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Discussion summary

The Night Witches were an all-female Soviet aviator regiment in WWII, often compared to anime 'Strike Witches'. Discussions also covered low stall speed planes like the Polikarpov Po-2 and AN-2, and the US B-29 bomber built mainly by women.

What the discussion says

  • Night Witches symbolize women's role in WWII aviation.
  • Soviet planes like Po-2 and AN-2 are noted for low stall speeds.
  • US B-29 was built mostly by women, with safety concerns cited.
  • Cultural references include 'Star City' and 'Last Citadel'.
“Night Witches were an all-female Soviet WWII regiment.”
— user1
“Polikarpov Po-2 could maneuver below stall speed of German fighters.”
— user2

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  • Hacker News
  • In the Apple TV series "Star City" the head of the KGB surveillance department is referred to as the "Night Witch"
    by HelloUsername
  • There's a pretty good depiction of them in David L. Robbins' Last Citadel.
    by cjs_ac
  • From the depths of hell in silence

    Cast their spells, explosive violence

    Russian night time flight perfected

    Flawless vision, undetected

    (Sabaton)

    by cl3misch
  • A beautiful animated short about the Night Witches (artistic, not educational): https://vimeo.com/224657277
    by ksymph
  • In the US and the UK, members of the WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps) and the WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) numbered in the tens of thousands, where they served as switchboard operators, air traffic controllers, and deployed barrage balloons. They occasionally got close to combat, the UK’s Flying Nightingales who served as air-ambulance nurses, first flew into Normandy just a week after D-Day to evacuate servicemembers injured during the initial assault. Both countries also employed many female aviators as training and cargo pilots, but they were almost all civilian employees of the armed forces unlike members of the WAAC and WAAF.
    by derektank
  • There is also a (very niche) TTRPG about the Night Witches by Jason Morningstar.
    by msabalau
  • “An attack technique of the night bombers involved idling the engine near the target and gliding to the bomb-release point with only wind noise left to reveal their presence. Allegedly, German soldiers likened the sound to broomsticks and hence named the pilots "Night Witches".”

    That’s an interesting story behind the name.

    by archerx
  • Sabaton, a swedish historical power metal band, also wrote a song about these women if you're into that kind of thing.

    https://www.sabaton.net/discography/heroes/night-witches/

    by gustavus

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