During World War II, the Night Witches were the only all-female fighting force facing the dreaded German Luftwaffe. These 18 to 23 year-old Russian women became the first in the world to fly combat missions. The young pilots of these first "stealth" bombers were among the most feared units by the Germans during the war. The Night Witches, as the Germans called them, were also the most highly decorated regiment in the Soviet air force, despite derision by their male counterparts. They were heroes in the truest sense of the word.