Soviet Women on the Front-line.

Owen · 01-11-2006, 11:20 PM

Was the use of women combat units an exercise in equality by the Soviet Propaganda machine or a sensible Military decision?
How many women served in front-line units?
Any idea of casualty figures?
What was the largest women only formation, Battalion, Brigade, Division?
Eastern Front not my strong point so would like to learn more.

Kyt · 02-11-2006, 12:13 AM

"Thousands of Russian women and girls fought for their Rodina (Motherland), serving with the Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Air Forces, in Russian). In 1942, three air regiments were formed from female volunteers:

The 586th Women's Fighter Regiment (initially equipped with Yakovlyev YaK-1s and later YaK-7Bs)

The 587th Women's Day Bomber Regiment (flying Petlyakov Pe-2 2-engined bombers)

The 588th Women's Night Bomber Regiment, the famous "Night Witches" (flying Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes)

Many other women also served integrated with men with other aviation units. For example, in 1944, 1,749 girls served with Zabaikalsky Front, 3,000 women and girls served with the Far East 10th Air Army, 437 women served with the 4th Air Army of the Second Belorussian Front that comprised the crack 46th Guards Women Air Regiment that comprised 237 women-officers, 862 sergeants, 1,125 enlisted women and 2,117 auxiliaries. They also served flying and as gunners in the famous Il-2 and Il-2M3 Shturmovik tank busters, the "Flying Bathtub"."

more info on Soviet female pilots @

http://pratt.edu/%7Ersilva/sovwomen.htm

Owen · 02-11-2006, 12:27 AM

Thanks Kyt.
Just reading up your link and looking at another site about Lilya Vladimirovna Litvyak, The white rose of Stalingrad.
http://users.pandora.be/stalingrad/r...uslitvyak.html
This bit seems odd to me,viewing from a man's perspective . A great fighter-pilot but still gives the plane a feminine touch.

Quote:

They say the white rose on her Yak had drawn her killers to her. The morning
before her flight she found some wild flowers and pinned a little bunch to
the side of the instrument panel. Those who loved her like to think that at
the end Lieutenant Litvyak's last glimpse was of the flowers in the corner
of her cockpit

Kyt · 02-11-2006, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owen D

Thanks Kyt.
Just reading up your link and looking at another site about Lilya Vladimirovna Litvyak, The white rose of Stalingrad.
http://users.pandora.be/stalingrad/r...uslitvyak.html
This bit seems odd to me,viewing from a man's perspective . A great fighter-pilot but still gives the plane a feminine touch.

I suppose it was try keep a touch of feminity in such a brutish atmosphere.

I found a list of references on Amazon that may help but you'll need access to a good library or deep pockets!

http://www.amazon.com/Top-Ten-on-Sov...m/12F9R3KVHAI7

Owen · 02-11-2006, 12:45 AM

Thanks Kyt. Well Christmas is coming.
Like the look of this one, just had a read inside.
On the Road to Stalingrad: Memoirs of a Woman Machine Gunner.by Zoya Matveyevna Smirnova-Medvedeva.
http://www.amazon.com/Road-Stalingra...166333-0211130

Bit of a suicide job that one. Machine-gunners hardly likely to be taken prisoner and as a woman she wouldn't want to be anyway.

Kyt · 02-11-2006, 12:52 AM

Er, I know you're probably sick of my posts but just one more reference that I've just skimmed and know that I'll be reading over the weekend. (serves you right for arosing my interest in the subject!!)

"UNIT COHESION AMONG THE THREE SOVIET WOMEN’S AIR REGIMENTS"

http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/availa...akulThesis.pdf

DURING WORLD WAR II

BulgarianSoldier · 02-11-2006, 09:30 AM

The Russians had woman battalions even in ww1.
Here in Bulgaria we never used a womans in the army even now they are only surving food or on the radios.

adrian roberts · 13-11-2006, 01:48 AM

Quote:

even now they are only surving food or on the radios.

And Bulgaria wants to be in the EU! You'll have to be a bit more politically correct than that!

