Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45 OSPREY‘Sint ones, cater, Inara in Rusin/Soiet Chita and wor istry er tating Russon ange | ‘Snetpevencedeuhor and Iter, dpanese combat ‘Sewer Matos, neadng ‘cer sary. Henry ees {Temp iy, 18 mle east ‘Ho nngeee CONTENTS BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION THE HEROINES + areren ‘Ried Seats + Machine Conners ‘ial Officer ‘Thank Drivers # Resistance Fighters COMPLETE LIST OF HEROINES OF THE SOVIET UNION COLOR PLATE COMMENTARY INDEX coe 59 64HEROINES OF THE SOVIET UNION lan Stile sta statue {62 meters high dediatd to the Motmerlana eon top ot ‘he bang tat Howes be Natal Wer Museum Compton ‘tig Uti, Wars con ‘Sh ade te statu fhe {op of te shia to get wb {aking view ofthe River Dope ‘snd metopattan Ke. The ‘huge masoum colton nae onatanty updated. Fist pened in 1074 hoa hed more thn 1941-45 INTRODUCTION \; HAS BEEN §uD THAT THE SOVIET UNION was the only country during, World War TI to organize and use women in combat. Although the Allied Forces employed women in the military, their roles were limited to support in administrative, medical, communication, wrans- poration, and technical fields, mostly behind the frontlines. However, ‘many Soviet women took up arms and fought alongside their male comrades in some of the bloodiest batles of the war. OF the more ‘than 10 million Soviet soldiers who took part in the Great Patriotic ‘War (1941-45), roughly 809,000 of them were women. When Germany attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, hhundreds of thousands of men rushed to defend the Motherland Thousands of patriotic women surged into enlistment offices t0 volunteer, only to be turned away or directed to civilian home defense ‘They were told that fighting was a man's job. “To be brushed aside in such a cavalier manner was quite shocking and insulting 10 women, especally since Joseph Stain had gone to great Jengths to show the doubting world the vues of Communism, He wanted. tw showcase the advancement of women in science and industry: His wife, Nadeahda Krupskava, headed the women’s section of the Communist Par She championed the rights of women in the areas of equal pay, divorce, and abortion. Under the Marxist-Leninist ideology, women were in theory equal to men. Despite the official policy of equal rights for ‘women, the Communist regime became more rigid during the 1930s. Since men sill harbored chausinistic atitudes, change came slowly. They sill Eelieved that women should not have dicect combat roles. They could not see their mothers, sister, and wives picking up a rifle and fighting and dying like men, The young Soviet women would not be denied, They chafed at the backbreaking labor of digging antitmk ditches or helping to bring in the Invest while the enemy acbeired eon Manes ‘They found it hard to sit on the sidelines, Some had flight and paramilitary skills from their involement with Osoaviakhim (The AlkUnion Voluntary Society for the Support of the Air Force). As high school students, they participated in marksmanship, gliding and parachuting, powered flights, and aircraft mechanics,‘These clever women used any means at their disposal to worm their way into the fighting. The easiest path to the frontlines was to take a medical course and then volunteer asa field medic. On the batletield, medics searched out the wounded and dragged them into shellholes and trenches to provide frst id. When the enemy counterattacked, the women would not leave the wotinded unprotected: they picked up available weapons and fought savagely. These field medies quickly became known asthe "Angels of Mercy” and were highly respected. Tn the area of aviation, three women regiments were formed by aviatrix Maj Marina Raskova. This charismatic leader, ole model, and Heroine of the Soviet Union convinced Stalin that women should be employed as fighter and bomber pilots, Whether this was motivated by politics or public relations is immaterial The women in the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Regiment not only had to fight the enemy, but also male prejudice. At first they were regarded lightly. However, they were so successful in harassing the Germans at night in their rickety biplanes that the enemy named them the "Night Witehes.” The women whole! artedly accepted the new moniker and they were proud to call themselves so. As a testament to their skill and valor, Other women aviators served in all-male 1 became Heroines of the Soviet Union, is, the most notable being Lydia Lityyak, che most famous female pilot ofthe Great Patriotic War She shot down 12 German planes before she was killed in combat. During the rly part of the wat, the Soviets suffered horrendous losses. What they could not make up for in military hardware, they made ‘up with masses of fighting men, Stalin's strategy was to ty to overwhelm ‘Hern on etry 22, 044 SELON OPPOSE Te “Mh Ina publty ote. Us ‘ebro, Hataye Min, Marina ining, opment lade Mal ‘ewdonva Berehonetye, Merve Smirnova, an Verena Znigulnta go rose the enemy with wave after wave of infantry. He issued a strict directive that no Soviet soldier was to fall back, and enforced this with NKVD (Internal Security) troops who brought up the rear. Anyone violating this provision was shot on the spot The presence of women on the battlefield had ‘an unexpected consequence. There were many instances in which men found themselves pinned down by enemy fre, unable or unwilling to move forward. Suddenly, a woman would get up and charge ahead, "Cowards!” a politcal officer would yell at his men, “Look at that woman! She is not afraid!” Then entire units would suddenly find the courage to rally around the woman and charge forward, Some skirmishes were won because a woman took the initiative. Tn the infantry, about 40 percent of the medical personnel were women, and they often fought fiercely to protect their wounded comrades, Although men were physically stronger, it took no more effort for a woman to pill a tigger or a pin from a grenade, oF to pilot fighter oF a bomber, or drive a tank, They could Kel just as effectively as men, There is a wideA best in Bebra, Barve (tomers Bets wee Spy network in Vebk, bat tnd ersoted the aloning month oe Wher) spread misconception in the West that these female soldiers constant sexual harassment by their male comrades. One male Soviet veteran had this to say: “We were constantly on the go and always exhausted. The only things we thought about were survival, our families, food, and rest!” “The women field medics were angels” said another veteran “They were greatly respected for saving so many lives. We thought of them as our sisters and we were very protective of them. No ‘man in my unit ever laid hands on them or said unkind things.” The young women of the Komsomol (Young Communist League) alo did their share for the Motherland. The idealistic student leaders ‘organized resistance networks, distributed leaflets, gave aid and comfort to the partisans, and engaged in sabotage. After the end of the war, many women let service. Many had h problems direcly related to the var. For those who stayed and made the military their carees, they found the postwar environment very “unfriendly. Military academies no longer accepted them. Promotions came slowly and many were weeded out for medical reasons. Men's attitude to women in the military took a giant step backward. Women’s voices were seldom heard in a political system that did not encourage their participation, The role of Soviet women in the Great Patriotic War is now receiving. ddue recognition in the West. They proved themselves beyond expec: tation. The US military has recently reconsidered the role of women in combat, a lesson they should perhaps have leamed from the Soviets more than 60 years ago, HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION The title “Hero of e Soviet Union” (HSU) was the highest distinction any Soviet citizen of foreigner could receive. Street, factories, ships, ‘buildings, and organizations were named in their honor. Their likeness vwas carved on granite or cast in bronze, and publicly displayed. The Gold Star Medal they wore brought instant respect and admiration, and was recognized in all parts of the Soviet Union by the old and young alike The Soviet government avarded huge quantity of medals to is citizens, a uadition based on history and culture, Commemorative and jubilee medals were practically given away, for having been a veteran, a resident oF a certain city baring the war, or for something as mundane as working in a factory: Over a million medals were awarded to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s birth. However, the Gold Star ofa Hero of the Soviet Union separated the distinguished few from the masses, The tile “Hero of the Soviet Union" wa extablished by the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People’s Commissars on April 16, 1984. The recipient was recognized with the Order of Lenin, the hhighest award of the USSR. The Order of Lenin was frst establ April 6, 1930, by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, and was not purely & military decoration: it could be awarded for achievements in ed on ‘eeu the ny non Svat (Patan erin rng te Goat hor uch ws tacked by ‘Serman plane. Sh secrfced BOVE RAT Seat try ‘Grarovtay leg 20 Germans (he moundea: On Saptomber science and industry, agriculture, promoting Communism, etc. To separate the Hero fom the nom-Hero, the Gold Star Medal was estab- Tished on August 1, 1989, by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. Hence, the Hero received both during their investiture. In addition to the Gold Star Medal and the Order of Lenin, the recipient was also given a large diploma from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and + identification booklet, which had the ‘small passporesized red award document reproduced inside. This booklet was often used to ‘obtain privileges and was treated like a bankbook. To become a HSU, the individual had to perform a great military feat, Marshals and generals could receive the honor for a successful campaign while the colonels and their subordinates might receive it for their unis’ successes. Although some believed that the award was reserved mainly for officers, many enlisted personnel from sergeants to privates received it for their role in hand-o-hand fighting ‘Many coveted the tile hecause of the special privileges it brought. The major perks Included a union-lcvel pereonal pension, frst prineity cm a housing list, 50 percent rent reduction for housing, 90 percent reduction in taxes, free personal transportation in the city (on public buses), an annual free pass a rest home or resort, and free medical treatment. The recipient also received a free personal round tip ticket (first clas) for travel every Year: Merely by waving the red passportsized HSU booklet, the awardee was able to cut to the front of a line at entertainment, sports, and cultural events, He oF she also found it easy to join the prisiegedCommunist Party, which paved the way for excellent work and educational opportunities, Stalin was a shrewd manipulator who used every means posible to ensure victory. He issued a decree that the first ones to cross the mighty River Dnieper and hold their positions would become HSUs. The Germans had heavily fortified the opposing bank and any attempt to cross was considered almost suicidal, The Soviets did attack though, and the mad ingantry rush pushed the enemy back. Tens of thousands of Soviet soldiers died in the effort and over 4,000 became HSUs on the banks of the Dnieper. A Hero performing a second feat of great valor was decorated with a second Gold Star Medal and the Order of Lenin. Multiple award recipients were rare, with only 119 double winners, seven triple, and one quadruple. As there are no exact ‘equivalents, it can be stated that the Gold Star Medal was’ roughly comparable to the British Vietoria Cross, the American Medal of Honor and the German Knight's Cross ofthe Iron Cross, ‘The Great Patriotic War produced some 11,635 HISU awardees. Only 92 were women and 50 of them received the title posthumously: Although the Soviet Union was an immense country composed of many republics and with at least 90 separate ethnic nationalities, most of the HSU awardees were Russians and Ukrainians, ‘The tile of Hero of the Soviet Union’ and the Gold Sar Medal have lost considerable luster with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Many governments and citizens of the former republics, freed from the Soxiet yoke, no longer give ic the respect it once had. Heroes, once proud (0 wear the Gold Star Medal and other Soviet decorations in public, now only wear them, fon special occasions, such as Vietory Day. The Russian Government still retains this highest hhonor, but the tile has now been changed 1 Hero of the Russian Federation, ‘ABOVE LEFT or Aly Moldova scored 91 ll with het air rite. Om January 12, 1644 ake hepa apare& ‘uta machine gun nen with a ronede, She wes ales acto the nent em LEFT Corp Tatyana Baramain was anper wo once ‘tminated 16 enemy sles