A Thousand Sisters
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“unspectacular but difficult and important”: ibid., 94.
“the guns became very dirty . . . small girls for such jobs?”: Natalya Alfyorova in Noggle, 131.
CHAPTER 17: “NOT ONE STEP BACK”
Spirits were very low: Overy, 158.
Refugees fled frantically: Vinogradova 2015, 152.
Sonya Ozerkova, the chief engineer: Markwick & Cardona 2012, 92; Vinogradova 2015, 143–45.
So on July 28, 1942, the Soviet government: Grossman, 117; Hardesty & Grinberg, 115; Markwick & Cardona 2012, 96; Merry, 111; Overy, 158; Pennington 2001, 79.
Lilya Litvyak’s greatest fear: Inna Pasportnikova in Noggle, 199.
“I remember a night . . . and it was burning”: Polina Gelman quoted in Pennington 2001, 79.
From August to December 1942: Pennington 2001, 73, 79.
Some nights in the Caucasus: Marina Chechneva in Cottam 1997, 167.
The mechanics on the ground: Mariya Smirnova in Noggle, 36.
On a foggy night in England: Everitt & Middlebrook, cxxxvii, 243–44.
“Landing in thick fog . . . ground for a landing”: Mariya Smirnova in Noggle, 36.
One night, returning from a mission: Yevgeniya Zhigulenko in Noggle, 55; Pennington 2001, 79.
“When they hit the ground . . . one after another”: Olga Yerokhina-Averjanova in Noggle, 59.
The Germans destroyed most: Hardesty & Grinberg, 164; Overy, 181–84; Vinogradova 2015, 163–65.
“Stalingrad is in ashes . . . bombing of the dead city”: Vasily Grossman in Grossman, 125–26.
The 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment: Pennington 2001, 108.
In August 1942, squadron commander: Tamara Pamyatnykh in Cottam 1997, 160.
“I was afraid . . . our first night landings”: ibid.
CHAPTER 18: BATTLE OF THE SEXES
By the middle of 1942: Curtis, 108–10.
American women still didn’t: Strebe 2009, 7–8.
Jackie was an ambitious: Gibson, 103, 107–8.
In the spring of 1942, Jackie: Curtis, 142–43, Strebe 2009, 6–7.
Tamara Kazarinova, the commander of the 586th: Pennington 2001, 108.
“who didn’t know how to fly a fighter”: Aleksandr Gridnev, quoted in Pennington 2001, 108, from an interview by Reina Pennington on May 12, 1993; see also Pennington 2001, 250, note 17.
In September 1942, Lilya: Mariya Kuznetsova in Noggle, 167.
Marina Raskova flew over: Vinogradova 2015, 170.
Lilya, Katya, Raisa, and Mariya: Mariya Kuznetsova in Noggle, 167; Pennington 2001, 108–9, 130; Vinogradova 2015, 170.
Anya Demchenko, the pilot: Belyakov, 37; Vinogradova 2015, 171.
When the pilots flew to the new airfield: Nina Shebalina in Noggle, 203; Vinogradova 2015, 172.
“Whyever me? . . . take the girls away from me!”: Conversation between Arkady Kovacevich and his commander, as Arkady Kovacevich reports it in Wasps and Witches, 13:16 ff.
A camel named Pashka carried water: Vinogradova 2015, 205.
The regimental commander arranged: Mariya Kuznetsova in Noggle, 169.
“These two girls proved . . . depended on skill”: ibid.
In September 1942, Lilya flew: Cottam 1998, 150; Pennington 2001, 133; Vinogradova 2015, 187–88.
Before they’d even had a chance: Pennington 2001, 132–33.
Three days after her arrival at Stalingrad: S. Gribanov in Cottam 1997, 308; Cottam 1998, 150; Pennington 2001, 109.
The story goes that the German: Cottam 1998, 150; Pennington 2001, 133; Vinogradova 2015, 190.