Ok a serious question:

This woman has been in my "My Pictures" file for some time, because she is beautiful and mysterious and dangerous (with that gun) and therefore more sexy that all the Bond girls put together.
Does anyone know who she was? Is it just a Soviet propaganda photo?

Kyt · 13-11-2006, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adrian roberts

And Bulgaria wants to be in the EU! You'll have to be a bit more politically correct than that!

Ok a serious question:

This woman has been in my "My Pictures" file for some time, because she is beautiful and mysterious and dangerous (with that gun) and therefore more sexy that all the Bond girls put together.
Does anyone know who she was? Is it just a Soviet propaganda photo?

She appears to be wearing the Order of the Red Star (top badge) (almost 3 million awards made!) and teh Guards badge.

The original picture appears to have come from "usatruth.by. ru" (a post war Russian propoganda web site that is now defunct). Where the original picture, well I tried and haven't found any help. Good luck

spidge · 13-11-2006, 02:38 AM

Buy the book Adrian.

She might be in it!

http://pullins.com/Books/01605WomeninWarandResis.htm

01-11-2006, 11:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
Owen Top Moose Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Under the stairs Posts: 9,302	Soviet Women on the Front-line. Was the use of women combat units an exercise in equality by the Soviet Propaganda machine or a sensible Military decision? How many women served in front-line units? Any idea of casualty figures? What was the largest women only formation, Battalion, Brigade, Division? Eastern Front not my strong point so would like to learn more.

02-11-2006, 12:13 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kyt Very Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,968	"Thousands of Russian women and girls fought for their Rodina (Motherland), serving with the Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Air Forces, in Russian). In 1942, three air regiments were formed from female volunteers: The 586th Women's Fighter Regiment (initially equipped with Yakovlyev YaK-1s and later YaK-7Bs) The 587th Women's Day Bomber Regiment (flying Petlyakov Pe-2 2-engined bombers) The 588th Women's Night Bomber Regiment, the famous "Night Witches" (flying Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes) Many other women also served integrated with men with other aviation units. For example, in 1944, 1,749 girls served with Zabaikalsky Front, 3,000 women and girls served with the Far East 10th Air Army, 437 women served with the 4th Air Army of the Second Belorussian Front that comprised the crack 46th Guards Women Air Regiment that comprised 237 women-officers, 862 sergeants, 1,125 enlisted women and 2,117 auxiliaries. They also served flying and as gunners in the famous Il-2 and Il-2M3 Shturmovik tank busters, the "Flying Bathtub"." more info on Soviet female pilots @ http://pratt.edu/%7Ersilva/sovwomen.htm __________________ _______________________________________ Squadron Leader Pujji - Audio Interviews (half way down the page)

02-11-2006, 12:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
Owen Top Moose Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Under the stairs Posts: 9,302	Thanks Kyt. Well Christmas is coming. Like the look of this one, just had a read inside. On the Road to Stalingrad: Memoirs of a Woman Machine Gunner.by Zoya Matveyevna Smirnova-Medvedeva. http://www.amazon.com/Road-Stalingra...166333-0211130 Bit of a suicide job that one. Machine-gunners hardly likely to be taken prisoner and as a woman she wouldn't want to be anyway. Last edited by Owen; 02-11-2006 at 12:48 AM.

02-11-2006, 12:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
Kyt Very Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,968	Er, I know you're probably sick of my posts but just one more reference that I've just skimmed and know that I'll be reading over the weekend. (serves you right for arosing my interest in the subject!!) "UNIT COHESION AMONG THE THREE SOVIET WOMEN’S AIR REGIMENTS" http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/availa...akulThesis.pdf DURING WORLD WAR II __________________ _______________________________________ Squadron Leader Pujji - Audio Interviews (half way down the page)

02-11-2006, 09:30 AM	#7 (permalink)
BulgarianSoldier Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 815	The Russians had woman battalions even in ww1. Here in Bulgaria we never used a womans in the army even now they are only surving food or on the radios. __________________ 24 Wonders The old history of Bulgarian nation!

13-11-2006, 02:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,025	Buy the book Adrian. She might be in it! http://pullins.com/Books/01605WomeninWarandResis.htm __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

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