a singe ey. On 6 (ey and rected the tie of HSU on March 24, 1946, rds Capt Marya Doin in ¢ ‘mal poral wearing her new (old Star Medal, August 1948, THE HEROINES AIRCREW Mariya Ivanovna Dolina Mariya Dolina could be considered the “Grandmother of Soviet bomber aviation.” She was born on December 18, 1922, in the Omsk region of Siberia, She was the eldest of ten children bora into an impoverished farm family, and when her father became totally disabled she dropped ‘out of the eighth grade to work ata factory Dolina joined a glider club and became the best student in the clas. She could not go wo flight seool as she was two years younger than the aceeptance age s0 the leader of the flying dub solved this problem by ading two years to her age, which to this day remains unchanged in ficial records She graduated from Kherson Flying School before the war ‘sa lieutenant in the reserves and was involved in commercial aviation, When the war suddenly came Dolina's first task was to help ferry ‘out aireraft and destroy her airfields hangars and fuel to prevent them fom falling into enemy hands. The following day, she was formally accepted for military service. After training, Dolina was assigned to the 587th Diveomber Regiment, which flew the fast and demanding. Petlyakor Pe twin-engined medium bomber, which carried a reve of three. Dolina flew daylight missions as assistant commander ‘of the ar aquadson, which wa later renamed the 125th M.M. Raskova Borisoy Guards Dive-Bomher Regiment, (On June 2, 1943, Dolina’s plane was damaged during a bombing mission over Kuban. Initially hit by fierce anti- aircraft fire, she completed her run and fled for home. On the wa, they were attacked by German fighters and set on| fire. Her gunner managed to shoot down one and they belly landed on a grassy field. The entire aircraft went up in flames; the male gunner, who was wounded in the leg, pried open the canopy and pulled the two women out~ the ‘other woman was Galina Dzhunkorskaya (see page 10). All three were on fire and rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames. They were picked up by artllerymen and Dolina spent over a month in the hospital with a spinal com- pression injury, which plagues her to this day: Ground attacks during daylight operations against the enemy were extremely dangerous. ‘Only five women aviators in Pes lived long fenouigh to become Heroines. Guards Capt Mariya Dotina completed 72 missions and became a Heroine of the Soviet Union on 18 August 1945. She had shot dav three enemy planes and dropped 45.000 ky of bombs on the enemy during her war career, ‘After the wat, Dolina served in various political posts. She became a heroine again when she spoke at the Congress of War ‘Vewerans in Moscow on Vietory Day 1980. She spoke s0 passionately about the plight of the Aging female war veterans, that no one dared10 interrupt her for 10 minutes despite a strict five minute time limit, Turning to President Mikhail Gorbacher twice, she demanded higher pensions in an unprecedented display of conviction Gorbachey twice responded by standing up, nodding his approval, and applauding her. The next das, pensions were increased. President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine, om the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, promoted her to the rank of major. She now resides with her son in Ki, Galina Ivanovna Dzhunkovskaya Galina Dzhunkowskaya was born in the village of ‘Yurkovka inthe Kiev region of Ukraine; her father was a peasant farmer. In 1988, she went ro Grozny in the Chechen-Ingush ASSK to suudy medicine However, her career goal changed, and she went {to Moscow to study aviation engineering. At the outbreak of the war, Dzhunkowskaya volunteered as a nurse's aid and helped in civil defense along with members of the Moscow Aviation Institute. She tired of digging ditches and wanted a more direct role in the war. When she heard the call of Marina Raskova for women volunteers to join her flying regiment, the young student immediately signed up. She was tained a8 a navigator at Engels near Stalingrad, and was posted to the newly formed 587th Dive-Bomber Regiment. This unit employed the fast twin-engined Pedyakov Pe-2 medium bomber. The 587th was originally commanded by Marina Raskova, but she was killed in an aircraft accident in January 1943. Maj Valentin Markov was appointed as her successor, a position he initially considered humiliating. To make matters worse, the women disliked the newcomer. Not wishing to be condescending, Markov began as a strict and demanding ‘commancler, which earned him the unflattering nickname of “Bayonet” As their incredible feats became known, Maj Matkon’s attiude towards the women softened ~ and particularly towards Dehunkowskaya, with whom he fell in love: Likewise, the women gradually accepted him and his new nickname became “Daddy.” ‘The major would often lead the bombing missions and hhe wanted the best navigator to accompany him. The best navigator in the unit happened to be Galina Dehunkovskava. Because of his position, Maj Markov could not. show any preferential treatment towards any one woman, including his navigator, The disciplined officer continued to do his duty while suffering in silence for love During this time, Drhunkowskaya had a close encounter with death. Her bomber was inter. Marie Dstins ad he author, ‘bomander a uky stare my ‘mother bays tld ey” Danunkovehye, 1984, Dus to ‘ld war wounde she wos forced 1050 Se became an Engh Aeocher ond ough unt 167. cepted by German fighters and a savage gunfight ensued. When the Pe2 gunner ran out of ammunition, two fighters came in from the rear for the kill. She quiekswittedly grabbed a flare pistol, and from an ‘open hatch fired a desperate shot. The signal flare exploded and the enemy pilots, believing that the Pe-2 was firing an aerial grenade, broke off the attack and fled, In the spring of 1944, Dehunkowskaya teamed up with Klavdiya Fomicheva from the 2nd Squadron. On their first mission together in Belorussia, they were hit by antiaircraft fire and their port engine caught fire. They completed their bombing run, but were forced 10 bail out at an extremely low altitude of 150m. Their aireraft was seen. to crash, and they were reported killed in action. ‘The two women were both injured and Dzhunkovskaya had suffered bburns to her Face. The radio operator was killed in the crash. The two survivors were picked up by friendly troops, received first aid treatment and macle their way back to base. When Fomicheva and Dzhunkorskaya landed by transport plane at their base five day later, itwas Maj Markov vwho rushed forward and carried the injured navigator off the plane. The commander had been worried and despondent for days. Now, the entire regiment knew of his feelings for his navigator. By December 1944, Dzhunkovskaya had completed 62 missions, engaged in five aerial combats, and was credited with two enemy fighters shot down. Immediately after the end of hostilities, Galina Dzhunkovskaya married her commander, Valentin Markov, which ‘came as no surprise 10 the other women in the regiment. On August 18, 1945, she received the HSU title. ‘Both later served in the Soviet Far East, but she retired in 1950 due 10 poor health auributed to her wartime service. Dzunkorskaya-Markora graduated from Kirovgrad Teacher's College and taught English for ‘mauy years, She passed away on September 12, 1985, Klavdiya Yakolevna Fomicheva lava Fomicheva was the highest scoring female bomber ace of the Great Patriotic War, She was born in Moscow but spent her childhood in the village of Znamenka in the Lipetsk region. Her family struggled with poverty after her father and eldest brother died. She completed secondary education and went to work in Moscow as an apprentice bookkeeper in the state bank. At the same time, she enrolled in a glider club sponsored by her work and became hooked on aviation. ‘The young woman became so proficient that she was invited to join a paramilitary lying cub, Fomichera became a certified pilot in 1987, and a year later became aan instructor. As a testament to her skill and teaching abilities, 65 of her pupils were admitted to military light schools during the three years she taught atthe elu ‘When the allwoman flight regiment was organized by Marina Raskova, Fomicheva volunteered to become a fighter pilot. However, the ‘commander consineed the young woman that her talents would be put to best use with the bomber regiment. The new recruit received training, at Engels and was posted to the 587th Dive-Bomber Regiment, which had converted from the old Su2 single-engined bomber to the new twinengined Pe, a demanding aircraft. 1"‘Solna: (Coors Wetingen Fomichera flew her first two missions with a male squadron in early 1943 just as the Battle of Stalingrad was in its final phase. She learned her responsibilities very quickly and left het tutors to help rin her own squadron, As deputy squadron commander, 3 dinates well. During the bate over the Kuban area on the North Caucasus Front, her squadron suffered no casas, Most noteworthy was the engagement of June 2 1943, when Klava Fomichera’s squadron received high praise from the head of the Air Force, Nine Pe2s sortied on a bombing mission to the Kuban, escorted by fighters. Minutes before they were intercepted, the fighter escoms abandoned the bombers to pursue enemy aircraft. Fight other German fighters wied to take advantage of the simation. The bombers closed formation and put up a ferocious battle, shooting down four of the enemy planes. Five bombers were shot down, but all the crews returned safely. This incident made headlines inthe Soviet pres, On September 17, 1943, Fomicheva's plane was hit by antiaircraft fie while completing a bombing run. With one engine on fire and a ‘wounded navigator on board, the brave pilot struggled to make an emergency landing on a friendly airfield that had already been bombed. Her aircraft flipped over when it ita bomb erater ana burst into flames. She and her navigator survived but with serious injuries, while their ‘gunner died in the crash. Fomicheva was grounded until eatly 194 while she recovered in hospital Before the end ofthe war, Squadron Leader Fomicheva was shot down again, on June 98, 1944, and sustained a leg wound and bums. She and hher navigator, Galina Dehunkowskaya, were forced to bail out at 150m. She yas grounded for another avo months and reuurned to duty in late August. Klavdiya Fomicheva had completed 55. operational sorties. by December 1944. Ar the end of the war, she was credited with 11 aerial victories. On August 18, 1945, this accomplished fighterleader received the HSU tle After the war, Fomicheva became an instructor at the Air Force Academy, but retired in 1956 due to poor health asa direct result of her ‘wartime service. She died on October 5, 1958, and is buried in Moscow Polina Viadimirovna Gelman Diminutive, rsvemhaired Polina Gelman was the only female Jewish HSU. Russian-born Jews were not considered Russians, but were listed as 8 separate nationality and were often discriminated against. She was born in Berdichey in Ukraine of working-class parents. When she wis five months old, her father was killed in the Civil War, and her mother {ook her to live in Belorusia. Gelman had her fist taste of aviation when she joined a glider school ‘while inthe ninth grade, On her first flight, the instructor told her to execute @ manewer that he had shown her nfortunatels, she was so small that she had 10 slide doven from her seat to reach the rudder pedals, disappearing from the sight of her instructor! When they lande« ‘manded and told not to come back. She did not > back, but the thrill of flight never left her. