Brave Witches

The story of Brave Witches begins in September, 1944, shortly before the destruction of the Neuroi hive over Gallia by the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, the Strike Witches. Witch-in-training Hikari Karibuchi, younger sister to veteran witch Takami Karibuchi, volunteers for deployment to Europe to bolster witch forces in the ever-worsening conflict with the alien Neuroi. After managing to (technically) pass her acceptance trial, Hikari is assigned to the Suomus Independent Volunteer Aerial Squadron (set to be reorganized into the 507th JFW, the Silent Witches) while Takami is assigned to the 502nd JFW, the Brave Witches; the Karibuchi sisters depart for Europe on the same day news of the Gallia hive's destruction reaches Fuso newspapers.
After three weeks of travel through the Arctic Ocean, their carrier group comes under attack by Neuroi, and Takami ultimately ends up comatose after using her Absolute Magic Eye ability to decimate most of the Neuroi. Hikari volunteers to take Takami's place in the 502nd, a high-risk frontline assignment, despite Hikari herself having relatively low magic ability, which she also has poor control over. The story of Brave Witches follows Hikari's struggle to prove herself as a witch in the harsh environment of the Eastern Front, and to fit in with a squadron she was never supposed to be a part of.
Chronologically Brave Witches takes place after Strike Witches, alongside the latter third of Luminous Witches, and before Strike Witches 2. The Brave Witches Prequel novel series (and its manga adaptation) is, rather unsurprisingly, set prior to Brave Witches.
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=
==FP-45 Liberator==
An additional spoiler warning: This pistol is key to events in the series finale, something avoidable on most other Witches pages due to the climax usually not directly involving a firearm.
An FP-45 Liberator is shipped to the 502nd JFW base in Petersburg, Orussia along with other weapons and supplies. Hikari takes a liking to the strange-looking pistol, at first not even realizing it's a gun. Waltrud Krupinski plays along and convinces Hikari it's actually a "Celtic magic talisman" as it's "shaped like a rune". Hikari wears it around her neck for the mission to Murman, during which she gives it back to Waltrud still thinking it's a good-luck charm. Some time later, Waltrud returns the Liberator to Hikari, who places it in her pocket and forgets about it...
=Submachine Guns=
==KP/-31==
At least one KP/-31 submachine gun is among the supplies sent to the Brave Witches' base. It's likely intended for use by Nikka Katajainen, the only Suomus witch in 502nd, though it's not seen used in the show. The KP/-31 was a mainstay weapon of many Suomus witches earlier in the war and prominently seen in the Witches of Aurora manga, which focuses on Nikka, Eila Juutilainen, and other Suomus witches of LeLv 24, including Eini Luukkanen, Laura Nissinen, and Hanna Wind, as well as Eila's elder sister Aurora, a tank witch.
==MP 40==
Karlsland soldiers operating artillery and supporting other elements of Operation Freyja are mostly armed with MP 40 submachine guns.
=Assault Rifles & Rifles=
==StG 44==
Flying Officer Waltrud Krupinski of Karlsland uses a Sturmgewehr 44 as her weapon of choice, while Squadron Leader Gundula Rall, also of Karlsland, uses one on occasion as well. Their StG 44s are sometimes equipped with a fictional grenade launcher based on (and developed from, in an in-universe sense) the Leuchtpistole 34; the grenades fired from the launcher are rocket-propelled.
==Karabiner 98k==
The firing range at the Brave Witches' base in Petersburg features a number of Karabiner 98ks, presumably for use by the base's non-witch personnel. Rather bizarrely, in one specific shot they turn into lever-action rifles; given the setting they are most likely Russian-contract Winchester Model 1895s.
==Solothurn S-18/100==
Flight Lieutenant Takami Karibuchi wields a Solothurn S-18/100 fitted with its scope as her weapon of choice. A powerful precision weapon such as the S-18 pairs well with Takami's Magic Eye and Absolute Magic Eye abilities, which allow her to see Neuroi cores, and see multiple cores from a distance, respectively. Takami's rifle is also temporarily used by Hikari, and Gundula Rall later uses one as well.
