Strike Witches 2

March, 1945; six months have passed since the destruction of the Neuroi hive over Gallia by the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, the Strike Witches. Semi-retired Imperial Fuso Navy Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji is living peacefully back home in Fuso when she receives another letter from her late father, Ichiro Miyafuji, an engineer who specialized in the striker units that witches use to fly and fight against the invading aliens known as the Neuroi.
Meanwhile, in the skies over Venezia the 504th Joint Fighter Wing, the Ardor Witches, are undertaking an operation with the goal of attempting to communicate with a witch-like Neuroi, similar to one that had tried to communicate peacefully with Yoshika the previous year. However, before contact could be made a new, far larger Neuroi hive formed over Venezia, killing the Witch-Neuroi and entirely obliterating the existing hive. Back in Fuso, Yoshika, now with Squadron Leader Mio Sakamoto, overhears a desperate radio transmission from Flight Sergeant Lynette Bishop of Britannia, another former Strike Witches member. Despite Mio's initial objections, Yoshika ends up accompanying Mio back to Europe, where the 501st is reassembled to combat this sinister new threat.
Brave Witches (released in 2016) and Luminous Witches (2022) take place before Strike Witches 2, as does the The Sky That Connects Us manga, which follows the Strike Witches' lives between the two seasons. In chronological order, Strike Witches 2 is followed by Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow.
For more in-depth explanations of the lore and setting of the World Witches universe, see the first season's page.
Warning: Some descriptions and images are spoilers for the series, read at your own risk.
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=Pistols=
==Nambu Type 14==
In a flashback, Mio Sakamoto, nearing the end of her days as a witch, has Petty Officer Keisuke Hijikata use a Nambu Type 14 to test Mio's weakening shield.
==Beretta Modello 1934==
Pilot Officer Francesca Lucchini of Romagna uses a stainless Beretta Modello 1934 customized with black controls, the 501st JFW emblem on the grips, as well as her personal emblem and a gold banner with her name on the slide. Under the gold banner is marked ~Gratitudine di Maria~ (Gratitude of Maria). In the fifth episode, Princess Maria Pia di Romagna encountered Francesca in Roma and the two spent the day together (including numerous homages to the film Roman Holiday), unaware who the other actually was (a princess and a witch). After Francesca, Charlotte, and Yoshika defend Roma from a Neuroi attack, later the same day Maria ascends to the position of Duchess. Soon after, she sends the Strike Witches an airdrop of supplies; Francesca and Charlotte's matching pistols were likely in these crates, though they aren't seen on-screen.
As promotional material for Strike Witches 2, Francesca and Charlotte had their respective sidearms released as airsoft replicas.
==Colt M1911A1==
Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Elwyn "Shirley" Yeager of the United States of Liberion also receives a custom pistol from Maria, an M1911A1 built to match Francesca's customized Beretta. The trademarks on the gun read Colette's PT.F.A.MFG.CO. (rather than "Colt's"), since, as with most country names, most manufacturer names are also variations of their real versions in the World Witches universe.
=Rifles=
==Boys Mk I*==
The Strike Witches' designated marksman, Lynette Bishop, continues to use a Boys Mk I* with its bipod removed as her signature weapon. Flying Officer Ángela Salas Larrazábal of the Kingdom of Hispania and Pilot Officer Luciana Mazzei of Romanga, members of the 504th Joint Fighter Wing, the Ardor Witches, also use Boys rifles. Before becoming a member of the Ardor Witches in Romagna, Ángela used a Panzerbüchse 39 as her weapon of choice. While Luciana uses a Boys as standard, when the situation demands it she also uses the gigantic Solothurn S-18/1000, as seen in the Streghe Rosse (Red Witches) manga, which follows the 504th JFW before, during, and after this incident.
==PU scope for Mosin rifle==
A PU scope, in its mount for the Mosin Mod. 1891/30 (often colloquially called "Mosin-Nagant" in the West) is seen quite inexplicably mounted to a fire hose, together with a pistol grip assembly.
=Machine Guns=
==Bren Mk 1 (M)==
Despite the liberation of Gallia, Flying Officer Pierrette-Henriette "Perrine" Clostermann continues to use the Britannian-made Bren Mk 1 (M) as her weapon of choice, likely for a combination of having become very familiar with the weapon type, and (though Perrine would never admit to such sentimentality) an attachment to Britannia after serving there as part of the 501st.
thumb|none|400px|Bren Mk 1 (M) - .303 British
==Browning M1918A2==
Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Yeager continues to use a BAR as her standard weapon. Although holding drastically less ammo than the other witches' weapons, the BAR is well-suited to Shirley's preference for speed, being a far lighter and more compact gun.
