Yevdokiya Bershanskaya
Yevdokiya Bershanskaya is the leader of the Free Aviators.
History
Yevdokia Davidovna Bershanskaya sought to follow in the footsteps of her parents, who were killed supporting the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. As soon as she turned eighteen, she enrolled in aviation school, becoming a pilot and instructor. When the Germans invaded, three all-female bomber regiments were formed: the 586th and 587th Aviation Regiments, and the 588th Night Bombers' Regiment. Bershanskaya, already an experienced aviatrix with a decade's worth of experience under her belt, was selected to lead the 588th. The Regiment's operating conditions were far from ideal: they were forced to use outdated biplanes, and the only way to stay concealed was to turn off their engines and glide to their targets. But despite these limitations, the Regiment was immensely successful on its raids, and the Germans nicknamed them the "Night Witches."
The Soviet Air Forces' chain of command was shattered following the chaotic evacuation of Moscow, but the 588th and several other regiments rallied around Bershanskaya to stay organized. She was able to maintain a steady and organized retreat, with her ramshackle air force finally relocating to a makeshift airstrip outside the Siberian city of Surgut. In the following years, the self-proclaimed "Free Aviators" built up their forces using the remnants of the Soviet industry in Arkhangelsk, scavenged wrecks, and home workshops, while their core of veteran pilots trained a new wave of recruits. They were a valuable boon during the West Russian War, and they were able to maintain much of their strength after the war's end. Even today, Bershanskaya still organizes fighter sorties to fend off Luftwaffe bombing raids.