World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseBorn in the municipality of Rautjärvi, Finland, Simo Häyhä joined the Finnish militia in 1922 while retaining his primary profession as a farmer and a hunter, the latter of which honed his skills as an expert marksman. During the Winter War which began in late 1939, he served with 6th Company of Finnish Infantry Regiment 34 in the region of the Kollaa River. In cold weather during days which daylight time lasted only a few hours, as a sniper using a White Guard M/28 "Pystykorva" rifle (a variant of the Russian Mosin-Nagant rifle) he scored 505 confirmed kills (plus 37 unconfirmed kills) in less than 100 days; the score of 505 made him the most successful sniper in any major war. As an infantryman using a Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun, he claimed an additional 200 kills. He preferred using iron sights due to the more technologically advanced telescopic sights as they were easy to use and iron sights allowed him to keep a lower profile. Among his favored secrets was to hold snow in his mouth so that this breathing would not fog, which might betray his position. He was given the nickname of Belaya Smert, or "White Death", by the Russian troops. Häyhä was severely injured in the lower left jaw in combat in the final days of the Winter War. After the Winter War, he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim for his achievement. Recovery from his jaw injury took years, causing him to play no further part in WW2. After the war, he became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder. He passed away in 2002.

Photographs

Simo Häyhä Timeline

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