Wehrmacht and SS snipers. Women snipers - the best shooters of the Second World War
The sniper is a long knife into the enemy's heart;
too long and too cruel to handle
not to be considered.A. Potapov, “The Art of the Sniper”
If you think about it, it’s quite understandable why there is an order of magnitude, or even two, less information about German snipers of the Second World War than about Soviet ones. Still, “Nazi sniper” is a label that few survivors of the war would like to wear after defeat.
And yet, even taking this into account, the situation remains quite strange. Historians on both sides claim that the sniper movement in their armies arose after they faced massive attacks by enemy snipers.
The German version looks like this: in its plans, the command of the German army relied primarily on tank strikes and rapid advances deep into enemy territory. In this situation, there was simply no place left for the sniper in the army - he was already considered a “relic of the trench battles of the First World War.” And only in the winter of forty-one, after it became clear that the “lightning war” had failed and German units were increasingly forced to move from attack to defense, and snipers began to appear in the positions of Soviet troops, the command “remembered” the need for training and their “super sharp shooters”.There is only one question for this version: where did those German snipers come from that Vasily Zaitsev, Lyudmila Pavlichenko and other Soviet soldiers had to face at the beginning of the war?
In fact, it can be said with reasonable certainty that German snipers were on the Eastern Front from the very beginning. Yes, their use was not as widespread as that of the Finns in the Winter War or later in Soviet troops. Nevertheless, even armed with a Mauser rifle with a 1.5-fold scope, a sniper is capable of performing combat missions to suppress (especially psychologically) enemy troops. But for some reasons that are not always clear, history has not preserved their names, much less the number of “confirmed murders” they committed.
About whom we know for sure are three snipers who were awarded knight's crosses, and all three received this award already in 1945.The first was Frederick Payne, awarded in February of that year, after he had brought his battle tally to two hundred. The war ended for him with three wounds and captivity.
Interview with Wehrmacht snipers
This is a general interview with two of Wehrmacht's most successful snipers. To get a broader overview of the experience, an interview with a third, also very good sniper, has been added.
The fact is that these three soldiers had really good training and a lot of experience to give accurate and informative answers to the questions.
During the interview they will be referred to as A, B and C. During the war they were all in the 3. Gebirgsdivision.
Brief information about the respondents.A: Matthias H. from Tyrol, was on the Eastern Front from 1943 until the end of the war, the most successful sniper in the Wehrmacht with 345 confirmed kills.
B: Sepp A. from Salzburg, was on the Eastern Front from December 1942 until the end of the war, second in rank with 257 confirmed.
C: Helmut W. from Styria, was on the Eastern Front from September 1942 until the end of the war, with 64 confirmed killed. After he was injured, he was an instructor.
What weapon did you use?:
A: K98 with 6x scope, G43 with 4x scopeB: Captured Russian Sniper Rifle with Scope, K98 with 6x
C: K98 with 1 1/2x and 4x scopes, G43 with 4x scope.
What scopes did you use?A: 4x scope was used up to 400m, 6x was good up to 1000m
B: I had a Russian sniper rifle for 2 years, and I don’t remember exactly the type of scope, but it worked well. On K98 I used 6x.
C: 11/2x was not effective enough and was replaced by the better performing 6x.
What do you think about high magnification?A, B: 6x is enough, there was no need for a higher one.
C: 4x is enough for most missions.
What is the maximum firing distance at which you could hit the following targets?Head: A, B, C: up to 400m
Embrasure: A: up to 600m
B, C: up to 400m
Human figure: A: 700m - 800m
B, C: about 600m
Are these distances, which are acceptable for you personally, typical only for the best or for all snipers?
A, B: only for the best snipersC: For me personally, but also for most German snipers. Some hit targets at longer distances.
B: Adds: in reality, 100% damage is only possible up to 600m.
What was the farthest target you hit and what was it?A: It was a standing soldier at a distance of about 1100m. It's unlikely to hit at this range, but we wanted to show the enemy that he was not safe at this range. We also wanted to demonstrate our skills to the officers.
C: 600m, if there was a target further away, I waited until it closed the distance because it was easier to shoot and it was easier to confirm. The G43 had insufficient ballistic capabilities, so I only shot it out to 500m.
How many second shots were needed?A: Almost never needed a second shot.
B: 1 or 2. The second shot was very dangerous because of the enemy snipers.
C: 1 or 2 at most.
If you could choose, which rifle would you prefer?A) a hand-loading rifle like the K98:
A: K98 because of high precision
B) Self-loading rifle similar to G43:
A: Not the G43 because it's only good up to 400m and doesn't have much accuracy.
B: Not G43, too heavy.
C: Yes, because it was reliable and not much worse than the K98.
If you could choose today between a semi-automatic rifle with the same accuracy as the K98 and the K98, which would you choose?
A: I would choose the K98 because a sniper who is used as a sniper does not need an autoloading rifle.B: If it has the same weight....automatic.
C: Self-loading can fire faster when attacking.
How were you assigned to your units?All of them belonged to the snipergroup Btl.; C was the commander of this unit. This unit consisted of up to 22 soldiers, of which six were permanently with Btl., the rest were attached to companies. The results of observation, the use of ammunition and destroyed targets were reported daily to Btl headquarters.
