During the Second World War was used for the first time the snipers, who were commonly known as "messengers of death." These high-precision soldiers rained down the enemy, hiding a large quantity of ammunition and supplies to stay away from his comrades. There were many snipers entered into by such feats, for example, within the Stalinist regime or highlighted Zaitzev Vasili Yakovlevich; of Nazi rule, two Germans, Erwin Koning and Heinz Thorvald. But only one could be the best in this category: the Finn Simo Häyhä.
Humble origins
Häyhä Simo was born on December 17, 1905 Rautjärvi in the region, located between the border of Finland and Russia. Simo came from a humble farming family, walk the age of 20 he enlisted in the military in 1925. During his training Häyhä showed good technique in target practice. Once their service ended, he returned to his homeland to pursue the life of the field. Agriculture, livestock and hunting were his own until the winter of 1939, a period during which erupted called Winter War, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, three months after the onset of World War II.
The Russian leader Stalin's plan was to occupy the whole country by force, using his superior forces, but the Finnish resistance prevented him unbeatable.
Although after a hard fight the Red Army lost its credibility, this influenced the decision of Hitler to launch a military plan known as Operation Barbarossa. The Winter War occurred between 1939 and 1940.
Hidden in the snow
Simo Häyhä fought the Red Army soldiers in temperatures oscillating between -20 and -40 degrees Celsius. The deadly sniper Hobro was rather short, with a height of 1'60, their camouflage battle was all white, their survival techniques were simple, but risky:
- Preferred view using steel rather own rifle scopes, so as not to reveal its position as a sniper must raise its head to use the telescope, as well as sunlight can be reflected in the lens and disclose your position.
- Another tactic used was to freeze snow in front of him so that their shots did not rise up the snow in front of him creating blocks of ice.
- He put snow in his mouth to keep himself away from the fumes of their breathing.
Finland resisted the attacks until March 1940, when he was drafted a peace treaty, which ceded 10% of Finnish territory and 20% of its manufacturing capacity to the Soviet Union, the Nordic country maintained its sovereignty, arousing sympathy around worldwide.
When the fighting ends Häyhä Simo, who had entered the ranks of the Finnish army as a simple soldier out later promoted, received the rank of second lieutenant during the year on the river Kollao and was also decorated by the officer Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim with the "Cross of Kollao" besides the "Silver Cross."
The Finnish army was noted for rejecting the Russians, this feat is remembered in history as "The Miracle of Kollao." No soldier in the military history of Finland has made progress in rank as fast as Häyhä Simo.
The offensive operation against the White Death
When Simo's fame grew through the ranks of the Red Army began to convert into an illustration that plagued and demoralized the troops, gave him the nickname "Smert Belaya (White Death). They mounted operations to stop this attack Finnish sniper without the help of another man was repelling the continued progress of the Red Army.
In the first instance sent squads to find and kill Häyhä, but the small Finnish killed them all. After a squad formed against snipers, which is basically a group of snipers to kill other snipers, but when they were behind Häyhä, also died. This demonstrated the technical superiority of Simo Häyhä against enemies of the same caliber.
Repeated attempts to liquidate Soviets were close to doing so during an artillery attack whose fragments tore the back of his white coat to reveal his position. But Simo unhurt after the attack.
However, the March 6, 1940 Häyhä was shot, a bullet struck his chin expansive for a short-range fighting. His teammates picked him up and said it was missing half his head. Simo Häyhä regained consciousness March 13, the day peace was declared. Despite his wounds Häyhä could still point and eliminate their opponents until he fell unconscious.
The weapons of the white death
The Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä two weapons used to kill hundreds of Red Army soldiers. Its main rifle M/28 was a variation of Finnish Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle, with which officially cleared to 505 Russian soldiers. As a weapon of support wearing a Suomi M-31 SMG, a submachine of shorter extent to which killed 150 Soviet soldiers. Thus, registration of victims was at least 705 dead. Häyhä Simo's mission lasted 100 days, killing more than five soldiers each day, which is why the Russians called him unstoppable.
Surviving War
After being wounded in the face Simo took several years to recover, as the expanding bullet had broken his jaw and removed his left cheek. However had complete recovery after the war became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder. When asked in 1998 as it had become such a good shooter, the elder sniper replied, "Practice," when asked whether he regretted having killed so many people he said:
"I just did what they told me to do the best I could."
Simo Häyhä spent his last years in a village called Ruokolahti, south eastern Finland near the Russian border. Häyhä died on April 1, 2002, was 97 years.
