Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, Commander of the Soviet All-Female Night Bomber Regiment

September 21, 2025 - Reading time: 3 minutes

Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, commander of the all-female “Night Witches” bomber regiment, photographed during the Battle of the Caucasus, 1942.

WWII photo of Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, commander of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, with political commissar Yevdokiya Rachkevich, Caucasus, 1942.

This historic World War II photograph shows Major Yevdokiya Davydovna Bershanskaya (1918–1982), commander of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Force, known worldwide as the legendary “Night Witches.” Taken during the Battle of the Caucasus in autumn 1942, the picture captures Bershanskaya in the foreground, while behind her stands the regiment’s political commissar, Yevdokiya Yakovlevna Rachkevich (1907–1975).

Bershanskaya’s leadership was groundbreaking: she commanded the only all-female air regiment of the Red Army, proving wrong the skeptics who doubted that women could fight effectively in frontline aviation. Flying the simple but reliable Polikarpov Po-2 biplane on nightly harassment bombing missions, her regiment became a nightmare for German troops. Despite flying at low altitude, in open cockpits, and often without parachutes to save weight, these women conducted thousands of raids under constant threat from searchlights, anti-aircraft fire, and enemy fighters.

On February 8, 1943, under Bershanskaya’s command, the 588th Regiment was transformed into the elite 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, a unique honor for an all-female unit. Over the course of the war, the regiment flew more than 24,000 combat sorties, dropped over 3,000 tons of bombs, and inflicted severe losses on the German army. Twenty-three of its aviators were named Heroes of the Soviet Union, while Bershanskaya herself became the only woman to receive the Order of Suvorov.

This image not only highlights a historic leader but also symbolizes the courage, determination, and resilience of the “Night Witches,” whose reputation spread even among German soldiers who gave them their unforgettable nickname.

Technical photo data:
📍 Location: Caucasus, USSR
📅 Date: September–October 1942
📝 Event: Battle of the Caucasus, operations of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment
📷 Author: Yevgeny Khaldei (source: goskatalog.ru)