At the beginning of the mission, Btl were ordered. During the war, when there were fewer good snipers, they were sometimes ordered by division headquarters.
In each company, some soldiers were equipped with rifles with telescopic sights, but they had no special education. They shot reliably up to 400m and did very good job. These soldiers served in their normal duty within companies and were not able to achieve the high lethality of real snipers.
Tactics and goals?A, B, C: always in a team of two. One shoots, the other observes. The most common missions: destruction of enemy observers (with heavy weapons), commanders. Sometimes goals like calculations anti-tank guns, machine gun crews and so on. Snipers followed the attacking forces and engaged the most fortified enemy positions (heavy weapons crews, etc.).
A: I had to sneak through enemy lines before our attack to eliminate enemy commanders and crews during our artillery preparation.
B) Attack at night:
A, B, C: We didn't fight during the night because snipers were too precious.
C) Attack in winter:
A: I walked behind the attacking force in winter camouflage to counter the machine gun and anti-tank positions that were opposing our attack.
B, C: A good camouflage suit and warm clothing are necessary, otherwise the possibility of long-term observation will be reduced.
D) Defense
A, B, C: mainly free hunting in the company sector of defense. Typically all targets or only the most important targets were to be destroyed. When the enemy attacked, their commanders were easy to identify because they had different equipment, camouflage uniforms, and so on. So we shot them at long distances and so that the enemy advance was stopped. (One day A remembers that he destroyed the commanders of eight attacks).
As soon as enemy snipers appear, they are fought until they are destroyed. These fights against enemy snipers caused many casualties in our ranks.
Snipers take their positions before sunrise and remain there until sunset.
Sometimes, if the path to one's own position was blocked by the enemy, one had to remain in that position for two or three days without support.
E) Defense at night
A, B, C: Snipers were not used during the night. They weren't allowed on security duty or anything like that. Sometimes during the night they would set up their position to be ready during the day.
Did you use moonlight when shooting?
A: Yes, if the moonlight was strong enough and I used a 6x scope, it was possible.G) Holding battle:
A, C: There were usually 4 to 6 snipers shooting at every enemy soldier that appeared. In these rear units, machine guns were not often used, so one or two sniper shots delayed the enemy for a long time, and their own positions were not unmasked.
B: No experience. In this situation, everyone shoots at everything.
What tactics have you had the most success with?
A: A sniper's success is not measured by the people he kills, but by the impact he has on the enemy. For example, if the enemy loses commanders in an offensive, the offensive must be stopped. We had the highest kill rates, of course, in defensive battles, when the enemy attacked several times a day.
B: On the defensive, because the others destroyed were not confirmed.
C: Greatest success during the longest period of trench warfare due to good observation capabilities.
Percentage destroyed for each distance:
Up to 400m: A: 65%
Up to 600m: A: 30%
Up to 800m: rest
A: The 65% to 400m was not because of the shooting distance, but because of the ability to identify the target as "worth it". So, I often waited until I could identify the target.
B: Don't remember the percentage, but most targets were hit up to 600m.
C: Did most of the shots up to 400m because it was a safe distance and it was easy to see if there was a hit or not.
How many shots did you fire from one position?A, B, C: as many as needed
B) Defense at an equipped position:
A, B, C: 1 to 3 at most.
C) Enemy attack:
A, B, C: each, worth it, goals.
D) Confrontation with enemy snipers:
A, B, C: 1 or 2
E) delaying fight
A, B, C: 1 or 2 was enough because the sniper was not alone.
B: complements: during an attack or enemy attack, kills are not confirmed.
What else is important besides excellent shooting?A: Apart from normal sniper skills, intelligence always wins. A person's "small tactics" win the battle. To achieve a high kill rate, it is also important that the sniper is not used for any duty other than sniping.
B: Calm, superior, brave.
C: Patience and service life, excellent observation ability.
Who were the snipers recruited from?A: Only those born as “lone fighters”, like hunters, poachers and so on.
B: I don't remember. I had 27 kills with my Russian rifle before I was cleared for sniper training.
C: Only soldiers with combat experience, excellent marksmanship skills and two years of service were allowed into sniper training.
What sniper courses have you completed?A, B, C: sniper course on Toepl Seetaleralpe.
C: I was there as a teacher (instructor).
Did you use binoculars and what gain?
A: It was 6x30, but it wasn't good enough for longer distances. Got the 10x50 lateron and this one was good.B: Binoculars as needed to complement the optical sight on the rifle.
C: Every sniper had binoculars, and this was necessary. Up to 500m 6x30 was sufficient.
Would you rather watch through a periscope from a trench?A: That was a good addition. We had one Russian.
C: If it was found among the trophies, it was used.
Were there any scissor telescopes in use?A, C: Yes, sometimes we used it with an artillery observer.
B: No
What camouflage did you use?A, B, C: Camouflage suits, painted face and hands, camouflage on a rifle in winter with blenket and colors.
B: I have been using an umbrella for two years. I colored it to match the surroundings. At the beginning I painted my hands and face very carefully, at the end less so.
Have you used other things to deceive the enemy?B: Yes, such as decoys with rifles that fire using wire structures.
