Khiuaz Dospanova
Who was Khiuaz Dospanova?
World War II military pilot who served as a navigator on Po-2 aircraft during the war and became a Hero of Kazakhstan.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Khiuaz Dospanova (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Khiuaz Qayrqyzy Dospanova was born on 15 May 1922 in Kurmangazy, in what is now Kazakhstan. She became one of the most notable Soviet female aviators of World War II, working as a navigator and pilot in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known internationally as the 'Night Witches.' She was the first Kazakh woman to hold an officer's rank in the Soviet Air Force and the only Kazakh woman to serve in this famous regiment.
Dospanova flew night bombing missions on the Polikarpov Po-2, a light biplane used to target German positions under the cover of night. The plane had no radar and often no parachutes for the crew during many missions, and was mainly made of plywood and canvas, making the missions very risky. Navigators like Dospanova were in charge of guiding the plane to the target and precisely dropping bombs, often gliding with the engine off to avoid detection before diving towards enemy lines.
In 1943, Dospanova suffered multiple fractures in her legs during a ground collision involving her aircraft. Instead of taking a medical discharge or extended rest, she returned to active duty against her doctors' advice. She continued to fly combat missions for the rest of the war, taking part in operations that included campaigns in the Caucasus and the liberation of Warsaw. Her determination to return to service despite her injuries became a key part of her wartime story.
After the war, Dospanova returned to civilian life in Kazakhstan. She received many Soviet and Kazakhstani military honors over the years for her contributions during the war. In 2004, the Republic of Kazakhstan honored her with its highest award, the title of Hero of Kazakhstan, in recognition of her bravery and perseverance. She passed away on 20 May 2008 in Almaty, five days after her eighty-sixth birthday.
Before Fame
Dospanova grew up in Kurmangazy during a time of major social and political change across Soviet Central Asia. In the 1920s and 1930s, Soviet authorities worked hard to increase literacy and education among women in Kazakhstan, opening up new opportunities for young women who previously had limited access to formal education or professional careers. It was during this time that Dospanova grew up and sought education.
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Soviet military allowed women volunteers in large numbers for the first time. Entirely female aviation regiments were formed under the well-known aviator Marina Raskova. Dospanova volunteered and qualified as a navigator, joining the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. She began training for dangerous low-altitude nighttime missions over occupied territory.
Key Achievements
- Became the first ethnically Kazakh woman officer in the Soviet Air Force
- Served as navigator and pilot in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment throughout World War II
- Returned to active combat duty after sustaining multiple leg fractures in 1943, against medical advice
- Awarded the title Hero of Kazakhstan in 2004 for wartime courage and perseverance
- Honored posthumously through the naming of Atyrau International Airport in her memory
Did You Know?
- 01.Dospanova was the only Kazakh woman to serve in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known as the 'Night Witches,' out of the approximately 1,000 women who passed through its ranks.
- 02.After suffering multiple leg fractures in a 1943 ground collision, Dospanova returned to flying combat missions before her injuries had fully healed, defying her doctors' orders.
- 03.Atyrau International Airport in Kazakhstan was renamed in Dospanova's honor, making her one of the few female World War II veterans to have a major civilian airport bear her name.
- 04.Dospanova flew the Po-2 biplane, an aircraft originally designed for crop dusting and flight training, which had a top speed slower than the stall speed of many German fighter aircraft, making night and low-level flying the only viable tactical approach.
- 05.She received the Hero of Kazakhstan title in 2004, more than six decades after the end of World War II, at the age of 82.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" | — | — |
| Order of the Red Star | — | — |
| Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class | — | — |
| Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class | — | — |
| Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus" | — | — |
| Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" | — | — |
| Medal "Veteran of Labour" | — | — |
| Order of the Red Banner of Labour | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" | — | — |
| Hero of the Kazakhstan | — | — |
| Order of Fatherland | — | — |
| Order of the Patriotic War | — | — |
| Medal "10 years of Astana" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" | — | — |
| Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" | — | — |