“The Germans don’t fly here . . . ‘they are afraid of us’”: Lilya Litvyak in a letter, quoted by Yu. Shteyn in Cottam 1984, 226.
Sidebar: A Heroine Out of the Spotlight
Kseniia Sanchuk had been flying supply: Pennington 2001, 48.
Some people, some women included: ibid., 33, 233, note 49.
When the Great Patriotic War broke out: Krylova 2010, 258.
In doing so, she became the only: Cottam 1998, 5; Merry, 167.
The 101st Long Range Air Regiment: M. A. Kazarinova in Cottam 1997, 17; Cottam 1998, 6; Merry, 167; Pennington 2001, 70.
Valentina flew more than 1,850: Cottam 1998, 7; Pennington 2003, 1, 187.
CHAPTER 19: TROUBLE IN THE 586TH
The male pilots fighting on the Stalingrad Front: Vinogradova 2015, 167–68.
the fragrant fields of the Russian steppes: Grossman, 124, 134.
Shockingly, the first death: Vinogradova 2015, 147.
The 586th’s first combat loss . . . “Jump!” . . . “I felt so terrible . . . the first loss of the regiment”: This story and the quotations within it are told by Zoya Pozhidayeva in Noggle, 216.
On the night of September 24, 1942: Vinogradova 2015, 184.
Nina Slovokhotova, the 586th’s chief of chemical: Nina Slovokhotova in Cottam 1997, 259.
“According to the Air-Warning . . . its own bombs!”: Nina Slovokhotova quoting a messenger in Cottam 1997, 259–60.
“You darling, you’ve just shot down a Heinkel!”: Yekaterina Polunina, quoted in Vinogradova 2015, 184.
“Near the bridge . . . their unopened parachutes”: Nina Slovokhotova in Cottam 1997, 261.
As well as being Lera’s very first: Pennington 2001, 108–9; Vinogradova 2015, 185.
The regiment even got a splashy: Meos, 1019; Pennington 2001, 61, 110.
But Lera was one of the pilots Tamara: Pennington 2001, 110; Vinogradova 2015, 185–86.
Tamara had only been in charge: Merry, 73; Pennington 2001, 106–7.
It’s even possible that some: Aleksandr Gridnev, quoted in Pennington 2001, 108, 118–19.
For a few days, she was replaced: Merry, 73; Pennington 2001, 111.
Aleksandr Gridnev had troubles: Pennington 2001, 112, 113; see also 252, note 37.
“Forever”: Aleksandr Gridnev, quoted in Pennington 2001, 113; see also 252, note 38.
Aleksandr Gridnev took his role: Pennington 2001, 113.
In the fall of 1942, the two squadrons: Yekaterina Polunina in Noggle, 163–64; Pennington 2001, 105.
Aleksandr Gridnev got to work right away: Pennington 2001, 115.
A couple months after Alexandr Gridnev: ibid., 119.
CHAPTER 20: “LIFE IS LIFE”
Leningrad, Russia’s old capital: See Anderson, 2015, for a detailed account of the Leningrad blockade.
Everyone’s food was rationed: Merry, 93, 110.
Zinaida Butkaryova, the parachute packer: Zinaida Butkaryova-Yermolayeva in Noggle, 186; Vinogradova 2015, 191.
“Our ration was a soldier’s . . . their own rations”: Zinaida Butkaryova-Yermolayeva in Noggle, 186.
“When they sent us the American . . . canned milk”: Aleksandr Gridnev quoted in Pennington 2001, 119, from an interview by Reina Pennington on May 12, 1993; see also Pennington 2001, 252, note 53.
Throughout the war, ground personnel: Zinaida Butkaryova-Yermolayeva in Noggle, 186.
The only heat: Anna Kirilina in Noggle, 124.
Water trickled into the dugouts: Yevgeniya Gurulyeva-Smirnova in Noggle, 110.
