Raisa Surnachevskaya
Soviet fighter pilot
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Raisa Nefedovna Surnachevskaya (Russian: Раиса Нефедовна Сурначевская; 8 August 1922 – 18 December 2005) was a Soviet fighter pilot and squadron commander during World War II, as well as one of the very few pregnant women to have flown in combat.[1] After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 she volunteered to join a women's aviation regiment founded by Marina Raskova and underwent training to fly Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters at Engels military Aviation School. She was assigned to the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment for the war; on a mission with Tamara Pamyatnykh she shot down two Junkers Ju 88 bombers while patrolling a railway junction after a formation of 42 bombers approached. After they each shot down two planes and Pamyatnykh attempted to ram a third the formation turned around without dropping their payloads on the railways.[2][3][4]
Soviet UnionRaisa Surnachevskaya | |
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| Native name | Раиса Нефедовна Сурначевская |
| Born | 8 August 1922 |
| Died | 18 December 2005 (aged 83) |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Branch |  Soviet Air Force |
Service years | 1941 — 1945 |
Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment |
Conflicts | |
| Awards |   |
