Fly Toward Death

by Sally Laughlin

“Machine-gun fire and rifle bullets zinged all around her as she maneuvered her plane to drop her bombs. Her fragile, two-seated, World War I bi-plane was flying low enough for her to hear the Germans screaming and yelling as she pressed forward to her drop zone.” This was a typical flight of many during one night’s sorties. The German soldiers feared and hated the women they called the Night Witches. There were three all-female aviation regiments in the Soviet Union during World War II. This is a story about those female pilots, navigators and ground crews that flew and worked under incredibly adverse conditions. From women who flew the little, unarmed bi-planes and bombed the Germans at night; to the fierce, female fighter pilots who fought the seasoned German Luftwaffe, humbling them before their peers. This is a fictional account, based on actual occurrences, of those amazing women who lived, loved and died bravely during the dark days of World War II.

198 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2015

Reviews

[Howard Katzoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowie!!!

Super exciting story. I loved this book about Soviet women pilots during the Second World War. It was so real in describing actual events that my heart pounded continually during their experiences. Well worth reading.

[Michael R. Forner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read.

As an amateur historian, I knew about Soviet women serving in almost all aspects of their military but did not have any in-depth knowledge. Although at times the wording can be a little stilted, I really enjoyed this book for the characters and the relationships they develop. As in most cases, a subject pops up that makes me want to learn more and this book did that!

[R.E. Conary · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Wikipedia: The all-women, 588th Night Bomber Regiment flew harassment bombing and precision bombing missions against the German military from 1942 until the end of the war. They flew ifragile, wood and canvas biplanes intended for use as training aircraft and for crop-dusting. The regiment flew over 23,000 sorties and is said to have dropped 3,000 tons of bombs. It was the most highly decorated female unit in the Soviet Air Force, each pilot having flown over 800 missions by the end of the war and twenty-three having been awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title. Thirty of its members died in combat.

Fly Toward Death is the fictional portrayal of these brave women who faced death nightly. A good read for WWII enthusiasts.