Simo "White Death" Häyhä.

My apologies for my ignorance as to his death and weapon usage, but my main point is still valid: the purpose of a sniper is to eliminate the most prestigeous of enemy troops and annihilate morale, and though I'm sure fighting Simo would have done much to kill the morale of those that faced him, Vasily Zaitsev was feared as a god on the battlefield, killing the "safest" of officers and men in the "safest" of places, and instilling a complete fear into the German lines no matter where they stood, and as such, bears the title "Greatest Sniper".

Kamrat Johan wrote:

My respect for Simo drastically dropped when you mentioned personal servant Kormy. Since when is it customary for soldiers to have their own servants?

Servants? Uh? Snipers allways have pair.

Demagogue wrote:

My apologies for my ignorance as to his death and weapon usage, but my main point is still valid: the purpose of a sniper is to eliminate the most prestigeous of enemy troops and annihilate morale, and though I'm sure fighting Simo would have done much to kill the morale of those that faced him, Vasily Zaitsev was feared as a god on the battlefield, killing the "safest" of officers and men in the "safest" of places, and instilling a complete fear into the German lines no matter where they stood, and as such, bears the title "Greatest Sniper".

And where do you think name "white death" came? And they sended many snipers to hunt Häyhä.

And comparing sniper that was made "godlike" by propaganda machine is funny.

Late December, 1939. The Winter War has raged for nearly a month. It's the 21st, Stalin's birthday, and the Red Army soldiers have been celebrating with a great many shots of vodka. They get careless, and Corporal Häyhä makes a new record: 25 kills in one day, 51 kills over three days. A Christmas present for his unit.

Simo Häyhä is the embodiment of the legend of the Finnish winter warrior: a quiet farmer, just doing what has to be done, and doing it well. Wearing the standard white camoflauge suit sewn together out of bed sheets, he became known as the White Death. He is the man behind the phrase "One Finn equals ten Russians".

Born in a little hamlet near the Russian border to parents Juho and Katriina, Häyhä was a small man, only 160 cm tall. A small target. He went to a public school and even though he had the smarts for further education, he decided to become a farmer like his father. He joined the local civil guard when he was 17, and served his mandatory 15 months in the army in 1925.

In the end of the 1920's he found himself placed fifth in a sharpshooting competition. That prompted him to start seriously practicing the art. His friends decided to see what he can do: he placed 16 shots in a small target 150 meters away in one minute. Word started to spread of the farmer boy and his phenomenal ability.

In autumn 1939, as tension between Finland and the Soviet Union grew, Finnish reservists were called up for an extra period of training. This was when Häyhä was introduced to his main weapon, an originally Russian Mosin-Nagant M28. He was also an accurate shot with submachine guns.

After Christmas 1939, as the number of confirmed kills started to mount, the company Häyhä served in started to lose its squad leaders at an alarming rate. A Russian sniper was taking them out, concluded the commander of the company, and ordered Häyhä to take him out. So started Häyhä's first sniper duel. His preference of a scopeless rifle and his small frame were his advantages - a scope forced the sniper to lift his head up too much, providing a good target, and Häyhä was more than happy with his good old Spitz.

Come morning Häyhä, accompanied by a Second Lieutenant, went out to hunt the sniper. He stood by, waited and waited. He was warmly clothed, the freeze was no problem. The sun started to set behind him, and its light reflected off the scope of the Russian sniper. Another confirmed kill - at a distance of 450 meters.

In February 1940 a Swedish businessman decided to donate to the Finnish army a special edition of the SAKO infantry rifle M/28-30, nicknamed Pystykorva, the Spitz, after the shape of its iron sight. It was to be given to the best sniper of the IV Army Corps, and the freshly promoted Sergeant Major Häyhä, with 216 kills, was awarded the weapon.

In early March Häyhä was assigned to a partisan unit that was to take back an important position at Ulismaajärvi from the enemy. The enemy refused to withdraw and suddenly received large reinforcements, driving the Finnish offensive to a bloody retreat. While covering his fleeing fellow soldiers, after 40 kills by his own count, Häyhä was shot square in the jaw and lost consciousness. He was evacuated from the area by a Finnish patrol.