=Machine Guns=
==Bren Mk 1 (M)==
The Bren makes a brief appearance used by Sergeant Nora Taylor of 804 Naval Air Squadron, the sole witch escort for the Britannian supply convoy to Murman. Although referred to as a Britannian witch due to serving in the Fleet Air Arm, Nora is actually from Australis. Similarly, although dialogue suggests she was shot down defending the convoy, she in fact crash landed after repelling the initial Neuroi attack. A lone witch launching to defend a convoy and subsequently crash-landing is a reference to the real-world Royal Navy's use of CAM Ships, which were fitted with a Hurricane mounted to a catapult, intended to defend the convoy from raiders, such as Fw 200 Condors, and then bail out or ditch the aircraft with the pilot recovered by one of the ships.
thumb|none|400px|Bren Mk 1 (M) - .303 British
==Degtyaryov DP-27==
Flight Lieutenant Aleksandra Ivanovna "Sasha" Pokryshkin of Orussia uses a DP-27, as does Pilot Officer Georgette "Jose" Lemare of Gallia, who served as a member of the Normandie-Niemen squadron before joining the 502nd JFW. Prior to being transferred to Normandie-Niemen, Georgette used a Bren like other witches of the Free Gallian Air Force.
==MG 42==
The witch-version MG 42, redesigned to use Patronentrommel 34 drum magazines, is used by Flight Sergeant Nikka Edvardine "Nipa" Katajainen of Suomus. Gundula Rall also uses it as her preferred weapon, though she's only seen using it during the battle at the beginning of the first episode and in the opening credits. Eila Juutilainen uses an MG 42 as well; Eila and Aleksandra Litvyak visit the Brave Witches to deliver supplies during the Saturnalia festival. This visit is further expanded upon in the Petersburg Grand Strategy OVA, set between episodes 7 and 8.
==Type 99-2 Model 2 Kai==
The fictional iteration of the Type 99 cannon designed for use by witches, the Type 99-2 Model 2 Kai, is used by Pilot Officer Naoe Kanno, Flight Sergeant Sadako Shimohara, and Sergeant Hikari Karibuchi. Takami Karibuchi also uses one during her competition with Hikari, as well as a training version Type 99 in a mock battle with Waltrud Krupinski. Witch cadets at Sasebo Aviation Preparatory School, including Miya Misumi, are also seen using Type 99s. Retired witch Fumika Kitagou, a veteran of the 1937 Fuso Sea Incident and former mentor to Mio Sakamoto, now serves as the school's headmaster.
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 nine-barrel rocket launcher, is used by Flight Sergeant Edytha Rossmann (alternatively, "Roßmann") of Karlsland. Designed by Ursula Hartmann, the Fliegerhammer was inspired by (both in-universe and out) the Fliegerfaust. Edytha's launcher is painted in a grey colour scheme fitting the snowy Orussian terrain, as opposed to its more common dark green paint scheme. The green-painted version is used once again by Flying Officer Aleksandra "Sanya" Litvyak as her weapon of choice. In addition to appearing in Brave Witches, Sanya also makes a brief (second) cameo in the final episode of Luminous Witches, that appearance set during the the Petersburg Grand Strategy OVA. Specifically, her December 26 night patrol seen there slots into the Brave Witches OVA between days/cuts at the timestamp of 06:18.
For additional details, see its first season entry.
=Other=
==Tank witch cannons==
Tank witches make their first animated appearance in a brief cameo at the Murman naval base. Tank witches use land-based striker units that are themed after tanks rather than aircraft. However, unlike their airborne counterparts they do not usually use standard small arms, but instead specially designed cannons that (much like striker units themselves) resemble miniaturized versions of that tank's main cannon. These cannons are measured in "magic mass", which cleverly allows the cannons to have the same (sounding) calibre designation as their full size counterparts (75mm, 76mm, etc) despite obviously being far smaller in actual bore diameter. Tank witch Aurora Juutilainen also has a brief cameo near the end of the season.