C: No
Have you used some screen?A, B, C: No
What do you think about tracer cartridges?A, B, C: should not be used in combat because you cannot reveal your own position.
They were used in training and rifle testing. Each sniper also had a few to check the distance.
Did you use so-called sighting rounds, which explode when they hit the ground?
A, B, C: Yes, a small flame appears when they hit the target, so you can see if there was a hit. We also used them to set fire to a wooden building to flush out the enemy. They have been used at distances up to 600m.
How did you work in crosswinds?A: Feeling and experience, sometimes tested with tracer cartridges. The training on Seetaleralpe was very good because there was a lot of wind there.
B: Feeling that if there was a strong wind, we didn’t shoot.
C: We didn't shoot if there was wind.
Do you still remember the recommendations for shooting at moving targets?
A, B, C: No, sense, experience, fast aiming and fast shooting.
Have you used anti-tank rifles?A: Yes, disabled some weapons crews through their screen. It was possible to shoot at targets up to 300m because it was not a very accurate weapon. Very heavy and not used by snipers. Didn't use this against easy targets.
B, C: No
How did you confirm those destroyed?A, B, C: Either through an officer or two soldiers who witnessed the destruction.
So, the number of confirmed destroyed is much lower than the real number.
The Second World War became that period in the history of mankind when people performed the most incredible feats and showed all their hidden talents. Naturally, those fighters whose abilities could be used in military operations were most valued. The Soviet command especially singled out snipers, who, using their skills, could destroy up to a thousand enemy soldiers with well-aimed shots during their service. Lists of the best snipers of the Second World War with names and an indication of the number of enemies hit often appear in different versions on the Internet. In our article we have collected those who brought victory closer with all their might, despite the difficulties of life at the front and serious injuries. So, who are they - the best snipers of World War II? And where did they come from, later transforming into an elite caste of fighters?
Shooting training in the USSR
Historians from many countries around the world unanimously declare that during the Second World War, soldiers from the USSR proved to be the best snipers. Moreover, they surpassed enemy and allied soldiers not only in the level of training, but also in the number of shooters. Germany was able to get a little closer to this level only at the end of the war - in 1944. Interestingly, to train their soldiers, German officers used manuals written for Soviet snipers. Where did such a number of marksmanship come from in the pre-war period in our country?
Since 1932 Soviet citizens shooting training was carried out. During this period of time, the country's leadership established the honorary title "Voroshilov Shooter", confirmed by a special badge. They were divided into two degrees, the second was considered the most honorable. To obtain it, it was necessary to pass a number of difficult tests that were beyond the power of ordinary shooters. Every boy, to be honest, and girls too, dreamed of showing off the Voroshilov Shooter badge. For this reason, they spent a lot of time in shooting clubs, practicing hard.
In the thirty-fourth year of the last century, exhibition competitions were held between our and American shooters. The unexpected result for the United States was their loss. Soviet riflemen snatched victory by a huge margin, which spoke of their excellent preparation.
The work on shooting training was carried out for seven years and was suspended with the outbreak of the first hostilities. However, by this time the “Voroshilov shooter” badge was proudly worn by more than nine million civilians of both sexes.
Sniper caste
Now it’s no secret that snipers belong to a special caste of fighters who are carefully protected and transferred from one area of military conflict to another in order to demoralize the enemy. Besides psychological impact at the enemy, these shooters are distinguished by real lethal power and have very impressive “death” lists. For example, the best snipers of World War II from the USSR had long lists out of five hundred to seven hundred killed. In this case, only confirmed deaths are taken into account, but in reality their number could exceed one thousand soldiers per shooter.
What makes snipers so special? First of all, it is worth saying that these people, by their nature, are truly special. After all, they have the ability for a long time to remain motionless, tracking down the enemy, with extreme concentration, calmness, patience, the ability to quickly make decisions and unique accuracy. As it turned out, the required set of qualities and skills were fully possessed by young hunters who spent their entire childhood in the taiga tracking down animals. It was they who became the first snipers to fight with conventional rifles, showing simply stunning results.
Later, on the basis of these shooters, an entire unit was formed, which became the elite of the Soviet army. It is known that during the war years, sniper gatherings were held more than once, designed to increase their effectiveness as a result of the exchange of experience.
At the moment, some foreign historians are trying to challenge the results of Soviet soldiers listed in the list of the best snipers of World War II. But this is quite difficult to do, because each target is documented. In addition, most experts are confident that the number of real successful shots exceeds the number indicated in the award sheets by two or even three times. After all, not every target hit in the heat of battle could be confirmed. We should not forget the fact that many documents take into account the result of a particular sniper only at the time of presentation for the award. In the future, his exploits may not have been fully monitored.
Modern historians claim that the ten best snipers of World War II were able to destroy more than four thousand enemy soldiers. There were also women among the excellent shooters; we will talk about them in one of the following sections of our article. After all, these brave ladies skillfully outperformed their colleagues from Germany in terms of their results. So who are these people called the best snipers of the Second World War?
Of course, the list of Soviet snipers does not include ten people. According to archives, their number may number more than one hundred skilled shooters. However, we decided to present to your attention information about the ten best Soviet snipers of the Second World War, the results of which still seem fantastic:
- Mikhail Surkov.
