A Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Read online

  The young women who were recruited for the 122nd came from a variety of backgrounds. They reported to the Volga town of Engels, where they were divided into four groups according to previous experience: potential pilots, navigators, mechanics, and armorers. Although a number of women, especially those who were to serve as armorers and mechanics, had to be trained from scratch, a significant proportion of the women were university students when the war broke out and had already received considerable training through the Osoaviakhim. A minimum of 50o flying hours was required of women who desired to serve as fighter or bomber pilots. Though this standard was quite high, there were many more pilots than navigators, and a number of young, qualified women pilots were disappointed to discover that they had been assigned as navigators. All of the volunteers were subjected to an extremely rigorous training program, and in the case of the pilots, one that crammed nearly three years of flying experience into several months.'? Time was of the essence.

  The women's instruction, equipment, and ultimate assignment were identical to those of their male counterparts. There is nothing in the designation of the regiments that were later formed out of the 122nd-the 586th Fighter Regiment, the 587th Bomber Regiment, and the 588th Air Regiment-to indicate that these were female units.'8 That they were not perceived as being essentially different from any of the male regiments is evident from the fact that they were given exactly the same coverage as the male air regiments in the official history of the Soviet Army Air Force in the Second World War.'9

  Map of Eastern Europe. Prepared by Cartographics, TAMU.

  The three regiments were activated in early 1942. The 586th Fighter Regiment became operational in April, 1942, over Saratov on the Volga River, where it soon played an important role in the Battle of Stalingrad. In addition to protecting vital transportation and communication lines, the regiment provided air cover for advancing Soviet troops, harassed enemy positions, and guarded military installations. Equipped with Yak fighters, the regiment's operations extended as far west as Vienna and the Danube River.20

  Because their mission was primarily defensive, the 586th was not routinely used in combat-a fact that explains the regiment's relatively low number of enemy "kills." In no way should their combat record be taken as an indication of any shortcoming. Eight of the women were detached to serve with the 73rd Fighter Regiment. The male fighter pilots obviously respected these women's capabilities, because they flew as trusted wingmen of veteran pilots. Further, two of these women-Lilya Litvyak and Katya Budanova-went on to earn the title "ace" while flying as "lone wolf" Though the 586th never won the coveted "Guards" title, all of the women of the regiment were decorated. It deserves mention that, by the closing months of the war, women accounted for more than 12 percent of the Soviet fighter aviation strength.22

  The 587th Bomber Regiment, later known as the 125th Guards Bomber Regiment, was likewise dispatched to commence operations in Saratov on the Volga River. They flew the fast, sophisticated, twin-engine Pe-2 dive bomber. Though many of the women's arms and legs were too short and their physical strength not always sufficient to fly the aircraft comfortably under all conditions, most of the women came to like the plane. Reflecting the joy that most pilots experience when flying a challenging, responsive aircraft, one member of the 125th described the Pe-2 as "astonishingly beautiful in

  Although the regiment was used as a ground-support weapon when Russian forces broke through in the northern Caucasus in 1943, its primary mission was offensive bombing. It was used to attack enemy positions and strongholds, to destroy enemy installations, and harass troop concentrations. In January, 1943, the 125th regiment reached the front-line airfield at Novo-Georgeyevka. Their airfield was situated near an all-male bomber regiment whose members were less than confident in the women's skills and bravery. It did not take long, however, for the women pilots to win their respect. The authorities apparently agreed with them, for in the spring of 1944 the regiment was granted the coveted title of "Guards" and renamed the 125th M. M. Raskova Borisov Guards Bomber Regiment. The regiment was collectively awarded the Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov in recognition of their skill and bravery in battle, and five members were named Heroes of the Soviet Union. Its campaigns took the 125th through Belorussia and into the Baltic area, ending as far west as eastern Prussia. On the way, the crews of the 125th flew up to three bombing sorties a day-1,134 sorties for the duration of the war-and dropped some 98o,ooo kilograms of bombs.24

  Perhaps the best known of all of the Soviet women's air regiments, the 588th Air Regiment, later known as the 46th Guards Bomber Regiment, officially began operations in the spring of 1942. Commanded by Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, the 46th regiment was the only one of the three regiments formed from the 122nd Composite Air Group to remain entirely female throughout the war. The regiment received a great deal of publicity both during and after the war. It was frequently the subject of Western and Soviet journal articles, and after the war its members actively promoted the regiment's history through memoirs, collected accounts, and even documentary and feature films.

