1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Welcome to This Day in History Class, where 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: we bring you a new tipbit from history every day. 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: Today is July thirty one, nineteen. The day was July 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: thirty one, nineteen forty three. Germany tried a new tactic 6 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: against the Night which is the nickname for the female 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: Soviet aviators of the Night Bomber Regiment. They shot tracers 8 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: at the plains of the Night which Is and deployed 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: night fighters, killing eight Soviet pilots. The Night which Is 10 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: took their last fight on May fourth, nineteen, three days 11 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: before Germany surrendered to the Allies in World War Two. 12 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: Before the Night which Is, women had been barred from combat, 13 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: but the Germans were putting a lot of pressure on 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: the Soviet you in. Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin issued an 15 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: order for the creation of three women's Air Force units. 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: Experienced pilot and navigator Marina Raskova had already been putting 17 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: out calls for an interviewing women who wanted to become 18 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: combat pilots, and she had petitioned Stalin to create a 19 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: fighting squadron of all women. The women who were selected 20 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: to be part of the one and twenty second Composite 21 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: Air Group soon split into the five eight six Fighter Regiment, 22 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: the five eight seventh Bomber Regiment, and the five eight 23 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: Night Bomber Regiment. They were mostly young women between ages 24 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: seventeen and twenty six. The women went through about six 25 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: months of training, a period that was short compared to 26 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: the years normally afforded other soldiers. Major Rescaba commanded the 27 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: five eighty seventh Regiment until she was killed in combat 28 00:01:55,360 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: in Nineteene did challenges and sexism for being women in 29 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: a male dominated space, but a lot of difficulties they 30 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: faced stemmed from the fact that the military was not 31 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: prepared for women pilots and did not have adequate resources. 32 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: For instance, they had to wear oversized boots and uniforms 33 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: handed down from male soldiers, and they got old biplanes 34 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: that had been used as training vehicles and were not 35 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: intended for combat. They did not have parachutes, radios, and 36 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: other equipment, and they had to make do with rulers, maps, encompasses, 37 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: and other rudimentary materials. Though their piloting skills were excellent, 38 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: they struggled to acclimate to combat in the beginning, but 39 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: on June regiment embarked on his first mission. Two women 40 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: were killed on that first mission to bomb the headquarters 41 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 1: of a German division, but from there the Night which 42 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: Is grew more skilled in combat and were feared by Germans. 43 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: Their wooden planes had to fly at low altitudes because 44 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: the bombs were so heavy, so they only completed missions 45 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: at night because there were such easy targets. Two people 46 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: traveled in each plane, a pilot and a navigator. They 47 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: went on several missions each night. Their nickname Night which 48 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: Is came from the fact that the sound of air 49 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,959 Speaker 1: over their plane wings as they glided reminded Germans of broomsticks. 50 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: Because they completed many successful missions, they were viewed as 51 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: heroes by many Soviets, but they did have some downs 52 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: as well. On the night between July thirty one in 53 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: August first, nineteen, the Germans shot tracers at the Night 54 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: which is planes. Tracers are bullets, are shelves that carry 55 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: a pyrotechnic charge to mark the flight path, and they 56 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: set fire to the campus in wooden planes. Four of 57 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: the Night which is planes went down, though others managed 58 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: to evade. The Germans. Night Fighters. After the Night which 59 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: Is flew their last mission in the Germans surrendered. Twenty 60 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: three of them were named heroes of the Soviet Union. 61 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: I'm Eve step Code and hopefully you know a little 62 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you'd 63 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: like to learn more about listen to the episode of 64 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: Stuff you miss in history class called the Night which 65 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: is and if you're so inclined, you can follow us 66 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: at T D i h C Podcasts on Instagram, Facebook, 67 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: and Twitter. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you tomorrow. 68 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I 69 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 70 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.