Nadia Popova

[Freycinet]

Obituary:

http://www.economist.com/news/obituary/21581962-nadezhda-nadia-popova-night-bomber-pilot-died-july-8th-aged-91-nadia-popova

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadezhda_Popova

[OBT-Psycho]

on quite the same topic, I recently read a book named "the stalingrad roses" (I'm not sure it is translated in english though, the french title is "la rose de stalingrad") retracing the life of Lilya Litvak, the famous female VVS pilot. It is a really nice book, switching regularly from the life of the pilot and the political side of the great patriotic war. I heartly recommend it to anywho reading french language.

 

it always amazed me how Russian were more prone to put women on the front, contrary to other allied country where they were mainly in the support side of the war. It is some kind of advanced way of thought related to the common sense from this period, even though I kind imagine this was not for the same underlying reasons.

[Finkeren]

it always amazed me how Russian were more prone to put women on the front, contrary to other allied country where they were mainly in the support side of the war. It is some kind of advanced way of thought related to the common sense from this period, even though I kind imagine this was not for the same underlying reasons.

For the Soviet officers who put them in front line duty it wasn't a "gender equality" issue. If it had been purely that, they wouldn't have bothered given the grave situation the USSR was in. Rather they valued, what they saw as distictly female characteristics. At least some officers saw women as being generally calmer, more patient, with greater awareness and better at keeping cool under stress. I guess that's why they were often trained to be snipers and bomber crews.

[Finkeren]

BTW: The story of Popova is amazing. Just think about it: Bomber crews like that of Memphis Belle were celebrated for completing just 25 missions in some of the most modern and well protected aircraft around. Talk about doing 582 in a modified crop duster built largely of canvas and wood with no radio, no armour protection and no navigational aid.

[Cybermat47]

a modified crop duster built largely of canvas and wood with no radio, no armour protection and no navigational aid.

I got shot down by one of those in 1946....

 

I was flying a Stuka, don't judge

[Finkeren]

Sorry, made a mistake in my 2nd post. She didn't fly 582 combat missions, she flew 852...

[VeryOldMan]

Must admit that you need to have a  #!@#@!#1 of Luck to survive 852 missions

[Freycinet]

852 missions ----- mindblowing!

 

I talked to a German Army former Lieutenant and he said that the "Coffee mills", as they called the Po-2's because of the engine noise, were indeed quite annoying, but that they didn't consider them very dangerous. He did say, however, that they were cautious about moving around on roads when they heard them, because they knew they could be bombed. He was on the Eastern Front from July 1941 till the end in -45 and then spent 5 years in a Russian POW camp attached to the Segezha wood mill in the Murmansk region.

[Elem]

May she rest in peace. I'm lucky enough to have a signed print of her Po-2 right beside my monitor. I look forward to the day when I can emulate her actions with the Po-2 in BoS.

[Lord_Haw-Haw]

852 missions ----- mindblowing!

 

I talked to a German Army former Lieutenant and he said that the "Coffee mills", as they called the Po-2's because of the engine noise, were indeed quite annoying, but that they didn't consider them very dangerous. He did say, however, that they were cautious about moving around on roads when they heard them, because they knew they could be bombed. He was on the Eastern Front from July 1941 till the end in -45 and then spent 5 years in a Russian POW camp attached to the Segezha wood mill in the Murmansk region.

Not quiet Freycinet, they where refered to as "Nähmaschinen" = sewingmachines.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Lord_Haw-Haw

[Freycinet]

Lord Haw-Haw, they were seemingly called both (and probably many more expressions too..):

 

http://suite101.de/article/nachthexen-und-naehmaschinen-im-2-weltkrieg-a51447

"Deutsche Soldaten gaben dem Flugzeug wegen des charakteristischen Surrens ihres 110-PS-Motors den Spitznamen “Nähmaschine”. Manchmal wurde sie auch “Kaffeemühle” oder “Mähmaschine” genannt."

 

Also, I actually have it from the Lieutenant's own mouth! - He was there, on the Eastern front from 1941 to 1945, enrolled in 1940 at the age of 18 and is now a sprightly and super-sharp 91-year-old. We have had very many long discussions. It is literally like sitting with a history book where you can ask more in-depth questions from everything "written" in the book... 

[BMW801]

Lord Haw-Haw, they were seemingly called both (and probably many more expressions too..):

 

http://suite101.de/article/nachthexen-und-naehmaschinen-im-2-weltkrieg-a51447

"Deutsche Soldaten gaben dem Flugzeug wegen des charakteristischen Surrens ihres 110-PS-Motors den Spitznamen “Nähmaschine”. Manchmal wurde sie auch “Kaffeemühle” oder “Mähmaschine” genannt."

 

Also, I actually have it from the Lieutenant's own mouth! - He was there, on the Eastern front from 1941 to 1945, enrolled in 1940 at the age of 18 and is now a sprightly and super-sharp 91-year-old. We have had very many long discussions. It is literally like sitting with a history book where you can ask more in-depth questions from everything "written" in the book...

 

 

It is invaluable that interested people like you are obtaining information from the remaining veterans before these sources are gone forever. Any other firsthand information you are able to pass on will be greatly appreciated

 

[BMW801]

It is invaluable that interested people like you are obtaining first hand information from the remaining veterans before these sources are gone forever. Any other firsthand information you are able to pass on will be greatly appreciated!

[Rjel]

I've always found it incredibly interesting talking to older folks who lived life before my time. They truly are an incredible resource of knowledge.  Just listening to Freycinet's acquaintance would be an amazing experience. There is much to be learned from such veterans. On the other hand, how many threads have we read in the last few years when an old pilot's accounts of his experiences were dismissed as just an old man's failing memories? 

 

[Lord_Haw-Haw]

Lord Haw-Haw, they were seemingly called both (and probably many more expressions too..):

 

http://suite101.de/article/nachthexen-und-naehmaschinen-im-2-weltkrieg-a51447

"Deutsche Soldaten gaben dem Flugzeug wegen des charakteristischen Surrens ihres 110-PS-Motors den Spitznamen “Nähmaschine”. Manchmal wurde sie auch “Kaffeemühle” oder “Mähmaschine” genannt."

 

Also, I actually have it from the Lieutenant's own mouth! - He was there, on the Eastern front from 1941 to 1945, enrolled in 1940 at the age of 18 and is now a sprightly and super-sharp 91-year-old. We have had very many long discussions. It is literally like sitting with a history book where you can ask more in-depth questions from everything "written" in the book... 

O.k. I had only read the expression sewingmachines, I don´t know everything, learned something new. Thanks.

 

I've always found it incredibly interesting talking to older folks who lived life before my time. They truly are an incredible resource of knowledge.  Just listening to Freycinet's acquaintance would be an amazing experience. There is much to be learned from such veterans. On the other hand, how many threads have we read in the last few years when an old pilot's accounts of his experiences were dismissed as just an old man's failing memories? 

 

 

Well that is always hard to decide, I remeber stories of a friend of my parents who was a tank gunner and took part in the battle of the Bulge,

his accounts where sometimes rather hair raising, but I can not tell if they have been embellished over time or not, as I was not there. But I always

found it fasinating to listen too, just like the stories from my grandfather as he was around, although my grandmother was strickly against him

telling his war stories. Also have heard plenty of stories from my dad although he was only a kid of ten at the beginning of the war.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Lord_Haw-Haw

[LLv44_Mprhead]

I think that if you want to get a glimpse on how it was beeing in there, these are extremely valuable. For performance issues and technical details they still serve a purpose, but are not necessary the most realiable source.