Hand-Picked Daily GUN DEALS, and Exclusive Coupons Codes >>>
We review products independently. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission to help support our testing. Learn more.

A Picture from History: Simo Häyhä, Lethal Sniper

We look at one of the most deadly snipers in history…a small Finnish farmer who took on Soviet forces during The Winter War in 1939.
We review products independently. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission to help support our testing. Learn more.
JUMP TO SECTION Jump To:

    When you think about the most lethal sniper in world history, a teeny Finnish farmer probably isn’t the mental image that immediately springs to mind.

    Yet, truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case, that adage proved true.

    Simo Häyhä
    Simo Häyhä

    The setting was 1939, with World War II underway. Joseph Stalin sent over half a million soldiers, 6,000 tanks, and 3,000 aircraft to Finland in the hopes of turning the country into a communist state.

    Things truly looked hopeless for the Finns. Their small army was less than half of the Soviets. Not to mention, they only had around 100 planes and a handful of tanks.

    Finnish soliders during the Winter War
    Finnish soliders during the Winter War

    On paper, the Soviets should have won.

    But one small-time farmer picked up his old rifle and helped even the odds.

    This is the story of Simo Häyhä…

    Table of Contents

    Loading…

    A Small Finnish Farmer

    Simo Häyhä wasn’t much to look at.

    The good-tempered man barely stood over 5-feet-tall. However, put a bolt-action rifle in the man’s hands…and he proved to be a deadly enemy.

    Simo Häyhä
    Simo Häyhä

    When Häyhä wasn’t farming, he was shooting, spending a great deal of time practicing with his Mosin-Nagant M28-30.

    He enjoyed hunting, target practice and entered shooting competitions whenever time permitted.

    Mosin Nagant
    Mosin Nagant, though not the model Häyhä used.

    Having only spent a year’s worth of time in compulsory military service at the age of 20, Haya wasn’t some top-shelf trained sniper – just a Finnish version of a redneck who liked guns.

    Yet despite that, the enemy feared him.  

    The Winter War

    Upon the Russian invasion, the Finnish Civil Guard (akin to the U.S. National Guard) called upon Häyhä to fight in The Winter War.

    Trench fighting during The Winter War
    Trench fighting during The Winter War.

    By the end of the war, 100 days later, Häyhä had a confirmed kill count of 542 Russians (unconfirmed kill count of 705). He also sported a new moniker — The White Death.

    Fighting in winter temperatures that dropped to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, he devised a creative means of fighting against the Russians to stay hidden.

    Finnish soldier with a reindeer
    A Finnish soldier with a reindeer

    The Finnish Civil Guard issued Häyhä all-white camouflage, which he would wear out into the field, but that was only the beginning. 

    To better hide, he would often pile big snow mounds all around his position.

    Finnish soldiers in machine gun nest
    Finnish soldiers in machine gun nest

    Not only did these mounds provide a source of concealment for him, but they also served as padding for his rifle to better keep puffs of snow from being generated every time he took a shot.

    Furthermore, he’d put snow in his mouth to chill his exhaled air – limiting visible fog.

    And to top it all off?

    He used iron sights.

    Häyhä spotted counter-snipers sent to kill him after sunlight reflected from their scopes. He didn’t want the same fate to befall him; thus, iron sights.

    Finnish soldier in white camouflage
    Finnish soldier in white camouflage

    A further argument for his choice was the subzero temperatures of wintertime Finland. These temps would often leave scopes hazed over.

    Plus, Häyhä felt like he presented a smaller target without a scope attached to his rifle.

    Equipped with nothing more than one day’s worth of food and a pocketful of ammo, Häyhä would head out into the woods he’d spent so much time hunting moose in before. But this time, he had a different target…Soviets.

    The Hammer Falls

    The White Death posed such a serious problem that the Soviets conducted numerous artillery strikes on his suspected locations – in addition to sending multiple snipers to kill him.