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, young Polina was a history major at Moscow State University She heard the recruitment call of Marina Raskora to join her all-female flight regiment, and at Engels Polina tained as a nat igator She wanted to become a pilot, but was stil 70 short to reach the mudder pedals. However, trained navigators were in just as much demand as plow, ‘The desperate fighting called for night bombing to harass the Germans and deprive them of sleep. At times, Gelman and her comrades would fly between six and ten missions a night. They would drop their bombs, return to refuel and rearm, and go straight back out again. The standard attack method involved turning of the engine of their U2/Po2 biplane to glidebomb under the cover of silence, then restart the engine to escape. Gelman was initially paired with Dusya Nosal butafershe was killed Maguba Syrlanora (a future HSU) became her pilot. (One of the most gratfVing moments for this Jewish aviator was the resupplying effort to.a group of Soviet marines in the Crimea during. the winter of 1943. In bad weather, she flew many missions over the Kerch Strat to drop ammunition and food to the men below Aca senior lieutenant of communications inthe 45th Taman Guards [ight Bomber Regiment, Gelman flew a total of $60 missions. When the war ended, she had flown more sores than some of her comrades ‘who were decorated with the Gold Star The highest honor was finally awarded to her on May 15, 16, AMter the war, Gelman went back to Moscow State University where she graduated with a degree in history She contintied to serve in the military until 1957 and retired with the rank of major. She later obtained a degree ‘of Candidate of Economic Science in 1970 ancl worked diligent for the ‘Communist Party She is now retired and lives in Moscow Lydia Viadimirovna Litvyak [dia Litwak is the most famous Soviet female fighter pilot ofall ime She was born in Moscow and completed high school in 1938, As litle she was fascinated by the adventures of the famous women fliers Valentina Grizodubova, Polina Osipenko, and Marina Raskova The fight of the Rodina, where these worten seta long-distance recor, inspired the young Lydia and pushed her towards an aviation career At the start of the war, Lityak was an instructor at Kherson Flying School, where she earned her wings. Her inital attempts to enter sersice ‘uate a Poin Gaiman 121“ were tharted. However, when she heard that ‘Marina Raskova was reeruiting members for her al woman regiment, she rushed to join. Rigorous training commenced at Engels. After completing this, she was assigned to a fighter regiment. Later, she and three female companions were transferred to the 437th Fighter Regiment, which flew Yak fighters. On September 13, 1942, Lityak scored her frst 0 victories and bbecame the first woman to shoot down an enemy plane. As the popular story goes, she shot down a Luftwaffe ace and a Knight's Cross holder \who parachuted out of his stricken fighter. The caprured enemy pilo was brought before Lityak and refused to believe that he had been felled bya woman, untll she described the dogfight. Research indicates that no Knight’s Cross recipient was shot down that day. Most likely, the account was exaggerated ‘On the following day, the Lith, Lityak shot down an Me 109. On the 271h, she added a Ju 88 bomber. She mostly flew bomber escort missions. Although she did not see much action, she impressed her male counterparts through her ability to hold her own. At the end of 104, he score stood at four victories, mostly gained around Stalingrad, The newspapers publicized her accomplishments, but the publicity-shy ‘woman made great efforts to keep a very low profile Linyak was wounded for the first ime on March 22, 1948, in aerial combat, and made a forced landing, An IL? landed nearby and rescued (ABOVE LEFT yaa Lp became the mest famous fale Ahr ace tory (rene) ABOVE RIT J a Lye ‘amor Famer pots stores eat th cone fagngs her. She was hospitalized and did not return to her unit until May She scored another victory on May 5 agninst an Me 109 when the Germans intercepted a Pe2 bomber formation, Two days later, she bagged another 108. ‘On Joly 15, she was wounded for the second time. Six Yaks encoutitered 30 German bombers with six escorts. The Soviet pilots put up a tremendous fight. The woman ace downed one bomber and Shared a vietory with a comrade, but her fighter was hit and she had to make a belly landing on her airfield. She refused to be sidelined by hher wound, which she considered minor (On August 1, 1943, Liyak was reported missing in acon while attacking a formation of bombers and escorts in the Donetsk area of Ukraine, On this last mission, she was credited with the destruction of an Me 109, In 168 sorties, she achieved 12 personal and four shared victories, pls reconnaissance balloon, In 1969, children playing out ina field found the remains of a small pilot in the wreckage of an aircraft, which were buried in a common, igrave in the village of Dmitrieva. In nearby Krasny Luch, a group of students under the leadership of schoolteacher Valentina Vaschenko, ‘nade a search for her eras stein 1971 but were unsuccessful. However, in 1979 they learned thatthe remains ofa pilot, presumably female, had hacen found near Dmitsyeva and were buried there. The remains were dlsintered and forensic testing identified them as those of Lydia Lita Through the efforts of schoolteacher Vaschenko, Linyak received the HSU title on May 8, 1990, bya decree from President Mikhail Gorbaches. Vaschenko established the Museum of War Glory attached to School No.1 to honor the Heroine and others in Krasny Lh, » Marina Mikhallovna Raskova The woman who inspired thousands of young Soviet women to ly had no early interest in ying Rather, her goal was to become an opera singer Marina Malinina was bora in Moscow to middle- class parents. Her mother wasa schoolteacher. Her father, who was a singing instructor, was Killed in an accident in 1919. Despite this tragedy, she continued with her drama and singing lessons. She ‘was very hard on herself and soon began to suffer from stress. Financial hardship and illness forced her to quit music school and change her career goal, She decided to study chemistry in high School, which woul help her secure a job. Afier graduation in 1929, young Marina found employment with a dye factory as a chemist. She also maried an engineer named Sergey Rasko thus changing her name to Raskova. Her daughter Tanya was bor in 1950 and Marina divorced her husband in 1985 From the dye factory, Raskova moved in 1931 10 the Aero Navigation Laboratory of the Air Force Academy as a draftswoman, Through her work she was gradually drawn into aviation. She studied Marina Rashoa wears the ‘ania of 2 mar Har Iredale ncade the Tipe ‘ang ond combat. Ponce), 16physics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, radio theory, and navie gation. In 1934, she graduated from the Leningrad Air Force Scientific Research Instuuce. Raskova was the first Soviet woman to be certified as an aviation navigator During September 24-25, 1938, Raskova participated in the world record distance flight a¢ navigator aboard the twin-engined bomber Rodina, Pilowed by Valentina Grizodubora and Polina Osipenko, the ‘recordin 1898 Let to a Poin Ope (e-bt Ina swamp. The phot was three women flew from Moscow towards the Soviet Far East, Theit fuel supply was inadequate to reach their destination, probably because a mechanic forgot to refill the tanks after engine testing. Raskova ‘was ordered to parachute out from her workstation in the nose section: Grizodubows was fearful that a belly landing would kill or injure her navigator. She bailed out at 2.300m and spent ten days roaming the wildemess before she was reunited with her «wo comrades. A massive rescue effort located the trio safe and sound, The Rodina had come down in a swamp, The women had set a world distance record of 6,450km. On November 2, 1938, all three women were decorated with the Gold Star Medal and the Order of Lenin. Raskora went on the lecture cireut for the Moscow Communist Party (she became a member in. 1940) and studied at the MV. Frunze Miltary Academy ‘When the war began, Raskova could not obtain an assignment for combat duties, She joined the People’s Defense Commitee and became aware that thousands of women pilots wanted to participate in battle. Because of her popularity and influence with high gos ernment officials, she used her position to lobby fora fight regiment composed of women. The pln was approved and Maj Raskova ‘was appointed as commander ‘The call went out for volunteers and 1,000 were selected for intensive training at Engels, located on the River Volga. The regiment twas so large, it was split into three and she chose to lead the 587th DiveBomber Regiment (later renamed the 125th MM. Raskova Boris Guards Bomber Regiment). They tained with the Petlyakow Pe 7‘uae Capt Maria Smirnova a ‘nthe gto her chest she {he Onder ot Alesnder Nove, ‘towed below by an Order of (On January 4, 1943, Maj Marina Raskova. 100k off for the front in bad weather. Her aiseralt crashed and the entire crew was killed, Her ashes ‘were interred in the Kremlin Wall Mariya Vasilevna Smirnova Looks can deceive: even in uniform, Mariya Smirnova looked like a sweet, harmless teenager Yet this short, babyfaced woman wa a “Night Witch” who struck terror into the hearts of the enemy during the Great auriotie War ‘Maya was born to a peasant Family in the village ‘of Vorobyeso in the Kalinin region, Her love allair with aviation began while teaching kindergarten in Kalinin; there was an airfield nearby and she would watch the planes everyday. She joined dhe Kalinin Flying Giub in 1937, the only female in her class amongst hundreds of members. Two years later, she became an instructor. ‘On November 1, 1941 Smimova signed up following Marina Raskova's call for female volunteers, She took a flight course at Engels Aviation School and was posted to the 588th Night Bomber Regiment ‘When the women fight regiments were first thrown into combat, there Wwas considerable skepticism and mistrust as to their capabilities among their male comrades. Smimova was flight tested by a male pilot and passed with excellent marks. When the com mander of her squaclron was killed, Smimova took over and led by example. She piloted the Polikarpov U-2/Po2 biplane and dropped ‘bombs on German troop concentrations supply lines, and railroads. In the Taman area, her plane was hit by groundfire on a moonlit night. She crashanded with a bomb sill tached and a wounded navigator in the back seat. She was knocked unconscious, bur suffered no major injures The “Night Witches" were often deprived of sleep and rest, and flee in the worst weather imaginable. They were situated very close to the frontlines, sometimes ar close as a ISminute flight, Ths allowed the women 10 execute up to ten missions a night: the crew simply stayed in the cockpit while the mechanics serviced the plane and attached bombs, The famous German fighterleader Hauptmann Johannes Stcinhotf commander of 1L./JG52, paid an indirect compliment to the Soviet female aviators in a leter he wrote on September 2, 1942: “We simply couldn't grasp thatthe Soviet airmen that caused us the greatest trouble ‘were in fact women. These women feared nothing. They came night after night in their very slow biplanes, and for some periods, they ‘would’ give us any sleep at al.” By August 1944, Smimora had survived 805 night missions and was granted leave to attend a women's conference in Moscow. The foreign journalists noticed the youthful Smirnova with a chest full of medals and Thought that she was a propaganda ploy. Skepticism tured to respect later when her flight logbook was produced. ‘s Anna Yogrove (Tomato) wands by hack erat in ont, {964 ginal bestowed {he HOU In 1044 posthumous, On October 26, 1944, Guards Capt Mariza Smimova, the diminutive squadron commander, vas awarded the HSU title. A few months before the war ended, the regiment commander sent Smimova and Guards Sr/Lt Yekaterina Ryabora (HSU, February 28, 1945) to study at the Air Force Academy. The two were not admitted because the institution vas now offically closed to women, Smimova returned to her unit and finished the ‘war with 935 misions flown, ‘Some of the women aviators had hoped for a postwar aviation career. In the case of Smimova four years of continuous fighting had nearly ruined her health, both physically and mentally She was found sinfit to fly and was transferred t0 the reserves, Undaunted, she worked as an instructor for the Kalinin Regional Communist Party and held the position of personnel director for 4 wool manufacturing company: Now retired, she lives in Kali ‘Anna Aleksandrovna Timoteyeva This remarkable woman was the only female pilot in her bomber regiment. She vas bom Anna ‘Yegorova in the village of Torzhok in the Kalinin region between Moscow andl Leningrad, She was ‘one of 16 children in a poor peasant family, After ‘completing secondary school, she entered a trade school and then secured work on the construction ofthe Moscow Metro, At the same time, Yegorova attended a worker's preparatory course for university and also joined a glider cub. The ambitious young woman lave joined the Kherson Flying School and became an instructor. At the start of the war, Yegorova flew the U:2/Po-2 biplane to deliver passengers, mail, and conduct reconnaissance, On May 20, 1942, she ‘was neatly shot down by a German fighter while on a mail delivery ight. ‘With her plane on fire, she landed in a forest, The enemy plane strafed her repeatedly, but she hid herself ina large cornfield until the fighter left. She was able to deliver the mail and was treated for burns Marina Raskova wanted Yegorova for her allavoman flight regiment and sent numerous requests to her unit, but the staff was reluctant to Tether go. She did not learn about this until long after the wat Yegorota trained with the Hyushin Sturmovik TL2. It was an excellent ‘ground attack aireraft, which could carry 600kg of bombs oF up to eight rockets, She quickly mastered this plane and flew with the 805th Ground Atack Regiment over the Taman Peninsula and the fortified area known asthe “Blue Line.” The highly dangerous ground support missions decimated her squadron, but she always returned, ‘A woman flying the IL-2 was a rarity in those days. On July 7, 1944, ‘Yegorova made a reconnaissance mission over the Belorussian front with to