The Nachthexen

I had no idea about the Nachthexen. I did not know they existed. During the Great Patriotic War they were an all female bomber squadron. They used obsolete flyers that could only carry two bombs at a time so they had certain limitations. The enemy had cutting edge - really bleeding edge - flyers that flew so fast that their stall speeds were below the top speeds that the Nachthexen could achieve.

The Nachthexen flew planes that were ideal for crop dusting and as such had amazing maneuverability that their opponents just could not match. They were deadly and they inspired fear in the heart of the enemy. Hence the name, "the Night Witches."

Now, be honest, how many of you think I am making this up? Come on, admit it. Nobody will think less of you.

Well, to be honest, some of us will think less of you. But we won't act like it. At least not while you are around.

Until just about an hour ago, I did not know about the Nachthexen. What a cool name by the way. Can't imagine Hollywood has not found this yet. Such a cool title.

It is the name given to the female night-time bombing squadron of the Soviet Union during World War II. The Great Patriotic War is how World War II is referred to in Russia (may I take a moment to point out that I first learned this from comic books several years ago - Fanboy Emeritus Ray)

These women used 1928 bi-planes that could only carry two bombs and were so slow that the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 would literally stall out if they tried to slow down enough to take up position behind it.

I am amazed that I am forty years old and this is the first I have heard of this. Why has there not been a movie about this? Why isn't this common knowledge for all of us?

Part of it has to be that these women served in Stalin's USSR. If you were too popular a hero, you were found guilty of SOMETHING and sent to Siberia. Stalin learned the lesson that he taught Trotsky and Lenin - don't ever allow for the creation of a Stalin in your base of power. Bad things happen if you allow a Stalin to flourish. He was one of the first of us to realize that people like me don't like people like me.

Part of it is that the Nachthexen features women in warfare and for we don't want to focus on that at all. The idea of mother as death dealer is not appealing to most audiences. The idea of women being capable of ANYTHING is not an idea that I struggle with at all. I wonder why that is? I have posted before that my mom is one tough old broad.

My brothers and I have no problem picturing a woman as tough as nails. The idea that Sarah Connors would train the leader of the free world to stand against sexist Austrian cybernetic death dealers made sense to us. The idea that a woman could take a leadership position in the free world like Margaret Thatcher did was never shocking to us.

I am just now finding out about the Nachthexen and still have to find a book or two detailing these warrior women, but I have this feeling in my bones that they will prove to be strangely familiar to me.