the war, colonel marina raskova, a pilot who was. Night witches tells the story of valya, a sixteen year old russian orphan who, along with her sister tatyana, joins the 588th night bomber regiment, an allfemale regiment of bomber pilots who spent the latter part of wwii harassing german troops. Your bookshelf is hungry for this entertaining read with its colorful imagery. Meet the night witches, the daring female pilots who bombed nazis by night. Nadia valinksky, a student teacher from moscow, wants to do more than dig ditches as the nazis advance on moscow in 1941. Feb 12, 2019 the huntress by kate quinn, a suspenseful historical novel about wwiis night witches and a quest for justice quinn follows up her breakout book, the alice network 2017, with an impressive historical novel sure to harness wwiifiction fans attention. Using conventional realism, physical theatre, music, dance, acroyoga, shadow puppetry, and source material from anne noggles book, a dance with death. In january 1943, raskova was killed when her pe2 crashed in a snowstorm near stalingrad. Mar 28, 2019 the night witches decorated their planes with flowers and painted their lips with navigational pencils then struck fear into the hearts of the nazis.
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. Sabaton night witches official lyric video youtube. The story of the womens air service pilots wasp in the united states is relatively well known. But since the germans surrounded stalingrad, valyas been forced to stay on the ground and watch her city crumble. Untold story of soviet women in combat new ed by myles, bruce isbn. If youre interested in graphic novels, garth ennis has created a. After the war, the 588 th night bomber regiment was disbanded. Namely, the night witches, an allfemale squadron of bomber pilots who ran thousands of daring bombing.
She was one of the first recruits into the night witches, surviving some of the most dangerous missions she at one point returned from a sortie with 42 bullet holes in her plane, map, and helmet but miraculously alive. Mar 25, 2017 the history guy recounts the story of the night witches, the most decorated female combat aviation unit of the second world war. The night witches by garth ennis with art by russ braun is a collection of the 3 night witch story from garth ennis battlefields, and follows one russian pilot for one heck of a story arc. This book was an earc received from edelweissabove the treeline since night witches is a ya novel, may i recommend two works of nonfiction as supplements for those interested in these brave pilots that were recommended to me by gwen katz, author of the upcoming novel among the red stars also about the night witches. I had never heard of the night witches, nor had i ever read a book on wwii based in russia. Namely, the night witches, an allfemale squadron of bomber pilots. It is written for the younger generation, so being old i did wish that sometimes kathryn lasky had. Soviet airwomen in world war ii a compilation of interviews done with surviving night witches in 1992, the audience comes into immediate contact with the womens stories. These women used old biplanes to bomb german targets. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Most notably is the name, night witches, which german pilots. The night witches harassed many german units during the red armys continued push out of its oncebesieged homeland. It is incredibly powerful, emotional, terrifying and fucking badass. The night witches were russian women who flew in combat against germany in the fight to defend their homeland.
She met her future husband in the war, and lived to the age of 91. The night witches part 1 russian bomber squad wwii. From the beginning of the night witches you are taken into an exhilarating journey. Jun 18, 2015 night witch commemorative stamps photo. The soviet female pilots who terrified the german army by history titans was a short but fascinating nonfiction about the first allfemale night bomber regiments of the air forces in the soviet union that everyone should read, especially girls. Aug 22, 2018 in 1941, after the germans invaded the soviet union, famous aviatrix marina raskova lobbied joseph stalin to form regiments of women pilots. 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. 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. The women of the 588th night bomber regiment of the soviet air forces better known as the night witches had no radar, no machine guns, no radios, and no parachutes. The night witches were a highlyskilled and cunning unit. All they had onboard was a map, a compass, rulers, stopwatches, flashlights, and pencils. Soviet night witches flew bombing missions against the. I spent a long time researching these women after i read the book, it is an interesting topic and these women are true heroes. In kathryn laskys novel night witches, the protagonist sets out to enlist in the unit, her older sister already serving as a night witch.
The soviet night witches of wwii is the fifth nonfiction book by author claudia hagen. Hogan gives us mostly historically accurate details while adding fiction for an enthralling storyline. Night witches is the english translation of nachthexen, a world war ii german nickname russian, nochnye vedmy for the 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. Film will be based on the female flying unit that fought in the battle of moscow. The night witches, by garth ennis and russ braun garth ennis new graphic novel creates a fictional character to flesh out the stories of the real night witches, soviet female. The wwii pilots known as the night witches their planes were rickety cropdusters, but the soviet women turned them into killing machines. From 1942 until the end of world war ii, the soviets had a secret weapon.
Gr 7 uplaskys latest historical fiction novel flies readers to world war ii europe on a lifethreatening adventure. The amazing story of russias women pilots in world war ii. Popova was a member of a renowned unit of deadly female soviet pilots called the night witches by german invaders because of the sound their plywood planes made. The book gives a great attention to the sexism that at first existed for these women. The allfemale night witches squadron was the direct result of women in the soviet union wanting to be actively involved in the war effort. Many soviet women had grown weary of playing a support role during the war and wanted to be engaged in combat on the front lines. 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. They would fly slow biplanes so low that they did not have parachutes.
The night witches were largely unique among the female combatants and even the female flyersof world war ii. The germans called them nachthexen night witches because the wind of their passing sounded like a witchs broomstick flying overhead though how theyd know. By middle school i had checked out every available book from the surprisingly vast canon. A group that got attention in myles book was the night witches. The actual night witches a german coinage for the women night bomber pilots and navigators are only one third of the story. Night witches is a tabletop roleplaying game about women at war. Ww2 night witches terrified the german army youtube.
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