Champion Female Sniper...!

Often we think of women as the weaker sex, but I'm here to tell you from experience that is certainly NOT the case. Here is a story out of Listverse about the deadliest woman sniper in the world, who just happened to be Russian.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko

Photo via Wikimedia

With a confirmed 309 kills, Lyudmila Pavlichenko still holds the record as the deadliest female sniper in the world. As a young woman, she competed with the neighborhood boys in marksmanship and later attended snipers’ school to perfect her shooting skills. Even so, she studied to be a teacher and scholar at Kiev University.

Her goals changed in 1941 when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. Eager to fight for her country, she managed to prove herself and secure a place in the Red Army’s 25th Chapayev Rifle Division. Her first battle had her paralyzed with fear until a young soldier was shot right next to her. That propelled her to make the first of her many kills.

One hundred of her kills were German officers. She would spend days in sniper battles and was so well-known by the enemy that they would call for her by name on radio loudspeakers to try to bribe her.

After being promoted, she was pulled from combat and toured the world. Pavlichenko became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and received gifts wherever she went. On her tours, Pavlichenko would push aside sexist questions and instead promote support for the second (Western) front. She retired with the rank of major and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

See? Like I said, I know from experience that women are just as tough as men, and can be an excellent partner or a dangerous enemy...depending on the situation, make no mistake!

Coffee out on the patio this morning.