The night witches is a throat punching reality check into the spoils of ww2. The soviet night witches of wwii is the fifth nonfiction book by author claudia hagen. With outdated biplanes, no radio, lights, defenses nor parachutes, these ww2 soviet pilots terrorized the germans. All they had onboard was a map, a compass, rulers, stopwatches, flashlights, and pencils.
Namely the night witches, an allfemale squadron of. The night witches were a highlyskilled and cunning unit. Mirren hogans night witches is an engaging and fascinating historical novel that tugs at the emotions while delivering authentic details and events. 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. The night witches were largely unique among the female combatants and even the female flyersof world war ii.
Sabaton night witches official lyric video youtube. Ww2 night witches terrified the german army youtube. Jun 07, 2019 meet the night witches, the daring female pilots who bombed nazis by night. Most notably is the name, night witches, which german pilots. The book gives a great attention to the sexism that at first existed for these women.
Since there was silence before the bomb blast, the germans called them night witches and claimed they flew on broomsticks. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In the united states, the history of the womens air service pilots wasp is reasonably well known, and their heroics are celebrated. 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. Film will be based on the female flying unit that fought in the battle of moscow. By middle school i had checked out every available book from the surprisingly vast canon. I had never heard of the night witches, nor had i ever read a book on wwii based in russia. 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. Meet the night witches, the daring female pilots who bombed nazis by night.
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 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. 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. In january 1943, raskova was killed when her pe2 crashed in a snowstorm near stalingrad. Gr 7 uplaskys latest historical fiction novel flies readers to world war ii europe on a lifethreatening adventure. The night witches harassed many german units during the red armys continued push out of its oncebesieged homeland. 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.
The night witches part 1 russian bomber squad wwii. Using conventional realism, physical theatre, music, dance, acroyoga, shadow puppetry, and source material from anne noggles book, a dance with death. Nadia valinksky, a student teacher from moscow, wants to do more than dig ditches as the nazis advance on moscow in 1941. These women used old biplanes to bomb german targets. Jun 18, 2015 night witch commemorative stamps photo. A group that got attention in myles book was the night witches. 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 amazing story of russias women pilots in world war ii. 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. The author also covers the day bomber crews and coolest of all the free hunter fighter pilots which include the amazing litvak. 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. When her mother is killed during the siege, valya is left with one burning desire. 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. Far less is written about their russian counterparts, the night witches of the 588th night bomber regiment.
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. Night witches by mirren hogan goodreads share book. 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. From 1942 until the end of world war ii, the soviets had a secret weapon. In kathryn laskys novel night witches, the protagonist sets out to enlist in the unit, her older sister already serving as a night witch. Soviet night witches flew bombing missions against the. 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. Namely, the night witches, an allfemale squadron of bomber pilots who ran thousands of daring bombing. The germans called them nachthexen night witches because the wind of their passing sounded like a witchs broomstick flying overhead though how theyd know.
Hogan gives us mostly historically accurate details while adding fiction for an enthralling storyline. The soviet night witches female bomber pilots of wwii the. Soviet night witches pilots aircrew remembered site. A history of the all female 588th night bomber regiment mason, fergus, historycaps on. 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. 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. The allfemale night witches squadron was the direct result of women in the soviet union wanting to be actively involved in the war effort. In the nazioccupied soviet union, german soldiers had a very real fear of witches. 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.
They would fly slow biplanes so low that they did not have parachutes. Some of the members returning to civilian life, and some stayed on in the soviet air force. 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. The wwii pilots known as the night witches their planes were rickety cropdusters, but the soviet women turned them into killing machines. But since the germans surrounded stalingrad, valyas been forced to stay on the ground and watch her city crumble. It is about the coming of age of a young russian woman who becomes a night witch.
From the beginning of the night witches you are taken into an exhilarating journey. The title night witches is a bit misleading for great patriotic war buffs. Night witches by lj adlington doesnt need aerial flips and maneuvers to become my favorite. After the war, the 588 th night bomber regiment was disbanded. She met her future husband in the war, and lived to the age of 91. 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. 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. Night witches is a tabletop roleplaying game about women at war. Your bookshelf is hungry for this entertaining read with its colorful imagery. The night witches were russian women who flew in combat against germany in the fight to defend their homeland. 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 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. It is incredibly powerful, emotional, terrifying and fucking badass. Like many of her comrades, nadezhda was shot down many times.
These are the reallife super girls, wonder women of the world a genius of an illustrated story. From 1942 to 1945, this allfemale squadron dropped 23,000 tons of bombs and was feared by the nazis. 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 history guy recounts the story of the night witches, the most decorated female combat aviation unit of the second world war.
From the very inception of the war, colonel marina raskova, a pilot who was. 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. I spent a long time researching these women after i read the book, it is an interesting topic and these women are true heroes. 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. The german pilots had so much trouble shooting the witches down, they came up with all kinds of superstition and rumors about them. It is written for the younger generation, so being old i did wish that sometimes kathryn lasky had. Night witches by kathryn lasky goodreads share book. Jun 25, 2015 in the nazioccupied soviet union, german soldiers had a very real fear of witches. In 1941, after the germans invaded the soviet union, famous aviatrix marina raskova lobbied joseph stalin to form regiments of women pilots. Jul 15, 20 the night witches were largely unique among the female combatants and even the female flyersof world war ii. The littleknown story of the night witches, an allfemale. 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 story of the womens air service pilots wasp in the united states is relatively well known.
Dubbed the night witches, the regiment struck terror in the hearts of german ground troops. They were dubbed night witches by the frightened german soldiers because of the deadly stealth of their light planes. These young women enlisted after learning to fly at their hometown clubs, and they became national heroes. 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. 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. As a member of the 588th night bomber regiment, youll answer the call of your motherland in her darkest hour. 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. The actual night witches a german coinage for the women night bomber pilots and navigators are only one third of the story. 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 gone into more details. Night witches soviet female flying aces who struck terror. If youre interested in graphic novels, garth ennis has created a. Untold story of soviet women in combat new ed by myles, bruce isbn. The night witches decorated their planes with flowers and painted their lips with navigational pencils then struck fear into the hearts of the.
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