“When . . . there was so much water . . . back to sleep”: Valentina Kovalyova-Sergeicheva in Noggle, 173–74.
There was never enough soap: Olga Yerokhina-Averjanova in Noggle, 60.
About once a week a truck: Antonina Pugachova-Makarova in Noggle, 127.
And in the 586th, every couple of weeks: Zinaida Butkaryova-Yermolayeva in Noggle, 186.
But the women had to share: Irina Emelianova as quoted in Pennington 2001, 116.
“It was in an open airfield . . . I didn’t ever have breakfast!”: Yelena Kulkova-Malutina in Noggle, 130.
The steppes, the flat grassland: Merry, 104–5; Pennington 2001, 115–16.
In wartime, being forced to wear: Yekaterina Chujkova in Noggle, 145; Pennington 2001, 102.
Two armorers from the 588th Regiment: Irina Rakobolskaya in Noggle, 29; Vinogradova 2015, 203–4.
Under so much physical stress: Anonymous pilot quoted in Alexievich 2017, xvii; Alexandra Semyonovna Popova in Alexievich 2017, 195; Maria Nesterovna Kuzmenko in Alexievich 2017, 199.
“We wanted to make . . . in spite of the uniform”: Nina Shebalina in Noggle, 204.
“We were sick and tired . . . my slippers in uniform!”: Mariya Kaloshina in Noggle, 151.
Another young woman in the 587th: Marta Meriuts in Noggle, 136.
One pilot in the 586th got in trouble: Valentina Kovalyova-Sergeicheva in Noggle, 174.
The young women of Marina Raskova’s regiments: Krylova 2010, 271–72.
“We dreamed of our grooms . . . happy, peaceful life”: Yevgeniya Zhigulenko in Noggle, 56.
“after a night of combat we never forgot to curl our hair”: Yevgeniya Zhigulenko in Noggle, 56.
“After the war you’ll wear . . . going to win the war”: Marina Raskova as quoted by Valentina Kravchenko in Strebe 2009, 25; originally from The Night Witches: Soviet Air Women in World War II, documentary film produced and directed by Sissi Hüetlin and Elizabeth McKay, 1994.
But some of the young women felt: Yevgeniya Zhigulenko in Noggle, 56.
“bride’s fair”: attributed to Galya Dokutovich, in Markwick & Cardona 2012, 101.
“You’ve gone out of your minds!”: attributed to an anonymous mechanic in Markwick & Cardona 2012, 101.
“the most beautiful girls in the world . . . And he is right”: Zhenya Rudneva, referring to a speech by Konstantin Andreyevich Vershinin in a letter to her parents dated October 17, 1942, quoted in Markwick & Cardona 2012, 101 and 266, note 81; see also Zhenya Rudneva in Cottam 1997, 221.
Lilya Litvyak’s friend: Krylova 2010, 281–82; Vinogradova 2015, 214.
Zhenya Rudneva makes it clear: Zhenya Rudneva in Cottam 1997, 216–36; Markwick & Cardona 2012, 104–5; Vinogradova 2015, 266.
Zhenya was also passionately in love: Cottam 1998, 96; Krylova 2010, 286–87.
There was one pretty, feminine thing: Krylova 2010, 269, 270, 272.
At about this time in the war: ibid., 272–73.
Antonina Bondareva, worked on a piece: Antonina Bondareva-Spitsina in Noggle, 109.
“Everybody embroidered the Pe-2 on their pillows”: Yekaterina Chujkova in Noggle, 145. Mariya Kaloshina makes a similar but more general statement about embroidery in Noggle, 151.
In the 588th, people embroidered their foot cloths: Irina Rakobolskaya in Noggle, 28.
Most of the pilots and technicians: Zhenya Rudneva in Cottam 1997, 233; Irina Rakobolskaya in Noggle, 30; Harris 2010, 647.
All the women liked to keep track: Lina Yeliseyeva in Cottam 1997, 138.
