The 588th Night Bomber Regiment

The Night Witches, were unofficially known as “Stalin’s Falcons.” They were the first all-female bombing squad in the world and ranged in ages 17 to 26. They received orders to begin missions in late May 1942. Colonel Bagaev, a training commander, referred to the women as his “little princesses” but said, “Today, for the first time, a women’s regiment leaves our airfield for the front. You do not fly on awesome machines, but on training aircraft. And it’s true that you yourselves are not excessively awesome in appearance. But I am certain that in these light-winged airplanes, you will be able to inflict heavy blows on the enemy. Let fly with you my fatherly wish: success to you and combat glory!” ​​​​​​​

"The sneers of male chauvinism had hurt them more deeply than they would ever have shown publicly."
~ Bruce Myles

Adams, Dave. “Night Witches: The Fierce, All-Female Soviet Pilots of WWII.” Explore the Archive, 28 Aug. 2018, explorethearchive.com/night-witches-soviet-union-wwii.

The biggest fear of the Night Witches was being captured by the Germans. After Marina Raskova died in a plane crash, the 588th Regiment was given the elite status of “Guards” on February 8, 1943, and was officially renamed the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. This was the first all-female group to receive this status. The young women were motivated “by the love of their country and respect for carrying on Marina Raskova’s mission. Revenge to the Enemy for the Death of our Friends became the Night Witches’ flight-fight song.” On October 15, 1945, the unit was terminated. They flew 23,672 missions and dropped over 23,000 tons of bombs. They became the most highly decorated regiment in the Soviet Air Force. ​​​​​​​