I didn't even think twice
These women, part of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, flew the Polikarpov Po- 2 biplanes. Made of wood and canvas, these planes were little more than crop-dusters and provided almost no protection from the elements. Its light and quiet design made the plane ideal for reconnaissance and bombing missions. The pilots and navigators needed to dress warmly for their bombing runs or risk hypothermia in the frigid temperatures.
Irina Sebrova, pictured right, was a flight commander in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, also known as the Night Witches. Already a graduate of the Bauman aeroclub and the Kherson School of Flight Instructors, she was an instructor at the Frunze district aeroclub of Moscow when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. She joined the air force in Oct. 1941 after hearing about Marina Raskova's female units. Partnered with navigator, Natalya Meklin, Sebrova became known for her calm piloting skills under pressure. By the end of the war, Sebrova and Meklin flew over Berlin surveying the damage, circling low over the Reichstag.
Sebrova flew with many navigators, accumulating 1,008 sorties over the Caucasus, Belorussia, Ukraine, Kuban, Crimea, Poland, and Germany - more sorties than any other woman. In Feb. 1945 she was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. Sebrova reached the rank of senior lieutenant, survived the war, and died in April 2000.
"I didn't even think twice...I had a profession that was needed at the front. I didn't think, didn't hesitate for a second. In general I met few people who wanted to sit out that time." Sgt. Anna Semyonovna Dubrovina-Chekunova, pilot
