Simo Häyhä. Finland. 1939 - 1940.
A member of the 34th Infantry Regiment and a farmer by trade, Simo Häyhä became a most feared sniper during the 1939-40 (30 November 1939 14 March 1940) Winter invasion of Finland by the Soviet Union. Using nothing more than an iron sighted Mosin-Nagant Model 28, Simo is credited with killing 505 Russians during a nine month period - a feat still unmatched today by any sniper in any conflict. The impact of Simo and men like him forced the Soviets to pay dearly for their transgressions. While Finland lost the Winter war, it cost the Soviets 1,000,000 men killed out of the 1,500,000 man invading force*. The Finns lost a total of 25,000 men in that conflict. A testament to their bravery and determination in the face of amazing odds.
He passed away on April 1st 2002 at the age of 96

*Information gleaned from Rifles of the White Death. Doug Bowser. Camellia City Military Publications.

Top

Suko Kolkka. Finland, 1939 - 1940.
During 105 days of combat Suko was credited with 400+ enemy kills as a sniper in the Winter War (30 November 1939 14 March 1940). He used an iron sighted Mosin-Nagant rifle. He often took the war to the rear of the Soviet lines, causing much fear and frustration as this area was supposedly safe. In addition to the kills he made as a sniper, Kolkka also was apparently quite fond of the submachine gun as he made an additional 200 kills with it during this same time frame. Hunted often by the Soviets, he outlasted them all, killing the sniper sent to hunt him at 600 yards with a single shot after a running duel of several days. Like Simo Häyhä, Suko Kolkka exhibited the hard determination and skill that kept Finland a sovereign nation even after its inevitable defeat. At the end of the Winter War a Soviet General is said to have quipped, "We gained 22,000 square miles of territory. Just enough to bury our dead".*
*

World War II
Name Conflict Service Branch Confirmed Kills
Simo Hayha W.W. II Finland 542
Ivan Sidorenko W.W. II U.S.S.R. 500
Nikolay Yakovlevich Ilyin W.W. II U.S.S.R. 496
Kulbertinov W.W. II U.S.S.R. 487
Mikhail Budenkov W.W. II U.S.S.R. 437
Fyodor Matveevich Okhlopkov W.W. II U.S.S.R. 429
Fyodor Djachenko W.W. II U.S.S.R. 425
Vasilij Ivanovich Golosov W.W. II U.S.S.R. 422
Afanasy Gordienko W.W. II U.S.S.R. 417
Stepan Petrenko W.W. II U.S.S.R. 412
Erwin Konig W.W. II Germany 400
Vasili Zaitsev W.W. II U.S.S.R. 400
Sulo Kolkka W.W. II Finland 400

http://www.snipercentral.com/snipers.htm#WWII

__________________

Thankyou Kai-Petri, i was unaware that this patriotic individual had left us....we are losing them each day....

__________________
"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

More of the MAN! He might have been small but he sure knew how to shoot!

http://www.mosin-nagant.net/Meeting-Legend.html

http://www.mosin-nagant.net/saying_goodbye_to.html

http://home.earthlink.net/~hwsportsman/WhiteDeath.html

__________________

You probably wondered why he didn´t shoot with optics. there were several of them: 1.sometimes the optics would give a sparkle and the enemy knew where you were and that´s it, you were dead! 2.When using the optics you had to raise your head somewhat more and you were an easier target 3. the finnish version of optics was so big that when shooting you often had a blow to your face which caused a "half-moon" effect around your eye.

__________________

Sorry for the loss Kai, I did enjoy reading about this very brave man.

I am very surprised that I havent heard about the German listed with 400 kills. It was brought to my attention that it was another man. Matthias Hetzenhauer was supposed to be the German Armys top sniper, or maybe I misunderstood and he was the German Armys top scoring sniper still living? He had 352 kills, the it was Sepp Allerberger with about 230 kills. Happily, they both are still living.