==Sadako's bow==
After being shot down and losing their weapons, Sadako, Georgette, and Hikari take shelter in an abandoned KV-2, where they devise a plan to take out the weather machine Neuroi. Using materials from the KV-2 and surrounding environment, they build an improvised bow made from tree branches, explosive arrows made from sticks capped with shell casings under cloth arrowheads and filled with gunpowder, and combustible canisters made from the propellant case of KV-2 shells filled with aluminum dust and diesel fuel. As Neuroi are made from a hard-but-brittle material, Sadako's plan is to weaken the Neuroi using thermal shock from the aluminum dust explosion of the canisters, then take out its core with the explosive arrows.
=Wings of Libau film poster=
A poster for the upcoming in-universe film Libau no Tsubasa (Wings of Libau) is seen in the Karibuchi sisters' hometown of Sasebo, said to be a film about the exploits and heroism of Takami Karibuchi during the evacuation of that city in 1941. Many Fuso witches fought in that battle, such as the "Libau Triumvirate" of Mio Sakamoto, Junko Takei, and Yoshiko Nishizawa. Mie Shindou, Takami's future superior officer in the 508th JFW, the Mighty Witches, also served there.
=Vehicle-Mounted & Stationary Weapons=
==Browning .303 Mk II*==
Britannian Seafire Mk IIIs are seen in both the first and final battles of the season, armed with four Browning .303 Mk II* machine guns. Seafires were naval versions of Spitfires, redesigned for use on aircraft carriers, notably featuring tailhooks as well as folding wings for storage.
==Hispano Mk II==
The Seafires are also armed with a pair of Hispano Mk II cannons, alongside the Browning machine guns.
==MG 17==
Bf 109 T-1s from Karlsland are armed with a pair of MG 17s in the engine cowling. In reality, the T-1 was an experimental version of the Bf 109 intended for the subsequently cancelled aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. The T-1s were effectively E-4s equipped with a tailhook as well as lengthened wings for a lower stall speed and better handling at low speeds.
==MG FF/M==
The carrier-based Bf 109s are also armed with two MG FF/M cannons in the wings; the MG FF/M was a redesign of the MG FF to allow it to use Minengeschoss ammo.
==Type 97==
A6M3 Reisen fighters that assist Takami Karibuchi in defending the fleet, as well as additional A6M3s that participate in Operation Freyja are armed with two Type 97 aircraft machine guns in the engine cowling.
==Type 99 Mark 1==
The A6M3s are also armed with a pair of Type 99 Mark 1 cannons, one in each wing.
thumb|none|400px|Top: Type 99 Mark 1 Model 3 - 20x72mmRB / Bottom: Type 99 Mark 2 Model 3 - 20x101mmRB
==Degtyaryov DT-29==
The abandoned KV-2 heavy tank that Hikari, Georgette, and Sadako stumble across is armed with a pair of DT-29 machine guns, the tank-mounted variant of the DP-27, in addition to its massive 152mm M-10T howitzer. One DT is in a bow gunner position, while the other is mounted in the rear of the turret.
==MG 34 Panzerlauf==
Panzer IV Ausf. G tanks used during the battle to destroy Grigori are armed with a pair of MG 34 Panzerlaufs, with one for the bow gunner, the other coaxial to the 7.5cm KwK 40 main cannon.
==MG 42==
Pintle-mounted MG 42s are briefly seen on the roofs of Panzerwerfer 42 rocket artillery.
==80cm Kanone (E)==
The pair of massive railway cannons known as Gustav and Dora serve as a key element in the operation to eliminate the Grigori, the Neuroi hive. Specially designed magic-infused shells were developed specifically for this purpose, both a high-explosive type to dissipate Grigori's protective cloud, and an armour-piercing type to eliminate the hive itself. The 80cm Kanone (E)s within the World Witches universe differ from their real counterparts in two significant ways, being self-propelled, as well as able to traverse the entire superstructure like a turret; the real version had to actually have tracks built facing the exact direction it needed to be fired.
