Whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, women are always able to stand alone and show unparalleled boldness. Today we will look at a story about female warriors, who are both gentle girls or kind aunts, and veritable "witches of the night".
The 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Force was formed on October 8, 1941 as a female bomber formation and a distinguished Guards Aviation Regiment.
Soviet propaganda poster for the "Witch of the Night"
During the Great Patriotic War, the formation dispatched a total of 23,672 sorties, destroyed 17 bridges, 9 railways, 2 railway stations, 26 warehouses, 12 oil depots, 176 armored vehicles, 86 fire points, and 11 searchlights. In addition, they also provided 155 airdrops for the Desperate Soviet Army. While they brought hope to the Soviets, they also brought despair to the Germans.
Their landlines, though very backward, also allowed them to perform nighttime tasks quietly
The Night Witches' car, the Polikapov Po-2 biplane, is a multi-purpose military aircraft that integrates training, reconnaissance, bombing, psychology and communications. This kind of aircraft came out in 1928, which was already relatively backward at the time, but the hero always had a place to play - this small and slow aircraft was just suitable for night raids. It can't directly destroy a large target like the B29 in the United States, but it can randomly select a single lucky target to strike precisely, so that the enemy will start to panic because of a little skin wound.
They were both gentle girls and kind aunts, as well as skilled pilots
In the Soviet Army, they were named the 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Regiment for their glorious achievements in the Taman Peninsula; in the German Army, they were nicknamed "Witches of the Night" for coming and going without a trace.
On October 15, 1945, with the end of the war, this remarkable night navigation regiment was officially dissolved, but the glorious deeds of the "witches of the night" have always been talked about.