Simo Hayha is known as an extraordinarily accurate sniper and his cap comprises feathers of more than 500 Soviet victims during Winter War of Finland (1939-1940). He is regarded as the most deadly sniper who was deft in the art of sniping. He was regarded by the Soviet troops as the “white death” during the above-mentioned war between Finland and Russia which lasted for four months in 1939-1940. The gun used by the sniper was an old Russian gun’ Mosin-Nagat’. It didn’t have any scope and it caught 546 Russian preys.

Born in1905, he joined the Finish Army and served in his unit for one compulsory year. When the war broke in 1939, Hayha was in his middle age and was brought as a sniper to combat massive Soviet Army that has invaded the disputed territory along the Kola River. Finnish Army brought him to counter the disproportionate number of Soviet troops. Finnish and Russians had the proportion of 100:1. He was doing his duty in the extreme weather below the freezing point and was in white suit to conceal himself from the Russian Army.

Simo Hayha’s experience in this sort of warfare forced him to refuse the use of a Swedish gun given by his regiment despite it was equipped with a scope. Rather he preferred ‘Mosin’ that had no scope. The Soviets were tantalized by the Hayha and consequently sent their snipers as well as artillery to shoot down “the little fellow only” called by Soviets as “cuckoo”. He shot 542 Russians soldiers for sure with 200 with some doubt which is an outstanding performance by a sniper in the warfare history.

Simo Hayha