And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Ukrainian/Soviet WWII bomber pilot Natalya Meklin, 1945
She was the most decorated female pilot in the Soviet Union flying 982 combat missions against the Nazis and was awarded the Order of Lenin with Gold Star.
She was part of the Russian Night Bombers known as the Night Witches.
Her aircraft was a wood and fabric biplane. Their tactics of turning off their engine and gliding in to drop bombs terrified the German Soldiers far more than the actual damages done. Then they would restart their engines to fly back to base.
The lighter weight of the women pilots along with a fairly light bomb made this glide attack useful.
Given the German commanders orders towards women soldiers in the Russian front these were very brave women.
Splain, please. I heard about Charlie from a couple of crusty old E-7s in the Crotch back in 1960. Of course, I was just an 18-year-old Newbie at the time so they might have been blowing smoke up my ass.
There is no gold star on the Order of Lenin. Of course, it is the one with Lenin's face on it, first to the left of the row. The top decoration above the rest with the gold star is the Hero of the Soviet Union award. Essentially their version of the Medal of Honor.
She was part of the Russian Night Bombers known as the Night Witches.
ReplyDeleteHer aircraft was a wood and fabric biplane. Their tactics of turning off their engine and gliding in to drop bombs terrified the German Soldiers far more than the actual damages done. Then they would restart their engines to fly back to base.
The lighter weight of the women pilots along with a fairly light bomb made this glide attack useful.
Given the German commanders orders towards women soldiers in the Russian front these were very brave women.
Sounds like the Soviet version of Washing Machine Charlie over the Canal.
DeleteBest story that never happened!
DeleteSplain, please. I heard about Charlie from a couple of crusty old E-7s in the Crotch back in 1960. Of course, I was just an 18-year-old Newbie at the time so they might have been blowing smoke up my ass.
DeleteA entertaining series on YouTube The Night Swallows based loosely on the Night Witches
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a boy, back in the 60s, the story we got was, the difference between Russian women and tractors was that tractors have quieter exhausts
ReplyDeleteThere is no gold star on the Order of Lenin. Of course, it is the one with Lenin's face on it, first to the left of the row. The top decoration above the rest with the gold star is the Hero of the Soviet Union award. Essentially their version of the Medal of Honor.
ReplyDelete