==Browning M1919A6==
Pilot Officer Francesca Lucchini continues to use the Liberian-made Browning M1919A6 as her primary armament.
==MG 34==
Flight Lieutenant Hanna-Justina Wallia Rosalind Sieglinde Marseille of the 31st Joint Fighter Squadron Afrika, the Storm Witches, uses an MG 34. Having earned quite a fan-following and called the "Star of Africa", Hanna is also known to own a Beretta Modello 1934 with a tan finish, which was presented to her as a gift. Unlike nearly every other weapon used by witches, the bipod is retained on the MG 34, in order to use it as a foregrip.
==MG 42==
The Karlsland trio, Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, Flight Lieutenant Gertrud Barkhorn, and Flying Officer Erica Hartmann, along with Flying Officer Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen of Suomus, all continue to equip MG 42s modified to use the Patronentrommel 34 drum magazine. The MG 42 is also used by Romagnan witches Flying Officer Fernandia Malvezzi and Flight Sergeant Martina Crespi, of the Ardor Witches.
==Type 99-2 Model 2 Kai==
The mainstay of Fuso witches, a fictional iteration of the Type 99 aircraft cannon, makes its return, once again used by Yoshika Miyafuji and Mio Sakamoto. It is also seen used by Flight Lieutenant Junko Takei of the Ardor Witches, who fought alongside Mio in the Fuso Sea Incident. Covered in the 1937 Fuso Sea Incident manga, this battle was the first major use of Miyafuji-type striker units against the Neuroi, and was a resounding victory for the witches.
For the rather lengthy technical explanation of the witches' Type 99-2 Model 2 Kai variant, see its first season entry.
=Launchers=
==Fliegerhammer==
The Fliegerhammer, a fictional multi-barrel rocket launcher, is once again used by Flying Officer Aleksandra Vladimirovna "Sanya" Litvyak. Designed by Erica's twin sister and genius engineer Ursula Hartmann, the Fliegerhammer was inspired by (both in-universe and out) the Fliegerfaust. Ursula also makes her first animated appearance this season.
For additional details, see its first season entry.
=Autocannons=
==MK 108==
In addition to the Me 262 V1 Schwalbe prototype jet-powered striker unit developed by Ursula Hartmann and sent to the 501st for testing, they're also given four MK 108 cannons and a BK 5 cannon to use as its armament; four MK 108s was the standard armament of real Me 262s as well.
The modifications for use by witches consist of attaching them together in pairs, with a bar in front and pistol-grip-like assembly in the rear, wires running to the grip for the trigger (these existed in reality, the difference here is they go to the new pistol grip), drum magazines that fit under the pair and feed both guns from the same drum, and one of the pairs being manufactured left-handed so all of the shells eject away from the shooter.
thumb|none|400px|MK 108 - 30x90mmRB
==BK 5==
The BK 5, a massive anti-bomber cannon that fires 50mm rounds, is part of the Me 262 testing package sent by Ursula. In reality, while these were only tested on Me 262s, they were fielded operationally on Me 410s, and they're credited with over 130 bombers shot down.
Compared to the MK 108s, the BK 5 has few modifications for use by witches, notably a horizontal pistol grip and trigger on the right and horizontal grip for the off-hand on the left; the magazine is also more aggressively curved, so that it doesn't wrap around the whole weapon, staying out of the way on the right side.
=Vehicle-Mounted Weapons=
==Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine gun==
Romagnan C.202 Folgore fighters are armed with a pair of Breda-SAFAT machine guns chambered in 12.7mm, mounted in the engine cowling.
==Browning .303 Mk II*==
A Romagnan Lancaster Mk III (Special), the variant modified to deliver an Upkeep bouncing bomb, is used in an attempt to damage/destroy the obelisk-Neuroi. As the dorsal turret was removed from this variant, it is armed with six Browning .303 Mk II* machine guns, two in the nose turret, four in the rear turret. This Lancaster also features the nose art of The Saint, a real Mk III (Special).
==Type 99 Mark 1==
The Type 99 cannon also appears mounted on the 501st JFW's H8K2 flying boat, mounted in its nose, dorsal, and rear turrets in its flexible configuration. A pair of fixed Type 99s are also used by A6M3 Reisen fighters from carriers Amagi, Chitose, and Chiyoda.
thumb|none|400px|Top: Type 99 Mark 1 Model 3 - 20x72mmRB / Bottom: Type 99 Mark 2 Model 3 - 20x101mmRB
==Type 97==
The same A6M3 Reisen fighters are also armed with a pair of Type 97 aircraft machine guns in the engine cowling. An F1M2 floatplane, also armed with a pair of Type 97s in the cowling, is seen stored in Yamato's hangar.
