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268:. They were called this because often during missions they would bring the engines of their planes down to idle speed and glide over their targets before dropping their bombs and bringing the engine back to full power. From its formation until its disbandment in October 1945, the regiment remained totally female. Collectively, they flew over 23,000 sorties, and dropped over 3,000 tons of bombs on enemy forces.
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After the war, Yevdokia married
Konstantin Bocharov, the commander of the 889th Light Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, which had worked closely with the 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment during the war where they had met. The wedding was attended by many members of their regiments. Together they had
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she enrolled in the
Bataysk School of Pilots in 1931, where after graduating she trained other pilots from 1932 to 1939, before she was appointed as commander of the 218th Special Operations Aviation Squadron and became a deputy of the Krasnodar City Council. Before the
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she married Pyotr
Bershansky with whom she had a son, but their marriage quickly fell apart. She continued using the surname Bershanskaya until she married her second husband, Konstantin Bocharov, after the end of the war.
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three daughters. In 1975, she was awarded the title of
Honorary Citizen of Krasnodar. She lived in Moscow where she died of a heart attack in 1982 and was buried at
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biplanes. In 1943, the regiment received the Guards designations and was reorganized as the 46th Guards Night Bomber
Aviation Regiment. Later she was awarded the
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and the 588th Night Bomber
Regiment. As a pilot with ten years of experience, Bershanskaya was chosen to lead the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, which flew
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Bershanskaya was born on 6 February 1913 in
Dobrovolnoye, in what was then the Russian Empire. After both of her parents died in the
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In addition to twenty-three members of the regiment receiving the title Hero of the Soviet Union, two were eventually declared
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430:"Бершанская (Бочарова) Евдокия Давыдовна - советский военный летчик - Красные соколы: русские авиаторы летчики-асы 1914-1953"
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Red & Soviet military & paramilitary services: Female
Uniforms 1941-1991
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405:Прославленный По-2. "Небесный тихоход", "кофемолка", "чокнутый будильник"
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gained Stalin's approval to form three women's aviation regiments: the
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she was raised by her uncle. After graduating from secondary school in
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during World War II and became the only woman ever awarded the
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376:"Бершанская Евдокия Давыдовна - Орден Суворова III степени"
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for their successful bombing missions against the Axis.
190:: Евдокия Давыдовна Бершанская; 6 February 1913, in
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Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War
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481:. England: Veloce Publishing Limited. p. 28.
204:46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment
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626:Women air force personnel of the Soviet Union
616:Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 3rd class
509:. Great Britain: Vintage Books. p. 488.
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460:"Women Combat Aviators of the Patriotic War"
621:Recipients of the Order of Alexander Nevsky
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611:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
408:(in Russian). Litres. pp. 98–104.
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202:) was the regimental commander of the
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641:People from Stavropol Governorate
606:Soviet World War II bomber pilots
531:"Герои Советского Союза и России"
155:46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment
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184:Yevdokiya Davidovna Bershanskaya
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631:Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery
250:586th Fighter Aviation Regiment
636:People from Ipatovsky District
254:587th Bomber Aviation Regiment
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402:Маслов, Михаил (2017-09-05).
42:Евдокия Давыдовна Бершанская
555:"В бой идет "Дунькин полк""
354:Campaign and Jubilee medals
350:Order of the Badge of Honor
149:588th Night Bomber Regiment
86:16 September 1982 (aged 69)
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477:Streather, Adrian (2010).
344:Order of the Patriotic War
212:Heroes of the Soviet Union
339:Order of Alexander Nevsky
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51:Yevdokia Davidovna Karbut
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561:(in Russian). 2008-05-07
198:– 16 September 1982, in
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505:Bellamy, Chris (2010).
327:Order of the Red Banner
262:Order of the Red Banner
601:Russian women aviators
596:Night Witches aviators
458:Linda Delaine (2000).
279:was awarded the title
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163:Battles/wars
110:Soviet Union
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69:Dobrovolnoye
591:1982 deaths
586:1913 births
38:Native name
580:Categories
565:2018-04-26
540:2018-04-26
439:2018-04-26
385:2018-03-21
359:References
308:Later life
228:Blagodarny
218:Early life
99:Allegiance
62:1913-02-06
48:Birth name
346:2nd Class
335:3rd Class
300:Headstone
244:In 1941,
196:Stavropol
177:3rd Class
559:Известия
116:Service/
329:(twice)
188:Russian
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252:, the
200:Moscow
171:Awards
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