Snipers are often compared to hunters. Like hunters, they are fluent in the art of marksmanship, camouflage and surveillance. Even the term “sniper” — hunting, he comes from the English snipe — Bekas — hunting required a special skill. “Ribbon.ru” made a rating of the best military snipers in the last hundred years.
Hunters became soldiers
Before the First world war the most famous of the arrows were those, whose exact shot struck a big-name opponent, even if it was a pure coincidence. So, American TV channel Military Channel was recorded in the top 10 best snipers arrow during the war for independence USA, a Daniel Morgan. At the battle of Saratoga it from 500 yards (about 450 meters) shot and killed British General Simon Fraser (according to other sources, success has sniper Timothy Murphy (Timothy Murphy), who served in the regiment under the command of Morgan). The death of General was one of the turning points in the battle, considered the turning point of the war. A British major Patrick Ferguson, by contrast, famously did a shot that can turn the course of history: that he, without knowing, kept in the crosshairs of George Washington, but didn’t pull the trigger — the officer was aiming for Ferguson, turned his back, and the Englishman felt that shot ungentlemanly.
The first experience of mass use of snipers in combat operations is considered to be the Anglo-Boer war of 1899-1902. Among the Boer militias were many experienced hunters that their guns terrified the British soldiers. Those even had a rule — “three on a match does not light: first lit — Bur noticed, the second lit — Bur aim, the third lit — Bur shot”.
Francis Pegahmagabow
Photo: Fox Meadow Creations
The staff unit of snipers came during the First world war, first the Germans and then the armies of the Entente”. This is one of the world’s criterion of sniper skill is number of wins. The record of those times called the canadian hunter-Indians of Francis Pegahmagabow, 378 wounded enemies.
And successful snipers turned into an effective propaganda tool, so the difference in the assessment of slain enemies sometimes reaches several hundred. It is worth noting that the victory of snipers recorded their words and the words of the companions, and most of the victims remained in enemy territory.
In its ranking, we used indicators such as the personal account, unique achievements (e.g., farthest shot), as well as the popularity and frequency of references in Russian and foreign sources.
Little man short war
By the sum of the first place was shared by Finn Simo Hayha (Simo Häyhä) and our compatriot Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the most successful woman sniper.
Hayha became famous in the Russo-Finnish war of 1939-1940. This little nondescript soldier (growth of just 152 centimeters) is sometimes called the highest-scoring sniper of all time — over three months of fighting, he destroyed, according to various estimates, from 500 to 705 Soviet soldiers and officers.
Very soon a small shooter became a “star” of Finnish propaganda, a kind of symbol patriot-avenger — alone news of the presence of Hayha on the position raised the morale of soldiers Suomi. The soldiers nicknamed him “White death”.
Simo Hayha
Photo: Finnish Military Archives
Finn shot a rifle M/28 (Russian “three-line” local Assembly), submachine gun “Suomi” and even a gun. It is believed that Hayha never used optical sights — lenses “optics” fog up in the cold, and their brilliance could give an arrow (in the famous pictures he is really holding a rifle with open sights). Fired from a distance of not more than 400-450 meters, skillfully — frozen water is present before the rifle barrel, so you don’t blow snow at a shot, and was chewing snow to disperse the steam from his mouth.
The war for the Finnish arrow ended on March 6, 1940, during the battle, Hayha was seriously injured — the bullet hit right in the face. “White death” he was on the verge of death, but pulled through, after the war, have undergone many operations, however, fully restore his lower jaw to the doctors and failed — with the later photos looks a sad old man with a slashed face. Hayha lived for 96 years, after the war he engaged in hunting and dog breeding. The journalists ‘ questions about how he became one of the greatest snipers answered with one word “workout”, and about their victories, said: “I did what was ordered, and as good as he could.”
Lady death, blew up the hall
Lyudmila Pavlichenko the exemplary biography of the Soviet Komsomol. Born the son of a teacher and an officer of the NKVD, after school worked in a factory, studied at the University, was engaged in shooting and gliding, was getting ready for work and defense. “If I didn’t have the physical skills and training, 18 hours to lie in ambush I wouldn’t” — she recalled later.
The war caught her in Odessa, and in the summer of 41, the girl volunteered to the front. After the sniper courses was enlisted in the 25th Chapayev rifle division of the red army. Participated in the defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. For eight months the battle for the city name Pavlichenko became almost a legend. Tell that Sevastopol boys gave the Protectress of the city the slingshot, and the officers of the brigade of torpedo boats came to look at her, stared from a distance, but never daring to approach, he said, “well, Lord God, the Yak Divo! Meant purely for dragonfly, and in the case of the tiger!”
Lyudmila Pavlichenko
Photo: RIA Novosti
On account Pavlichenko 309 confirmed kills. But perhaps the main she won not on the battlefield, and during the tour of USA and Canada in 1942, where she was sent as part of a youth delegation after a severe injury. The Soviet government sought to encourage the allies to open a second front, and for this it was necessary to persuade public opinion in favor of the USSR. A young and attractive girl with a beautiful smile, which managed to gain fame as the deadliest sniper, was a great “people’s diplomat”. Besides, it turned out that Lady’s death, as he was called by its journalists, holds good kick — not too relevant issue of whether she wears makeup and whether under the form of silk underwear, Pavlichenko answered with a question: “did you know that we have a war?”
