Page 37 - History of War - Issue 25-16

10 DEADLIEST SNIPERS

During the Winter War of 1939, Finnish
sniper Simo Hayha, nicknamed ‘White
03.Simo Hayha Death’, killed more than 500 Soviets

For 100 days in the winter of 1939, the Hayha would often use skis to shadow a Red
Soviets attempted to conquer Finland. With Army unit, iring one round from one direction
a tiny standing army, the Finns nonetheless and then disappearing to appear somewhere
used their natural afinity with the forests to else. During one such mission, he and 30-odd
bleed the Red Army dry, eventually forcing Finns held off an estimated 4,000 Soviets in
the behemoth to withdraw. Snipers were a the Battle of Killer Hill. Hundreds of Russians
major part of that effort, and the best was the were killed and only a handful of victorious
diminutive Simo Hayha (he stood only ive foot Finns, Hayha among them, survived.
and three inches tall). Hayha was killing, on average, ive
Hayha, like many World War II snipers, was a Soviet soldiers a day and he was famously
competitive shooter and hunter before the war. dispatched to hunt down a Soviet sniper that
Stalking moose in the forests north of Helsinki, had been causing trouble. The ever patient
he understood the need for camoulage and Hayha deployed into a snow hide in the
stealth. Finnish snipers, known as ‘cuckoos’ area where the sniper had been operating
to the Soviets as they often used concealed and waited. After several days, the Soviet
hides in trees to ire from, began to exact a eventually exposed himself, the sunlight
heavy toll on the invaders. glinting off his telescopic sight. Hayha ired,
Nicknamed ‘White Death’ by the Soviets killing the Soviet sniper with a single shot.
thanks to his homemade snow camoulage suit, The Finnish sniper was almost killed by an
Hayha used his bolt-action 7.62x54mm M28- enemy marksman. A Soviet sent to stalk him
30 without any form of optical scope, instead managed to spot him and shot the Finn in
relying on iron sights and his hunter’s eye. Most the face. He was rescued by his comrades
of his shots were under several hundred metres but spent nine days in a coma with much of
anyway, as he silently stalked his prey through his left cheek shot away and his jaw broken.
the snow. He believed any attachment to his When he woke, the Winter War was over.
rile would simply add to his silhouette and
Right: White Death in his distinctive homemade camoulage
increase his chance of exposure. smock. Hayha passed away in 2002 at the age of 96
Confirmed kills: 505
Unconfirmed kills: unknown
Longest shot: 500 metres (547 yards)

“AFTERSEVERALDAYS,THESOVIET

EVENTUALLYEXPOSEDHIMSELF,THESUNLIGHT
Soviet snipers also made good
use of the winter camoulage to GLINTINGOFFHISTELESCOPICSIGHT”
stalk their Finnish enemies

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