March 13th the war was over. Nobody had heard from Häyhä until a notice that Simo Häyhä had died from his injuries.

One of his relatives, Aarre Häyhä, was fetching the post, when he met a friend who condolenced him over the loss. Aarre replied: "Nonsense, I just got a letter from him from the hospital. There he is, growing fat."

"That can't be, I read it in the paper!"

"So did Simo, that's why he wrote me. 'Call off the funeral, there's no corpse!'"

In April a medal of honour was conceived, one that would be awarded to the most achieved people who had served on the front, the Kollaa Cross. The first cross was given to Marshal Mannerheim, the second to President Kallio, the third to a Colonel Antero Svensson. The fourth went to Simo Häyhä.

In August 28th 1940 Häyhä was, by an order of the Commander in Chief, promoted from Sergeant Major to Second Lieutenant in a jump unheard of before or after in Finnish military history.

In 1941 he wanted to join in on the Continuation War, but his injury was deemed too serious to allow him to fight. His head count would never increase from the over 500 confirmed ones he had scored over those three winter months.

It's the largest count recorded in military history, and even the runner-ups with over 400 kills scored theirs over a much longer period than three months. For all intents and purposes, Simo Häyhä is the greatest sniper to have ever lived.

Zaitsev versus Thorvald

Chief Master Sergeant Vasily Zaitsev (and all the Russian Snipers of Stalingrad)

The name of Zaitsev has become synonymous with snipers at Stalingrad. While many of the German soldiers did not know his name, he set fear and dread into the hearts of those who did and outright desperation in those who only knew of his work. While the political commissars of his time went out of their way to turn him into a hero of the people, his record withstands their propaganda efforts. He is credited with killing 242 German soldiers during the late 1942 siege at Stalingrad. His final count tallied 400 by the end of his service in WWII. His impact on the history of battle can only be surmised but his deeds had to certainly have affected the way his enemy operated. Fear can paralyze and no fear is worse for the average grunt than that of being shot while doing nothing. To the Germans in that cauldron city, Zaitsev represented their doom. Unseen, but certain. Just raise your head above the trench and meet your maker.

Known to the world for his famous and ultimately victorious sniper duel with SS sniper Colonel Heinz Thorvald in the Ninth of January Square in the southern end of the city, Zaitsev has earned a special note in history if for no other reason than to have been known so well by his enemy and survived. But his deeds go far beyond that single duel. His success deprived the Nazis the freedom of movement so needed to take and hold ground. To the average grunt, it reduced the war to animal survival and nothing more.

The duel between Zaitsev and Thorvald (also refered to as Koenig in other reports) has long been contested as to its historical accuracy. One such comment is well worth repeating and I have agreed to add it to Sniper Country as it does have merit.

SP

Addendum by Martin Pegler
Curator of Weapons, The Royal Armouries, Leeds, UK

Scott,
While researching for a book on sniping, I used some contacts at Russian museums to look into the veracity of the much reported fight between Zeitsev and Koenig [Thorvald]. Despite the fact that Russian company and regimental records were faithfully kept even throughout the worst days of the Stalingrad seige, nowhere is this duel reported in war diaries. This would seem to be an odd omission, particularly in the face of the cult of 'Sniperism' that the Soviet press were so keen to extoll.

I tend to agree with Anthony Beevor's opinion that the shooting match never actually happened and was the result of propoganda reporting by the press who were always keen to promote new 'Heroes of the Soviet Union'. Apparently Zeitsev himself never confirmed or denied the event, an odd attitude in view of its apparent historical importance.

http://www.snipercountry.com/SnipHistory.asp#Zaitsev


So calling Zaitsev the "best" sniper is overexcarting his "skill".

It's a matter of opinion, you dolts. The Finnish fellow was highly impressive, and so was Zaitsev himself.

But I hate, oh how I hate it, when some idiots try to rewrite history. Like those idiots that are trying to say that Zaitsev had 200 kills only or that Gagarin never went into space.