- Vasily Kvachantiradze.
- Ivan Sidorenko.
- Nikolay Ilyin.
- Ivan Kulbertinov.
- Vladimir Pchelintsev.
- Petr Goncharov.
- Mikhail Budenkov.
- Vasily Zaitsev.
- Fedor Okhlopkov.
Each of these unique people A separate section of the article is devoted.
Mikhail Surkov
This shooter was drafted into the army from Krasnoyarsk Territory, where he spent his entire life in the taiga, hunting animals with his father. With the onset of war, he picked up a rifle and went to the front to do what he knew best - track and kill. Thanks to his life skills, Mikhail Surkov managed to destroy more than seven hundred fascists. Among them were ordinary soldiers and representatives officers, which undoubtedly made it possible to include the shooter in the list of the best snipers of the Second World War.
However, the talented fighter was not nominated for the award, since most of his victories could not be documented. Historians attribute this fact to the fact that Surkov liked to rush into the epicenter of the battle. Therefore, in the future it turned out to be quite problematic to determine from whose well-aimed shot this or that enemy soldier fell. Mikhail's fellow soldiers confidently said that he destroyed more than one thousand fascists. Other people were especially amazed by Surkov’s ability to remain invisible for long hours, tracking down his enemy.
Vasily Kvachantiradze
This young man went through the entire war from beginning to end. Vasily fought with the rank of sergeant major and returned home with a long service record of awards. Kvachantiradze has more than half a thousand German fighters on his account. For his accuracy, which ranked him among the best snipers of World War II, by the end of the war he was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR.
Ivan Sidorenko
This fighter is considered one of the most unique Soviet riflemen. After all, before the war, Sidorenko planned to become a professional artist and had great prospects in this field. But the war had its own way and the young man was sent to a military school, after graduating from which he went to the front with the rank of officer.
The newly appointed commander was immediately entrusted with a mortar company, where he showed his sniper talents. During the war years, Sidorenko destroyed five hundred German soldiers, but he himself was seriously wounded three times. After each time, he returned to the front, but in the end the consequences of the wounds were very severe for the body. This did not allow Sidorenko to finish military academy, however, before retiring, he received the Hero of the Soviet Union.
Nikolay Ilyin
Many historians believe that Ilyin is the best Russian sniper of World War II. He is considered not only a unique shooter, but also a talented organizer of the sniper movement. He gathered young soldiers, trained them, forming from them a real backbone of riflemen on the Stalingrad front.
It was Nikolai who had the honor of fighting with the rifle of Hero of the USSR Andrukhaev. With it, he destroyed about four hundred enemies, and in total, over three years of fighting, he managed to kill almost five hundred fascists. In the fall of 1943, he fell in battle, receiving the posthumous title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Ivan Kulbertinov
It is natural that most snipers in peaceful life were hunters. But Ivan Kulbertinov was a hereditary reindeer herder, which was rare among soldiers. A Yakut by nationality, he was considered a professional in shooting and his results surpassed the best Wehrmacht snipers of the Second World War.
Ivan arrived at the front two years after the start of hostilities and almost immediately opened his mortal account. He went through the entire war to the end and almost five hundred fascist soldiers were on his list. It is interesting that the unique shooter never received the title of Hero of the USSR, which was awarded to almost all snipers. Historians claim that he was nominated for the award twice, but for unknown reasons the title never found its hero. After the end of the war, he was given a personalized rifle.
Vladimir Pchelintsev
This man had a difficult and interesting fate. It can be said that he was one of the few people who could be called professional snipers. Even before the age of forty-one, he studied shooting and even achieved the high title of master of sports. Pchelintsev had unique accuracy, which allowed him to destroy four hundred and fifty-six fascists.
Surprisingly, a year after the start of the war, he was delegated to the United States along with Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who was later named the best female sniper of World War II. They spoke at the International Student Congress about how bravely Soviet youth were fighting for the freedom of their country and called on other states not to give in to the onslaught of the fascist infection. Interestingly, the shooters were given the honor of spending the night within the walls of the White House.
Petr Goncharov
The fighters did not always immediately understand their calling. For example, Peter did not even suspect that fate had prepared a special fate for him. Goncharov entered the war as part of the militia, then was accepted into the army as a baker. After some time, he became a convoy, which he planned to serve in the future. However, as a result surprise attack Nazis, he managed to prove himself as a professional sniper. In the midst of the unfolding battle, Peter picked up someone else's rifle and began to precisely destroy the enemy. He even managed to knock out a German tank with one shot. This decided Goncharov’s fate.
A year after the start of the war, he received his own sniper rifle, which he fought with for another two years. During this time he killed four hundred and forty-one enemy soldiers. For this, Goncharov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and twenty days after this solemn event, the sniper fell in battle without letting go of his rifle.
Mikhail Budenkov
This sniper went through the entire war from the very beginning and met victory in East Prussia. In the spring of forty-five, Budenkov received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for four hundred and thirty-seven targets hit.
However, in the first years of his service, Mikhail did not even think about becoming a sniper. Before the war, he worked as a tractor driver and ship mechanic, and at the front he led a mortar crew. His accurate shooting attracted the attention of his superiors, and he was soon promoted to sniper.