Klava Serebryakova, always had her mandolin: Tatyana Sumarokova in Cottam 1997, 239.
The 586th held talent shows: Vera Tikhomirova in Cottam 1997, 353.
Their mechanics took a record player: Zoya Malkova in Noggle, 218.
Sonya Tishurova, organized a group: Alexandra Makunina in Noggle, 166.
When an airwoman for the 587th gave a concert: Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 155.
The armorers for the 587th sang: Yekaterina Chujkova in Noggle, 143.
the “USSR Honorable Singer . . . the regiment would join me”: Nina Yermakova in Noggle, 171.
“You heard them singing . . . amateur talent performances”: Lina Yeliseyeva in Cottam 1997, 138.
The 587th performed in hospitals: ibid., 137.
“When weather caused the cancellation . . . permission to fly”: Irina Rakobolskaya in Noggle, 29.
The pilots and navigators of the 587th kept: Markova 1983, 105.
In November 1942, the commander: Pennington 2001, 79; Vinogradova 2015, 201.
“This is silly . . . the best time of my life”: Zhenya Rudneva in Cottam 1997, 220.
And Galya Dokutovich, the navigator: Polina Gelman in Cottam 1997, 163.
“I am back . . . better after the war”: Galina Dokutovich, from a diary entry quoted by Polina Gelman in Cottam 1997, 164.
CHAPTER 21: WINTER COMES EARLY
By December 1942, as another harsh: Overy, 183–84; Vinogradova 2015, 211–12.
“When our crews . . . We worried until our planes returned”: Galina Drobovich in Noggle, 190.
“During the war . . . you just heard it and you knew”: Nina Shebalina in Noggle, 204.
When a pilot found herself: Mariya Kuznetsova in Noggle, 168.
“There was no water . . . to take to the planes”: Yekaterina Polunina in Noggle, 164.
“We feel the water taps . . . from the wing to the ground”: This story and the quotation are as told by Sofya Osipova in Cottam 1997, 275–76.
the vacation cabins the pilots had been living in: Irina Emelianova as quoted in Pennington 2001, 116.
On December 3, 1942, three pilots: Zoya Pozhidayeva in Noggle, 216; Pennington 2001, 118.
CHAPTER 22: MARINA IN THE WIND
In December 1942, the women of the 587th: Valentina Kravchenko-Savitskaya in Noggle, 101; Pennington 2001, 54–55.
Masha Dolina, who’d been flying: Vinogradova 2015, 235.
Then everybody got snowed in: Cottam 1998, 26; Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 152–53.
At last, on January 4, 1943: Cottam 1998, 26; Gibson, 123.
Galina, flying after Marina, could hardly see: Merry, 152; Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 153.
Before long, the three Pe-2 pilots were flying: Vinogradova 2015, 235.
“I think Raskova . . . aircraft in the clouds”: Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 153.
Galina’s navigator gave a yell: Merry, 152; Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 153.
Marina flew blindly into the side: Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 153; Pennington 2001, 93; Vinogradova 2015, 236.
“[Marina Raskova] did not use . . . wanted to get there”: Galina Tenuyeva-Lomanova in Noggle, 153.
Zoya Pozhidayeva and other pilots: Zoya Pozhidayeva in Noggle, 216.
“In the morning, when the squadrons . . . I still can’t believe it”: Zhenya Rudneva in Cottam 1997, 223.
“That’s not something you should joke about!”: Masha Dolina, quoted in Vinogradova 2015, 235.
“Our commissar gathered us . . . We just cried”: Valentina Kravchenko-Savitskaya, quoted in Pennington 2001, 94, from an interview by Reina Pennington on May 7, 1993; see also Pennington 2001, 247, note 23.
Marina Raskova was given the Soviet Union’s: Gibson, 123; Vinogradova 2015, 238.
The news of Marina’s death: Pittsburgh Press, January 9, 1943, 1.
“What will now happen to our regiment?”: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 41.
