The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-09-25
REDS DEVELOP
GIRL WARRIORS
DEATH LEGION
Parachute Jumping Wo-
men Are Expert Shots,
Chemical Fighters
By NORMAN B. DEUEL. ,
Ir;,eJ Press Staff Correspondent

MOSCOW. Sept. %. (UP).-A
"su,cid" legion" Of girl parachute
n,mDcr+. expert shots, trained M
chemical warfare, is prepared IL
rnrdpd 10 drop fully armed behind
the lines of a Soviet enemy OF sup
mort an advance of the Red Army.
That they probably never WI
be called upon to do So-the keo
Army has plenty OF parachute
jumpers Of its own-doeS not nm
mic their value, particularly as
a psychological lever IN boosting
Soviet aviation. s,.
Because of this military factor
the total number OF girl para
,hbte jumpers and women plotS5
i NOT disclosed. but the Lenlngrad
Aviation club alone trains more
than 200 a year. Moscow a larger
number and other cities are not
faf behind. Training has Deeh
conducted for four years.
SOME STILL IN TEENS
Most of them are pretty, De-
tween 10 and % years old. lhey
are healthy, steel-neryes but gay
and smiling, fond Of dancing ana
Cynical were Lyuba Berlin and
Tanara Ivmova. friendly rivals
in delayed jumps. Leaping from
the same blame they smiled as
each sought to be the last TO pull
her rip cord, felt a fleeing mo-
ment of horror as they found II
too late, as they plummcted 70
earth. .u
The tragedy saddened fellow
iumpers. but did not deter their
work. Parachute jumping still
remains ''as simple as taking
walk" to such as Anna ShlSmar-
eva and Galina Piatetskaya, joint
holders of the wOmen's world rec
ord for jumping from a height
Of 1923 meters without oxygen
equipment. q.
prl jumpers trained at govern
ment expense. Their experience
ranges from Is to 2 > Jumps,
against the record of 60 jumps
held by the veteran, Llusa Saw
chenko who also is a pilot.
Miss Sima Blokhina, a veteran
Jumper and former record holder,
is slight. seemingly frail, but with
strong hands and tanned arms.
She told of her experiences and
ambitions. The daughter of a
craftsman, she has the equivalent
of q university education in the
Soviet Institute of Physical Cui-
ture, and will become a teacher of
physical education.
ONE Is AVIATION ENGINEER
The daughter of an office work
or in the Soviet gold trust, Marina
Rarseva. another veteran, is mar
rfed TO an engineer and is a grad
uate- aviation engineer herself,
employed in an aviation factory
She has designed a safety airplane
the cabin of which descends by
parachute in case of accident, and
homes to have il produced.
Miss Shismareva left cOllec'
tive farm against the wishes oil
her parents to become a parachute
iumper. but healed the family
breach with paternal pride wher
she came back to descend by para
chute into her own village. Sh'
viii become a physical education
teacher and proudly wears on he
red dress the Order Of the Re'
Star. >,
Miss Piatetskaya, who hkewis'
wears the order, countered tn
qhestion of whether she wished I,
marry with, "Sure, if | can cate
a man." and flashed q ready smile
UNDERGO ARDUOUS
TRAINING
Starting with leap alone iron
q. height of 600 meters, progress
ing to jumps into water, leap
With rifle, gas mask and skis, the
delayed jumps, these girls under
went arduous training. Preparin
for altitude jumps, they wer
sealed within a baro-camera, trair
ing their lungs to use minimum
Of oxygen. ~
All have Voroshilov marSsmal
ship badges, would like to becon
sac