Vasily Zaitsev
This sniper is considered a true war legend. Hunter in peacetime, he knew everything about shooting firsthand, so from the first days of his service he became a sniper. Historians claim that in just one Battle of Stalingrad More than two hundred enemies fell from his well-aimed shots. Among them were eleven German snipers.
There is a well-known story about how the Nazis, tired of Zaitsev’s elusiveness, sent to destroy his best sniper in Germany during the Second World War - the head of the secret shooting school Erwin Koenig. Vasily’s fellow soldiers said that there was a real duel between the snipers. It lasted almost three days and ended in victory for the Soviet rifleman.
Fedor Okhlopkov
They spoke about this man with admiration during the war years. He was a real Yakut hunter and tracker, for whom there were no impossible tasks. It is believed that he managed to kill more than one thousand enemies, but most of his victories were difficult to document. It is interesting that during his years of service in the army, he used not only a rifle, but also a machine gun as a weapon. In this way he destroyed enemy soldiers, planes and tanks.
The best Finnish sniper of World War II
“White Death” - this nickname was given to a shooter from Finland who killed more than seven hundred Red Army soldiers. Simo Häyhä worked on a farm in the thirty-ninth year of the last century and did not even imagine that he would become the most productive sniper in his country.
After a military conflict arose between Finland and the USSR in November 1939, units of the Red Army invaded the territory of a foreign state. However, the fighters did not expect that the local residents would offer such fierce resistance to the Soviet soldiers.
Simo Häyhä, who fought in the thick of things, especially distinguished himself. Every day he destroyed sixty to seventy enemy soldiers. This forced the Soviet command to launch a hunt for this marksman. However, he continued to remain elusive and sowed death, hiding in the most inappropriate places, as it seemed to the officers.
Later, historians wrote that Simo was helped by his small stature. The man barely reached one and a half meters, so he was quite successfully hiding almost in sight of the enemy. He also never used an optical rifle, because it often glared in the sun and gave away the shooter. In addition, the Finn was well versed in the peculiarities of the local terrain, which gave him the opportunity to occupy best places to observe the enemy.
At the end of the Hundred Days' War, Simo was wounded in the face. The bullet went right through and completely tore the facial bone. In the hospital, his jaw was restored, after which he safely lived to be almost a hundred years old.
Of course, war does not have a feminine face. However, Soviet girls made their invaluable contribution to the victory over fascism, fighting in different areas front. It is known that among them there were about one thousand snipers. Together they were able to destroy twelve thousand German soldiers and officers. Surprisingly, the results of many of them are much higher than those who were called the best German snipers of the Second World War.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko is considered the most successful shooter among women. This amazing beauty signed up to volunteer immediately after the declaration of war with Germany. Over two years of combat, she was able to eliminate three hundred and nine fascists, including thirty-six enemy snipers. For this feat she was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR; for the last two years of the war she did not take part in battles.
Olga Vasilyeva was often called the best female sniper of World War II. This fragile girl has one hundred and forty-eight fascists to her name, but in 1943 no one believed that she could become a real sniper, whom the enemy would fear. The girl left a notch on the butt of her rifle after each well-aimed shot. By the end of the war he was completely covered in marks.
Genya Peretyatko is deservedly ranked among the best female snipers of the Second World War. For a long time practically nothing was known about this girl, but she destroyed one hundred and forty-eight enemies with well-aimed and accurate shots from her rifle.
Even before the start of the war, Genya was seriously involved in shooting; it was her real passion. At the same time, the girl was interested in music. It is surprising that she skillfully combined both activities until the war intervened in her life. Peretyatko immediately signed up as a volunteer for the front, and thanks to her abilities she was quickly transferred to snipers. After the end of the war, the girl moved to the USA, where she lived for the rest of her life.
German snipers
Results German riflemen have always been much more modest than Soviet soldiers. But among them there were unique snipers who glorified their country. Many legends circulated during the war years about Matthias Hetzenauer. He fought for only one year as a sniper, managing to destroy three hundred and forty-five Red Army soldiers. For Germany, this was simply a phenomenal result that no one managed to surpass.
Joseph Allerberger was also considered one of the best German snipers of World War II. He was able to confirm the elimination of two hundred and fifty-seven targets. His colleagues thought young man a born sniper who possessed not only accuracy and restraint, but also a certain psychology that allowed him to intuitively choose the right battle tactics.
Before we start talking about legendary snipers World War II, let us briefly dwell on the very concept of “sniper” and the essence of the mysterious profession of a sniper, the history of its origin. Because without this, much of the story will remain a secret behind seven seals. Skeptics will say: “Well, what’s mysterious here?” A sniper is a sharp shooter. And they will be right. But the word “snipe” (from the English snipe) has nothing to do with shooting. This is the name of the swamp snipe - a small harmless bird with an unpredictable flight path. And only a skilled shooter can hit it in flight. That’s why snipe hunters are called “snipers.”
