Damn. I was really planning to release this on September 2 to commemorate the anniversary of the Darkest Moment in human History... World War II! But here it is folks!
Hell I know what you guys are thinking. World War II? (Sigh) We've done that thing already. So many times in the past months in fact, that it's probably nauseating for some of you. But I tell you this my dear Deadliest Fictioners! (TM) World War II is an event filled with unlimited amount of stories about courage, genius and bravery. And though previously we have tackled a lot of characters such as the soldiers and generals, they were all macho-men of pure honor and dedication.
But one small group that we should also shine light upon are the women who lived and died in that era. They have suffered, bled and fought just as much as the men you see in all those war movies. From the poor comfort women of grief, the nurses overseas and the workers at home, to the female spies and guerrillas who risked their lives in order to win, women are a major part of why we Allies won the war. While the evil Axis did nothing but to shame and degrade women, we here in Deadliest Fictions know, that they too are heroes needed to be heard!
And what more than to pit these two badass female fighters of WWII in a duel to the death!
Nancy Wake: British spy and resistance leader whose exploits against the Nazis become the enduring stereotype of all female spies in fiction!
vs
Nieves Fernandez: Filipino schoolteacher turned fearsome guerrilla fighter whose jungle warfare made foreign occupation Hell to the Imperialists.
It's time to decide who is... the deadliest female warrior!
Nancy Wake[]
Nancy Grace Augusta Wake AC, GM (30 August 1912 – 7 August 2011) served as a British Special Operations Executive agent during the later part of World War II. She became a leading figure in the maquis groups of the French Resistance and was one of the Allies' most decorated servicewomen of the war. After the fall of France in 1940, she became a courier for the French Resistance and later joined the escape network of Captain Ian Garrow. By 1943, Wake was the Gestapo's most wanted person, with a 5 million-franc price on her head. She was once captured and interrogated for days, but gave no secrets away.
She was highly trained and briefed, proving herself to be an adapt crackshot, and was airdropped back into France -as an official spy and warrior. Wake had no trouble shooting Nazis or blowing up buildings with the French guerrilla fighters known as maquis in the service of the resistance. She once killed an SS sentry with her bare hands. After the war, Nancy Wake was awarded the George Medal from the British, the Medal of Freedom from the U.S., and the Médaille de la Résistance and three Croix de Guerre from France, among other honors. She also found out that her husband had died in 1943 when the Gestapo had tortured him to find out his wife's whereabouts. He refused any cooperation to the point of death. Wake ran for political office a few times in Australia, and remarried in the 1950s. She published her biography, The White Mouse, in 1988. That was the Gestapo's nickname for her due to her talent for sneaking by them. Nancy Wake died August 7, 2011 at age 98.
Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting knife
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Dagger is a famous dagger designed by two famous creators of modern-day self-defense to which the knife was named from. The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife is a double-edged fighting knife with an innovative foil grip used mainly by special forces for close-quarters combat. With its acutely tapered, sharply pointed blade, the F–S fighting knife is frequently described as a stiletto, a weapon optimized for thrusting, although the F-S knife is capable of being used to inflict slash cuts. The Wilkinson Sword Company made the knife with minor pommel and grip design variations.
- 11.5 inch
- Double-edge
MP 40
The MP 40 was a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It was developed in Nazi Germany and used extensively by the Axis powers during World War II. The MP 40 submachine guns are open-bolt, blowback-operated automatic arms. Fully automatic fire was the only setting, but the relatively low rate of fire allowed for single shots with controlled trigger pulls. Contrary to popular belief, the MP-40 did not saw extensive use by the French resistance until the German's retreat of France.
- 9mm
- 32-round magazine
- 500 rpm
Lee-Enfield rifle
The British helped the French a lot to battle the Nazis at home. As Allies, the Brits smuggled their own mass produced weapons to be used in France, and one of them was the popular Enfield family of rifles. The Lee-Enfield was one of the most produced rifle of the British in WWII. The Lee action cocked the striker on the closing stroke of the bolt, making the initial opening much faster and easier compared to the "cock on opening" (i.e., the firing pin cocks upon opening the bolt) of the Mauser Gewehr 98 design. The rear-mounted lugs place the bolt operating handle much closer to the operator, over the trigger, making it quicker to operate than traditional designs like the Mauser. The rifle was also equipped with a detachable sheet-steel, 10-round, double-column magazine, a very modern development in its day.
- .303 Mk VII SAA Ball
- 10-round stripper clip magazine
- Bolt-action
- 20-30 rpm
- 550 yards
Plastic Explosive As a spy and saboteur, one of Wake's objectives was to plant bombs and demolish Nazi war machines and infrastructures. As such, she brought with her plastic explosives to be used by the French resistance. The British invented the substances used to create these bombs. They are very light and easy to mold; hence the term "plastic explosives". They were easy to smuggle, cheap to produce, and craftable to any size and shape. They were so successful, that the Nazis even adopted them in their own nefarious plans; with one being used in the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Hitler (Operation: Valkyrie).
