A FEMALE sniper shamed her doubters by defeating every man she faced during World War Two - clocking up an impressive kill count. Lyudmila Pavlichenko earned herself the nickname Lady Death, humiliating recruiters who had told her to become a nurse. Ukrainian-born Pavlichenko was studying history at Kyiv University when German troops flooded into the Soviet Union.
![[Lyudmila Pavlichenko was nicknamed Lady Death]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/309-germans-made-senior-lieutenant-723996947.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
She signed up to join the Red Army - but after taking one look at her manicured nails and neat hair, the recruitment officer simply laughed in her face. Fearless Pavlichenko proudly showed off her marksmanship certificate to prove her shooting ability yet was urged to train as a nurse instead.
![[The Ukrainian-born sniper is credited with 309 kills]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/b9npmh-sniper-lyudmila-pavlichenko-second-675120046_3fb73d.jpg?strip=all&w=637)
But the defiant 24-year-old refused to take no for an answer, and showed up at an impromptu trial held by a Red Army unit. She was handed a gun and picked off two Romanians pointed out to her with ease. Bowled over, the unit immediately enlisted her and she was given a position in the 25th Capayec Rifle Division.
![[Pavlichenko pictured with Eleanor Roosevelt, right, and Justice Robert Jackson in 1942]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/33748322-3afb-4313-8802-71ff4408e5a8.jpg?strip=all&w=351)
Within 75 days Pavlichenko had gunned down 187 Nazis in Odessa. The deadly sniper's impressive success rate and reputation brought with it more treacherous missions. She was then moved to Crimea to fight in the battle of Sevastopol - and was handed her riskiest assignment yet, counter-sniping.
![[A colourised image of Pavlichenko in her uniform]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/lyudmila-pavlichenko-ww2-red-army-317806342.jpg?strip=all&w=781)
Brave Pavlichenko faced off with enemy snipers one-on-one - and was victorious in every duel, some of which lasted a whole day and night. Her astonishing capability did not go unnoticed by the Germans, who even attempted to bribe the sniper by blaring messages over radio loudspeakers.
![[Pevlichenko speaking at a 'Tribute to the Soviet Union' event at the Empress Hall in Earl's Court, London, on November 7 1942]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ukrainian-soviet-sniper-speaks-microphone-948339968.jpg?strip=all&w=774)