The women were worried: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 41; Pennington 2001, 94.
“Yes, Sir! Am taking over the Regiment!”: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 41.
The 587th now shared an airfield: ibid., 42.
The two regiments flew together: Pennington 2001, 95.
“When we took off . . . antiaircraft artillery shells”: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 43.
The German troops had started firing: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 43; Pennington 2001, 95.
“Together we fought . . . fallen comrades”: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 45.
On January 30, only three weeks after: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 45; Pennington 2001, 95.
The German commander surrendered: Hook, 108–9; Overy, 184; Vinogradova 2015, 241.
But Hitler wasn’t anywhere near done: Overy, 198.
CHAPTER 23: VALENTIN MARKOV
The new quarters for the flight crews: Yekaterina Fedotova in Cottam 1997, 51.
“We liked her very much . . . going to replace her!”: ibid., 51.
Zhenya Timofeyeva, who’d taken temporary: Yevgeniya Timofeyeva in Cottam 1997, 45; Pennington 2001, 95.
His name was Valentin Markov: Valentin Markov in Cottam 1997, 47; Merry, 106; Valentin M
arkov in Noggle, 102; Pennington 2001, 95–96; Vinogradova 2015, 242.
“We women wouldn’t even hear . . . so strict and straight”: Valentina Kravchenko-Savitskaya in Noggle, 102, 103.
When Valentin and his navigator: Valentin Markov in Cottam 1997, 47.
His new regiment stood lined up in the snow: Vinogradova 2015, 243.
“I am your new commander . . . because you are women”: Valentin Markov in Cottam 1997, 47.
He didn’t have a chance: Yekaterina Fedotova in Cottam 1997, 52; Pennington 2001, 96.
“At first, we gave him a hard time”: Yekaterina Fedotova in Cottam 1997, 53.
“those on the ground would know . . . victory”: Valentin Markov in Cottam 1997, 48; Merry, 107.
Valentin Markov gave the 587th firm guidance: Valentina Kravchenko-Savitskaya in Noggle, 106; Pennington 2001, 97.
“We survived the war . . . ‘How are the girls?’”: Antonina Khokhlova-Dubkova in Noggle, 115.
“Where is Melashvili? . . . Kirillova, Fedotova?”: Yekaterina Fedotova in Cottam 1997, 53.
Valentin would make Valya look around: Valentina Kravchenko-Savitskaya in Noggle, 106.
“So it was because Markov . . . we made it back”: Yekaterina Musatova-Fedotova in Noggle, 149.
CHAPTER 24: EXHAUSTION AND HONOR FOR THE NIGHT BOMBERS
Soldiers fighting at the front: Pennington 2001, 73.
“If a[n enemy antiaircraft] searchlight caught . . . blinded for a few moments”: Polina Gelman in Noggle, 40.
“My pilot had a stupid navigator . . . kept falling asleep”: Zhenya Rudneva diary entry for December 15, 1942, in Cottam 1997, 222.
Sometimes pilot and navigator both fell asleep: Irina Rakobolskaya in Cottam 1997, 156.
“We even had a kind of agreement . . . returning to the airfield”: Larisa Rozanova-Litvinova in Noggle, 68.
“The pilots were so tired . . . hot tea to the aircraft”: Irina Rakobolskaya quoted in Pennington 2001, 80, from an interview by Reina Pennington on May 10, 1993; see also 244, note 38. Irina Rakobolskaya also makes reference to “a glass of hot tea” between flights in Cottam 1997, 154.
All night long, the chief engineer, Klavdiya: Klavdiya Ilushina in Noggle, 50.
All night long, armorers loaded bombs: Olga Yerokhina-Averjanova in Noggle, 59.
Nina Karasyova was nineteen: Markwick & Cardona 2012, 98.
“We worked in mud, frost, sleet . . . under the aircraft”: Nina Karasyova-Buzina in Noggle, 86.