Marina Raskova
. There is debate currently going on in Australia about the role of women in the armed forces. Should women forfil front line combat positions. The Soviet Air force in WWII never had any problem the concept and had women only Aviation Regiments (pilots, crew, ground crew, everyone).
Marina Raskova (Раско́ва Мари́на Миха́йловна) became a navigator in the Soviet air force in 1933. during 1937-38 she flew many record breaking distance flights, some as part of an all woman crew, and became a celebrity in the Soviet Union.
Marina Raskova
Marina was instrumental in setting up three all women aviation regiments at the beginning of the World War. She was said to have been able to do this because of a personal connection with Stalin.
T
he first of two Bomber groups was the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment which the Germans nicknamed 'The Night Witches'. The Night Witches where equipped with Polikarpov U-2 Biplanes. A totally obsolete aircraft with a cruise speed of 59kts, which was slower than German fighter stall speeds. This made them very difficult to shoot down.
Polikarpov U-2
Also they were wooden aircraft that made them almost impossible to detect on radar. The original .
Add to this the habit of the Witches of gliding to their target from high altitude and precision bombing at low altitude it is not hard to understand that they had considerable power to irritate the Germans, even if the bomb loads where only 263 kilos per plane. The Night Witches where the only one of the three women's units that remained all female throughout the war.
The Night Witches
The other Bomber unit was commanded by Marina Raskova until her death in combat in 1943. This was The 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment equipped with 
Stalins Falcons.