Nieves Fernandez[]
Captain Nieves Fernandez was schoolteacher who became the only known Filipino female guerrilla leader. Working with guerrillas south of Tacloban, Miss Fernandez rounded up native men to resist the Japanese. She commanded 110 native who killed more than 200 Japanese with knifes and shotguns made from sections of gas pipe. The Japanese offered 10.000 pesos for her head. She was wounded once. There is a bullet scar on her right forearm. Nobody knows who she was before the war, but her bravery even reached the newspapers of the US overseas. In her battles, she was a master guerrilla fighter; an excellent crackshot and hand-to-hand combatant. She helped liberate her island from the country, and the guerrillas also provided valuable intelligence during MacArthur's assault on the islands.
Intense and bloody fighting also occurred much in Leyte before the arrival of Gen. McArthur. Waray guerrillas under Captain Nieves Fernandez fought the Japanese in Tacloban. Being infamously known as a crackshot, Nieves extensively trained her men in combat skills and the making of improvised weaponry. She also led her men in the front, once taking out 200 Japanese soldiers with only 110 men, and the Japanese posted a 10,000 Pesos reward on her head. The guerrillas in Leyte were also very instrumental not only in the opposition against Japanese rule, but also in the safety and aide of the civilians living in the island. In the book The Hidden Battle of Leyte: The Picture Diary of a Girl taken by the Japanese Military by Remedios Felias; a former comfort woman, revealed how the Filipino guerrillas saved the lives of many young girls raped or to-be raped by the Japanese. In her vivid account of the Battle of Burauen, she recounts how the guerrillas managed to wipe out entire Japanese platoons off the various villages in the municipality, eventually saving the lives of many.
Bolo
The bolo knife is one of the most famous Filipino weapon, recognized worldwide together with the balisong. Also known as the itak or the sundang, it is a Filipino knife similar to a machete, used for cutting grass and brush, opening coconuts, and other mundane tasks, as well as in combat. It has a wooden handle, and the bolo's blade widens near the end, moving the center of gravity forward and allowing in to cut with greater force. Fernandez was an expert in the use of the bolo, and in her interviews she revealed how she used the knife to stealthily kill enemies by the throat.
- 18 inch
- Single-edge
M3A1 Grease Gun
The Americans loved to export their own weapons to their Allies even before WWII became a thing. Although some were crappy, some of the guns they've sent to their Allies where state of the art. One of them was the famous M3A1 Grease Gun. It saw extensive exportation by Americans to their allies; in some cases parachuted to enemy-occupied land to be used by various resistance. Adopted for U.S. Army service chambered for the same .45 round fired by the Thompson submachine gun, but was cheaper to produce, lighter, and more accurate. Due to the large .45 ACP caliber round the M3/M3A1 fires and its simple construction with stamped/pressed steel it is very reliable, extremely simple to operate, compact, has .45 caliber knockdown power, relatively high controllability on full auto due to decreased cyclic rate of fire, simple to fix and maintain, cheap to manufacture and very easily suppressed and/or converted to 9X19mm.
- .45 ACP
- 30-round magazine
- 450 rpm
M1 Carbine
In her only known existing photo, Fernandez is seen carrying the classic M1 Carbine. The M1 carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight .30 caliber semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II. The M1 carbine's bolt mechanism is similar to that of the M1 rifle, though the carbine has a different gas system and trigger mechanism design. The gas system is a lightweight tappet-and-slide gas system. introduced for the M2.
- .30 Carbine
- 15-round box magazine
- Semi-auto
- 850 rpm
- 300 yards
TNT The Americans also inserted tons of TNT explosives to be used by the resistance. The explosive was in a strap-on form with a timer; used to demolish buildings, vehicles and people.
X-Factors[]
Nancy Wake vs Nieves Fernandez
80 - Training - 75
Both warriors started out as civilians. But while Fernandez extensively trained her men in combat, and she might have the traidtional ROTC training everyone of her time had, it's still not as good as the traning Nancy had with the British intelligence. Those guys taught her everything from explosives to parachuting.
68 - Logistics - 65
As guerrilla warriors, these warriors aren't rich or well-suuplied. They constatnly have to scavenge and depend on the weapons smuggled to them. Some even had to craft and improvise their own weapons. But Nancy gets the slight edge here due to the fact taht she's actually the supplier of these guerrilla units. However, this in my opinion, is a wash.
78- Experience - 85
Fighting as a resistance ain't easy. Not only are you up against a more powerful foe having a firm hold of your country, you are also forced to use wit and stealth to even get an edge in a fight. And while Nancy had her own share of shootouts and killings, they were few and far between. Nieves and her guerillas on the other hand killed hundreds of Japanese in her time in multiple shootouts across the island.
84 - Killer Instinct - 88
While Nancy is artistic in blowing up Nazi scums all across France, this is nothing compared to what Nievez have accomplished. She personally slit Japanese throats like they were leather.
Notes[]
- Battle will be a 5 vs 5 Guerrilla Battle full of stealth, cunning and bloodthirst. Will take place in a small wooden village somewhere.