==Bofors 40mm L/60==
The airfield within the Murman port is defended by four twin AA cannons; they appear to be the same style as the oversized twin Bofors guns seen at the Saint-Trond airbase in other seasons of the series. In our universe, this city now goes by the name Murmansk, however it was originally named Murman upon its founding in 1915, then renamed to Romanov-on-Murman in 1916, but barely half a year later the town was again renamed to Murmansk (erasing reference to the Romanov royal family) in the wake of the Bolshevik revolution. As the revolution never took place in the Witches universe, the city retains its original name.
==8.8cm FlaK 36==
The Brave Witches' base in Petersburg is defended by numerous FlaK 36 AA guns around its perimeter, and one of them is very notably seen in the ED sequence. A considerable number "eighty-eights" are also present for Operation Freyja.
==Naval Weapons==
Fuso aircraft carriers Zuikaku and Shoukaku appear prominently, escorted by four Yuugumo-class destroyers and four Akizuki-class destroyers, respectively; a Takao-class cruiser later joins Zuikaku's group. A Britannian arctic supply convoy to Murman appears later in the season, consisting of one Bellona-class cruiser, four Type II Hunt-class destroyers, and nine Liberty-class cargo ships. The Bellona-class ship is named Odysseus; while there was no real British ship with this name, the context of it being a Bellona-class in an arctic convoy, and "Odysseus" being the Greek form of "Ulysses" makes it a clear reference to HMS Ulysses, a fictional Bellona-class cruiser featured in the 1955 Alistair MacLean novel of the same name.
The Orussian Diana-class cruiser Avrora and Fuso battleship Iwami (formerly the Orussian Borodino-class battleship Oryol) can be seen at the port of Novokholmogory. This pair is a reference to the real-world Battle of Tsushima, a dramatic naval battle during the Russo-Japanese War that resulted in a decisive Japanese victory. Avrora was one of very few Russian ships to survive the battle (as well as to this day, as a museum ship in Saint Petersburg), while Oryol was captured by the Japanese and, after a significant rebuild (losing an entire deck, among other changes) was put into Japanese service as the Iwami.
Brave Witches introduces new 3D models for all of its ships, including those that appeared in previous seasons. The two Shoukaku-class carriers are equipped with a defensive AA armament of eight twin 12.7cm/40 Type 89 cannons and sixteen triple 25mm Type 96 autocannons. The Takao-class cruiser features the same primary and secondary armament as its Strike Witches 2 3D model, however the 25mm Type 96s feature a slightly different layout; few close-up shots exist this season, but the twin Type 96s either side of the bridge appear as triple-mounts on the Brave Witches model (likely the case for the other twin-mounts) and it also features at least one pair of single 13.2mm Type 93 machine guns. The Akizuki-class destroyers also feature similar armament to their Strike Witches 2 model, but with the addition of another pair of triple 25mm Type 96s. The Yuugumo-class destroyers are armed with six 12.7cm/50 3rd Year Type cannons in three twin turrets, and two triple Type 96s for anti-air.
The Bellona-class cruiser is armed with eight QF 5.25-inch Mark I cannons in four twin turrets, along with four QF 2-pounder Mark VIII quadruple autocannons for AA defence. The Type II Hunt-class destroyers are armed with six QF 4-inch Mark XVI cannons in three twin turrets, with one QF 2-pounder Mark VIII quadruple autocannon for anti-air work. The Liberty ships feature the same armament as their Operation Victory Arrow model.
Diana-class cruiser Avrora mounts fourteen 152mm/45 Pattern 1892 cannons, with four 75mm/50 Pattern 1892 cannons and one QF 2-pounder Mk II autocannon for some degree of AA protection. Battleship Iwami retains her original four 305mm/40 Pattern 1895 cannons in two twin turrets as main armament, with six 20.3cm/45 Type 41 cannons in casemate mounts as secondary, six 8cm/40 Type 41 cannons (actually 7.6cm, two in bow casemates) and two 4.7cm/40 Yamauchi Type cannons in stern casemates as tertiary, and no anti-air armament whatsoever.
Category:Anime
Category:War
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:Japanese Produced/Filmed