| Jeff Ewing | 03 Jan 2009 1:40 p.m. PST |
Is everyone interested in such things aware that there's a comic book of this Soviet female night bombing unit, written by Garth Ennis? I just blundered across issue 2 in my local comic shop this afternoon: link |
| Top Gun Ace | 03 Jan 2009 2:16 p.m. PST |
There's a paperback book on the subject, which is probably a bit more historical. They did exist in real life. |
 Silurian  | 03 Jan 2009 3:33 p.m. PST |
I believe Johnny Red met them. |
| asa1066 | 03 Jan 2009 6:03 p.m. PST |
A character in Harry Turtledove's World War series is one of these pilots. Neat stuff! David S. |
| RJ Andron | 03 Jan 2009 6:19 p.m. PST |
Ted Nomura's Luftwaffe:1946-inspired comic series also had issues that dealt with the Night Witches. |
| AndrewGPaul | 03 Jan 2009 6:34 p.m. PST |
Ennis' Enemy Ace: War in Heaven was pretty good, too. a Prussian aristocrat fighter pilot gets shot down over Eastrern Europe and finds out what he's actually fighting for. |
| Kampfgruppe Cottrell | 03 Jan 2009 6:44 p.m. PST |
The end of War in Heaven is great! Brian |
BlackWidowPilot  | 03 Jan 2009 10:16 p.m. PST |
"Night Witches" is what the Germans called these gals. There were three entire air regiments of the VVS crewed by women, a fighter, night bomber, and day (dive) bomber regiment. The best account of their exploits is Anne Noggle's A DANCE WITH DEATH:
link
The two bomber regiments BTW were elevated to Guards status in recognition of their outstanding combat records. The fighter regiment was a strictly defensive unit, whose rigid Soviet doctrine and regulations prohibited the gals from hot pursuit of enemy aircraft, thus hobbling their ability to run up a kill score comparable to frontline units.
I highly recommend A DANCE WITH DEATH, as it also covers Soviet women who flew with male units as well, including the only female Strumovik pilot of the war.
Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net
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| Griefbringer | 04 Jan 2009 6:29 a.m. PST |
Who is doing the art work? I read last year a book of four WWII comic stories from Ennis (called simply War Stories), drawn by various artists. It was something of a mixed lot, but made for decent reading. Griefbringer |
| AndrewGPaul | 04 Jan 2009 9:45 a.m. PST |
From Jeff Ewing's link: Writer: Garth Ennis
Penciller: Russ Braun
Colorist: Tony Avina |
| Jeff Ewing | 04 Jan 2009 2:17 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the link to the Noggle book, Leland. I'm totally buying that. As noted, Russ Braun is the artist. See some of his work here (some NSFW-ish images): link His style is to my taste: very fluid, almost calligraphic lines; crisp renderings of the WWII equipment, especially the PO-2s flown by the 599th. Obligatory _grognard_ complaint: the German NCO should have _tresse_ on his collar. |
| donlowry | 04 Jan 2009 3:00 p.m. PST |
Anything like Sand Witches? |
| Frontovik | 05 Jan 2009 6:38 a.m. PST |
K J Cottam's books are good. link |
