A Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Read Free Page A

high, there were many more pilots than navigators,
and a number of young, qualified women pilots were disappointed to
discover that they had been assigned as navigators. All of the volunteers were subjected to an extremely rigorous training program, and
in the case of the pilots, one that crammed nearly three years of flying
experience into several months.'? Time was of the essence.
    The women's instruction, equipment, and ultimate assignment
were identical to those of their male counterparts. There is nothing in
the designation of the regiments that were later formed out of the
122nd-the 586th Fighter Regiment, the 587th Bomber Regiment, and the 588th Air Regiment-to indicate that these were female units.'8
That they were not perceived as being essentially different from any
of the male regiments is evident from the fact that they were given
exactly the same coverage as the male air regiments in the official
history of the Soviet Army Air Force in the Second World War.'9

    Map of Eastern Europe. Prepared by Cartographics, TAMU.
    The three regiments were activated in early 1942. The 586th Fighter
Regiment became operational in April, 1942, over Saratov on the
Volga River, where it soon played an important role in the Battle of
Stalingrad. In addition to protecting vital transportation and communication lines, the regiment provided air cover for advancing Soviet
troops, harassed enemy positions, and guarded military installations.
Equipped with Yak fighters, the regiment's operations extended as far
west as Vienna and the Danube River.20
    Because their mission was primarily defensive, the 586th was not
routinely used in combat-a fact that explains the regiment's relatively low number of enemy "kills." In no way should their combat
record be taken as an indication of any shortcoming. Eight of the
women were detached to serve with the 73rd Fighter Regiment. The
male fighter pilots obviously respected these women's capabilities,
because they flew as trusted wingmen of veteran pilots. Further, two
of these women-Lilya Litvyak and Katya Budanova-went on to
earn the title "ace" while flying as "lone wolf" Though the 586th never won the coveted "Guards" title, all of the women of the
regiment were decorated. It deserves mention that, by the closing
months of the war, women accounted for more than 12 percent of the
Soviet fighter aviation strength.22

    The 587th Bomber Regiment, later known as the 125th Guards
Bomber Regiment, was likewise dispatched to commence operations in Saratov on the Volga River. They flew the fast, sophisticated, twin-engine Pe-2 dive bomber. Though many of the women's
arms and legs were too short and their physical strength not always
sufficient to fly the aircraft comfortably under all conditions, most
of the women came to like the plane. Reflecting the joy that most
pilots experience when flying a challenging, responsive aircraft, one
member of the 125th described the Pe-2 as "astonishingly beautiful
in
    Although the regiment was used as a ground-support weapon
when Russian forces broke through in the northern Caucasus in 1943,
its primary mission was offensive bombing. It was used to attack
enemy positions and strongholds, to destroy enemy installations, and
harass troop concentrations. In January, 1943, the 125th regiment
reached the front-line airfield at Novo-Georgeyevka. Their airfield
was situated near an all-male bomber regiment whose members were
less than confident in the women's skills and bravery. It did not take
long, however, for the women pilots to win their respect. The authorities apparently agreed with them, for in the spring of 1944 the regiment was granted the coveted title of "Guards" and renamed the
125th M. M. Raskova Borisov Guards Bomber Regiment. The regiment was collectively awarded the Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov in
recognition of their skill and bravery in battle, and five members
were named Heroes of the Soviet Union. Its campaigns