I consider Zaitsev the best simply because of the situation in which he fought. The German Army was by FAR the best in the world. He fought the best and bested them. Simple as that.

The Finnish fellow is impressive, but killing 25 drunks is nothing comapred to killing 25 trained SS Officers. The Finnish fellow was felling conscripts (totally unprepared and vulnerable)! What an achievement!

Comrade Vlad wrote:

It's a matter of opinion, you dolts. The Finnish fellow was highly impressive, and so was Zaitsev himself.

But I hate, oh how I hate it, when some idiots try to rewrite history. Like those idiots that are trying to say that Zaitsev had 200 kills only or that Gagarin never went into space.

I consider Zaitsev the best simply because of the situation in which he fought. The German Army was by FAR the best in the world. He fought the best and bested them. Simple as that.

The Finnish fellow is impressive, but killing 25 drunks is nothing comapred to killing 25 trained SS Officers. The Finnish fellow was felling conscripts (totally unprepared and vulnerable)! What an achievement!

You whine about rewriting history and what do you do?

Quote:

I tend to agree with Anthony Beevor's opinion that the shooting match never actually happened and was the result of propoganda reporting by the press who were always keen to promote new 'Heroes of the Soviet Union'.

I read some books by Antony Beevor and he seems to be serious. If he says this duel never actually happened, I believe it. But it does not matter. Killing this Koenig or not makes no difference. I mean the soviet dude, killed 400 soldiers (mostly soldiers who were isolated and not only SS soldiers) and that's the point.

I never heart of that finnish sniper until I saw this topic. I must say that I am impressed. 500 kills without scope... that's skill!

Comparing both would be useless, since both fought in different situations. I would say that both were very good and devoted at what they were doing.

-SpetsNaz

Disco Führer wrote:

You whine about rewriting history and what do you do?

Thanks for the fabulous one-liner, Kormy. Mind elaborating a little?

Comrade Vlad wrote:

Disco Führer wrote:

You whine about rewriting history and what do you do?

Thanks for the fabulous one-liner, Kormy. Mind elaborating a little?

Care to tell me when he killed 25 "higly" trained SS-offiers at the same day? Not hard killing 25 people at the moment? Go ahead and try, lets see if you even get to kill the first.

( Wrong thread. Delete? )

Kormy wrote:

Care to tell me when he killed 25 "higly" trained SS-offiers at the same day? Not hard killing 25 people at the moment? Go ahead and try, lets see if you even get to kill the first.

How do you even live with such stupid in your brain?

I never said he killed 25 nazi Officers in one die. I was making a comparison with no reference to historical fact.

I was saying that the Finn killed many drunk Russians on Stalin's B-Day and that that is hardly an achievement.

[img]Finn%20killed%20many%20drunk%20Russians%20on%20Stalin's%20B-Day%20and%20that%20that%20is%20hardly%20an%20achievement.[/img].....

Comrade Vlad wrote:

Disco Führer wrote:

You whine about rewriting history and what do you do?

Thanks for the fabulous one-liner, Kormy. Mind elaborating a little?

I think it is safe to say that every nation 'rewrites' history to various degrees to support the existing structure currently in power. Or to soften the blow of past losses. And to hype the victory of past successes.

And I mean EVERY country, from EVERY era. The key is to try to weed out which nations used this sort of propaganda more than others, and to try to find unbiased accounts as much as possible. If it's even possible...

Kormy wrote:

Late December, 1939. The Winter War has raged for nearly a month. It's the 21st, Stalin's birthday, and the Red Army soldiers have been celebrating with a great many shots of vodka. They get careless, and Corporal Häyhä makes a new record: 25 kills in one day, 51 kills over three days. A Christmas present for his unit.

Comrade Vlad wrote:

Kormy wrote:

Late December, 1939. The Winter War has raged for nearly a month. It's the 21st, Stalin's birthday, and the Red Army soldiers have been celebrating with a great many shots of vodka. They get careless, and Corporal Häyhä makes a new record: 25 kills in one day, 51 kills over three days. A Christmas present for his unit.

And?