During the Second World War went to the front not only seventeen young boys and girls students.Young beautiful woman, who only yesterday were preparing for exams, Dating a man and dreamed of a wedding dress, now fighting for the lives of their compatriots and the freedom of the motherland.Some of the brave women became a military nurse, someone - Scout, someone - a machine gunner, and someone - military aviatrix.Fought against fascism are on a par with men, often in the same regiment.
«Night Witches»
most famous and at the same time the only female regiment in the national and world history is the 46 Guards female regiment of night bombers, affectionately referred to as the regular army of the Soviet Union "Dunkinym regiment" and the fear nicknamed, Nazi soldiers "Night Witches".
«Night Witches" initially caused the German army only scornful laughter as they flew on aircraft plywood "U-2", which are in direct contact was not difficult to knock out of the heavy machine gun.However, during the battle fearless warriors were able to show what they are worth, instilling terror of the enemy "night swallows" (as the girls called their aircraft).
Female Aviation Regiment of night bombers made an invaluable contribution to the victory.
«U-2" - cardboard or corncob combat "Heavenly slug"?
«U-2" and "Po-2" - a lightweight plywood airplanes, the body which have not been protected from large-caliber weapons.They light up at the slightest contact with the fire.Slow the machine, the speed limit which was slightly higher than 100 km / h, gained altitude of 500 meters, but in the capable hands of female pilots turn into a dangerous weapon.
nightfall appeared out of nowhere 46 female aviation regiment of night bombers and bombarded enemy positions with bombs.
Germans were afraid of girls and endowed with supernatural powers 46 Regiment, disbelief, that, at such a primitive flying machines, an ordinary person can achieve such results.However, very few people knew how hard pilots managed to maintain its fantastic image.For a long time, to board "swallows" Place a large number of bombs, the girls did not take with him even a parachute and a gun were carrying only TT.In the second half of the war pistols were replaced by machine guns, which greatly enhances the ability of pilots to the protection and resistance.But even better weapons, when released into the beams of searchlights at "Heavenly slug" had no chance.
During the night the plane, which ran 46 women Guards regiment of night bombers, made eight sorties, and in the long winter evenings their number doubled.The mechanics of the regiment, which, incidentally, were also women within hours patched punched and burned part of the plywood "shelving units," and the warrior again sent on a mission.
Who knows, maybe the really 46 female aviation regiment enjoyed the favor of the higher forces?How else to explain the fact that "nocturnal swallows' return to the airport in a state in which any aircraft not flying to five meters?
saw veneer "U-2" bombers known to the whole world experienced aviator Marina Raskova.
baptism of fire "Taman" regiment
hereby baptism of girls can be considered as an operation to break the "Blue Line."So-called fighting in Novosibirsk.Freeing the Taman Peninsula, 46 Guards Regiment female night bomber, whose photos you can find in any textbook history of the world, earned the nickname "Taman".
Local fighting was the bloodiest operation in the history of "Night Witches."The regiment suffered inestimable loss of 11 heavenly Valkyries gave their lives for the freedom of Novosibirsk.In
alone last night in July 1943 in the spotlight regiment lost eight soldiers and four crew.
Marina Raskova
Marina Raskova was born March 28, 1912.Her father was a singing teacher and a gifted musical talent of the girl wanted to become an opera singer.But fate decided otherwise - the family breadwinner died Raskova.To help his mother and younger brother, having reached the age of sixteen, Marina went to work at a chemical plant Butyrskiy.A year in the life of the future lёtchitsy occurred fateful change of profession - the girl got a job as a lab assistant at the Air Force Academy named after Zhukovsky.
work to which it has agreed to in desperation, turned into a hobby and has become a matter of life.Celebrities graduated from the Institute of Civil Aviation, and began teaching business navigator.She also set several world records in the flying business.
In 1938 Raskova went to the front, where she became the first navigator of the fair sex.
