69 Avi Heiligman
Simo Hayha—The Best Sniper Ever
O c t o b e r 2 4 , 2013
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between the two armies “White Death” as his kill score his column is usually reserved for was that the Russians increased. He mainly used the Jewish heroes of were fighting thousands M91 Mosin-Nagant rifle that was war and others who of miles from home, great at the long distances that have supported Jewish didn’t know the territo- Hayha needed to pick off Ruscauses. Sometimes we ry, had unreliable leader- sians. Almost every sniper in histalk about little known ship, suffered from low tory used a scope but Hayha just facts or battles in recent morale and were fight- used the iron sights on his rifle. modern military history ing in one of the harshest Iron sights are roughly the size of (1800-current). Howevwinters that Finland ever a fingernail and are placed on top er, for this current artiexperienced. On the oth- of the rifle near the trigger and cle we are going to talk er hand, the Finns were near the muzzle. It takes a skilled about a little known indefending their home- marksman to hit a bull’s eye hundividual who, while he land which they knew dreds of yards away with just iron wasn’t Jewish or had well, had good leaders sights. Hayha did this because the connections with Jews, and men who were ben- sun shined brightly on the snow Simo Hayha played a major role in efiting from high morale covered ground and would reflect history. This is the story and knew off the glass scope of the best sniper in history. how to fight in such bruand create a glint. Many After the defeat of Poland in the fall tal climates. They also anti-sniper teams locatof 1939, there wasn’t much fighting in had a sniper called up ed snipers by looking Europe until the next spring when Ger- from the reserves named for this glint but Hayha many attacked France and the Western Simo Hayha. wouldn’t give them the Allies. However, there was a smaller Simo Hayha was opportunity. conflict raging on to the north. The So- born in 1905 on the The Russians atviet Union was in a bitter struggle with Finnish-Russian border. tacked in the Kollaa retroops from an inferior Finnish army. He was a natural farmer gion with over four diFinland broke away from the Russian and even more important visions while the Finns empire in 1917, and the Soviets were to the military, he was a were only able to put one itching at an attempt to regain lost ter- skilled hunter. Like many on this particular battleritory. With the outbreak of WWII, the countries, all young men field. In the area where Russians finally had their opportunity were required to serve at Hayha was stationed, for a full scale war with their neigh- least a year in the army 4,000 Russians attacked bors. This became known as the Win- and remain in the rea motley force of just 32 ter War, and the Russians weren’t pre- serves after leaving acFinnish defenders. The pared for the Finns staunch resistance tive duty. Simo joined region had few roads and Simo Hayha in his battle dress to their invasion. the army in 1925, and was only passable on skis Russia sent 21 divisions, close to when the Soviets invadand horseshoes. Hayha half a million men, into ed in 1939, he picked camouflaged himself and packed his Finland to “retaliate” up his rifle and went mouth with snow to prevent frost from for killing four guards. to the front lines. After coming out and being seen. Using his Later it was revealed his first army stint, he small frame to his advantage— he was that the NKVD (precompeted in civilian only 5 feet 3 inches—he sat in “Indian cursor to the KGB) sniper tournaments style” or lying against a barrier while had been the ones reand when he returned shooting at the enemy. He also placed sponsible and only did to the army he was snow at the end of his rifle barrel to it so that Russia could given a sniper rifle. avoid alerting the Russians with the attack Finland with T e m p e r a t u r e s muzzle flash. In a period of about 100 “just cause.” The truth during the 1939-1940 days, he picked off over 500 enemy was that Russia wantWinter War ranged soldiers with his sniper rifle and 200 ed land that Finland between -4° and -40° more with a machine gun. The Soviet high command heard had seized in 1917 and Fahrenheit. Hayha was about the sniper who was singlehandso the Finns prepared in his comfort zone in edly holding off a battalion and sent for war. They called this weather since he anti-sniper teams to take him out. Hayup the reserves but grew up in the area. ha systematically maneuvered around still could only musHe wore completely Simo Hayha after the Winter War. His faced is deformed from a bullet them and eliminated these teams. The ter about 350,000 solwhite and the Rusthat exploded on his left cheek diers. The difference sians called him the Russians even resorted to using artil-
The Jewish Home n
Forgotten Heroes
Hayha taking aim in the frigid weather
lery barrages just to eliminate this one corporal but were unsuccessful. On one of these “carpet bomb” attacks, pieces of shrapnel tore up his coat but he was unharmed. On May 6, 1940, a Russian counter-sniper finally hit him the jaw with an exploding round. Hayha was down and was brought to the rear. Doctors thought he was a goner as he drifted into a coma. Miraculously, he woke up on March 13. It was the same day that the Winter War ended so Hayha didn’t get a chance to fight again. Hayha slowly made a full recovery but the left side of his face was disfigured for the rest of his life. He died in 2002 at the ripe old age of 96. Finland was successful in holding off the Russians in the Kollaa sector but it didn’t stop them from getting the shorter end of the peace treaty. Russia ultimately gained land but Finland did manage to retain their independence. It wouldn’t be too much to say that if the Russians had succeeded in winning most of the battles then Finland would have become part of the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War. Simo Hayha independently held off thousands of men and directly contributed to a major part of Finland’s successes in the war.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions.for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@ gmail.com.