Simo H?yh? (December 17, 1905 ? April 1, 2002), nicknamed "White Death" (Russian: Белая смерть, Belaya Smert; Finnish: valkoinen kuolema; Swedish: den vita d?den; German: der wei?e Tod) by the Red Army, was a Finnish sniper. Using a modified Mosin?Nagant in the Winter War, he has the highest recorded number (505) of confirmed sniper kills in any major war
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He was born in the municipality of Rautj?rvi near the present-day border of Finland and Russia, and started his military service in 1925. Before entering combat, H?yh? was a farmer; it was during the Winter War (1939?€“1940), between Finland and the Soviet Union, that he began his duty as a sniper and fought the Red Army. In temperatures between 40 degrees Celsius dressed completely in a white camouflage suit, H?yh? killed over 540 Soviet soldiers. [1]
The unofficial Finnish frontline figure from the battlefield of Kollaa places the number of H?yh?'s sniper kills over 800
A daily account of the kills at Kollaa was conducted for the Finnish snipers. H?yh? used a Finnish variant, M/28, of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle (known as "Pystykorva" rifle, meaning "spitz"), because it suited his small frame (5 ft 3 in/1.60 m). He preferred to use iron sights rather than telescopic sights to present a smaller target (the sniper must raise his head higher when using a telescopic sight), to prevent visibility risks (a telescopic sight's glass can fog up easily), and aid concealment (sunlight glare in telescopic sight lenses can reveal a sniper's position). Another tactic used by H?yh? was to freeze the snow in front of him so that the shot wouldn't puff the snow, thus revealing his position. He also kept snow in his mouth so that when breathing he wouldn't reveal his position.
Besides his sniper kills, Simo H?yh? was also credited with as many as two hundred kills with a Suomi M-31 SMG, thus bringing his credited kills to at least 705. However, the latter claim has never been substantiated. All of H?yh?'s kills were accomplished within 100 days, prior to injuries caused by an enemy bullet. H?yh?'s record of an average of 5 kills a day, almost one kill per daylight hour of the short winter day, is unique, and he was called unstoppable by the Soviet Army.
Before his injury, the Soviets tried several ploys to get rid of him, including counter snipers and artillery strikes. Their best effort left the back of his coat torn away by shrapnel but left H?yh? himself untouched.
However, on March 6, 1940, H?yh? was shot in the jaw during combat (ouch ). The bullet tumbled upon impact and left his head. He picked up his rifle and fired a round, killing his attacker. He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said "half his head was missing". He regained consciousness on March 13, the day peace was declared. Shortly after the war, H?yh? was promoted straight from corporal to second lieutenant by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. No one else has ever gained rank in such a quick fashion in Finland's military history.
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At the age of 17, he joined the Finnish militia suojeluskunta and succeeded with his sniping skills in shooting sports in the Viipuri province. His farmhouse was reportedly full of trophies for marksmanship.
The unofficial Finnish front line figure from the battlefield of Kollaa places the number of H?yh?'s total kills at over 800.
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Later life
Simo H?yh? in 1940 with his jaw deformed due to injury from an enemy bullet.
It took several years for H?yh? to recuperate from his wound. The bullet had crushed his jaw and blown off his left cheek. Nonetheless, he made a full recovery and became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder after World War II, and hunted with Finnish president Urho Kekkonen.
When asked in 1998 how he had become such a good shooter, he answered, "practice." When asked if he regretted killing so many people, he said "I did what I was told to as well as I could." Simo H?yh? spent his last years in Ruokolahti, a small village located in southeastern Finland, near the Russian border.
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A soldier's soldier. In his own words, "I did what I was told to as well as I could."
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