The Night Witches were an all-female pilot regiment who flew under the cover of darkness in bare-bones plywood planes, bombing Nazis during WWII.

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The planes the Night Witches operated made whooshing sounds similar to a sweeping broom, leading to the Germans coining their nickname, Nachthexen or Night Witches.

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These women flew in harsh cold conditions risking hypothermia using planes originally designed for agricultural purposes – not for battling Nazis in a massive world war. They also lacked parachutes and other common aviation equipment such as radios and radars. Further, they had no defense capabilities onboard… In a firefight, they could only escape, unable to retaliate.

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Despite their disadvantages, the Night Witches were a formidable force and were like terrifying ghosts maneuvering through the night. Their engines would idle, allowing them to silently coast over enemy infrastructure before unleashing their explosives.

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Overall, the Night Witches were a thorn in the Nazis plans, constantly destroying key infrastructure such as railway lines as well as providing crucial supplies to friendly troops.

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Herein we outline the history of the Night Witches, discuss their tactics and strategy, the equipment they used, and the key battles/operations they were involved in. This lesser-known pilot regiment was truly brave and inspiring. It was a pleasure to research this one.

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What say you?