"Night Witches". The exploits of the Soviet pilot Tatyana Makarova

Twice a year - on May 2 and November 8 - at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow in the square there are veterans of the legendary 46th Guards Regiment. They remember the names of their fallen comrades and girlfriends, including their dear and glorious Tatiana Makarova. Since 1960, Marsh Street, where Tatiana Makarova lived - Hero of the Soviet Union, was renamed in her honor, but then all returned. It was decided to name her the street of the new district of Moscow. In the archives of the Central Committee of the Komsomol still some of her letters have been preserved.

Tatiana Makarova: Biography

Tatiana was born in Moscow in 1920, September 25, in the family of a simple employee. First she graduated from the seven-year school of secondary school No. 12, then in 1939 she studied at the technical school of the food industry. All her free time, Makarova devoted an aeroclub mug and soon began to work as an instructor pilot.

The war was starting, and Tatiana since the autumn of 1941 joined the ranks of the Soviet Army. In 1942, this courageous girl continued her studies at the courses of the aviation school in the city of Engels. She became a participant in the battles for the Crimean peninsula, the North Caucasus, Belarus and Poland.

Tatyana was the commander of the 46th Guards Bomber Regiment. On the account of Lieutenant T. Makarova's Guards 628 sorties. It dropped 96 tons of bombs, destroyed 2 anti-aircraft points, 2 ferries, 2 ammunition depots. All this was vital for the Germans. She died with her friend - Vera Belik.

Dream

Tatyana Makarova (photo of her are presented in this article) since her childhood dreamed of becoming a pilot. She loved to jump with a parachute, it was strongly attracted by the sky, and she really wanted to fly. Her father did not understand such unfeminine predilections of her daughter. However, a strong and courageous girl at the age of 19 acquired a new profession, became a pilot of civil aviation, took up teaching practice and trained young cadets.

With the beginning of the war, the flying club was re-equipped in a military flight school, and Makarova was retrained into a military pilot. This profession was not easy, but persistent and purposeful girl was able to overcome difficulties.

The childhood of Tatiana Makarova

It should be noted that her childhood was far from cloudless. Tatyana Makarova's father was an invalid of the First World War and worked as a postman. He was often sick, and then my mother was busy posting mail. Tatiana was very lively and active, for which her peers loved her.

Tatyana went to war, without hesitation, and served in the 46th Aviation Regiment. World history did not know the analogues of the situation, when the whole staff of the regiment consisted only of women. They carried out combat missions on the winged U-2. The division commissar called them "heavenly Amazons", they fought on a par with, and sometimes even better than men. They "threw a glove" to men, and the initiator was Tatyana. She was the authority of her combat friends, she was trusted, the flight with her was honored for her honor. The Germans were afraid of them and called "night witches."

Once they retreated to the foothills of the Caucasus, the death of the girlfriends did not break the morale of the pilots, but only more united. On the village of Assinovskaya, an order was ordered to stand by the chest for Grozny and Ordzhonikidze. The fascists should not have reached the Soviet oil bases. There were a lot of night flights. The girls flew under the motto: "Die yourself, and help your comrade!" The conditions were very complicated, the enemies often dazzled with the lights of searchlights.

Mutual assistance

The veteran of the regiment and the Hero of the Soviet Union M. Chechnev remembered that Tatjanin had once been hit by a plane bombing, could not escape from the blinding searchlights, but the squadron commander S. Amosov came to rescue. She picket went to floodlight installations and almost lost control, as it was heavily thrown up. On the side, one of his own threw a light bomb, this for a moment distracted the fascists, and all the pilots safely escaped. Such acute and deadly moments, they several times experienced in each battle.

Once Makarova, having beaten all the goals, herself received a direct hit, but was able to cope with the car and save the crew. In September 1942, KA Vershinin, general of the 4th Air Army, awarded Tatiana with the Order of the Red Banner of Battle, other her friends were also awarded this award.

In January 1943, their 588th Bomber Regiment was renamed the 46th Guards.

And then there was the liberation of Stavropol, Novorossiysk, Theodosia, Taman (incidentally, for this regiment was given the honorary name - Tamansky). Then the regiment relocated to Belorussia. Plains and swampy forests had almost no landmarks. Tatiana was already the commander of the link, she had followers and students. She did not spare herself and did 8-9 sorties every night. In 1944 she was awarded the second Order of the Red Banner, then the Order of the Patriotic War, I st.

Fate

On one of the combat missions in Poland in the region of Ostroleka on August 25, 1944, Tatyana and her navigator Vera Velik returned after a successful bombardment. On the return course, they were unexpectedly overtaken and attacked by an enemy fighter. Tatiana Makarova's plane caught fire, and then the pilots flew without parachutes (for them it was better to take another additional bomb cargo). Therefore, there was no chance of escape.

Her body rests in the mass grave of the town of Ostroleka (Poland). She was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In Moscow there is a museum of Tatyana Makarova to the address: 6th Radial, 10.