Simo Häyhä
Simo Häyhä (December 17, 1905 – April 1, 2002) was a Finnish soldier. He has the highest recorded number of confirmed sniper kills in any major war.[2] The Russian soldiers began to call him as "White Death". He had over 500 confirmed kills during Winter war, which lasted only 105 days.
| Simo Häyhä | |
|---|---|
 Häyhä after being awarded the honorary rifle model 28. | |
| Nickname | White Death |
| Born | December 17, 1905 Rautjärvi, Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | April 1, 2002 (aged 96) Hamina, Finland |
| Allegiance |  Finland |
| Years of service | 1925–1940 |
| Rank | Alikersantti (Corporal) during the Winter War, promoted to Vänrikki (Second Lieutenant) shortly afterward[1] |
| Unit | Infantry Regiment 34 |
| Battles/wars | Winter War |
| Awards | Cross of Liberty, 3rd class and 4th class; Medal of Liberty, 1st class and 2nd class; Cross of Kollaa Battle[1] |
Simo Häyhä spent his last years in Ruokolahti, a small village in southeastern Finland, near the Russian border. He died at the age of 96 in 2002.
Actor Steven Wiig portrayed Häyhä in the 2012 HBO docudrama Hemingway & Gellhorn. Sabaton also wrote a song about Häyhä.
Simo Häyhä Media
Häyhä in his Civil Guard uniform, c. 1922
Häyhä in Kollaa on 17 February 1940, right after being awarded the honorary rifle.
Finnish Mosin–Nagant M28-30 rifle. Unlike the Russian variant, it has improved iron sights.
Häyhä after being promoted to second lieutenant in 1940. He was disfigured after being shot in the face by a Red Army soldier earlier that year.
The Kollaa and Simo Häyhä Museum in Miettilä, Rautjärvi, Finland
Häyhä's gravestone in Ruokolahti Church graveyard, South Karelia, Finland, with the inscription: "Home – Religion – Fatherland"
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lappalainen, Jukka-Pekka (6 December 2001) (in Finnish) (fee required). Kollaa kesti, niin myös Simo Häyhä. Helsinki. http://www.hs.fi/arkisto/artikkeli/Kollaa+kesti+niin+my%C3%B6s+Simo+H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4/HS20011206SI1HU01h8v?useToken=true. Retrieved 19 February 2011.[dead link]
- ↑ Rayment, Sean (30 April 2006). "The long view". The Daily Telegraph (London). https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1517044/The-long-view.html. Retrieved 30 March 2009.