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Marina Raskova
Aviator • Soviet Union • 1912–1943
personally petitioned Stalin to create all-female combat aviation regiments. Over 1,000 women flew 40,000 combat sorties.
Marina Raskova was a Soviet aviator who personally petitioned Stalin to create all-female combat aviation regiments. In 1941, she formed three regiments: the 586th Fighter Regiment, the 587th Bomber Regiment, and the 588th Night Bomber Regiment (the Night Witches). She recruited, trained, and commanded over 1,000 women pilots. The regiments flew over 40,000 combat sorties and dropped 23,000 tons of bombs. Twenty-three of her pilots won the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Raskova died in a plane crash in January 1943, but her legacy endured.