Abstract
The 46th Taman Guard Bombers Aviation Regiment was an all-female regiment of bomber pilots enlisted by the Soviet military during World War II. Nicknamed the Night Witches by Germans soldiers, they flew over 24,000 combat missions in three years and produced twenty-four Heroes of the Soviet Union. Although gender equality in Soviet Russia made this regiment possible, equality was not what made them successful. To understand their achievements, their motivations must be examined. When the Germans invaded, these women were driven by patriotism to join the fight. Enduring the harsh frontlines, this regiment owed their success to their desire to fly and defeat the Germans. When the war ended, their aspirations changed; with the enemy defeated, these women felt their duty was to go home and rebuild a country broken by war. This exceptional unit is a perfect example of why the Soviet called this conflict the Great Patriotic War.
Bomb-Dropping Bombshells: An Analysis of the Motivations and Accomplishments of the All-Female 46th Taman Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment
The 46th Taman Guard Bombers Aviation Regiment was an all-female regiment of bomber pilots enlisted by the Soviet military during World War II. Nicknamed the Night Witches by Germans soldiers, they flew over 24,000 combat missions in three years and produced twenty-four Heroes of the Soviet Union. Although gender equality in Soviet Russia made this regiment possible, equality was not what made them successful. To understand their achievements, their motivations must be examined. When the Germans invaded, these women were driven by patriotism to join the fight. Enduring the harsh frontlines, this regiment owed their success to their desire to fly and defeat the Germans. When the war ended, their aspirations changed; with the enemy defeated, these women felt their duty was to go home and rebuild a country broken by war. This exceptional unit is a perfect example of why the Soviet called this conflict the Great Patriotic War.
