General Discussion

ashling

(25,771 posts) Wed Mar 5, 2014, 12:29 AM Mar 2014

Cross posted - A mighty girl

"The Nazis called them 'Night Witches' because the whooshing noise their plywood and canvas airplanes made reminded the Germans of the sound of a witch’s broomstick. The Russian women who piloted those planes, onetime crop dusters, took it as a compliment. In 30,000 missions over four years, they dumped 23,000 tons of bombs on the German invaders, ultimately helping to chase them back to Berlin. Any German pilot who downed a 'witch' was awarded an Iron Cross.

These young heroines, all volunteers and most in their teens and early 20s, became legends of World War II but are now largely forgotten. Flying only in the dark, they had no parachutes, guns, radios or radar, only maps and compasses. If hit by tracer bullets, their planes would burn like sheets of paper."

So begins a NY Times tribute to one of the most famous "Night Witches," Nadezhda Popova, pictured here. Popova, who flew 852 missions during the war, passed away this past year at the age of 91. To read more about her incredible story, visit http://nyti.ms/JbnOMC

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=edit&forum=1018&thread=583499

10 replies

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Cross posted - A mighty girl (Original Post) ashling Mar 2014 OP

Thank you. I am in awe of these Night Witches. Autumn Mar 2014 #1

amazing. K&R dionysus Mar 2014 #2

852 Missions? Holy Sh%t! kristopher Mar 2014 #3

Wow!! Big K & R! nt riderinthestorm Mar 2014 #4

Wow. Brigid Mar 2014 #5

I didn't know anything about these amazing women. SunSeeker Mar 2014 #6

Say what you want about the USSR awoke_in_2003 Mar 2014 #7

They did descriminate against women. They just ran out of men, so had no choice. SunSeeker Mar 2014 #10

Dang - I've never heard of this before. NaturalHigh Mar 2014 #8

I know a lot of stuff about WWII, didn't know about this. kjones Mar 2014 #9

Autumn

(45,107 posts)

1. Thank you. I am in awe of these Night Witches.

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 12:31 AM

Mar 2014

dionysus

(26,467 posts)

2. amazing. K&R

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 12:33 AM

Mar 2014

kristopher

(29,798 posts)

3. 852 Missions? Holy Sh%t!

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 02:21 AM

Mar 2014

I've never even heard of this. Thanks for posting the article.

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)

4. Wow!! Big K & R! nt

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 02:29 AM

Mar 2014

Brigid

(17,621 posts)

5. Wow.

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 02:31 AM

Mar 2014

I never heard of the Night Witches either. Hollywood, are you listening?

SunSeeker

(51,572 posts)

6. I didn't know anything about these amazing women.

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 02:39 AM

Mar 2014

Thanks so much for the post. Wish I could have shared some fine vodka with this warrior while she was alive. What a life story she must have had!

awoke_in_2003

(34,582 posts)

7. Say what you want about the USSR

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 03:27 AM

Mar 2014

and there is plenty bad to say, but when it came to protecting their nation, the USSR did not discrimate based on sex. Women can kick ass, too.

On edit: looking at the pic again, that is a strong, proud woman who would take no one's crap. My favorite type of person.

SunSeeker

(51,572 posts)

10. They did descriminate against women. They just ran out of men, so had no choice.

Reply to awoke_in_2003 (Reply #7)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 12:36 PM

Mar 2014

I remember seeing a picture of the WWII graves outside Leningrad. Each mound contains 10, 000 bodies and the mounds go for as far as the eye can see. 26 million Soviets died in WWII.

And yes, she is a kick ass woman. And a Ukrainian. Her fellow countrymen have exhibited amazing bravery lately as well.

NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)

8. Dang - I've never heard of this before.

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 03:40 AM

Mar 2014

Plywood and canvass airplanes? I don't even like going up in a 747.

kjones

(1,053 posts)

9. I know a lot of stuff about WWII, didn't know about this.

Reply to ashling (Original post)

Wed Mar 5, 2014, 06:18 AM

Mar 2014

Many partisan groups across Europe also had many female members, and if
I'm not mistaken, women were involved in covert operations of all sorts
on behalf of just about any country involved.

Just playing devil's advocate here, but wasn't there a sizable number of
DU members "up in arms" (haw) a few weeks ago after the SOTU because
of "glorification" of war and/or veterans?

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