The Night Witches: The All-Female Air Regiment Of World War II

Abstract

The all-female Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment, a squadron nicknamed the Night Witches, was the result of a desire by Soviet women to be able to participate directly on the frontlines, tired of playing a passive role in the war. Flying obsolete planes under the cover of darkness, these women feared nothing, for the impetus to protect their country was stronger than all the adversities they faced, both from the enemy and from their own compatriots. In the present research work, it´ll be established as a main objective to briefly tell the history of this Regiment and the women who formed it up, having as secondary objectives why women decided to participate in combat, how they were treated and judged by their male counterparts, how they incited terror on the Nazis, where the nickname Night Witch came from, and how history has treated them. Digital sources were used, since currently physical media that addresses their story aren´t easily found; specialized articles and videos will be the emphasis of the references, as well as a book encompassing the stories of Soviet military women. Thanks to these various bibliographies, the objectives set at the beginning were achieved and in a concise, clear and synthetic measure, the creation of a text narrating the events of one of the forgotten episodes of the role of women during World War II was conceived.