  The 46th experienced a rather inauspicious start: the regiment had already suffered the loss of two crews during training, an event that delayed its departure for the front. Further, when the women arrived at their new forward base of operations in May, 1942, they were discovered to be insufficiently trained and poorly prepared for aviation combat conditions at the front. The divisional commander, D. D. Popov, despaired at having the women sent to him. His superior, however, advised patience and additional training for the regiment.-5 The women of the 46th were not to disappoint.

  The 46th was equipped with a modified version of the popular U-2 trainer. Though later redesignated as the Po-2, the aircraft remained essentially unchanged from its original design in 1927. It was easy to fly, its fuel consumption was low, and it was capable of landing virtually anywhere. It carried a crew of two and between six and eight bombs-approximately one thousand kilograms-and was sometimes armed with a machine gun in the rear cockpit.z6 Made predominantly of wood and fabric, the aircraft was a fire hazard in combat. Many of the accounts related by the crews of the night bomber squadrons are focused on their fear of the aircraft catching fire.

  The regiment began its operations in the Don region, where it was used to assault bridges, enemy strongholds, fuel and ammunition dumps, and enemy troop concentrations. It saw action in the Crimea, north through Belorussia and Poland, and as far west as Berlin. Between May, 1942, and May, 1945, the 46th Guards Bomber Regiment flew an estimated twenty-four thousand combat sorties, through every kind of weather and conditions. The women-pilots and ground crews alike-lived on the verge of physical collapse, managing a bit of sleep or a meal whenever they could.27

  In February, 1943, the regiment was renamed the 46th Taman Guards Bomber Regiment, thus becoming the first female "Guard" unit. It was awarded the Orders of the Red Banner and Suvorov i i i Class for skill and bravery. The most highly decorated of the three women's regiments, the 46th regiment also produced twenty-three Heroes of the Soviet Union.

  It should be noted that a significant proportion of the ground crews attached to these regiments were women as well. Responsible for maintaining and preparing the aircraft for their sometimes numerous daily missions, the armorers and mechanics handled ammunition boxes and machine-gun belts, made quick-time repairs, and attached heavy bombs, often working without cover in subzero weather. In the course of one night the armorers with the 46th would haul up to four tons of bombs each. In short, the ground crews were as dedicated as their aircrews. They often became so close to their pilot and aircraft that, if something happened to the plane, they felt they had failed somehow. ("We worried until our planes returned.") 28

  Although there were some who viewed the women's regiments with contempt and even made life difficult for the airwomen they encountered, many male pilots and regimental commanders did come to appreciate the skills of their female colleagues. Indeed, the record of the women's air regiments co
mpares favorably with that of the men. The three regiments flew a combined total of more than thirty thousand combat sorties, and of the ninety-two women who were bestowed the title Hero of the Soviet Union in recognition of their outstanding service to their country in the Second World War, nearly one-third were airwomen. There were at least three fighter aces among the women pilots, and two of the regiments received the coveted "Guards" designation-an honor not given lightly, even during the war.2°

  Aside from being the accounts of the first women to engage in combat in any numbers, there is something else that makes the recollections contained in this book special: they illustrate a commonality of purpose among the women who served in the Second World War. The stories cut across national boundaries in a variety of ways. There is, for example, a striking similarity in attitude between the Soviet women pilots and that of the women who served as military pilots in the United States. There were, to be sure, some very major differences between the two groups, the most obvious being that the Soviet women were engaged in actual combat while the Women Airforce Service Pilots-the WASPS-were restricted to noncombat missions. Moreover, unlike their American counterparts, the Soviet women's air regiments were fully militarized, and the women who served did so for the duration of the war. An immediate and striking similarity can be found in the desire of both groups of women to serve-to offer their skills as pilots in the defense of their country. A sentiment shared by many of the women whose memoirs are recounted here is that they had to do something. The women who volunteered did so freely-some even lied about their experience and training in order to gain entrance to the program. Although many of the young Soviet women pilots volunteered as a result of an initial overwhelming surge of patriotism, they quickly came to realize that the war was nothing less than a national life-or-death struggle.