- Voting ends on September 5 or so. I need full edges for a vote. Not too long but must have good explanations. I decide whether a vote is counted or not.
Battle[]
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, a thundering Flying Fortress fly over the waters in the dead of night. Seated inside where five British secret agents, dressed up in civilian garbs and ready to be inserted into enemy lines. One of them, was the great Nancy Wake; a top-class super spy. Her job now was to smuggle weapons and supplies in the resistance fighting the Imperialist Japanese all over the South East. A gorgeous woman leading a tough nut brave squadron is all in the day’s work for the great Nancy Wake, and she just smiles at danger whenever it peaks its head.
“Five minutes gents! Ready your chutes and may God be with you!” The pilot said.
“You heard the man boys. Let’s get down there and have some fun,” Nancy said to rally up her men.
With her being the first one in line, all of them strapped themselves to the conveyor as the big door opened and roaring winds filled them. With a sign of the cross, Nancy jumped first, followed by her men. The whole night was dark, typhoon clouds filled the skies, but at least the island they were landing at was visible. In the dead silence, these paratroopers soared through the sky, landing in the thick jungle below.
45 minutes later
The place was already near morning, yet no sunlight ever showed itself to the natives below. A typhoon was coming, darkening up the place and sending cold winds to their small village. Captain Nieves Fernandez of the Filipino Guerrillas, scanned the heavens for any sign of the people she was supposed to meet. The Americans sent her messages saying that relief was on their way to help them fight the Japanese more. For now however, that “relief” is nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, a Filipino soldier ran towards her panting. It was something urgent, so the Captain focused her attention on him. “Nang! Mayda mga sundalo didto hrani ha may sapa. Amu na ada ini hra an aton ginpipinamiling.”
Captain Nieves Fernandez nodded. It seems that they have finally found that relief they have been eagerly waiting. Taking her 4-man platoon with her, she instructed them to keep an eye out for lost white people tripping in the jungle before finally going in.
As the Filipinos trekked through the jungle, one of them finally found the Brits tired and laying in the forest floor. Thunder streaked in the sky and small bits of rain signaled that the typhoon was ready to let out. With only a few times before they and their friends will be caught in heavy rain, Nieves and her men called out and rushed in to aid the Brits.
Little did they know however, that Nancy and her men where all tired and exhausted, and quite mad with jungle fever. As they saw the Filipinos coming towards them, one yelled in surprise thinking that they were hostiles. Grabbing his rifle, he fired a shot and hit one straight in the chest.
Nieves and her Filipino soldiers raised their arms to show that they come in peace, but Nancy and her men just took cover and continued firing with their guns.
With no choice left, Nieves told her men to fall back to the village. While Nancy ordered her men put up a chase, fearing that they might be calling reinforcements. As the Filipinos arrived in the village, they took up position in the huts and trees they could find, while Nieves puts up a couple of TNTs in the entrance. As the Brits poured into the village, the TNT detonated and killed two of them outright
while sending the rest, including Nancy, to the ground. The Filipinos continued to fire their weapons while their enemies gathered themselves.
Then, the typhoon finally came upon them with pouring rain and howling winds.
Nancy poured her MP-40 inside a small hut, killing one Filipino soldier. As Nieves aimed her weapon to avenge her comrade, a spy fired his rifle at her but misses. Nieves quickly aimed her carbine as the man chambers a new round, before filling up his body with lead.
One British spy unsheathes his knife and stabs one Filipino soldier in the neck. One Filipino soldier retaliated by spraying his Grease gun at the spy’s torso; cutting him in half. The soldier then sets his eye on Nancy, who quickly took refuge inside a concrete church. Nieves caught on, and she and her soldier fired their weapons continuously at the building, while slowly approaching it.
Pinned down and shaken, the unstirred Nancy Wake planted several of her precious industrial grade British plastic explosives inside the building. She then quickly bolted out to the back. As Nieves and her men bashed into the door, the Captain sees the bombs and quickly grabs his troop towards the exit. The church blew up like New Year, as Nieves and her men were thrown meters away from the explosion. Sadly, as she found out, the soldier took a shrapnel to the back of the head.
The now pissed Nieves Fernandez stood up and looked for her rifle, however Nancy suddenly appears behind her back with a submachine gun aimed at her head. Nieves however, quickly sidekicks the Brit to the ground. Nieves unsheaths her bolo knife and slashes at Nancy but the spy blocks it with her dagger. The two commenced fighting with their respective knives. Nancy stabs Nieves on her side, severely wounding the guerrilla fighter. But with this opportunity, Nieves locks Nancy’s arm on her side. Nancy attempted to get away by continously pounding Nieves head with her other hand until she was bleeding. But Nieves quickly raises her bolo and slices Nancy's hand in one motion. Before Nancy can scream in pain, Nieves follows it up with a slash at her throat, killing the once-famous British spy.
Expert’s Opinion[]
Nieves Fernandez won because she had the better long range, melee and explosive weapons. While Nancy was better supplied and trained, Nieves took the important x-factors of experience and being an overall better guerrilla fighter.