Lyudmila took US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and first lady of America Eleanor Roosevelt invited her to live in the White house. The girl spoke at the International student Assembly and Congress of industrial organizations. And the phrase at the rally in Chicago, as it is now said, blew up the hall: “Gentlemen, I am 25 years old, and I destroyed 309 Nazi invaders. Do not you think, gentlemen, that you hide too long behind my back?” The magazines published her portraits on the front pages, a well-known American country-singer woody Guthrie wrote the song “miss Pavlichenko”. The Museum of the Armed forces are kept colt and Winchester given to her during the trip. In 2015, the screens out a joint Russian-Ukrainian film “Battle for Sevastopol” (in Ukrainian film distribution “Nezlamna” — “Unbroken”), dedicated to the fate of the famous female sharpshooter.
The best not so well-known
The most famous Soviet sniper of the great Patriotic war is considered a hero of the battle of Stalingrad Vasily Zaitsev. Accurate account of his victories is unknown. Most sources indicates that during the first month of the battle for Stalingrad Zaitsev killed 32 enemy soldiers, three were killed from a distance of 800 meters for this he was awarded the medal “For courage” and a sniper rifle. Only from 10 November to 17 December 1942 Zaitsev had been destroyed 225 soldiers and officers, including 11 snipers.
Vassili Zaitsev (left) explains to the newcomers the upcoming task
Photo: Georgii zel’ma / RIA Novosti
The culmination of the career of Vasily Zaitsev sniper — duel with the German ACE, allegedly summoned specially from Berlin to combat Soviet snipers in the first place for the destruction of the Zaitsev. In Soviet times in the Museum “Stalingrad battle” in Volgograd the German “super-sniper” called the commandant of the school of snipers, major Erwin könig. Now this fact is questioned, in particular, it has been suggested that the name of Erwin könig could be invented by the American author William Craig (William Craig), author of the book “enemy at the gates” (1973), which formed the basis for the eponymous Hollywood movie 2001.
It is noteworthy that Zaytsev was the highest scoring Soviet sniper of the great Patriotic war. Shooter number one of the Soviet sources called Mikhail Surkov, they were killed 702 enemy soldier. Data about this person is extremely poor, a well-known years of his life, the time of service, place of birth and enlistment, awards. It is also known that the most effective sniper never received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, although it seemed to him. At least two Soviet sniper have a bill for 500 destroyed opponents is Kvachantiradze Vasily and Ivan Sidorenko. Moreover, Soviet sources call 14 or 15 snipers, on whose account more than 400 victories. For comparison, the highest scoring German sniper of the Second world is considered Hetzenauer Matthias (Matthäus Hetzenauer) — he struck 345 opponents.
Odessa Shaitan
After the Second world war Soviet sources did not report the achievements of our snipers involved, for example, in local conflicts. But the American media talked about her quite a lot.
At present, the most effective sniper in U.S. history, one of the “media” shooters in the world is Christopher Scott (Chris) Kyle. He was born in 1974 in Odessa, but not in the former USSR, and in Texas, one of the most armed States. Already at the age of eight Kyle received as a gift from his father-a priest of the Springfield rifle”. Since then, the shooting and hunting have become a favorite entertainment of the boy. Before the start of his military career Kyle managed to visit a student, rider, Rodeo, a worker at the ranch. But the army did not want to take — when Chris tried to enlist in the Navy seals, but was refused — because of a serious arm injury received during performances at the Rodeo. In 1999, he still got his way and was sent to the subversive school.
Christopher Scott Kyle
Frame: Daniel Penz / YouTube
Glory sniper-record holder Kyle earned during tours in Iraq. By his own estimates he destroyed about 250 opponents of the official account, confirmed by the Pentagon — 160 killed. The previous record belongs to Hatako Carlos (Carlos Hathcock) — during the Vietnam war, he was struck by enemy 93.
The first victim of Chris Kyle became a female suicide bomber on their way to the positions of the Marines holding a child and a grenade. “My shots saved several Americans, and their lives, without a doubt, is worth more than a broken soul of the woman” — written by shooter from Texas in his autobiography. His personal record called sniper shot by 2.1 thousand yards (1920 meters), which he destroyed the guerrillas, armed with portable missile system. The longest successful sniper shot belongs to British corporal Craig Harrison in 2009 in Afghanistan from a distance of 2475 meters he struck two Taliban machine gunners.
The command said Kyle’s multi-award winning, and the Iraqi insurgents was given the nickname “devil of Ramadi” and put in his head a reward of several thousand dollars. But the real fame came to Kyle after the publication of the book “American sniper. The autobiography of the most lethal sniper in military history of the United States”. The book became a bestseller, and he is Kyle star. Clint Eastwood made based on the book the movie “Sniper” (2014), which was nominated for six Oscars, including “best film” and “best actor”.
The story of American sniper ended tragically after retirement in 2013, Chris and his friend Chad Littlefield were shot and killed by another Iraq veteran Eddie Ruth (Eddie Ray Routh), who, as reported by the media, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