  There is also a striking degree of similarity between the two groups in the camaraderie that the women shared. There is a closeness-a community of being-that approaches the relationship of family. It is not surprising to note that both groups developed their strongest ties during periods of great stress: the WASPs during their training, and the Soviet women while in the field.

  Finally, without dwelling unduly on the issue of politics, the Soviet women were subjected to incredible political pressures. The recollections of some of the women contain grim reminders that life in Soviet Russia in the 19305 was complicated and potentially very dangerous. The same system that nurtured their love of flying and encouraged them to explore aviation was also capable of destroying them. That these women are now able to speak so freely about the difficulties faced by themselves and some of their colleagues is in itself a remarkable achievement. The fact that there is so little bitterness expressed stands as testament to their stoic determination and patriotism. Their country needed them in time of war, and they responded-fully, unreservedly, and sometimes with their lives. The overwhelming pride they share in having served their country-of having made a difference-is evident in all of the women's stories.

  Though strictly speaking not a history of the Soviet women who flew in combat, this hook represents their history-the hopes, fears, and experiences of the young women who embarked on a most deadly adventure, which combined the joyous freedom of flying with the horrors and destruction of war. Their stories are powerful, moving, and enlightening.

  The women whose reminiscences are recounted in this book represent the first instance of the widespread employment of women in combat by a major power. The successes of these young women, their fears, their friendships, and their courage are captured here in their own words, seasoned with the passing of half a century. Their wartime contributions, like those of the WASPs, are only now being given the attention they so richly deserve, and the passing of these women makes the task of gathering these memoirs critical. Their stories-as their past deeds-speak for themselves.

  Only a pilot can understand how it feels to be in the air without the instructor. Only a pilot knows the whole scope of feelings and sensations you experience when face-to-face with the sky and aircraft!

  -Senior Lieutenant Nina Raspopova, 46th Night Bomber Regiment

  Notes

  i. One of the best studies to date is J. K. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen in Combat in World War II (Manhattan, Kans.: Sunflower University Press, 1983). There are a number of promising works in progress on the topic and increasing numbers of translations of memoirs and accounts published in Russian. There is, however, ample room for further research with the opening of Soviet archives on the Second World War.

  2. Dorothy Atkinson, "Society and the Sexes in the Russian Past," in Dorothy Atkinson, Alexander Dallin, and Gail Lapidus, eds., Women in Russia (Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1977, pp. 3-4.

  3. Nadezhda Durova, The Cavalry Maiden: Journals of a Russian Officer in the Napoleonic Wars, trans. Mary Fleming Zirin (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988), pp. ix, xxviii.

  4. Anne Eliot Griesse and Richard Stites, "Russia: Revolution and War," in Female Soldiers-Combatants or Noncombatants? Historical and Contemporary Perspectives, ed. Nancy L. Goldman (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982), p. 80; "Young Girls Fighting on the Russian Front," Current History (May, 1916); and the New York Literary Digest as cited in Julie Wheelwright, Amazons and Military Maids: Women Who Dressed as Men in the Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness (Boston: Pandora Press, 1989), P. 33.

  5. Flight, April r6, 1915.

  6. Only those women's regiments in Perm and Petrograd were used in combat. See Maria Botchkareva, Yashka: My Life as Peasant Officer and Exile (New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1919(, pp. 154-71; and Reina Pennington, "Wings, Women, and War: The Formation and Development of Soviet Women's Military Aviation Regiments, 1941-42." Seminar paper, Department of History, University of South Carolina, p. 3 (n. 40).

  7. Barbara Evens Clements, "The Birth of the New Soviet Woman," in Bolshevik Culture, ed. Abbott Gleason, Peter Kenez, and Richard Stites (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985), p. 220.