The use of long-barreled hunting rifles in battles for accurate shooting was recorded during the English Civil War (1642 -1648). The most famous example was the murder of the commander of the Parliamentary army, Lord Brooke, in 1643. A soldier on duty on the roof of the cathedral shot at the lord when he carelessly leaned out of cover. And it hit my left eye. Such a shot, fired from a distance of 150 yards (137 m), was considered outstanding with the usual aimed shooting range of about 80 yards (73 m).
The British Army's war with the American colonists, many of whom included hunters, exposed the vulnerability of regular troops to skilled marksmen who hit targets at a distance twice the effective fire of muskets. It turned combat units in the intervals between battles and during movements, into a target for hunting. Convoys and individual detachments suffered unexpected losses; there was no protection from fire from the hidden enemy; the enemy remained inaccessible, and in most cases simply invisible. From that time on, snipers began to be considered a separate military specialty.
By the beginning of the 19th century, shooters with rifled guns were able to hit enemy personnel at a distance of 1,200 yards (1,097 m), which was an incredible achievement, but not fully realized by the military command. In the Crimean War, single Englishmen using long-range guns with custom-made sights killed Russian soldiers and officers at a distance of 700 yards or more. A little later, special sniper units appeared, which showed that a small group of skilled shooters scattered throughout the area could resist units of the enemy’s regular army. Already at this time, the British had a rule: “Do not light a cigarette with one match,” which was relevant before the advent of night sights and thermal imagers. The first English soldier lit a cigarette - the sniper noticed them. The second Englishman lit a cigarette - the sniper took the lead. And already the third received an accurate shot from the shooter.
Increasing the shooting distance revealed a significant problem for snipers: it was extremely difficult to combine the figure of a man and the front sight of a gun: for the shooter, the front sight was larger in size than the enemy soldier. At the same time, the quality indicators of the rifles already made it possible to conduct aimed fire at a distance of up to 1800 m. And only during the First World War, when the use of snipers at the front became widespread, the first optical sights appeared, almost simultaneously in the armies of Russia, Germany, Britain and Austria. Hungary. As a rule, three to five times optics were used.
The First World War was the heyday of sniper shooting, which was determined by positional, trench warfare, on thousands of kilometers of front. Huge losses from sniper fire also required significant organizational changes in the rules of warfare. The troops switched en masse to khaki uniforms, and the uniforms of junior officers lost their distinct insignia. There was also a ban on performing a military salute in combat conditions.
By the end of the first year of the war, the German troops numbered about 20 thousand snipers. Each company had 6 full-time riflemen. German snipers, in the first period of trench warfare, incapacitated the British along the entire front, several hundred people a day, which within a month gave a loss figure equal to the size of an entire division. Any appearance of a British soldier outside the trench guaranteed instant death. Even wearing a wristwatch posed a great danger, since the light they reflected immediately attracted the attention of German snipers. Any object or body part that remained outside cover for three seconds drew German fire. The degree of German superiority in this area was so obvious that, according to eyewitnesses, some German snipers, feeling their absolute impunity, amused themselves by shooting at all sorts of objects. Therefore, snipers were traditionally disliked by infantrymen and, when detected, were killed on the spot. Since then, there has been an unwritten tradition - do not take snipers prisoner.
The British quickly responded to the threat by creating their own sniper school and eventually completely suppressed the enemy shooters. In British sniper schools, Canadian, Australian and South African hunters began to teach snipers, who taught not only shooting, but also the ability to remain unnoticed by the object of the hunt: camouflage, hide from the enemy and patiently guard targets. They began to use camouflage suits made of light green matter and tufts of grass. English snipers developed a technique for using “sculpture models” - dummies of local objects, inside which arrows were placed. Invisible to enemy observers, they conducted visual reconnaissance of enemy forward positions, revealed the location of fire weapons and destroyed the most important targets. The British believed that having good rifle and shooting accurately from it is far from the only difference between a sniper. They believed, not without reason, that observation, brought to a high degree of perfection, “sense of terrain,” insight, excellent eyesight and hearing, calmness, personal courage, perseverance and patience were no less important than a well-aimed shot. Impressionable or nervous man will never be able to become a good sniper.
Another axiom of sniping was established during the First World War - the best remedy from the sniper is another sniper. It was during the war that sniper duels first took place.
The best sniper in those years was the Canadian Indian hunter Francis Peghmagabow, who had 378 confirmed victories. Since then, the number of victories has been considered the criterion for sniper skill.
Thus, on the fronts of the First World War, the basic principles and specific techniques of sniping were determined, which were the basis for today's training and functioning of snipers.
In the interwar period, during the war in Spain, a direction that was not typical for snipers appeared - the fight against aviation. In the units of the Republican army, sniper squads were created to combat Franco aircraft, primarily bombers, which took advantage of the Republicans’ lack of anti-aircraft artillery and bombed from low altitudes. It cannot be said that this use of snipers was effective, but 13 aircraft were still shot down. And even during World War II, cases of successful shooting at aircraft were recorded on the fronts. However, these were just cases.
Having learned the history of sniping, let's consider the essence of the sniper profession. In the modern understanding, a sniper is a specially trained soldier (an independent combat unit) who is fluent in the art of marksmanship, camouflage and observation; usually hits the target with the first shot. The sniper’s task is to defeat command and communications personnel, enemy secrets, and destroy important emerging, moving, open and camouflaged single targets (enemy snipers, officers, etc.). Sometimes marksmen in other branches of the military (forces) (artillery, aviation) are called a sniper.
