Background
Nadezhda Fedutenko was born on 30 September 1915 in Rakitnoye village, Belgorod Oblast, Russian Federation (at that time Soviet Union). Her parents worked at a sugar factory.
Nadezhda Fedutenko was born on 30 September 1915 in Rakitnoye village, Belgorod Oblast, Russian Federation (at that time Soviet Union). Her parents worked at a sugar factory.
Nadezhda continued her education at the factory's apprenticeship school after receiving seven years of incomplete secondary education.
She graduated from the Tambov School for Civil Aviation Pilots and training courses at the Engels Military Aviation School for Pilots.
Having mastered several types of aircraft, Fedutenko flew passengers and cargo by day and night. Inaction from the beginning of the hostilities with the Kiev (now Kyiv) Special Civil Aviation Group on the South-Western Front, she flew the R-5, usually at a low level and without an escort, delivering ammunition, equipment, food, and medical supplies. Also, she was charged with evacuating the wounded from enemy-held areas, transporting members of the general staff, and reconnoitering.
She had accumulated several thousand flying hours prior to enlisting in her wing, which flew twin-engine, medium-range Pe-2 dive bombers and was one of the three women’s aviation units to emerge from Air Group No. 122 formed by Marina Raskova, a prominent navigator-pilot. Fedutenko took part in her wing’s first operational mission on January 28, 1943, over Stalingrad and flew twice that day with an experienced men’s squadron. On her second sortie, she led a flight into battle. With each mission, her proficiency increased. Her squadron flew more than 500 missions (1943—1945) in support of Soviet ground troops on the Southern, Don, North-Caucasus, Western, 3rd Belorussian, and 1st Baltic Fronts, defying antiaircraft fire and repelling fierce enemy fighter attacks.
One of her most memorable missions occurred on September 2, 1943, when she replaced her deputy divisional leader after he was shot down. With her navigator, Antonina Zubkova, she led fifty-four aircraft onto a target, a fortified area near El’nia, enabling friendly troops in this sector to go on the offensive.
In 1946, Fedutenko was demobilized and transferred to the reserves.
As a schoolgirl, Nadezhda loved to run skiing and ice-skating, it was easy to take first places in school competitions. Nadezhda liked riding a horse. She liked speed, it was like a contest of the brave. And here she often came first, staying behind her peers.
Physical Characteristics: Nadezhda was strong, slender, with curly brown hair. Her eyes were like two ripe cherries, expressive and warm.