Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2015 22:35:44 GMT -6
Nachthexen! Nachthexen!
Those cries were heard across the trench lines and defensive positions of Nazi Forces within Occupied Russia through World War II, and those words brought fear and loathing in equal measure. Nachthexen is German for Night Witch, and the witches of the night who would swoop in silence and riding on wood earned the fear they brought with them. . . .
In June of 1941 and almost half a year before Japan would attack the United States at Pearl Harbor, Adolph Hitler committed his greatest betrayal and greatest ultimate blunder of the war. Across a front stretching around 2,000 miles, 6 million German soldiers crossed the border in 150 divisions. These were the best Germany had at that moment in time, and as it happened, the best it ever would have in that war.
Origins.....
By the Winter of 1941, German forces were within a 15 minute road trip of the Moscow city limits, Stalingrad was under siege and 3 million Russians were prisoners of the German forces. The days were dark for Stalin and his People's Paradise. Russia was actually in danger of falling, this time.
It was into this atmosphere and building war effort that Russia initiated a new program. Under the care of a record setting aviatrix named Marina Roskova, it would start with one Regiment and grow to be three full operational regiments by the end of it. The 586th, 587th and the 588th. The regiments were not just new, but special. To Western thinking and especially at that point for society, they were very special.
These were fighter/bomber units assembled to harass German forces to the greatest extent possible. Special doesn't mean favored and it sure doesn't mean respected, early on, anyway. In fact, these units used some of the oldest junk the Soviet Air Force could muster to the side effort. Many early planes were Po-2 Wooden Bi-Planes, and more at home in the previous war than the one they were pressed into service for here. They were trainer aircraft, until tasked to fly these unique missions.
(Po-2 Bi-Plane)
So what made them Special? Good Question.. It's easier to see than explain.
There are some of the Nachthexen.....
In June of 1941 and almost half a year before Japan would attack the United States at Pearl Harbor, Adolph Hitler committed his greatest betrayal and greatest ultimate blunder of the war. Across a front stretching around 2,000 miles, 6 million German soldiers crossed the border in 150 divisions. These were the best Germany had at that moment in time, and as it happened, the best it ever would have in that war.
Origins.....
By the Winter of 1941, German forces were within a 15 minute road trip of the Moscow city limits, Stalingrad was under siege and 3 million Russians were prisoners of the German forces. The days were dark for Stalin and his People's Paradise. Russia was actually in danger of falling, this time.
It was into this atmosphere and building war effort that Russia initiated a new program. Under the care of a record setting aviatrix named Marina Roskova, it would start with one Regiment and grow to be three full operational regiments by the end of it. The 586th, 587th and the 588th. The regiments were not just new, but special. To Western thinking and especially at that point for society, they were very special.
These were fighter/bomber units assembled to harass German forces to the greatest extent possible. Special doesn't mean favored and it sure doesn't mean respected, early on, anyway. In fact, these units used some of the oldest junk the Soviet Air Force could muster to the side effort. Many early planes were Po-2 Wooden Bi-Planes, and more at home in the previous war than the one they were pressed into service for here. They were trainer aircraft, until tasked to fly these unique missions.
(Po-2 Bi-Plane)
So what made them Special? Good Question.. It's easier to see than explain.
There are some of the Nachthexen.....
A couple of those look downright cute, if it were in color! They were all female regiments, and they had their female mechanics, all serving under some female officers. Russia wasn't in a position to be sexist in that winter, as they were on the edge of being nothing but a German province in their near term future. So, they gave it a shot. No pun intended...and it worked well.
Most of the girls were in their 20's and just kids, really. They learned to be terrifyingly effective on the battlefield though. They often carried just a couple bombs, and flew as many as two dozen sorties in a night. (One sortie is a round trip out and back).
Most of the girls were in their 20's and just kids, really. They learned to be terrifyingly effective on the battlefield though. They often carried just a couple bombs, and flew as many as two dozen sorties in a night. (One sortie is a round trip out and back).
Terror From Above.....
These units were special in being all female. That isn't what made them a terror. However surprising it came to be for the Germans to discover they were being clobbered by women, that had nothing to do with what made them terrifying at all. Yet, these women were SO hated that standing German policy at the time was to award the Iron Cross to any pilot who managed to shoot one down. Their tactics are what made these very brave, very creative and downright dangerous ladies stand out and become heavily decorated by the end of the war they had entered as a speculative experiment.
(Me-109)
The use of the Po-2 gave them the ability to fly below the Me-109's stall speeds and the Focke Wulf fared no better against them. The Po-2 was highly maneuverable and could pull tight turns or fast reversals of direction that the much heavier and much faster planes couldn't match. While the regiments came to use other planes throughout the war, the Po-2 allowed a tactic that came to be trademark and gave them their name.
(Fock-Wulf)
When the women made an attack run on the German camps and lines, late in the night, they likely saw a view similar to this.....but much much scarier, of course.
All the Germans ever HEARD....was this...
That is what truly made these ladies special.
In one of the bravest tactics I could image, and one that didn't always work out for the two in the plane, they cut their engine before coming in on a sleepy camp of troops or a quiet truck parking area. This wasn't a big clunky fighter like the cutting edge the armies were using, and they were already flying low and slow.
These were light, fabric covered, wood frame planes that functioned quite well as gliders for brief periods. So a swwwwwwwishhhhh......is often all the hapless Germans heard before explosions rocked their night. Of course, by then, they weren't hearing much of anything for at least a short time ..and so never heard the small engines kick back on (hopefully) for the flight back out. That left the swish in the night as the only thing many heard.
For some, the last thing they ever got to hear.
So there you have it. A story largely passed over in history books which tend to focus on more sexy topics like battles over Britain and grand land battles between standing armies in forests across Europe. This was a small part of an enormous war, but an important part, I'd think.
Sometimes creativity, innovation and plain determination to do something is amazing to see!
In one of the bravest tactics I could image, and one that didn't always work out for the two in the plane, they cut their engine before coming in on a sleepy camp of troops or a quiet truck parking area. This wasn't a big clunky fighter like the cutting edge the armies were using, and they were already flying low and slow.
These were light, fabric covered, wood frame planes that functioned quite well as gliders for brief periods. So a swwwwwwwishhhhh......is often all the hapless Germans heard before explosions rocked their night. Of course, by then, they weren't hearing much of anything for at least a short time ..and so never heard the small engines kick back on (hopefully) for the flight back out. That left the swish in the night as the only thing many heard.
For some, the last thing they ever got to hear.
So there you have it. A story largely passed over in history books which tend to focus on more sexy topics like battles over Britain and grand land battles between standing armies in forests across Europe. This was a small part of an enormous war, but an important part, I'd think.
So here is to the Nachthexen and the contributions which so few managed to make so large an impression by.
Sometimes creativity, innovation and plain determination to do something is amazing to see!