In the process of “work” of snipers, a certain specificity of activity developed, which led to the classification military profession. There are saboteur snipers and infantry snipers.
A saboteur sniper (familiar from computer games, movies and literature) operates alone or with a partner (providing fire cover and target designation), often far from the main body of troops, in the rear or on enemy territory. Its tasks include: covertly incapacitating important targets (officers, patrolmen, valuable equipment), disrupting an enemy attack, sniper terror (inducing panic among ordinary personnel, making observation difficult, moral suppression). In order not to give away his position, the shooter often fires a shot under the cover of background noise (weather phenomena, third-party shots, explosions, etc.). The destruction distance is from 500 meters and above. The sniper-saboteur's weapon is a high-precision rifle with an optical sight, sometimes with a silencer, usually with a longitudinally sliding bolt. Masking the position plays a big role, so it is done with special care. As camouflage, improvised materials (branches, bushes, earth, dirt, garbage, etc.), special camouflage clothing, or ready-made shelters (bunkers, trenches, buildings, etc.) can be used.
An infantry sniper operates as part of rifle unit, sometimes paired with a machine gunner or a pair of machine gunners (cover group). Objectives - increasing the radius of infantry combat, destroying important targets (machine gunners, other snipers, grenade launchers, signalmen). As a rule, does not have time to select a goal; shoots at everyone in sight. The combat distance rarely exceeds 400 m. The weapon used is a self-loading rifle with an optical sight. Extremely mobile, changes position frequently. As a rule, he has the same means of camouflage as other soldiers. Often, ordinary soldiers without special training who knew how to shoot accurately became field snipers.
The sniper is armed with a special sniper rifle with an optical sight and other special devices that make aiming easier. A sniper rifle is a bolt-action rifle, self-loading, repeating or single-shot, the design of which provides increased accuracy. The sniper rifle went through several historical stages in its development. At first, rifles were selected from a batch of conventional weapons, choosing those that gave the most accurate combat. Later, sniper rifles began to be manufactured on the basis of serial army models, making minor changes to the design in order to increase shooting accuracy. The very first sniper rifles were slightly larger than regular rifles and were designed for long-range shooting. It was not until the outbreak of World War I that specially adapted sniper rifles began to play an important role in warfare. Germany equipped hunting rifles with telescopic sights to destroy British signal lights and periscopes. During World War II, sniper rifles were standard battle rifles equipped with a telescopic sight with 2x or 3x magnification and stocks for shooting prone or from cover. One of the main tasks of the 7.62-mm army sniper rifle is to defeat small targets at ranges of up to 600 m and large ones - up to 800 m. At a range of 1000-1200 m, a sniper can conduct harassing fire, limiting the movement of the enemy, preventing mine clearance work, etc. .d. Under favorable circumstances, long-range sniping was possible, especially if equipped with an optical sight with 6x or higher magnification.
Special ammunition for snipers was produced only in Germany, and in sufficient quantities. In other countries, snipers, as a rule, selected cartridges from one batch, and, having shot them, determined for themselves the tactical and technical capabilities of their rifle with such ammunition. German snipers sometimes they used sighting cartridges or tracer bullets to determine the distance, less often to record a hit. However, such operations were carried out only if the sniper was completely safe.
Snipers of all warring armies used special camouflage clothing, practical and comfortable. Depending on the time of year, clothing had to be both warm and waterproof. The most convenient camouflage for a sniper is shaggy. The face and hands were often painted, and the rifle was camouflaged to suit the season. There were no insignia or any symbols on the snipers’ clothing. The sniper knew that he had no chance of surviving if captured if he was identified as a sniper. And so, by hiding the optical sight, he could still pass himself off as an ordinary infantryman.
In a mobile war, snipers tried not to burden themselves with equipment. The necessary equipment for snipers was binoculars, since the view through the optical sight had a narrow sector, and prolonged use of it led to rapid eye fatigue. The greater the magnification of the device, the more confident the sniper felt. If available and possible, telescopes and periscopes, stereo tubes were used. Mechanically, remote-controlled rifles could be installed in distracting, false positions.
To “work”, the sniper chose a comfortable, protected and invisible position, and more than one, since after one or three shots, the place had to be changed. The position must provide for observation, a firing location, and a safe escape route. If possible, snipers always tried to set up positions in elevated places, as they were more convenient for observation and shooting. Setting up positions under the walls of buildings that covered the position from the rear was avoided, since such buildings always attracted the attention of enemy artillerymen for shooting. Individual buildings were equally risky places, which could provoke enemy mortar or machine gun fire “just in case.” Good shelters For snipers, there were destroyed buildings, where they could easily and secretly change positions. Even better are groves or fields with tall vegetation. It is easy to hide here, and the monotonous landscape tires the observer's eyes. Hedges and bocages are ideal for snipers - from here it is convenient to conduct targeted fire and easily change positions. Snipers have always avoided road intersections, since they are periodically fired from guns and mortars as a precaution. The favorite position of snipers is damaged armored vehicles with emergency hatches in the bottom.