fighter escorts. The male pilots did not know that she was a woman and made fun of her effeminate voice. On the way back, she radioed her report. “Thank you, Aneechka!” responded the base radio operator. It20 ‘was only then that the two escorts realized that the pilot ofthe Sturmovik was a woman, “They began cieling around and wagging their wings at me,” she Inter recalled. “They did not land at their aerodrome Dut escorted me to my field, wagged their wings again, and flew away” When she reported to headquarters, the personnel kidded her about hnaving found bridegroom ‘On August 20, 1944, Yegorowa flew her 243rd and last mision from an airfield east of Warsaw: She led a group of ten aircraft wo attack the ‘Germans preparing for a counterattack against the Soviet 8th Army on the “Magnuszev bridgehead. Her plane took a direct hit and her gunner was killed. The Sturmovik tamed over on fire and she was thrown out of the cockpit. Her parachute opened partially at very low altitude and she was badly burned and injured when she hit the ground. The Germans cap- tured her immediately and provided medical treatment. She was rescued when the Soviets overran the Kustin POW camp on January 31, 145, When Sr/Lt Yegorava returned, she was arrested by the NKVD on suspicion of having surrendered to the enemy, a traitorous offense. She was jailed for 11 days and interrogated every night. Several POW camp doctors testified on her behalf, which finally secured her release. valid due to serious wounds her flying carcer came to an iy married her former division commander, Vjacheslav Timofeves, and had two sons. Anna Yegorova Timofeyeva had “posthumously” received the HSU ttle in late 1944 However, the award was revoked when it vas leamed that she had survived as a prisoner. Later the politcal climate changed, and she finally received the Gold Star Medal and the Order of Lenin on May 6, 1965. FIELD MEDICS Mariya Karpovna Balda During the siege of Sevastopol, the Soviets needed hheroie role models to inspite their troops. Mariya Baida became one of three heroines to fulfil this purpose (the others were sniper Lyudmi Pslichenko and machine gunner Nina Onilova.) Mariya Baida was born in 1922 in the village ‘of Nossi Sivash in the Krasnyi Perekop area in the Crimea. Orphaned at an early age, she was Drought up by her grandparents. Life was extremely tough for her as a child and she toiled fon a collective farm when she wasn't attending school, When her grandfather died and her randmother became ill, she was forced to drop ‘out of school and work full ime. She looked after childeen on a collective farm's day-care center, and later served 2s a nurse's aid ata local hospital The war came directly to Baida when the Germans bombed her house in the village of Voinka during Operation Barbarossa. Thousands refugees made their way-toward Simferopol ‘and Sevastopol as the enemy advanced. Baida ‘accompanied the wounded to safes, then joined a home guard unit which was later absorbed into the Sith Rifle Regiment. Because of her nursing packground, she became a field medic and was sent wth her unit to defend Sevastopol Tt wasn't long before "Marisia” Baida made a name for herself in the severe fighting. She was quick to volunteer for hazardous assignments and joined a reconnaissance unit. On her frst mission, she captured a wounded German pilot and brought him back for interrogation. On another mission, the recon patrol was sent co destroy a hidden machine gun nest located in a cave and Baida captured an officer while he was attempting to escape. ‘On June 6, 1942, Sgr Baida outdid all of her other previous achievements, She erept up to an enemy postion and then burst forward With her submachine gun, killing 15 German soldiers and their officer. She knocked out several more wth the butt of her PPSh-. Inthe process, she rescued her commanding officer and eight comrades who were prisoners, and captured a machine gun and other weapons. News of her ‘alor went straight to the top and she was recommended for the HSU tide Baida continued to fight, but suflered a serious leg wound and was hospitalized. While laid up in bed, she was awarded the Gold Star Medal 1nd the Order of Lenin on June 20. Military newspapers hailed her as Masha Sevastopolskaya” and “Fearless Marusia, During the siege of Sevastopol, the Soviets lost over 100,000 soldiers and 200 tanks. Gen Andrei Visov ried to counterattack, but received no support from his headquarters. The enemy encircled the city and Field Marshal Erich von Manstein’s 11th Army captured the fortress on July 4 While atempting to escape with her unit, Baida was captured. Site was moved between various prisoner of war camps, and escaped from one in aris Ba in 2 postwar proto, She received the sveted Sevastopel and choo! Ho. 38Marty Doeenenk. The tse {congue pin in hr coir a (Re army 1041 aning sytem) sergeant fart ———SES Romo, Ukraine, She was recaptured and transferred to a death camp fn Salzburg, Austria where she joined the camp's resistance organization, “This courageous woman vas betrayed by an informant and tortured, but she survived until the Americans liberated the camp on May 8, 1945, “Mariya Baida returned to Sevastopol where they named a school after her. She participated each year in the memorial service for the Sevastopol defenders atthe Malakhoy Burial Motind, She passed asain September 2002 Mariya Sergeyevna Borovichenko “Lite Mashen from Mousetrap" was born in the small village of Myshelovki (Mousetrap) just outside Kies, Ukraine. Orphaned at an ‘early age, she was raised by her uncle and completed eight grades of ‘school, She was enrolled in a nursing course when the war stated, ‘When the Germans advanced on Kiey, Mariya and her uncle managed tw escape, She collected valuable information along the way andl passed, itto the 5th Airborne Brigade, commanded by Col Alexandr Rodimsex ‘The information enabled the Soviets to destroy part of the enemy arilery. Because of this action and her nursing background, she was immediately accepted into service ‘On August 13, 1911, Borovichenko distinguished herself in her baptism of fire south of Kiex. While treating the wounded, she rescued her battalion commander from capture. Three Germans took custody fof Capt Simkin, Litle Mashen killed two of them with a pistol she had picked up on the batleield, allowing Simkin tw escape. In the next battle, Prt Borovichenko captured high-ranking German officer who was humiliated at having been taken prisoner by a 16yearold gil, News of this courageous teenagers exploits fascinated Col Rodimtsey, who ordered his subordinates to keep him fully informed of her activites During a subsequent battle near the village of Kazatshoye, Borovichenko was captured. However, she managed to exeape and brought back vale information on enemy troop movements, This allowed the staf officers to move their head: {quarters to safes ‘On September 5, 1941, Borovichenko again wade headlines. The Germans were encircling Kiev when Col Rodimstey received orders to rose his unit to the southern bank of the River Seym near Konotop. Rodimstev’s troops arrived Just im time: the enemy was attempting to rush infantry ‘eros @ damaged railroad. bridge. Realizing the disastrous outcome if the enemy succeeded, Borovichenko convinced a comrade to help her drag a Maxim machine gun to an ideal postion, Mariya acted as spotter and loader ‘They rained accurate fire upon the enemy and stopped them cold, Col Rodimsey personally vos feciated by the exloe Iosstrp” ana wrote hor Door aftr the warn ‘rowel abana ‘congratulated the young itl on her bravery On September 17, Borovichenko captured ten German soldiers single-handedly while on scouting mission. Her name was featured promi: rently in newspapers, but the glory never went to her hnead. As the great Daudes raged, she continued to live a charmed life. She participated in the Bate ff Stalingrad. where her fiancé was felled by a sniper's bullet. During the Battle of Kursk on July 14, 1943, S¢/Sgt Borovichenko died in combat. Her last act was to shield @ wounded officer with her body after knocking out an advancing tank with an antitank grenade. She was killed by shrapnel from an exploding shell, Her death stunned Maj/Gen Rodimisey, who considered her one of his favorite soldiers, She was buried in the village ‘of Mikhaylorshoye. (On May’6, 1965, Mariya Borovichenko received the HSU ttle. A year later, Col/Gen Alexand I. Rodimuses, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, paid tribute to her by publishing her biography, Mashenke iz Myshelok (Little Mashen from Mousetrap). A feature movie was made about her based on his book, Yekaterina Mikhaylova-Demina The lack of fairness in the Soviet award system is clearly illustrated by the case of Yekaterina Mikhaylova-Demina. Had she been a man, there is no doubt that she would have received the Soviet Union's highest honor at the end of the war, She was born in Leningrad and grew up in an orphanage. On the way to visita brother, her train was bombed near Smolensk. The date was June 22, 1941, the start of the Great Patriotic War, ‘The patriotic 16yearold girl volunteered for military service, but the recruitment office rejected her. She then volunteered and was accepted to help at a military hospital, Her stint was shortlived, as the entemy bombed the building. The patients were evacuated and Katya Mikhaylewa stayed behind. Ax there wa a deaperate need far Feld medics, she was finally accepted for service inthe Arm. "The Germans pushed on toward Moscow and Mikhaylova saw | much combat, Near Grhatsk, she received a serious leg wound and ‘was evacuated to the Urals, On her recovery, she was transferred to naval service and served aboard a hospital ship. The routine actviies board the ship bored her, so she vohinteered for the formidable Azo Flotilla, When her request was denied, she filed a complaint with the 2324 government in Moscow eval GPO dation erove she was admitted in February 1943, The Marines treated Mikhaylova with contempt at the beginning, but as she accompanied them on firstarave "assaults, their attiuides changed. She could handle weapons like her male comrades, joined in scouting enemy-held territory, and treated the wounded. In no time, she was accepted. Inthe course of combat, she was ‘043, CFO mikhelove Domina owt She was hl ‘hen the hop! was bombed Neva hit Potty fear ‘teria tihnfove Demin in “045, Atbough she wes sal he cregoedsavera hundred wounded three times. Mikhaylova. participated in the capture of Belgorod Dnestrovsi in August 1944, The attackers landed at night from rubber boats along the shores of the Dniester estuary in a commando operation. She was one of the first to climb a ridge, and then lowered a rope to help pull her comrades up. Once on top, they charged and cleared the ridge of the enemy. At the end of the day, she had treated and removed 17 men to safes. In addition, she had singlehandedly stormed «fortified position and taken 14 German prisoners In December 1944, Mikhaylova was once agtin involved in a commandosiyle assault Yugoslavia, The target was the Tok, She was in a group of 50 a small island nearby. They were to provide a diversion while the main elements were to attack from a diferent location. The island was flooded and the assault group had to climb tees to fire on the fortress. The counterfire was horrendous and the young field medic received a bullet through her hand. When some of the men were hit and fell into the icy water she jumped in to save them. Using belts and rifle slings, she secured the wounded to the tween and. treated them. In this fashion, she saved the lives of Just as the Marines were about to bbe destroyed completely, Soviet and Yugoslav forces stormed the fortress. Only 13 from Mikhaylova's group survived and all were time near Vukovar in mncient fortress located at farines who landed on wounded. A short hospitalization followed, but before she had fully recovered, she escaped back to her wnit ‘Yekaterina Mikhaylovna continued in the medical profession aftr the war, married, and served in yatious veterans’ posts. She also worked for the Soviet Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. The International Committee of the Red Cross recognized her work during the war with the Florence Nightingale Medal. She had been nominated for the SU title three times, but the Awards Department denied the requests, (On May 5, 1990, by a decree from President Gorbachev, Yekaterina Mikhaylomna-Demina became a Heroine of the Soviet Union. She wis tone ofthe last to be honored before the collapse of the USSR. Mariya Zakharovna Shcherbachenko Cut of the 15 women medical personnel who became HSUs, only seven, survived to wear the Gold Star Medal. Marija Shcherbachenko wis one those lucky enauigh to beat the odds. She was born in the village of ‘Yefremovksa in Kharkov Province of Ukraine to a peasant family. Her family lived in abject poverty and both of her parents died hefore she was ten, She was raised by her older brother and completed seven grades of secondary school Before the war, Mariya worked as a bookkeeper's assistant