The Finnish Army was forced to recruit men from the humblest origins to stand
up against the Soviet Union in times of need. However, Simo Häyha was no ordinary farmer.
Growing up in the woods, Häyha developed a knack for dealing with nature
and learned hunting skills that far surpassed what
he was taught during the short time he spent training with the Finnish military.
Then, when the Soviets tried to seize Häyha’s homeland, the clever self-made sniper
was ready to put up a fight, so much so that he earned the nickname of “The White Death.”
Countless enemies would fall by his hand, and Häyha would go down in history
as one of the most lethal -and humble- snipers of all time...
A Matter of National Security
Three months after the outbreak of World War 2,
the Soviet Union trespassed the frontier with Finland,
setting off an invasion known as the Winter War. The First Soviet-Finnish War officially started
on November 30, 1939, with the Soviets as a much superior force, both in tanks and aircraft.
The Soviets had previously demanded Finland to cede a significant part of its territory
alleging security reasons. Leningrad was a crucial city that lay 20 miles from the border,
and the Soviet Union expected it to provide enhanced protection against its enemies.
However, Finland refused to capitulate, and the Soviets reacted violently.
Several sources differ about the intentions of the Soviet Union and whether it strived
to conquer the entire country and set up a puppet Communist government or if
it only wanted to seize the established territory. Still, many battles ensued,
with the main ones being Karelian Isthmus, Ladoga Karelia, and Kainuu.
The Red Army suffered severe losses and made little progress at first. When Joseph Stalin
purged the Soviet army of military experts in the late 1930s, he unwillingly left his subordinates
without proper leadership and therefore vulnerable against small and defenseless countries.
In addition to being terribly disorganized,
Soviet soldiers were not provided with white camouflage uniforms, which didn’t help in
the Finnish winter, as their fragile figures were clearly identifiable against the snow.
Finland managed to repel the Soviet advance and inflict substantial damage to the attackers
for two months, while temperatures dropped to -45.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Soviets had expected a full victory within weeks,
just as they had done with East Poland shortly before, so they were taken completely off guard.
They weren’t counting on the courage of the soldiers from the Finnish People’s Army - let
alone the mastery of one particular sniper who was about to make history.
The White Death
Born on December 17, 1905, Simo Häyhä was the son of Juho and Katriina Häyhä. The family lived
in Kiiskinen, Rautjärvi, in the then-Finnish region of Karelia. Growing up, he enjoyed his
family’s farm life, would often ski, and became a skilled hunter before joining the military.
Häyhä spent much of his time in nature and hunting in the forests,
thus acquiring several surviving skills. When it came to hunting, he recognized early on
that everything depended on the combination of the particular situation, the type of target,
and more importantly, the terrain. Luckily, he had a sharp vision and natural talent to spot targets.
The young man also learned another vital skill from his father: how to accurately estimate
distances. While this particular ability was not natural, he developed it through
practice - his precision was almost perfect, with a variation of merely a couple of steps. Likewise,
he learned to measure the effects of wind and rain and the conditions of his surroundings.
At 17, Häyhä joined the voluntary militia Civil Guard.
He then became known for his shooting skills and excellent marksmanship. However,
he never enjoyed the spotlight and was a rather timid and solitary man, even as he grew up. But
whether he liked it or not, his extraordinary abilities soon raised a lot of attention.
Two years later, Häyhä began his compulsory military service with the Bicycle Battalion 2
in the Viipuri Province. Simultaneously, he attended the Non-Commissioned Officer
School and served as a conscript officer in the Bicycle Battalion 1 in Terijoki.
His sniper training in Utti wouldn’t properly start until 1938,
barely a year before the Soviets. Major Tapio Saarelainen, who interviewed Häyhä several
times and wrote five books about his story, noted that while still a trainee with the Civil Guard,
the young man hit a target 16 times from a distance of 150 meters in merely a minute.
The author stated: (QUOTE) "This was an unbelievable accomplishment.”
When the war broke out, Häyhä participated in the Battle of Kolla, where he celebrated his
34th birthday while on the battlefield. He was part of the 6th Company of Infantry, Regiment 34,
under the command of Lieutenant Aarne Juutilainen.
