Sniper Stories (Assorted)

[WinterWarCaptain]

It would be interesting to read Short Stories of Snipers of different nationalities during WWII.

Post them here for the enjoyment of us all!

- - - - - - - -

To begin with, let me introduce you to Simo Häyhä (1905-2002; the "ä" is pronounced as the "a" in "Jack" or "apple").

"Simo Häyhä is widely considered to be the most successful sniper in history" -- Wikipedia.

This Finnish soldier was nicknamed "Belaya Smert" (Russian Белая Смерть; in English, "White D eath") by the Soviet army. Why?

"He worked in temperatures between -20° to -40° Celsius, and dressed completely in a white camouflage suit. Häyhä was credited with confirmed 505 kills against Soviet soldiers" -- the unofficial count is almost 600 (includes d eaths not officially confirmed by a "third party" -- a tragicomic expression).

His weapon?

"Häyhä used a Finnish variant, M28, of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle (known as "Pystykorva" rifle), because it suited his small frame (5 ft / 1.52 m!). He preferred to use iron sights rather than telescopic sights to present a smaller target (the sniper must raise their head higher when using telescopic sights) and aid concealment (sun reflecting off telescopic sight lenses can reveal a sniper's position)."

Simo Häyhä was also credited with two hundred kills with a submachine gun, "thus bringing his credited kills to at least 705". All of which were conducted "within three months prior to injuries caused by an enemy bullet... Before his injury, the Russians tried several plans to get rid of him, including counter snipers and artillery strikes."

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4

[Y2UAsk]

Well, it's not WW2, but it's interesting trivia -- Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the famous sex therapist who stands all of 4' 7" tall, was a sniper in the Israeli army in her youth. She was badly wounded during the '48 war.

Steve

[Surfer_Sam]

Isn't the movie Enemy at the Gates about a sniper?

[Predator666]

Yes it is. It is an unofficial story of Vasilli Zeitzef (sp?). A real sniper but a false story. Its an awsome movie though.

[Tripwire]

Enemy at the Gates, the movie, is fine, but read the book of the same name. It is all about Stalingrad. An incredible story. :eek: A large portion of the book covers the sniper duel, as in the movie, if that is the only part you are interested in.
A US Marine sniper in Baghdad was asked what he felt when he shot insurgents. His reply: "Recoil." :D
Semper Fidelis.

[tragicmishap]

Was he using the Barrett .50 cal? I saw a TV special on that thing. Scary.

[Tripwire]

I don't know if he was using the .50 cal or the 7.62 mm.
Either way, naughty boys don't know what hit 'em.

[cannonfodder]

Y2UAsk, that is a gurglingly, chokingly, hard to breathingly, funny piece of trivia. It isn't April 1st, I checked. Dr Ruth as a sniper, that bent my tiny skull.
"Firstly you stroke the trigger, don't rush it. If that doesn't work you'll have to see your doctor." I'll stop there. I'd better stop there.

[Sturmgrenadier]

This Finnish soldier was nicknamed "Belaya Smert" (Russian Белая Смерть; in English, "White ") by the Soviet army. Why?

"Belaya Smert" (Russian Белая Смерть) is White Death in english...

[WinterWarCaptain]

"Belaya Smert" (Russian Белая Смерть) is White in english...

I tried to write "White d eath", but I was on a computer that had a CyberSitter program installed that forbids access to certain websites and censors certain words. Apparently the d-word was one of them. Go figure. It's "fixed" now; thanks for pointing it out.
;)

[Sturmgrenadier]

Yes it is. It is an unofficial story of Vasilli Zeitzef (sp?). A real sniper but a false story. Its an awsome movie though.
Film is an almost false history, however Vassilli Zaitsef was a real sniper whith about 400 confirmed kills in the end of the war.

[Sturmgrenadier]

Josef 'Sepp' Allerberger, a German sniper in the 3rd Mountain Division on the Eastern Front, credited with 257 kills.
During combat, Allerberger was noted for using a painted umbrella to camouflage himself.
I thought this umbrella thing is just worth to share ;)

This is interesting site to:
http://www.kgwiking.com/newsletter/Oct2004/snipers.html

[AudieMurphy]

From: THE HISTORY BUFF'S GUIDE TO WORLD WAR II:

LUDMILLA PAVLICHENKO (URSS, 1916-1974)
Tiny, bitter, blunt Sgt. Mila Pavlichenko was one of the most prolific sharpshooters in the Red Army and a legend on the eastern front. Her fellow Soviets called her the "Death Sniper". To the Germans she was the "Bolshevik Valkyrie", killing with impunity in her native Ukraine and Crimea. During the 1941 diege of Odessa alone, she allegedly tallied more than 180 kills.
Wounded four times, losing her husband in combat, she desired to kill as many Germans as possible. But as news of her exploits reached Moscow, Soviet officials decided to use her in a different capacity. They promoted her to lieutenant, made her subject of a documentary, and in 1942 sent her on a speaking tour. In Canada, England, Wales, and the United States, she regaled audiences with stories of her assassinations and lectured them on the need of a second front in Europe. She met with students, factory workers, Ukrainian-American groups, and was one of the first Soviets ever to be invited to the White House, a personal guest of Eleanor Roosevelt."

"In her brief but prolific career, Pavlichenko was credited with 309 enemy fatalities."

"According to Soviet records, female snipers of the Red Army scored more than eleven thousands kills during the Second World War"

Other interesting entries about famous women soldiers of WW II are Marina Raskova (1912-1943), a famous combat pilot (and trainer and leader of all-women squadrons), and Yelena Fedorovna Kolesova (1917-1942), another leader of women soldiers who worked behind enemy lines to very succesfuly disrupt german operations (Germany offered 30 000 Reichmarks for her capture). Look them up, they where real heroes.