    For invaders, Häyhä proved a veritable enemy — one that justified a rather expensive solution.

    But the end of the war for Häyhä wasn’t an incoming mortar round; it was an explosive bullet to the face.

    Just days before the end of The Winter War, an explosive round virtually blow half of Häyhä’s face.

    Simo Häyhä
    Simo Häyhä

    Dragged off the field by his buddies, he woke 11 days later to find his fight was over.

    The facial wound took years to recover from – leaving him permanently disfigured. But Häyhä lived to tell the tale.

    What did Häyhä attribute his lethality to? One word…“Practice.”

    This is a new style of article for Pew Pew Tactical, if you liked it — let us know in the comments! If you didn’t enjoy it…well phooey. To catch up on previous Pictures From History, click on over to our History Category.

    The Best Gun Deals, Coupons and Finds

    Subscribe to Pew Pew Tactical's sales and deals email.

    30 Leave a Reply

    • Lawrence H Jackson

      Great article! Keep 'em coming.

      July 14, 2021 5:40 pm
    • Tommy McManaway

      Love to see what happens when you get back to the basics of things and able to achieve such outstanding success. Practice, knowledge of the land, and a superior understanding of all variables (scope hazing over, warm breath, etc.) let him be a true legend.

      July 14, 2021 12:43 pm
    • Michael Touchman

      I think that in an age when we have such incredible technology available to us in order to accomplish any conceivable pursuit as shooters, his plight illustrates what drive and discipline can do. An incredible story and, I hope, an example to inspire us to quit the trash talk and get to the damn range.

      July 13, 2021 9:44 am
    • Jeff Huxley

      One man with a gun defending his homeland. A story of courage and cunning. Loved it!

      July 12, 2021 6:23 pm
    • EssEff N8tive

      What an inspiring story! This is just what we need, a starch reminder of How Important World History can be and is! Especially these days when Yahoo’s want to erase and re-write our Nation’s history!
      How about a story on The Korean and Vietnam War snipers? Who where the best of those respective conflicts?

      July 12, 2021 12:19 pm
    • ZA Mark

      Great story! Love stories of people and stuff that I have never heard of.

      July 11, 2021 11:36 pm
    • jerry mayo

      enjoyed the story, ordinary men doing extraordinary things. Would enjoy more

      July 11, 2021 10:06 pm
      • Aden Tate

        You got it!

        July 12, 2021 6:02 am
    • Tango Hotel Foxtrot

      During WWII, my father fought in Europe and the Pacific. Like many of veterans in his generation, he rarely talked about his experiences. Therefore, I'm grateful that Pew Pew Tactical hosts these Picture from History articles.
      I've read about military snipers and seen films about several of them. This story about Simo Häyhä is fascinating and it shines a light on a little known hero from WWII.
      Thanks Aden, and keep up the good work!

      July 11, 2021 7:07 pm
      • Aden Tate

        Thank you! Glad you liked it!

        July 12, 2021 6:03 am
    • Bob

      Good...more stories like this, even longer ones

      July 11, 2021 7:00 pm
    • Bill Frenette

      What a great story, about a great sniper. Keep stories like that coming.

      July 11, 2021 6:26 pm
    • Yuli

      A good story about the sniper, but the very beginning is historically wrong. Stalin never intended to turn Finland into a communist state. Finland was a part of Russian Empire and Lenin gave it freedom to get away after Communist revolution. The thing was - Finland was expected to be occupied by Nazi Germany as was Poland and other European countries, and the border between Finland and the Soviet Union was extremely close to Leningrad - almost in suburbs. Stalin wanted to move the border further away from the city, and offered other land in Kola peninsula for exchange - to which the Finns did not agree. The war was to move the border away from Leningrad before the German strike on Russia - which was done, alas with much blood. Nevertheless, that war helped in saving the city during the Siege of Leningrad in 1941-1944, when the Nazi officially declared their intention to wipe the city off clean, including all inhabitants. That never happened partially because of that infamous Soviet-Finnish war in 1939, when much blood was shed on both sides. Hope that never happens again.