  8. Aviatsiya i Rossiya (Moscow: Mashinostrocnic, 1968), p. 316.

  9. Richard Stites, The Women's Liberation Movement in Russia: Feminism, Nihilism, and Bolshevism, 1860-1930 (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1978).

  10. Ellen Jones, Red Army and Society (Boston, Mass.: Allen & Unwin, 1985), p. 99, as cited in Pennington, "Wings, Women, and War," p. 6.

  ri. Pennington, "Wings, Women, and War," p. 9; and Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, p. I.

  12. 'Agitprop " flights were made a common phenomenon, with membership and fund-raising drives by the Society of Friends of the Airfleet recruiting some 2 million members and raising more than 5 million rubles by June, 1925. See William E. Odom, The Soviet Volunteers: Modernization and Bureaucracy in Public Mass Organization (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1973), p. 6o.

  13. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, p. I. According to Osoaviakhim's publication Samolet, i9 percent of the pilots in the USSR in 1935 were women. For the same year, only 370 or 3 percent of the 14,177 pilots in the United States were women. Samolet (Mar., 1935), p. 22.

  14. Bolshaya Sovestskaya Entsiklopediya, (3rd ed.), vol. 21, p. 466.

  i5. Marina Chechneva, Nebo Ostaetsia Nashim (Moscow: Voenizdat, 1976), pp. 9-10; V. Mitroshenko, "They Were First," Soviet Military Review (Mar., 1969), pp. 20-22; and Pennington, "Wings, Women, and War," p. 10.

  16. Alexei Flerovsky, "Women Flyers of Fighter Planes," in Soviet Life (May, 1975), P. 28.

  17. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, p. 317.

  18. Pennington, "Wings, Women, and War," p. ii.

  19. The women's regiments, like all others are mentioned only in the context of the action in which they participated. See Sovetskiye Voenno-vozdushnye sily v Velikoi Otechestvennoi Voine 1941-1945 (Moscow: Voenizdat, 1968).

  20. M. A. Kazarinova and A. A. Polyantseva, eds., V nebe frontovom. Sbornik vospominaniy sovietskikh letchits uchastnits Velikoy Otechestvennoy voyny (Moscow: Molodaya Gvardiya, 1962), pp. 186-96; and Cottam, Soviet Airwom
en, pp. 4-5.

  21. Flerovsky, "Women Flyers," p. 28; Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, p. 6; and V. S. Murmantseva, Sovetskiye zhenshchiny v velikoy Otechestvennoy voyne (Moscow: Mysl', 1974), p. 18o.

  22. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, p. 7.

  23. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, pp. 11-12.

  24. Murmantseva, Sovetskiye zhenshchiny, p. 85; Kazarinova and Polyantseva, V nebe frontovom, p. 26; Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, pp. 9-14.

  25. COMM, Soviet Airwomen, pp. 18-19.

  26. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, pp. 16-18.

  27. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, pp. 16-17, 19-20.

  28. Cottam, Soviet Airwomen, p. 22; and Senior Sergeant Galina Drobovich, regimental mechanic of the 586th.

  29. Pennington, "Wings, Women, and War," pp. 29-32.

  The American Committee for Aid to the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany announced that on June 22, 1943, a supply ship would be launched at one of the wharfs in California. It would be named "Marina Raskova" in memory of the heroic Russian Air Force pilot.

  Pravda, Moscow, June zo, 1943

  Marina Raskova was loved and venerated in the Soviet Union much as Amelia Earhart was in the United States. She was a navigator by profession. In that capacity, along with two women pilots, V. S. Grizodubova and P. O. Osipenko, she flew from Moscow to the Far East in 1938, opening up the route across Siberia and establishing a new nonstop distance record for women. During the course of this mission, overcast skies completely obscured all visual landmarks, leaving radio signals as the only means of orientation. When the radio station ceased transmitting, there was nothing to do but continue on, eventually to run out of fuel. Raskova's crew position in the nose of the aircraft was hazardous for a crash landing, and she was ordered to parachute from the plane over the taiga, a dense, swampy, forested area of Siberia. She landed in the swamp and struggled through the taiga for ten days before she finally came to the site of the aircraft.