on a collective farm, She remained at her job throughout the German ‘occupation of her village, which ended in March 1943, When the enemy fell back, she was called into service and trained as a field medic. She save her frst action in the small setlement of Grebenki ‘On the night of September 24, 1943, Sheherbachenko accompanied an advance {roup of 13 infantrymen attempting to cross the mighty River Dnieper in the region of Kier Such small probing actions were considered vicida. Two small fishing boats slowly made heir way silently to the other side under the caver of darkness, Shcherbachenko's boat became stranded on a shoal and the occupants were forced t jump into he icy water and swim ashore. At dawn, another boat containing 17 men arrived. The Germans made repeated counterattacks to drive them ck into the river, but the lightly armed platoon, nung on tenaciously. They would not receive reinforcements for 24 hours die tothe firepower of the enemy guns. Sgt Sheherbachenko did her best to dress the wounds of her comrades and ragged them to concealed places. Grabbing a Reinforcements started to arrive the following ay. From the time she landed until October 4, the brave field medic aided 112 wounded men. Her bravery under fire served as an inspiration to all. ‘On October 28, Mariya Shcherbachenko were a 1943, all 13 men and Sgt rded the HSU ‘ot mary Shenerbaconke appears na ply photo ‘raety manufacture Botide. After the war, she finished law school and worked asa lawyer. She lives in retirement in Kie Zinaida Tusnolobova-Marchenko Zinaida TusnolobovaMarchenko was & woman who inspired many people. Soldiers on the Ist Baltic Front liberated the town of Poloisk for her; tanks, aircraft, and arillery pieces carried her name; factory workers increased production when they heard her story ‘She was bom in Polotsk in the Vitebsk region fof Belorussia. She came from a peasant family and completed seven grades of school. When the war began, Zinaida was working asa chemical lab technician for @ coal-mining operation in Siberia, She wanted to join the fight, but was rejected because she did not possess any qual: ifying skills. A threemonth nursing program remedied the situation. Upon completion in April 1942, she was accepted into the 849th Rifle Regiment and sent to the Voronezh Front. Just before her departure, she married a soldier named Tosif Marchenko, In July, this field medic participated in her first battles. She treated and removed 40 ‘wounded soldiers from the battlefield, for which she was decorated with the Order of the Red Star. By the time she received the Order of the Red Banner she had treated and moved to safery a toual of 128 wounded men, On February 2, 1943, Pe Tusnolobora-Marchenko was seriously wounded near Kursk while tying to provide aid to her company com ‘ander, who later died. Shot through both legs, she had to craw through the snow: and when the Germans overran her position, she played dead. However, an enemy soldier smashed her face with his rifle Dut just to make certain that she was dead. Two days later, she was found by scouts and rushed to a field hospital. twas a miracle that she had survived the freezing temperatures and los of blood Tusnolobova-Marchenko endured the agony of losing her right arm, right leg, and left hand due to gangrene. The doctors also amputated a portion of her left foot due to severe frostbite. Depression consumed her and she almost gave up hope. However, she was given a book about young Soviet writer who struggled with blindness and illness, and died atan early age. This book literally changed her life, After 15 months of hospitalization, a long process of rehabilitation followed. The Institute of Prosthetic Devices took Tusnolobovar Marchenko and taught her how to srite and walk again, Rather than wallowing in self-pity; she believed that she could use her tragedy to inspire others. She sent a letler to the soldiers on the Ist Batic Front, asking them to liberate Polotsk, her birthplace. Eventually, the soldiers delivered on their promise, “Avenge TusnolobovaMarchenko!™ soon, bbecame a familiar battle cry. Sacks of letters arived from the troops to e Sot Zins Tusnolbovee her nometown rm the enemy Marchant 1942, before she won severely wounded ‘hos of Peek gave hor hhearten her and thank her for her inspiration. Her writings were widely published in newspapers and her voice was heard on the radio. ‘When the war ended, the woman who inspired the troops ecurned to her birthplace. She was reunited with her husband and later had a son and a daughter. In Polots, she was involved in the city council and dit social work. ‘On December 6, 1957, Zinaida Tusnolobova-Marchenko was honored with the HSU tide, She was ako a recipient of the International Committee of the Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal. She passed away on May 20, 1980, MACHINE GUNNERS Manshuk Mametova This courageous machine gunner was the fist Soviet Asi become a Heroine in the Great Patriotic War, She was born ina steppe village in the Ural region of Kazakhstan, the daughter of a shoemaker. When she was five years old, her patents gave her to her aunt and uncle, who were childles. Daring the Stalinist purges ofthe late 1990s, her adoptive father was arrested. He influenced her to become a physician and when the Yar broke out, Manshuk was a medical student studying in Alma-Alta, the republic's capital cy, She also worked in the Secretariat of People’s Commissars of the Kazakh SSR. Tn August 1942, Mametova enlisted in the Army and inially worked as a clerk, Later, under the tutekige of an experienced gunner, she received machine gun training in the 21st Guards Rifle Division of the Srd Shock Army. In competition with other gunners in the unit, the young Kazakh girl won top honors, The battalion commander was so arSot Manchu Mamstova in 1849 photograph. Sho became impressed, he promoted her to senior sergeant and made her 2 leader of & machine gun crew In her frst bate, Sr/Sgt Mametovs showed off her skill. She allowed the enemy to come clase, then proceeded t mow them down. Her name was frequently mentioned in the frontline news papers for extraordinary skill and valor ‘As a candidate member of the Communist Party, Mametova distinguished herself on October 15, 1943, in Nevel, an ancient town near the border of Belorussia. The Soviets had pushed the Germans out, but the enemy came ack in a series of counterattacks. Ona strategic hill, fierce fighting raged. When her machine gun crew was killed, Mametora carried on alone despite a barrage of mortar shells falling on her position. She was knocked out by a blast and badly wounded in the head, but regained consciousness, and moved her gun to another location, ‘The Germans charged up the hill, ying des perately to silence the deadly machine gun post ‘ith small arms fire and grenades, but they took heavy losses. Mametova Kept firing, almost at point blank range, but there was no way to stop the assault by wave after wave of infantry. Her body was discovered later after the Germans were thrown back. ‘Sr/Sge Manshuk Mametora was awarded the tide of Heroine of the Soviet Union on March 1, 1944. She is buried in Nevel where a ‘monument is dedicated to her. She became the subject of many poems, stories, and songs. Even today, long after the end of the Great Patriotic War, her name is mentioned on the anniversary of Viewory Day in her native Kazakhstan, One of the two greatest female machine gunners in the Great Patriotic War was Nina Onilova. She was born in the village of Novonikolayevia in the Odessa region of Ukraine, and was orphaned aged 11. She was brought up in an orphanage and completed the seventh grade. As a teenager, she worked in a knitted goods factory and attended night classes Nina's entire focus on life changed when she saw the fil Chapayen ‘movie about the Givil War and a famous woman machine gunner named Anka.” The young gil decided that she would be the next Anka, She undertook machine gun training at the paramilitary cub attached to the factory, and soon mastered it Onilova joined the Army in late 194) after she was accepted asa field medic in the 54th Rifle Regiment. Fighting inthe area of Odessa, she was able to demonstrate her gunnery skills. While treating the wounded, a nearby machine gun jammed, putting their position in sgreat danger. She ran over, cleared the gun, and proceeded to mow down the enemy as they advanced, The crew had never seen anything “nose death inspired female hotoprgh wae taken ie ony foee like this: Pvt Onilova now had her big chance. She was ‘given the position of gunner of this crew and their ‘exploits became legendary While fighting near Odessa in September, the young gunner was severely wounded by a mortar blast and she spent nearly t6o months in hospital. The doctors wanted to declare her an invalid, but Onilova as determined w get back t0 the battles and argued persistently with the medical board. The doctors grew weary and signed the release papers, allowing her to go back ‘On November 21, 1941 near the village of Mekenziya, Onilova came face to face with a German tank. She ‘crawled forward some 20m from her trench and threw two Molotov cocktails, setting the tank ablaze. This earned her the Order of the Red Banner from General I Ye. Petrov and an instant promotion to sergeant. Despite the celebrity status, Nina remained shy ‘and modest ‘On February 28, 1942, during a night action around the village of Mekenzi ‘Sgt Onilova destroyed two enemy ‘machine gun nests and stayed behind alone to cover the retreat of her ‘comrades, She took a mortar blast in the chest and vas morally wounded. The young gunner, who lived up to her role model's reputation, died on March 8, 1042, Her story was told far and wie “The death of ths courageoss woman inspited other female field medics to tke up machine gun training. She became the new role model for many young women who wanted to follow in her footsteps. On May 14, 1965, Sr/Sge Nina Onilora received the HSU ttle. She was interned atthe Communards Cemetery near Sevastopol SNIPERS Natalya Venediktovna Kovshova Prt Natalya Korshova was one of the first wo female snipers to car the HSU tide. She was born in Ufa, then the capital of the Bashkirian Autonomous Socialist’ Republic (now Bashkotorstan) in the Urals region, Her family was caught up in the Civil War and was victimized by the White Guards, Her grandfather was killed and her mother, grand ‘mother, and two aunts were imprisoned. After they were freed, they moved to Moncenr where she wae raed hy her ‘Young Natalya was Komsomol member during high school. She received paramilitary training where she became an accomplished sharpshooter and later an instructor: When she graduated, she had aspirations of becoming an aviation engineer: She worked briefly at an aviation research institute and attended night school. ‘Korshova’s aviation career came to an end when the war began in June 1941, the same month she passed her entrance examination to theCOVE LEFT Pt Nata ovhova na phot taken beat snipers beeawe thoy tnd wore more pat. ABOVE RGHT Snipr Pot ana best tend Nate Koren. ‘hey detonated graces rather Moscow Aviation Institute. She enlisted in the Army and waned in the use of light and heavy automatic weapons, Because of her sharpshooting Skills, she was elevated to the position of sniper instructor, With the Cominunist Battalion of the Comintern District of Moscow, the young, ‘woman marched into battle on the North-Westem Front As a sniper attached to the 528th Rifle Regiment of the 190th Rifle Division, Pvt Kowshova scored her first kill on February 21, 1942, when she shot a German sniper out of a tree, She organized the sniper movement in her regiment, patiently teaching her young pupils the fine points of handling the Moisin-Nagant 1891/30 rifle with a PE power scope, Korshova eventually eamed up with Prt Mariya Poivanova, another accomplished sniper. They had both received training at the Central Women’s Sniper Academy and soon became best friends. The duo distinguished themselves betweem March 1-4, 1942, by picking off a German machine gun crew and killing dozens of infantrymen, Prt Korshora was wounded in the Reree fighting of May 20, 1942 Two weeks later, she was wounded again. Luckily, the wounds were not serious and she returned to duty (On August 14, 1942, Pv Kowshova was a member ofa sniper unit near the village of Sutoky (now Parfinski District, Novgorod region). They twied to rout the Germans, but suffered disastrously during a series of enemy counterattacks. The platoon was cut off from the main group and surrounded. Kovshova and Polivanova fred on the enemy from a ‘tap wa tse in uty oti Koraove ane Mera Dotranon, (Courteny of Nan Bon) Cerrar £, | OANBANGBA WH. KOGWOBA trench until they ran out of ammunition, Death sas their only option, and they kissed each other farewell. They pulled the pins out of their grenades and waited. When their guns fell silent, the Germans cautiously crept forward, The two women detonated their grenades, taking some of the enemy wit them The news of the valiant deaths of Kovshova and Polivanova