Dressed in white attire, Häyhä was invisible to the incomers.
He even hit 25 men one day and instantly rose to fame amongst the snipers.
He then became known as “The White Death.”
Up The Sleeve
As Finnish newspapers kept talking about the invisible soldier,
the Taika-Ampuja, or “Magic Shooter,” Simo Häyhä became a hero of mythical proportions.
It is disputed whether the Red Army victims or Finnish propaganda efforts came up with the
‘White Death” nickname. However, both sides were very much aware of the sniper’s reach.
As usually happens with such a latent threat, Häyhä was targeted.
The Finnish hero once hit an enemy sniper with a single shot, to which the Soviets counterattacked
with indirect fire. The invaders shot a mortar bombardment near his position, but Häyhä emerged
unscathed. Another time, an artillery shell almost hit him, but only brushed his greatcoat.
Besides his extraordinary aim, Häyhä knew precisely how to remain hidden,
and had a stockpile of tricks. To begin with, the sniper would pour water on the snow before him,
so his position wouldn’t be revealed with the muzzle blast.
He would then take a mouthful of snow to hide his breath. Moreover,
he’d cover his movements with sounds, smoke, or even artillery fire when changing positions,
and also memorized the best hiding spots on the battlefield, as he didn’t have a map.
Häyhä combined his natural talent with thorough preparation. During the night, he visited what
he considered his favorite firing sites and improved them. Keenly devoted to his job,
he would also clean his rifle more often than other soldiers, giving it maintenance before
and after every mission. In such unbearable weather conditions, this helped avoid jamming.
Perhaps his most notable mannerism was that he preferred his own old M/28-30 rifle over
those equipped with telescopic sights. Despite it being a basic weapon, Häyhä considered his
model reliable and consistent. Plus, he knew it well and had mastered it throughout the years.
The sniper adjusted its sights for 150 meters -a standard distance for the time-
which allowed flexibility to rapidly switch settings. Saarelainen affirmed
that Häyhä was able to estimate distances with accuracy between 1 and 150 meters.
Furthermore, the biographer maintained that Häyhä would laugh when asked about a myth that
snipers climbed trees for better performance. The expert argued that on top of making it harder to
keep steady and aim, it would render the sniper vulnerable if discovered, with no option to flee.
Alternately, Häyhä sought cover behind overhanging branches,
where he was better protected and had a steady aim.
Still, the hero was notably unafraid on the frontline and said that he was just doing his
job the way he approached hunting: always focused on ways to remain concealed while
confusing the enemy. He also added that: (QUOTE) “War is not a pleasant experience,
but who else would protect this land unless we are willing to do it ourselves.”
Exploits
The war lasted 105 days, but Häyhä would only serve 98.
On March 6, 1940, he was hit by an explosive bullet in the face. According to his fellow
soldiers, he was found after the battle unresponsive and placed on a pile of corpses.
His commanding officer then sent someone to look for him, and the soldier noticed a twitching leg.
Häyhä was in a coma and didn’t regain consciousness until a week
later when an armistice had already been signed.
As part of the agreement, Finland had to cease a significant portion of its territory,
though it remained sovereign. In contrast, the Soviet Union’s reputation was smeared,
and the Soviets were expelled from the League of Nations. What’s more, Adolf Hitler was encouraged
by the Red Army’s lacking performance and believed an attack on the Soviet Union would be successful.
As for the Finnish hero, he found out about his own demise in a newspaper
and wrote them personally to correct the misunderstanding.
It took him 14 months and 26 surgeries to recover from his grave injuries,
for which he would not be allowed to serve again in the Continuation War against the Soviets.
Consequently, Häyhä returned to his farm and always lived alone
until retiring in the Kymi Institute for Disabled Veterans in 2001.
He passed away roughly a year later from natural causes at the age of 96.
Simo Häyhä is still regarded by most experts as the most successful sniper in history.
In 98 days, he had at least 505 confirmed hits, and when asked in
1998 how he had become such a good sniper, he merely replied: (QUOTE) “Practice.”
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