By the way, the idea of creating 46 Guards Regiment female night bomber was filed Marina Raskova.For the three months using it organized two regiments of professional pilots.
widely known story which tells that when the plane with the girls-bombers made a forced emergency landing in the taiga, Raskova jumped with a parachute and was found ten days later, barefoot, but has not lost the will to win.For his daring jump woman was awarded the Order of Lenin and medal "Gold Star".
regimental commander
commander "Dunkinogo Regiment" as jokingly called 46 female regiment of night bombers fighting Sister - the soldiers of the Soviet Army, became an experienced aviator Evdokia Davydovna Bershanskaya.
Evdokia was born on February 6, 1913 in the Stavropol region, in the village of voluntariness, in the family of a blacksmith.During the Civil War, the girl lost her parents, her upbringing take her uncle George Sereda.Perhaps it is thanks to the patriotic instruction of his uncle, who was listed as Commissioner 286 Infantry Regiment, and his friends, among whom there were such famous personalities as Voroshilov, Budyonny and Apanasenko girl with a masculine character decided to become subjugator sky.After graduation in Blagodarnenskogo school number 1, she enrolled at the school Bataisk pilots, after which he began to teach there as an instructor.
In 1941 Evdokia Davydovna was appointed commander of 46 Guards Regiment female night bomber, under her were more than thirty aircraft.He was awarded the Order of Suvorov and Alexander Nevsky.
After the war, married the commander of the regiment of night bombers Konstantin Bocharov and had three children.
Awards and the title of "Night Witches»
Taman regiment distinguished women and the number of women presented to the award.Twenty-three of them became Heroes of the Soviet Union.
After the collapse of the USSR Alexandra Akimova and Sumarokova Tatiana Nikolaevna awarded the title of Hero of Russia and Dospanova Hiuaz bestowed the title of Hero of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
losses
Unfortunately, women summer Regiment was not without casualties.During the war, killed 32 pilots, but they are buried, thanks to the efforts Evdokia Jakovlevny Rachkevich and other surviving soldiers of the regiment.
girl also died in accidents during exercises, from serious diseases and injuries in military hospitals and in other circumstances not related to fighting.
Revelation Irina Irina Rakobolskoy
Rakobolskaya veteran and Chief of Staff of the female bomber regiment, gave an interview to journalists.
In his revelations, she said, the horror experienced when he heard on the radio about the beginning of the war.This is terrible news caught up with her when she was getting ready with my girlfriend for the exam in physics.Cry, the girls decided to defend the homeland.
Since small size clothing in the Soviet Union was not allowed, pilots were forced to wear a uniform with the man's shoulder and footwear sizes 41-43.Only in the middle of the war the regiment was normal uniforms, which was made on the orders of General Tuleneva.
Rakobolskaya respectfully responds to Raskova, which is made of "unformed, shaggy, dirty-haired army" professional Regiment of night bombers.Laughingly recalls ninety Irina V. its maiden offense when she, like all women's regiment command ordered to cut their hair short, and annoyance that occurred when she learned exactly how their unit fighting brothers.
woman who fought for the people, for the future of their children, with tears in his eyes tells how was the fate of some of the girls from the "Dunkinogo shelf" after the war, because not every one of them has found his calling in peacetime.However, Irina V. Rakobolskaya wise, does not hold any power of evil, nor frivolous youth.She believes that, start a war in our time, young boys and girls, without a moment's hesitation, went to defend the homeland.
«Night Witches" in art
Glory overtook the regiment and in the arts.About brave girls filmed a lot of movies and sung a lot of songs.
first reel of film about 46 female Guards regiment of night bombers called "1100 Nights" was filmed Semen Aronovich even during the Soviet Union in 1961.After 20 years on the screens released another movie - "The sky 'Night Witches."
The famous and beloved work "go to fight some old" as a basis for the plot took the story "Night Witches" Nadezhda Popova and the pilot Seeds Kharlamov.
Some foreign groups, such as Hail of Bullets and Sabaton, in his compositions celebrate 46 Guards regiment of women.