spread far and wide, thanks to the report of a survivor. Both received the HSU title posthumously on February 14, 1943, The women were buried in the village of Korovitchino in Staraya Russa At the time of their deaths, they had jointly seared over 300 kill Lyudmila Mikhatlovna Pavlichenko The greatest female sniper ofall time was Lyudmila Palichenko. She was bom in the silage (now a town) of Belaya Tserkow (the name means ‘white church’) in the Kiev region, into the family of an office worker Opinionated and independent, the gifted student finished the ninth igre in her hometown school before her family relocated to the capital city of Kies, After she completed high school, Lyudmila worked as ‘grinder at an arsenal and joined a shooting club, She later joined a pars nilitary orgunization where she learned to parachute and hang glide When war broke out, 24yearold Pavichenko, now a Kiev State University history student, volunteered to serve in the Army. At frst, the recruiting officer eyed her with suspicion when she claimed that she n expert markswomen, She proved it with a certificate of shooting I joined the Army at a time when women were not yet Thad the option of becoming a nurse, but proficiency accepted.” she later recalled. Trefsed Prt Paslichenko was attached to the 25th Infantry Division "Vi. ‘Chapsayey" asa sniper and soon found herself in combat near Odessa in August 194], She scored her first two kills near the village of Belyayevka, ‘when her unit was ordered to defend a hill. She fought for two and a Ihalf months in the region with the division and recorded 187 kil. She used the Tokarev SVI-40 semiautomatic rifle with a 8.5 telescopic sight ata2 a yd Pavcnento ‘Noval vor though The art of sniping took tremendous selfcontrol and patience. Working in a wo-person team, the frigid cold, biting insects stress, hunger, and thirst constantly plagued them. However, worst of all German snipers were also Jying in wait for them When the Ge the Independent Maritime Army was pulled out and sent to Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula of the Black Sea. In the fierce fighting, Pavlichenko was wounded by mortar shells in June 1942, With a record score of 309 kill, her sniping skills were invaluable. She was ordered d control of Odessa, to board a submarine and evacuate Sevastopol The Soviet High Command saw the prop- aganda value of Lt Lyudmila Paslichenko and she was sent on. motiva tional and fund raising tours. In August 1943, she was received by President and Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House in Washington, DC. Afterwards, she toured various An cities and Canada, The Winchester Firearms Co. presented her with a specially engraved rifle The HSU tile was bestowed upon Maj Lyudmila Pavlichenko on October 25, 1943. She never retumed to the fighting and helped train hundreds of snipers until war's end Afier the hostilities, Pavlichenko returned to Kiev State University to continue where she had left off She graduated in late 1945 and went straight to work as a research assistant for the Soviet Navy Headquarters. She continued to bea popular role model and speaker for Soviet youth and was also very active in veterans’ affairs. Pavlichenko never showed remorse for the men she kill that it was all in the line of dy She died on October 10, 1974, aged 38 and is buried at the Novodevichiye Cemetery in Moscow: and statedFigo ce Lye La, Keo, Mach 1882 _— RECONNAISSANCE SCOUT Nina Timofeyevna Gnilitskaya Nina Timofeyeena Gnilitskaya was born in the Donetsk region of Easter Ukraine, the daughter of a coalminer. Because of theit poverty, she entered the mines aged 16 a8 a laborer to help support the family. When the war broke out, young Nina tried to join the Army but was Ganiltskaya had to prove herself before she could join. When fierce fighting broke out near Knyaginevka, her home village, Soviet forces withdrew from the area and the Germans mosed in. A scout became lst and sought refuge inthe village: Gilitshaya took him in, and disguised him as her husband, When the enemy passed through, she guided the scout back t his unit Because she knew the area so well, she was allowed to join the special recon ‘company ofthe 383rd Rifle Division Gathering intelligence information was generally a crude and simple procedure. Many nes, it consisted of capturing enemy soldiers and torturing them, In November 1941, an order wa issued by the divisional command to bring back some prisoners for interrogation. Pvt Gniliskaya led a party of scouts on the night of November 5 into occupied territory. They killed about a dozen enemy soldiers ith two grenades thrown nto a house. They brought back valuable documents, weapons, and a prisoner. At the end of November, she led a scouting parry back to her village and quickly dispatched about a dozen enemy soldiers at night Knyaginevka becan strategic target because of its proximity to Krasny Lach, much larger town in the coalfiels. plan was hatched to send 9 reson naissance team to attack the enemy headquarters there. ‘Once'this wis completed, the 383rd_ Rifle Division would rush in to take the town. Pot Gnilitskaya was part of the group of 16 "ining a eared parton shit om the Jo." ich, Urine Labedenhater wound span Intedueednsuy #042 he wounded 10 times and he got tins incest serous wounds tre was foros sorts) On wore alway expected tout Sy example. On dune 23, 1088, scouts that made their way to the objective on the night of December 9, 1941. While hiding in a house, they were detected by German war dogs around 0140 on the morning ofthe 10th and a skirmish followed, Only fone scout managed to survive and he later gave an account of how they ied. Gnilitskaya fought to the end and lay mortally wounded. She tried to take her life, but was unsuccessful The Germans bavoneted the dying woman and then threw her body onto a re. (On March 31, 1943, Put Nina Gnilitskaya received the HSU ttle, She is buried in the village of Vakhrushevo in a communal grave, POLITICAL OFFICER Mariya Stepanovna Batrakova Mariya Batrakova went through the dress rehearsal of the Great Patriotic War by participating inthe Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40, She vas born in Leningrad and graduated from high school, where she completed a tworyear Red Cress traning program. When the war with Finland started, she volunteered and served as a field medie with the 118th Rifle Division in Karelia, Before the Great Patriotic War broke out, Batrakova was in medical school in Leningrad. Upon news of the German invasion, she went to war again as afield medic, now attached to the 83rd Independent Ski Brigade. She served in the bales at Leningrad and was seriously wounded in February 1942. After discharge from hospital, she became a scout and soon undertook dangerous missions with her male comrades, Besides being a scout and afield medic, Batrakova was aso employed ss spy, thanks to her fluent German, She lived with a German unily and passed secret information to the partisans. Eventually she was arrested and tortured, When Soviet roops entered the village, she was reeued and sent 10 a hospital ‘Batrakova was appointed the Komsomol organizer in her unit. AS the political officer and a candidate member of the Communist Party, it was her duty to inspire her comrades, recruit new members, and lead oy example, She lived up to expectation. On August 30, 1943, during fierce fighting around Rostoy, she volunteered for a tank assault. The commander was wounded and political officer Batrakova took over ‘The assault became stalled due to fierce resistance and her comrades sought cover: Despite the hail of gunfire, she jumped aboard a tank ond ordered a charge. The daredevil display of heroism inspired the 22 surviving members of her company to rally and rout the enemy A month later, on September 30, Jr/Lt Batrakora distinguished herself in action again. After crossing the River Molochnaya under murderous enemy fire, her unit landed and scaled the sides of a deep antitank ditch, Her commander was shot off the ladder and she took cver: With pistol in hand, she ordered her men to charge forward and inspired the battalion to perform heroic deeds. They withstood -ointerattacks by enemy tanks and dive-bombers. When reinforcements arrived five days later, there were only 28 survivors. Batrakova was wounded twice and was sent to Moscow to recover in hospital On March 19, 1944, Jr/Lt Mariya Batrakova received the Gold Star Medal and the Order of Lenin from the hands of President Kalinin Because of her injuries, she could not return 19 the front and worked in promoting Komsomol affairs, After the war, she Went into the reserves, married, and lectured about her experiences. TANK DRIVERS Irina Nikolayevna Levchenko Trina Levchenko was one of only two tank Heroines fiom the Great Patriotic War. IF this woman were to be described with one word, then that word would be “tenacious.” She forced her way into the tank corps when it was an allmale service and proved herself beyond doubt. She was ‘bom in the Voroshilorgrad region of Ukraine, Her father, an electrician who was a deputy minister of Transportation in Stalin’ regime, was executed luring the infamous purges inthe late 1930, ‘As soon as the war started, Levchenko worked with the local Soviet Red Cross helping civilians She served as a field medie with the 744th Rifle Regiment. By May 1942, she had distinguished herself by treating and removing 168 wounded soldiers from the battlefield hoor prsintence hep brek {he gender baer for ther swoon whe wanted ln te(divers teh, Pau MeDenit Having seen tanks in combat at first hand, Levehenko decided that she wanted t0 be a tank drive. This was not an easy task for her ‘Through sheer persistence and by refusing to take “no” for an answer, she convinced a general of a tank regiment to send her to the 3th ‘Tank Brigade. She was wounded in the right arm during a bate in the Grimea and was subsequently discharged as an invalid. However, she rejected the discharge and was determined to cary on fighting Tn Moscoxe, Levchenko impressed many people with her burning desire to get back to the war. She finally comered Lt/Gen ¥. N Fedorenko, commander of Armored Troops, and pleaded her case ‘When the general politely refused, she burst into tears and wouldnt stop crying until he finaly gave in. He told her that she had to pass a medical fitness test. The medical examiner failed the candidate, but he later passed her after a “friendly” discussion with the general. She was at last back in tank school Tn 1948, Levchenko finished the accelerated course ofthe Stalingrad ‘Tank School and served as a communication officer with the 4lst Tank Brigade, Her rightarm stil gave her trouble, but i didnot stop her from Participating in tank battles around Smolensk, Her tank was hit and she was wounded, but she recovered aftera brief hospital say. She fought on the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts and neatly reached Berlin when the war ended, Levehenko became an engineer of tank troops and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. She bears the distinetion of being the frst, Soviet woman to receive the prestigious Florence Nightingale Medal for her deeds as afield medie. On May 6, 1965, this extraordinary woman finally received the HSU title, She pasted away on January 18, 1973. Mariya Oktyabrskaya Mariya Oktyabrskaya was the first female tank driver to become a Heroine. She was born in he Crimean region of the Ukraine, one of ten children in a peasant family. After completing secondary school, she worked in a cannery, and later asa telephone operator. When she married in 1925, she and her husband changed their names in honor of the October Revolution, and she became Mariya Oktyabrskaya, Her hhasband wis a military officer and they lived various bases Not content with being an officer's wife Okwyabrskaya took interest in her husband's trade and learned how to drive and use firearms, and she also took up nursing. All this was in addition to involvement with the military wives councils, At the start of the Great Patriotic War COkyabrskaya was sent to Tomsk in Siberia far ‘way from the fighting. Two years later, she was ‘notified that her husband had been killed in Kiew mack in August 1941. Filled with anger and a ese for revenge, she sold all of her possessions » raise money to donate a tank to the military. he only stipulation was that she would be its river! The State Committee of Defense realized he publicity that could be derived from this, and the request was granted. She completed five ionths of tank training and was posted to the 26th Guards Tank Brigade in September 1943 as a mechanie/dlrver. When 38yearold Mariya Oktyabrskaya showed up in her T34 in the Smolensk area with the words “Fighting Girlfriend’ painted on the ‘ret, many of her comrades were skeptical. They viewed her a a joke. However, scorn tumed to respect on October 21, 1943, when she participated in her firs tank battle, With the deputy of her brigade, a lieutenant colonel, siding as an observer, Oktyabrskaya’s tank was the frst to breach the