Polikarpov Po-2

A wood and fabric biplane, the Polikarpov Po-2 was in production between 1929 and 1959. The Museum’s Po-2 entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1936. Although we know very little about its wartime record, it was likely involved in primary pilot training, a role very similar to that which the Boeing-Stearman Kaydet played in the United States. 

With a top speed of roughly 60 mph when fully loaded, the airplane was incredibly slow, but the high lift generated through its biplane configuration afforded significant maneuverability and the ability to operate from airfields in close proximity to the front lines. This made the airplane ideal for resupplying partisans behind enemy lines, where its slow speed offered a modicum of defense against German fighters, which had stall speeds higher than the Po-2’s top speed. 

The Night Witches: The Po-2 earned its place in history flying with the Night Witches. Originally designated as the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, and later the 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment, this all-female unit took on the daring task of nighttime attacks against the invading German Army. 

Flying up to 15 missions a night, the Night Witches spread their attacks out, dropping bombs every few minutes over the target to disrupt the enemy’s ability to sleep. The Soviets well understood how sleep deprivation could drain an army’s morale, as their secret police had observed this phenomenon in their brutal mistreatment of political prisoners prior to the war. 

In order to strike without warning, a Night Witch pilot would idle their aircraft’s engine on approach to the target – coasting over to drop their weapon. Apparently, some Germans likened the sound of wind rushing through the Po-2’s flying wires as it glided over their heads to the sound of a witch on a broomstick, earning the unit its nickname Nachthexen (Night Witches).

The frequently intense frigidity of winter flying on the Eastern Front sometimes jammed a Po-2’s ordnance release mechanisms, the aircraft’s navigator reportedly then having to climb out onto the wings to kick the bombs free. Despite the difficult conditions, the Night Witches dropped several thousand tons of bombs on German targets, with some pilots flying more than 1,000 combat sorties. Eighteen Night Witch pilots and six navigators earned the distinction Hero of the Soviet Union, the nation’s highest award for its citizens – military and civilian alike.