==Type 92==
The Type 92, a Japanese copy of the Lewis Gun, is the rear gunner armament of the F1M2 in Yamato's hangar.
thumb|none|400px|Type 92 - 7.7x56mmR
==Vickers GO No. 1 Mk I==
A Willys MB fitted with a machine gun can be seen outside the Storm Witches' camp in North Africa. Although not especially detailed, that it's a Willys MB in North Africa makes it rather obvious that it's intended to be a Vickers GO No. 1 Mk I, and the silhouette does match. Originally an aircraft-mounted gun, in reality the Vickers GO was famously used by the Long Range Desert Group and Special Air Service in improvised mounts on jeeps, generally for raids on Axis airfields and similar.
==Naval Weapons==
Ships from most major nations appear this season, including: One Amagi-class and two Chitose-class aircraft carriers, one Yamato-class battleship, two Takao-class cruisers, six Akizuki-class and one Kagerou-class destroyers, and one I400-class submarine from Fuso. Two Littorio-class battleships, three Zara-class cruisers, and eight Navigatori-class destroyers from Venezia and Romagna. Four King George V-class battleships from Britannia. Two Bismarck-class battleships from Karlsland. Five Fletcher-class destroyers from Liberion.
The Amagi in this universe is a sister ship to Akagi (she is not the Unryuu-class Amagi) and as such she is identical to her sister ship that appeared in the first season. Carriers Chitose and Chiyoda are equipped with purely AA armament, consisting of four twin 12.7cm/40 Type 89 cannons and ten triple 25mm Type 96 autocannons. Battleship Yamato is armed with nine enormous 40cm/45 Type 94 cannons (actually 46cm) in three triple turrets as her primary armament, six 15.5cm/60 3rd Year Type cannons in two triple turrets as her secondary, along with twelve twin 12.7cm/40 Type 89s (six in enclosed turrets) and twenty-eight triple 25mm Type 96s (sixteen in enclosed turrets) for AA defence. Cruisers Takao and Maya feature ten 20cm/50 3rd Year Type No.2 cannons (actually 20.3cm) in five twin turrets, as well as four twin 12.7cm/40 Type 89s and twenty-four 25mm Type 96s, split between six twin and four triple mounts as AA armament. The Akizukis are equipped with eight 10cm/65 Type 98 cannons in four twin turrets, with three triple 25mm Type 96s for additional AA defence. The Kagerou's armament is listed on the first season page. Submarine I400 is armed with one 14cm/40 11th Year Type cannon and three triple 25mm Type 96s.
Battleships Littorio and Doge are equipped with nine Ansaldo 381/50 Modello 1934 cannons in three triple turrets as primary armament, twelve Ansaldo 152/55 Modello 1934 cannons in four triple turrets as secondary, with twelve Ansaldo 90/50 Modello 1939 cannons in single turrets and eighteen Breda 37/54 Modello 1938 twin autocannons for anti-air. Cruisers Zara, Pola, and their third sister ship are armed with eight Ansaldo 203/53 Modello 1927 cannons in four twin turrets, with an AA complement of eight twin OTO 100/47 Modello 1927 cannons and four twin 13.2mm Breda Modello 31 machine guns. The Navigatoris feature three twin Ansaldo 120/50 Modello 1926 cannons, with eleven Breda 20/65 Modello 1935 autocannons for AA defence.
Battleships HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Duke of York, HMS Anson, and HMS Howe are seen with eight BL 14-inch Mk VII cannons split between one quadruple turret and two twin turrets (this is a goof, the rear turret should also be quadruple, for ten total guns), with sixteen QF 5.25-inch Mark I cannons in eight twin turrets as secondary armament, and nine QF 2-pounder Mark VIII octuple autocannons for anti-air protection. Battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz are armed with eight 38cm SK C/34 cannons in four twin turrets, twelve 15cm SK C/28 cannons in six twin turrets as secondary armament, along with eight twin 10.5cm SK C/33 cannons, six twin 3.7cm SK C/30 cannons, and six 2cm MG C/30 autocannons as anti-air defence. The Fletchers are equipped with five 5"/38 Mark 12 cannons in single turrets as their main armament, with five 40mm/56 M1 autocannons and seven 20mm/70 Mark 4 autocannons for anti-air.
Category:Anime
Category:War
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:Japanese Produced/Filmed