      July 11, 2021 6:22 pm
      • Aden Tate

        The whole point of Stalin's ideology was world domination. It still is. It would have been impossible for him to invade Finland without having that in his mind.

        "The whole point is to retain power, to consolidate it, to make it invincible." - Stalin

        July 12, 2021 6:08 am
      • Ted

        Lies.

        Russia and Nazi Germany divided Europe into spheres of influence in the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Finland was inside Russian sphere. Poland was invaded by and divided between the allies Russia and Nazi Germany, Finland was to be swallowed up by Russia.

        Stalin’s “offer” was to move the border behind the permanent Finnish defensive positions and leave the capital extremely open to pressure and attack.

        In ‘40 there was zero probability of a German attack on Leningrad (St Petersburg). There were no German soldiers in Finland. This war, like the occupation of the Baltic states, was a Russian imperialistic move to expand Russian territory.

        July 14, 2021 5:27 am
    • Len C

      Hate to say it but Pew Pew needs a like button for these articles so people like me who have little to say can just upvote the stories.

      July 11, 2021 6:15 pm
    • Jim Foreman

      great story. well written! I hope you continue to write more.

      July 11, 2021 4:33 am
    • AZ Logan

      Good article, now for one about Joseph R. Beyrle.

      July 10, 2021 1:48 pm
    • Tiberux Black

      Thank you for the article. Really enjoy reading these. Keep up the great work!

      July 10, 2021 10:53 am
    • Mike

      How about one on Alvin York next

      July 10, 2021 6:39 am
      • Aden Tate

        Haha, read my mind.

        July 10, 2021 8:11 am
    • Mike

      Great article, really enjoyed it.

      July 10, 2021 6:38 am
      • Aden Tate

        Thanks man! I appreciate it!

        July 10, 2021 8:12 am
    • Joseph Smoak

      I really enjoy these off the beaten path historical articles. These are stories and photographs I don't think I'd have been exposed to otherwise. You guys do a great job, please keep it up.

      July 9, 2021 3:53 pm
      • Aden Tate

        Hey, I'm glad you enjoy it. I have a blast writing them.

        July 10, 2021 8:12 am
    • Shane C Driggs MD

      I loved the article

      July 9, 2021 1:51 pm
      • Aden Tate

        Thanks Shane! You rock!

        I thought about going to med school.
        I didn't have the patients though.

        *buh bum psssh*

        July 10, 2021 8:14 am
    • n

      Awesome! What a beast

      July 9, 2021 1:30 pm
    • Jon

      542 seems like allot until you consider it was Soviets and then it seems it wasn’t enough.

      July 9, 2021 12:47 pm
    • Mark L

      Great story! Keep them coming!

      July 9, 2021 10:26 am
    Join the community! Log in
    Please provide a valid email address.
    Password is required.
    or
    Register
    Please provide a valid display name.
    Please provide a valid email address.
    The password should contain at least 8 characters with at least one number or special character.
    Please accept in order to continue.
    By unsubscribing, you will not be able to access exclusive training courses in your profile. You will still be able to save and access your products and articles.
    or
    Trouble logging in?
    Type your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password.
    Please provide a valid email.
    Password
    Type your new password and hit button below to confirm it.
    Field is required.
    Account already exists
    We already have an account registered for email address () which is linked to your Facebook account.
    To log in type your Pew Pew Meter password below.
    Field is required.
    Account already exists
    We noticed that you have previously logged in with your Account which is linked to the same email address () - we can link both of your accounts together.
    In order to link your accounts, hit button below and log in to your Account with the same email as above.

    Account in Pew Pew Tactical means more.

    Login or create a free account to get the following
    Access and save hundreds of reviews, gun guides, and articles!
    Find the best daily deals on guns, gear, and ammo
    Manage your newsletter subscriptions and comments