enemy positions. She maneuvered the tank like a veteran, destroying several artillery pieces and machine gun nests. Her rampage caused havoc amongst the enemy During a night ation on November 17-18, the Soviets eaprured the ‘own of Novoye Selo in the Vitebsk region. Once again, the fearless ank driver distinguished herselé Rushing into the German defenses, a shell exploded in their tacks, sopping them dead. Oktyabrskaya and another crewmen jumped out to repair the tracks while gunners inside the tank kept up steady fre, They retuned ts Uieis aut awe days later. ‘On January 17, 1944, during another night aetion, Okyabrskay «rove Her tank into the enemy's fortified positions, plowing over dugomts ind machine gun nests, and knocking out a selEpropelled gun, An ant- tank gunner scored a hit on the tank's tack, Oktyabrskaya was told to stay insde the tank, but she disobeyed orders and jumped out to help the two others repair the broken links, They came under intense fire and‘ore Khoruthaya na prewar pte, Cita inthe rnatance ‘movement aay rcaved the Done of Vora Khoruhaye, she was struck in the head by shrapnel and knocked unconscious, Guards Sr/Sgt Mariya Okyabrokaya remained in a coma for almost two months, and died on 1944. For her many acts of valor, she was awarded the HSU tile on August 2, 1944, RESISTANCE FIGHTERS. Vera Zakharovna Khoruzhaya Vera Khoruzhaya, a veteran of the Civil War, was the first member of the Communist Party to become a Heroine. She was born in the city of Bobruysk in the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. A teacher by profession, she joined the Communist Party in 1921 and became an ‘organizer and a political activist. With a fair for writing, she became editor of a youth newspaper, and held the position of secretary of the Central Komsomol Committee of West Belorusi, As a dedicated Communist, Khoruzhaya went to Poland under an assumed name to organize and recruit new members. However, the Polish authorities arrested her on September 15, 1925, and gave her a long prison sentence. In 1932, she ‘was released due to 2 prisoner exchange between Poland and the Soviet Union. Up until the start of the Great Patriotic War, she was aceupied with politcal work, Starting in 1935, she worked in Kazakhstan and did social work on behalf of the Communists. Although a dedicated and loyal Party member, she became a victim of Stalin's urges, and was arrested in 1987 and imprisoned for two years ‘Khoruzhaya joined the resistance when the war broke out, On July 4, 1941, her husband was killed; she was six months pregnant. After giving birth, she retummed to her duties and went to Vitebsk to carry out intel ligence gathering on the location of enemy supply and ammunition depots, headquarters, and the disposition of aircraft on the airfield, This allowed the Soviet Air Force to accurately bomb these targets Khoruzhaya's nework also helped free people bound for labor camps in Germany. She estab lished safe houses in the city and ran a vast spy network. ‘On November 13, 1949, Khoruzhaya was arrested along with a number of individuals and underwent torture. She was believed executed on December 4, 1943, Vera Khorushaya received the Order of the Red Banner posthumously by recommendation | from the Communist Party of Belorussia, While the award was not insigntfean, itd not measure the enormous value of her resistance work. This was finally recognized on May 17, 1960, when she received the HSU title |. Yelena Fedorovna Kolesova Although Yelena Kolesora fought for less than a year, he was responsible’ for massive destruction of rnemy property and Ives So efficent was she that the Germans believed her small band of female saboteurs vas over 600 strong. She was bom in the village of Kolesovo inthe Yarosksl region north of Moscow in a peasant family. She lost her uther when she was about ovo and went to Moscow to ive with her aunt. At the sart of the sar Kolesova was a school: eacher ina grammar school in Moscow. Rejected initially for the military, she volunteered to help construct defenses around the city. She did hard ‘manual labor tind] October, When she was selected for a special partisan detach ment, Unit No. 9903 Because of the rapid enemy advance toward Moscow Kolesova was given a three day crash course in sabotage sand immediately sent on assignment, Kolesova's frst mission almost ended in tragedy, In a group of four men and three women, the men proved a hindrance by bickering amongst themselves. Since the men showed no initiative, she took charge and ordered them back, The women planted mines on the roads around Starava and Novaya Russa and collected information on enemy roop strength and movements. Disguised as local women, Kolesowa and ne of her comrades were taken into custody while crossing a bridge. Their regulation Soviet Army boots did not go with peasant dresses During the prisoner transfer to Novaya Rasa, the two managed to escape, and made their way back with valuable information, Kolesova became the leader of «small group of women saboteurs and carried out diversions in the Borisov and Krupsk regions of Minsk Province. They demolished a bridge, dymamited railroad tracks, derailed 1 wains, and destroyed numerous vehicles, supply depots, and buildings. Team members, disguised as local girs looking for fun, lured lonely oficers and soldiers to secluded areas where they were killed. Kolesova 184% Spetanar (Ui or Spell Mission] graduation pote aralso taught clans how to use explosives. The Germans were convinced that hundreds of partisins were involved in this clandestine warfare when in fact, Kolesova's “arms” was no more than a small group. Yelena Kolesova was killed in action on September 11, 1942, while charging « machine gun nest in the village of Vyditsa in the Krupsk region, Her dying wish was that she be buried with the four members of her sabotage team who had been killed previously. After the war, all five women were rebutied together with full military honors in the town of Krupki She received the HSU title on November 21, 1944 Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya Zoya Kosmodenwyanskaya was to the Soviets during the Great Patriose War what American spy Nathan Hale was to the \ colonists during the Rewlution. The 18yearold Koms ‘omol member with the unforgetable name (Zoya means “Tie” in Greek, and Kosma and Demyan were the Tnmodeansya ns bom in he sage sino ofthe Tabor region. Bath of her paren were teacher v3 her moved im Moan sh te yong come ac \ ‘ine graces at Schon! No2OT. 1838 she | eres ember athe Komomed | n'Oetaer 1981 Zoya jned a special partisan detachment (Spemar No003) Tien operated the Morhath aren on the ‘Wenern Front On her fst mision behind destroyed telephone lines and engaged in Tn'er eco sabotage mission around the end ot November, Zoran her comrades again sepdapiin Racal erwed cooeprccarid pemantRowet Tn the lige of Pesichene Gt the Ruma aren of the Moscow region), she was UY) German syne ate ing orm a sale wich she had mistben fora sorehonse 7” Fasmocrmanstya ws bral interrogated, She Was Inch od appeds er ol reed to hk Tbe eeder wat imei pti nce be ee eames Sie wane tothe gallows with sig around her neck A age ere ror of vilagers na fore! to wach, Aa the ose was paced aren he pegon te to meek. yelled theese to ight the chem, You ea hang all SettiondeHeUere TS nin of ua she shouted at the Germann. Wh those word perio wen gent ake her down for talon Jamony 1 OH The HSU tte war bestowed pon Zoya Kesmedemarskaya on February 16,1942, the Ast woman to recehe the honor m the Great Prtviote War, Her uneltsh devogan to the Motherland and he Courage became tn inspiration fo the people, She was ner Feburied with nono inthe Novodvine Cemetery Moscow a tn wen seat ob mg “oye Koomodemyanskars ‘ett emortes the ozone {oan the Gomone. She 4050 pivonired tho nto, BELOW LEFT Madeahda Toyan {BELOW RIGHT Marte Ospowa ‘Belorussian Supreme Cour. She a Mazanik achieved fre for being part of the assassination team that rid Beloruia of one of Hitler's henchmen. OF peasant stock, her father ded when she was ony four ears old, which added to tne rally’ txtreme povery. Her schooling ended with the sinth grader Aged 1 he moved to Minsk to seek a ob asa domeste worker, she became 2 hhowekeeper ina holiday res Home: tn 1038, she matied a man whom sheet there “When the German occupied Minsk, Mazanik found employment at a Kitchen helper in a German ofcers’ mes In the summer of 108, the partisans had singled out Wilhelm Kube, the Nari Commisar of Rclorusin, for asaainaton. Through hard work and under fse pretense, she guined access othe Rube houschol as mat. "There fad been many unsoccesful attempts on Kabe's Hi, but Marais nner at completing their goal She was ordered place inc bomb 2 bi Uodroce On September 92, 1043, Mazanik was given a magnetic high explosive bomb about the sie ofa cigaete pack She struggled the toilet “Twas shaking like a lea” she later recounted, “I had an open Fontreneo placed the bomb underny brent foxy undergarnent. The duty fer wasn the ssl ori acing as guard wen up to Sal gUra er ete him and said “Betyou haven't managed to geta cup of coffee today, dear amr nanner sndenpeame officer Go downsinr and someone in the ktcen wil give yous cup." amen rein She had wld he cook eal thatthe guard was her bend When the guard lft his post, Mazanik ace! int the bedroom There were wo beds in the Toom. She deveined Uhat Kube's bed as the one lowest to the door“ quickly squated dow by the bed tnd placed the bomb beoween the matvess andthe springs” she planed. Then she sat on the bed and bounced up ad dwn te Imake sure that war sceure, The bomb as set to explode after tnidnight Maranik continued vo doer chore- That nigit, she, her tnt tod another operative were whisked ur of town en a ruck The bomb detonated and Wilhelm Rube was kiled, His wif, who slept in her own bed, war uninjured. In realiaion, over 1.000 Minsk chinens were exerted. Mazak and two other conspirators were flown smediatey to Moacow. On Ober 30, 1948, they were each awarded. the HSU. tl, ‘presented personally bya grateil President Kalinin, in 1948, Mavanik graduated. fom the High Republication Party School atached vo the Cental Committe ofthe Commanist Party of Belorasin. Frm 1889 tn 10R, she ase employed a Academy of Sciences IT had the strength, 1 would do it all over ould have stopped ine. Tas present at some of Kube's banquets held in honor of the bandit 5Marty Maint na prowar eds hve fae it obsurty I thai with te otapae destroyed entire villages. When they got together land drank, Kube used to say things hike ‘I have to admit that Hans has done very well... Noone got away. He burned everyone in the village, But Fritz didn't do so well the time hecause a few people slipped through the net.” So, tell me, what can yout feel about people like that? You just want to Kill them, kill them like mad dogs. is the on ‘country we had, the land where we were born.” Mariya Meinikaite Mariya Metnikaite was the only Lithuanian female to become a Heroine. She was born in the town of Zarasai in Eastern Lithuania, Due 1 extreme [poverty as a girl she worked as a shepherdess for the area farmers and started school late, She ater worked ata confectionery factory during the day land took edkicational courses at night. Melnikaite was a dedicated Komsomol member who favored the Communist annexation of her hhome country in 1940, When the war started, she was evacuated to Tyumen in Siberia where sbe ‘worked in a munitions plant. In 1943, Metnikaite returned to her hometown after completing a partisin training couse. As Secretary of the Zarasai District’ Komsomol resistance group, she distributed propaganda leaflets and recruited ne ‘members. The underground effort grew and caused the enemy many problems. Trains were derailed, telephone lines were cut, and the army ‘of occupation was attacked. In time, Melnikaite became a local legend who was always one step ahead of the enemy ‘On July 7, 1943, Melnikaite and five members of her group derailed fan enemy troop train and hid in a bitch grove. They were betrayed by a farmer who reported them to the local police. Soon, German troops arrived and laid siege. They were all killed except for Melnikaite, who ‘was badly wounded and taken prisoner. ‘On July 13, Melnikaite was forced to walk to the local cemetery where she was to be hanged, The enemy's effort o make her talk had failed spite erucl torture, As she was shoved forward towards the gallows, she tured and threw herself on the German olfier in her last act fof defiance, He shot and killed her: ‘On March 22, 1944, Mariya Melnikaite became a Heroine of the Soviet Union, Schools, streets, and Young Pioneer squads were named after her, andl songs and poems were written about her many deeds Zinaida Martynovna Portnova Zinaida Portnova was the youngest female Heroine of the Great Pawiotic War. She was born in Leningrad in a workingelass family Having completed seven grades of school, she and her sister were Visiting an aunt in the Vitebsk region when the Germans invaded. Unable to return home, she had no choice but to stay behind and live