20. The Soviets Were Initially Reluctant to Use Women in Combat
The Soviet Union grew increasingly desperate in the days and months following Operation Barbarossa, the sudden German onslaught in the summer of 1941 that came within a hair’s breadth of crushing the communist state. The Soviets threw all they could lay their hands on against the invaders, in a desperate attempt to stop or at least slow down the Nazis. Yet, even in those dire times, the authorities were reluctant to use women in the front lines.
Women were initially barred from combat. However, after repeated appeals, most notably from Major Marina Raskova, who made the case directly to Stalin, permission was granted to form women into combat units. On October 8th, 1941, three female aviation units were formed, commanded by Raskova. They were consolidated into the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, later renamed the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. They were more commonly known as The Night Witches.