Colorizations By Users

Nadezhda Popova

Olga Shirnina

Nadezhda Vasilyevna Popova, (Nadia Popova), Soviet pilot (born Dec. 27, 1921, Shabanovka [now Dolgoye], Russia—died July 8, 2013, Moscow, Russia), stealthily navigated rickety biplanes (mostly former crop dusters) on nocturnal bombing missions against German invaders during World War II. Popova and the other members of the 588th Night Bomber (later the 46th Guards) Regiment—one of three units composed entirely of women volunteers in their late teens and early 20s—had been barred from combat until Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin issued an order to establish the women’s air force units. Wearing hand-me-down men’s uniforms and consulting only maps and compasses for direction, the lethal female combatants, dubbed “Night Witches” by the enemy, terrorized German encampments in three-plane formations, dropping more than 23,000 tons of bombs over the course of 30,000 missions. Like many other women in the late 1930s, Popova became enchanted with aviation at a young age; she joined a flying club when she was 15 and later became a flight instructor. Her decision to enlist as a bomber pilot stemmed partly from the loss of her brother, who was killed in the line of duty. After the war Popova remained in aviation and earned the rank of lieutenant colonel. She was named Hero of the Soviet Union and was awarded the Gold Star, the Order of Lenin, and the Order of the Red Star (three times). BRITANNICA E