under enemy occupation. The harshness ofthe enemy filled this 15-year old Komsomol member with hate. She witnessed their brutality when soldiers came onto her grandmother's property to confiscate her cow: when the old woman protested, a soldier struck her. In 1942, the teenager was persuaded to join the resistance movement called “The Young Avengers" led by Yelrosinya Zenkova, She started her underground career by collecting and hiding weapons left by Soviet troops, distributing leaflets, and. reporting on enemy troop movements. The older partisans taught her hove to use explosives and weapons. She partiipated in the destruction of the local power plant and pump house Pormova went to Obol 1943 and found ‘employment as a kitchen aid, This was a major jown and an enemy gartison was stationed there. (One day in August, many ofthe soldiers became il from food poisoning and some died. She had noisoned the food and was immediately sis pected. She protested her innocence and Sampled a small portion with no immediate ill eifects. Released from questioning, she made her ‘say to her grandmother's house but fell violently illalong the way. To neutralize the poison, she was given large amounts of whey to drink. She vomited and eventually rid herself of the toxic substance. When she did not return to work, the Germans and the local police went looking for her: The young Komsomol member could not go back to Obol so she became a reconnaissance scout because of her Familiarity withthe area. She joined in attacking the punitive patrols sent out after them, and ‘engaged in many acts of sabotage In January 194, Pormova was ordered to go back to the Obol area 'o establish contact with another partisan group. AS a fugitive with a recognizable face, she was quickly picked up by the local police and tured over to the Germans. Well knowing what her fate would be, she had no other option than to escape at all costs. When an officer led her into a room for questioning, she grabbed a pistol off a table and shot him dead. When another officer and a guard rushed in, she killed them too. She fled the building and ran into the woods, Portnova was caught on the banks ofa river and brought back tothe village of Goryany where she was brutally tortured and blinded. Shorty vfterwards, she was thrown aboard a truck and driven into the forest where dhe we shat On July 1, 1958, along with pardsan leader Yefrosinya Zenkova, Zinaida Portnova received the HSU title. There is a monument Medicated to her in the city of Minsk and many Pioneer detachments were named after her, photograph wa akon when 53.COMPLETE LIST OF HEROINES OF THE SOVIET UNION rome Ntonatty Date swarded Commons Horone vontty Date awarded —Conmonts (Garces Pie ernnyina ono Fumsen 198/46 right ane a aigtorand patina U2Po:2 (raraozaran er yn ae Ueanan 23218" Ka on ar BT gt man rage a 22 (euetsewes) (ue Maj Maina Povo Ghetmere Runsen 18845 “Fw YD Gham a plot nt squat arn tavenanen Ure? Cusrce Maj Mane hanes Boing Usman 18845 ‘Flew 72 cagh mine a plana 2 mum bomber bare (ace Ma a roi \Ueanan 188/48 ew 6 ayght mein a navtar na Ped madum Detartortaye Oz 208) Somer ace MejReceovaNhdorovna ——-Funsan 1805S corn ew 5 gh abo sit ne Fite 00152017) Pe by December ie (uae cal Kita Ykclnns ——“Fansan «18845 =‘ sora P-2 omar so wh 1 vtec Fomicnos 24085 Cordes Pi Speyer Gtewa Panian 29242‘ BB laos avonrina 2? fare Cade MeFi Vindnio Gamen Jens 156/40 righ inom mn rnvgnbrina U2? vearares Calvinia Seana Gfzodibors Fumiin 2711/98 ——_—rewr ai twrd ct nt rani lan Renno-eewam ‘an th wo ots Pow 90 ans tema a2 CO (Segenge sore peer St: Taras Fcc Konstandnove Pasian 298148 Pw daypht manna plot nan 2 Smo nay ‘tre baraer by ure 06, uae Se Atria Face “Raman ‘S/S 2B ght mir dept Sqn adr nt Kuaakov 207) Cane? uae Capt arse vnoayena ——Uranan 292168 IB mons a raver and pot na U2? nino eine san Cuma Sts a Una man 9900 ost taste a8 an tet tat om an nan breweries Showhomes 12 video ft nd one terston oon, ing ake Cums Taare Pete Makarove Pasian 2025 led nation en er DB ght meson alot a Po? mde Naya Fs Man Pas 23215 Paw Eh tone plating LEP face Cums Ye Ayre «san DMA aw 74 gh rs patna U2Mo. She was ating 0-7) truoed‘arhermecasin spay umd St Yr Nowa UUranan 2" led nator en ar eh gh sen a lot a Po frase apo Darcie Ouperto ———Uinin 2158 rena aati st er cal a c- f ne oi, (eroer-tveam Fea unis conan ah uae St Zojaneroe Perenova Fusan SRS Fe TSP NG sen spot an Sepuy sa.aion ue) tonmanrnU2602 Sit Yoon rake rnin S8N084 FFD gen Spor a stering Cade Cpt Nach rans “Pansat inne mle a U2 Popova 2 MajNurasaigaiome Rahove ———Fuosin 2188 ~Pavin a! Rc, el undo Guana Ine wer ht ger Kibo a rsh (cuca fissan 18546 Fl Sigh miasone a plet a U2? Raspopove 2 Cusco Yee Meiners Ulranan 20108" Rede pera aes gon er th ght min natn 2 uae Sa Whee Vjesn Poabowe ae ew ig ion miguorn aU2iP02 Few 108 gh an 2 ey masons pt na U2P 92 couse ane entonsmino Kanan 261044 Paw Biemascren patna? 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Oat a a0 ot Snr ns gos anwar Nr ‘Stuaeow ws arenes lt nsw Sos ob ‘rou ra wan tle pol coe wh {he Geran csupaton fon sa she hte Pe ‘Dhatnen and wanton ese (tte ete ed coast rggee Saag set tt ar ovon onn scat Cormanet acta n ound an nose ade nO. enespe nd marco Gomer acess cs neva Cotnbomor seed eo. rans ito aos tea sma go waren store who Geode, ‘mae wa ele rd mp capes Rogar Chaging arash great ‘ett hte He he a Pate Wa Ca ater err down hese Bn Sewanee re Sport Sov ate Pa who rc erat tarepty ed nee ravers fee ne {Errante gag ven eat etree eure pan 87“yan Stems Manes euemans, ena hare Mastveare (erase ‘era agri Mazak (case ge Vasa Manor (eovone-sanaey enaoeey Autorama Petrova faanearneny “ace Marion Potnore owas) Larose Stcenons Racha revises Lyte Granems Seve aozeoa) oniae-anes) eae ‘Wena Kane Ur anes bicaoaer cmeacg Nutonaty Cate ewarded Comments pastor arestncegaup a setup anv ct ate heme nt ening epon Cowes starr Gist emerat igi anherteum arya ga roet Friar an th wna Saye ar sea, Orgurent escent erot by member lhe German ‘routed Rus Loweton Arm Desboea machine ‘gine snes eery una op ine {earner ange Latyna red ters rae Sere Snr air ty Poh ‘rlebarg certs hea one ‘pat eresetnen revert un ered stato, ree rd pub rages Gr nun restr novo a (aared naonos nition enon in sot Pertoresrarag aos. Supt ye Guan pure a8, taupe ens an thro har ou erat mar ec cng natn Seopa ange utes are ap eocaman ger a ace apne ‘owe aus Clann ari cnet be ras pare Ge ato, ion na onset eth Enoged mn sobtage aa combat agar Geran fees {Stan sanmen epson a ac vast irate ‘Scout ana ls roa para acer, rasan Sonata ote rey scare mine at hapa Sot eon sarap, as Iso and anugeanssocane Arse, rane, het ‘ean Sn pen, ye wh een arg engendered Komal ‘rpantatenconoona ati wage. Ege 28 ‘Sbotage rahe be paeane ‘pons amas il ong os; nr He oon Fearn ono sa Mana THE PLATES A: The Gold Star Medal and the Order of Lenin 1a stated ear ooe pagne 6 6 7) tha Haro ofthe Soviet Union recsved two decorations ais investors the Gok Star Medal and the Over of Lann The Gal Star Medal A Aa) pire hae i the Type 1 Eay Suspension varity, warded fom August 1, 1998, unl June 18, 888, The Tipe 2 (uate Suspension) was implemented on 18 June, 1343, Sea was awarded unchanged ut! he colapse fhe USSR in 1901. The Type 1 has a shorter suspension han the Type 2. The star contains 21.39 of 980/000 pars gol. On the ‘vers in Gyre ae the words Hero of the USSF” withthe Soval nue staped above. Te tis hug em a sa rectangular suspension whichis covered wih apiece of ‘bon. The ibbon setae by a suspension pate on the ‘everea ede The plete mad of gold pled sein ever The med scrowpest Is plod trough the union and Ictanad by & euler soreaback pls The Gold Star ‘oda were inital produces bythe Leningrad Mt before the Great Patrote Way, and by the Mostow Mn rom 1945, “Tore are imo vartatons of the Orde of Lenin (stab Sse on Al 6, 1930), and the Type 4 CPt Head Lenn) depleted hee (AS A) was awarded between June 1 1806, and ne 19, 1943, The profie of Lain wat made. of Distr and lacedin a cele of y whoat owe, and a banner of ‘os enamel wih. the. words “Conan gold. The medal re tom 850,000 pts 98 ‘The min’ came eter Manat Dvor or Mordve)eppaus undo ‘a screwpost In curved raed ‘tere and the seal nomber stamped above fe On| the rovers, thar is Sore post for te sore back pita. | repaced by the Type 8 vary, Wich employed 8 vetoed Suspension rabon fo hang the mda ‘The Type 5 was Issued ry 1950s. ®: Partisan Mariya Meinikaite, Northeast Lithuania, July 1943 ya Manat stands ques fon tie memning of July 7, 1983, ‘ih her param comrade rpare to pace oxposves to Sow up veep tain sto seve In nat an hour, They re 10 (2 Marya Mina eoeted eters to he Dukes tin tation ote Utena rg ft nortasat Lithuania Ths area was @ merle ers patton hub used by the Gara o aneport war suppos fo Latva anc Gaon. Anare of parieanactty inthe ‘es equent enemy searches wore mace ung dbseration parce m coordination wit gound pal. The would be {helt act of sabotage for Mankate ana her smal rum. ‘he net morning, tay ware hurted own an ale, Nanas is woarng evan clothing win heary boots. ‘She shang a captured German MP-40 machine peo 8 favort with he Parieane, Bocuse ft had aoe rate off at 500 rounds per mane, was ey Yo ancl wth very ite rect used & 22ound ack magezina, The MPa was rable kept clean Hor male assis ae cessed 15 common workers. The young man onthe rights emed wih a7 exbimm Motsn-Nagat rife, te standard infantry "ite of th Soviets nthe Great Paros ae ns 3 fue thet, Doltoperated weapon wih tremendous kik. The ‘ler man on the Soft peers the PPShaT submachine fun. Partisans were mosly amed chilans who operates Iocly to srt the Gaman war ofr trough sabotage tnd guenla wafers. They wore organized and ected By aril hencquarters In Moscow. Thar wera more than 120000 ofthese tregulars ug the Gren Patt Wir ‘Wen caught, they were tortured and executedSquaconlasder S/Lt Marya Sminova of te 4th Taman Guards Night Bomber Report chooks th sky whe mechanic rapecs the engine ef her avert. The date ls Hay, 1944, anda fe hows oho an hr conwace wit start hit mision of theright. The Gemarathave boon iandng lage concentstors of Uoope and suppiee at Cape Knersones near Sevastopol in the Cima Tego of ‘oppor are srerynao, but svongly cetenaea by at fray of tanchights and at arcra batteries. The wood land fabse-zovered Potkarpov U-2/Po2 bilan rine: fat few in T9081 waa bgtwsight and coud take of ad land ina very short stanca F wae very maneueraie {and sow, wit atop speed of eny 80k. coud cary ‘one 250g bomb or two T00kg Bombe under each Wing Sd was abe 0 atack rom & ent gow he engine was Marija Smirnova rat it Smirnova is wearing an M1043 gyrmastera pullover shit win stand-op calla Her shoul boars sow tht shes 8 ‘rir eutenart Her brown lether ht hanes tthe ‘ype commeniy used rng the 1900-4, and has «sgh ight sat Ine, wih rounded exphene covers. The fight ‘goggles have dass lenses and a rubber mask. A brown Iosthernoltr en her otfonrs ba ols 27 62mm Tare ‘to whien was based onthe Ca Browning design. as {hestandard adearm ol te Sovets an voy Soper An trea agitanet magazine was storage fetter werent ‘ators vowed neve to Belkan pzere’ and woul save thelart buat or themes, Her breacres ar mad of ool ‘ebarine, wth Font it pockets and back pockets wit fap. D: Sniper Lyudmila Paviichenko, Pskov regio {odie Pavinenko las nwa fr ner nest visti ate runs of ulin nthe Pskov repon naar Estonia Gung ha winter of 1943, Sripers on both sides ering the Geet Gorman counterpart, te Sovil siper employed. & ‘pote and they worked ab an Independent team eng eran sectors. The spotter ceed a submachine gun ane ‘nooo hi her oo wast sot the foram an lo "9 snipe toa potent vit, Sat Pavichenko Is wearing a tworptce eamoulagas snows The pants sn smock were mags of white cation Sn the hod was ted eu tahead wth sing or coe. eet ae sued wth separate whe mitten covers. The os tngor onthe mitions was spare a9 they ould rok errs wth ager pling, The ut wae worn ovr rogue Service ting. fed lage sits on te side Yo prove fccess 1 ammuniten pouenes and otter equpmert. The Srowsul was nt water, but dd ofr wind protection, thins sometimes pros neal, Paviehee's weapon = 2 7.62x54mm Tokarev SVT0 seacing sniper re iad uth a PU'35 power scope. lean snipers preferes the 2d Meisi-Nagantbol-acton sniper ile because twas onederad more relate. However Pavichenko became the ip feral sniper wih 09 fils using th SV-40 E: Machine gunner Manshuk Mametova, Nevel The date fe October 15, 1043. On the atvatepe hil over ioking the ance tn of Navel near the borer wih strom SrSot Mans Mametous of he 2st Cums Dron i locked in mortal core! againet overeating ‘cds, Having slenced two machine gun posts wih etectve inotar fe a massive wave of Garman nan ls chang Up the te eiminate er postion. Elesing rom 3 head wound ifcte by a mortar shel, whieh had krockad her unconscious, she Kowa she doomed and plans to tke ‘uta many ofthe enamy a8 she ea, S79 Mansion aig a eo paed achat Sreshes. The shoulder boar neat he rink a8 saior frgeant. Many Soviet muitary women in the fk wore ‘ose cropped hae Sheas sung 8 PPSH-

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