CAP Talk

Operations => Tall Tales => Topic started by: Live2Learn on October 21, 2017, 12:33:08 AM

Title: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: Live2Learn on October 21, 2017, 12:33:08 AM
I rediscovered the story of the Night Witches recently when I ran across a short piece on the AOPA website which described a short play by Elena Kritter that offered an artistic view of their remarkable feats and accomplishments.  As always, there's more to a story than a play can share. 

These six videos created by Gunilla Bresky offer a much more complete, unfiltered version of this remarkable story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-5cVgjJZu4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-5cVgjJZu4)  Part 01

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeN8PnEPB4w (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeN8PnEPB4w)  Part 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ZHHEQQdUg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ZHHEQQdUg)  Part 03

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbVc4mQ7H4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbVc4mQ7H4)  Part 04

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOoNw8ORnr4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOoNw8ORnr4)  Part 05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnW9Fbne89Q (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnW9Fbne89Q)  Part 06


The women pilots and navigator/bombardiers called the Germans called "night witches" were incredible ... the 'real deal'.  These six videos span the war years from Germany's invasion of the USSR on 1941 June 22 through Germany's surrender on 1945 May 07 nearly four years later.  Each video is about 10 minutes or so.   With only a very few exceptions videos are either narrated the surviving women, or by readings from letters penned during the war by the (then) young women.  The women, live and gone, tell the story themselves with their words translated in English subtitles.  Original photos and movies are used to illustrate the story.  Historical imagery is interspersed with images and brief video of surviving women as young soldiers and in their later years as they narrate the story.  The tale is gripping.  Lessons are powerful.  Note the video record of the terrible destruction brought to cities devastated by combat.

This is one of the most interesting stories I've ever seen.   I have seldom seen anything so thoroughly and powerfully documented in film.
Title: Re: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: SarDragon on October 21, 2017, 01:28:48 AM
The Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches)
Title: Re: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: Simplex on November 02, 2017, 03:07:29 AM
What a great story. Just when you think you've heard everything about WWII something new, like this, pops up. Outstanding, thanks for posting.
Title: Re: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: Luis R. Ramos on November 02, 2017, 12:30:45 PM
It was not new to me. I had already read about the ladies but this is the first comprehensive collection of resources about them I come across.

Thanks Live and Sar.
Title: Re: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: Cliff_Chambliss on November 02, 2017, 01:20:53 PM
Many Russian Women stepped up during the Second World War.  Another group not widely known in the west were the women snipers in the Red Army.  Over two thousand women volunteered and many ran up impressive kill scores.  On the other hand, it is estimated that only 500-600 survived the war.   
So we are learning more about the:
'Night Witches'
Snipers
I have been led to believe there was an all woman fighter regiment which went eyeball to eyeball with the German Luftwaffe.
Still looking if there were Russian Woman Tankers.

Title: Re: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: Toad1168 on November 02, 2017, 01:42:40 PM
I read about one Russian woman tanker.  Apparently she was mad her husband was killed and swore revenge on the Germans.  She bought her own tank and exacted revenge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariya_Oktyabrskaya
Title: Re: Not a tall tale. The remarkable story of an all (but 1) female WW2 combat unit.
Post by: Live2Learn on November 02, 2017, 09:05:09 PM
Quote from: Cliff_Chambliss on November 02, 2017, 01:20:53 PM
...
I have been led to believe there was an all woman fighter regiment which went eyeball to eyeball with the German Luftwaffe.


Check out this link:  http://www.avstop.com/History/AroundTheWorld/Russia/Nexen.htm (http://www.avstop.com/History/AroundTheWorld/Russia/Nexen.htm)