Simo Häyhä - "The White Death"

01/02/2018

Simo Häyhä - "The White Death"
-
Häyhä's count of 542 kills is an all-time record for a sniper in any conflict and was achieved in only 98 days of the 'Winter War.
-
The Winter War erupted in 1939 with the Soviet invasion of Finland, and the mild-looking Simo was called into service.
Despite vastly outnumbering the Finns, the Soviet Army suffered massive casualties due to their inexperience, the freezing temperatures and of course, Simo Häyhä, all of 5'3"(1.6002m) tall.
-
For those 98 days, Häyhä conducted lone missions to the front lines, tormenting the Russians and picking off soldiers one by one, until he was shot and injured by an exploding bullet a few days prior to the war ending. The bullet had crushed his jaw and blown off part of his left cheek.
-
Häyhä, in many ways, had the perfect preparation for becoming a sniper. He grew up on a rural farm and loved to hunt.
His specialty were foxes, one of the more difficult animals to hunt, due to their small stature, speed and ability to hide. He would test himself with birds which would flee at even the slightest sound, reflection or sudden movement.
He felt no hatred for the enemy, instead, he only concentrated on ensuring his weapon was well supported and stable, and that his personal feelings and emotions would not impinge on his ability as a marksman. Häyhä did not mind spending hours upon hours on his own and would even go to his shooting 'nests' at night to ensure they were well hidden and strong.
-
Especially in the -20 temperatures of the Finnish winter, proper gun maintenance was essential to avoid it jamming. His gun was a Mosin-Nagant M/28-30, one that he had owned before the war, without even a telescopic sight.
Häyhä, when conducting his operations, took every detail into account. He would even pour water into the snow in front of him so that the muzzle blast would not expose his location by disturbing the light snow.
-
(Simo also kept snow in his mouth while sniping, in order to prevent steamy breaths from giving away his position in the cold air.)