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Thanks a lot, Kai! But I disagree in something, there were not a million Russians killed in the winter war. We have discussed it and the number was not higher than 650.000 casulaties, including like 250.000 killed or something...

Thanks, Carl. I remembered those both snipers you had mentioned before. And I think we all have heard of that German sniper: Major Erwin Königs. Most remembered by "Enemy at the gates", but we know he did exist. But it is good to know about his 400 kills.

__________________
"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Facinating, I have always wondered, who verifys snipers claims. Not that I'm doubting it, but armies must use some sort of independant verification.

__________________
Ain't no rocket scientists in the firehall

Indeed Friedrich, your numbers are correct. I jusdt took it from the net and as we´ve seen there are a hell of lot different statistics being used. My mistake and I shall in the future take the wrong numbers away so no-one gets false information.
For instance in winter war there was statistics saying 25 000 finns and 100 000 russians died, and yet in the next page they claimed that some 100 finns and 10 000 russians died eveyday. That would have meant ( with 105 days of glory ) a million dead russians, which would be quite too high a number.

I do have the idea that another sniper verified the kills. If you just said a suitable number
after coming back nobody would believe you soon. Often the target was also given like the guys who reported cordinates to artillery.The guy "disappeared" and the kill was thus confirmed. This was a very important job, as without the precise location the granades would hit empty places.

__________________

Quite welcome and--Major Konigs never existed. I cannot find any Maj Konige--RKT, and Sniper School Instructor, listed anywhere to substantiate the claims such a man was sent to Stalingrad for a duel--which we know never took place. I finally broke down and bough E.A.T.G. book, and read bits and pieces and I see it as a fantasy piece of junk. I bought it as it was on clearance sale at B&N, and cost only $4.00. I figured--what the heck? thats a cheap price to pay for a few hours of intertainment. Im sticking with Anthony Beevor and the likes--when it comes to Stalingrad.

Hans Wijers--where are you.............

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

__________________

Thanks for the photo of him Kai, and the man on the left looks Zaitsev.

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

You've made me cry!

It is like finding out that Santa Claus does not exist!!! But I am sure that he does. At least that is true.

__________________
"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Sorry--neither does the Grinch or Charlie Brown....

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

I am wheeping and crying in the floor like a little girl!!!! Snif! Snif!

__________________
"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Actually it seems Simo Häyhä was lucky in unluck. As he was shot in the face in close combat the ballistics of the dum dum ( very illegal...) made it explode "out of his face " as it hit bone and saved the man, although destroying the left side cheek bones and skin totally. If it had been full metal it would have gone straight to his brains killing him instantly.

Zaitsev vs Häyhä...?? Simo wanted to enter war in 1941 but was not allowed.Should the germans have sent Simo to Stalingrad?? He was never beaten by a russian sniper! Ok, just a thought!

According to the book " white death " on Simo Häyhä the russians at one time tried to see who´s a sniper by letting normal infantry men with their normal rifles try to make killings. After losing many men they decided to quit this system and gave the sniper education before letting them go to the front!

__________________

Good what if Kai, Simo vs Zaitsev. Go for it and make that a topic--ill gladly contend--specially since I have a $70.00 book on German snipers of ww1 and ww2 on hand for technical referances. I have to have SOME use for this book

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Well, now I know about some German sniper, one who I love a lot: my grandfather!!! I will post something on his sniper-career on the Zaitsev topic.

__________________
"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

I just read from another book covering Simo´s war that he had a man next to him to confirm the kills after he started his killing spree. They wanted to make it official so a man, and they refer him as " second liutenant", who checked the kills with binoculars and put it down on his note book...Poor man. Always cold and always afraid of being in the sights of a Russian sniper. If you were not as small as Simo....the article did not say if he was a sniper as well but it did not give the feeling of that.

__________________

[ 16. November 2002, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Otto ]

__________________

__________________