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Russian Forces Feared ‘The White Death’… Could There Be Another Like Him?

Quiet and modest but tough as nails

By Dean GeePublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Russian Forces Feared ‘The White Death’… Could There Be Another Like Him?
Photo by Specna Arms on Unsplash

Finland is a land of high education levels, and the Finnish schooling system is one of the best in the world. Finland is also famous for Santa Claus, reindeer, saunas, Nokia and lakes, a land peppered with lakes.

Finland, in recent surveys, has also topped the list as being one of the happiest nations on Earth, and all of this while sharing a large part of their eastern border with Russia.

Finland is not a warlike, conquering nation, but one man, a Finnish soldier, curiously tops the list as being one of the deadliest snipers in world history.

This soldier rose from the rank of corporal to second lieutenant, the greatest jump in rank in Finnish history. The Russian military knew him as ‘ the white death.’ Plying his trade in the snowy conflict between Finland and Russia in 1939 and 1940.

The Russian military called him ‘white death’ because he always attacked when they least expected. Little did they know they had actually just wondered into his range, a fatal place to be. With over 500 Russians killed by this one man alone, he was like an enigma, something from a Harry Potter book or movie. Like a white mist that instantly executed the enemy.

Can you imagine the psychological effect it must have on you, not knowing when death will suddenly come upon you, but expecting that it is imminent?

This alone can demoralise a military force of many, knowing that individually you are not safe amongst the many, like a predator targets one of the many in the pack, that single prey has no security amongst the many.

This mystery man grew up on a farm, so he was used to harsh outdoor conditions and working hard and being patient. These characteristics assisted him in his expertise in the military.

He used iron sights, and not telescopic sights, so as not to give away his position in the snow. Telescopic sights glare in the sunlight and would attract unwanted attention.

He would only take a day’s worth of ammunition and food with him as he hid out in the snow and shot any Russian that entered his kill zone.

He would even put snow in his mouth so as not to have his breath give away his position in the cold air.

He enjoyed shooting and could hit a target 16 times per minute from around 500 feet away. His military training and shooting prowess stood him in good stead to help him defend his country.

The farm where he grew up was close to the Russian border, so no doubt he was very familiar with the weather and terrain, always a huge advantage in the conflict of war.

The Soviets feared Simo Hayha so much that it was them that gave him the name of ‘the white death.’ They used their artillery and tried to counterattack him with sniper fire, but all their plans proved futile.

Until that one fateful day on the 6th March 1940, when a bullet hit him in the jaw from a counter sniper attack. He was in a coma for 11 days and came round when the war in that specific part of the geography was over.

All people fear snipers, because they can pinpoint a target from such a great distance, especially nowadays, with telescopic sights and modern weapons.

Think about it when there is a sniper on the loose in any large city. How he can single-handedly bring the city to a standstill. The fear, the paralysis of impending death, can have profound effects on the psyche.

I remember years ago, a martial arts instructor once told me. “The fear of death is worse than death itself.”

I have never forgotten that.

One concerning statistic is that of the top 10 snipers in history, Simo Hayha is number one, but the nine that follow him on the list are all Soviet snipers.

The Soviets seemed to have mastered the art of sniping. If we can refer to any war skill as an art? I use the term reluctantly.

Simo Hayha lived to be 96 years of age and passed away in 2002.

Images of him show the distortion of his jaw from taking that enemy fire.

I hate war, and I hope this Ukrainian, Russian conflict ends, but in the aftermath I wonder what stories will be told after this ongoing war? Will there be others like Simo Hayha, who fight to protect their homeland with courage and precision?

The Russians won land in the war, but at a huge cost of Russian lives, losing 1000,000 troops of their 1,500,000. There were reportedly remarks from a Russian General after the war, and I paraphrase that the land that they gained was just enough to bury their troops.

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About the Creator

Dean Gee

Inquisitive Questioner, Creative Ideas person. Marketing Director. I love to write about life and nutrition, and navigating the corporate world.

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insight

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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