The Luftwaffe's Femmes Fatales

摘要

Hitler and his Luftwaffe don't have the kind of image that would brighten a feminist's day. Even so, if today's public is asked to name German test pilots, the only two names likely to be uttered would be Hanna Reitsch and Melitta Schiller/von Stauffen-berg. From debugging piloted buzz bombs and making heroic rescue flights to engineering dive-bombing modifications and doing pioneering flights on Stuka aircraft, these two ladies contributed mightily to the Luftwaffe's knowledge and earned Der Fuhrer's gratitude.