A sniper's best friend is a shadow, it hides the outline, the optics do not shine in it. Typically, snipers take up their positions before sunrise and remain there until sunset. Sometimes, if the path to one's own position was blocked by the enemy, one could remain in that position for two or three days without support. IN dark nights snipers did not work; only a few were on the moon if they had good optics. Despite existing sniping techniques in windy conditions, most snipers strong wind did not work, as well as during heavy precipitation.
Camouflage is the key to a sniper's life. Main principle camouflage - the observer’s eye should not stop at it. Garbage is best suited for this, and snipers often set up their positions in landfills.
An important place in the “work” of a sniper was occupied by decoys. A great way to get a target into the kill zone is with a weapon. The sniper tries to shoot the enemy soldier so that his machine gun remains on the parapet. Sooner or later someone will try to take it and get shot too. Often, at the request of a sniper, scouts during a night raid leave a damaged pistol, a shiny watch, a cigarette case or other bait in his field of activity. Whoever crawls after her will become the sniper’s client. Soldier on open area the sniper tries only to immobilize. And he will wait for someone to come to his aid. Then he will shoot the assistants and finish off the wounded man. If a sniper shoots at a group, then the first shot will be at the one walking behind, so that the others do not see that he has fallen. By the time his colleagues figure out what’s what, the sniper will shoot two or three more.
For anti-sniper combat, dummies dressed in military uniforms were often used; the higher the quality of the mannequin and the system for controlling its movement, the higher the chances of catching someone else’s, experienced shooter. For novice snipers, a helmet or cap raised on a stick above the parapet was enough. In special cases, specially trained snipers used entire covert surveillance systems through stereo tubes and remote control fire with their help.
These are just a few rules of sniping tactics and techniques. A sniper must also be able to: aim correctly and hold his breath when shooting, master the technique of pulling the trigger, be able to shoot at moving and air targets, determine the range using the reticle of binoculars or a periscope, calculate corrections for atmospheric pressure and wind, be able to draw up a fire map and conduct counter-sniper duel, be able to act during the enemy’s artillery preparation, correctly disrupt the enemy’s attack with sniper fire, correctly, act during the defense and when breaking through the enemy’s defense. A sniper must have the skills to act alone, in pairs and as part of a sniper group, be able to interview witnesses during an attack by an enemy sniper, be able to detect him, promptly see the appearance of an enemy counter-sniper group and be able to work in such groups himself. And much, much more. And this is what the military profession of a sniper consists of: the knowledge, skills and, of course, the talent of a hunter, a hunter of people.
With the end of the First World War, most countries neglected the costly experience of sniper shooting. In the British Army, the number of sniper sections in battalions was reduced to eight people. In 1921, the SMLE No. 3 sniper rifles, which were in storage, were removed and released into open sale optical sights. There was no official sniper training program in the US Army; a small number of snipers were only available in the corps. Marine Corps. France and Italy did not have trained snipers, and Weimer Germany was prohibited by international treaties from having snipers. But in the Soviet Union, shooting training, called the sniper movement, acquired the widest scope following the instructions of the Party and Government “...to hit the hydra of world imperialism not in the eyebrow, but in the eye.”
We will consider the use and development of sniping during the Second World War using the example of the largest participating countries.
After the start Great Patriotic War
hundreds of thousands of women went to the front. Most of them became nurses, cooks, and more than 2000 snipers. The Soviet Union was almost the only country that recruited women to perform combat missions. Today I would like to remember the shooters who were considered the best during the war.
Rosa Shanina
Rosa Shanina born in 1924 in the village of Edma, Vologda province (today Arkhangelsk region). After 7 years of study, the girl decided to enter a pedagogical school in Arkhangelsk. The mother was against it, but her daughter was persistent since childhood. Buses did not go past the village at that time, so the 14-year-old girl walked 200 km through the taiga before reaching the nearest station.
Rosa entered the school, but before the war, when tuition became paid, the girl was forced to go to work in kindergarten teacher Fortunately, at that time the employees of the institution were provided with housing. Rosa continued her studies in the evening department and successfully completed the 1941/42 academic year.
Even at the beginning of the war, Rosa Shanina applied to the military registration and enlistment office and asked to volunteer for the front, but the 17-year-old girl was refused. In 1942 the situation changed. Then active training of female snipers began in the Soviet Union. It was believed that they were more cunning, patient, cold-blooded, and their fingers pulled the trigger more smoothly. At first, Rosa Shanina was taught to shoot at the Central Women's Sniper Training School. The girl graduated with honors and, refusing the position of instructor, went to the front.
Three days after arriving at the location of the 338th Infantry Division, 20-year-old Rosa Shanina fired her first shot. In her diary, the girl described the sensations: “... her legs weakened, she slipped into the trench, not remembering herself: “I killed a man, a man...” Alarmed friends ran up to me and reassured me: “You killed a fascist!” Seven months later, the sniper girl wrote that she was killing enemies in cold blood, and now this was the whole meaning of her life.
Among other snipers, Rosa Shanina stood out for her ability to make doublets - two shots in succession, hitting moving targets.
Shanina's platoon was ordered to move in the second line, behind the infantry detachments. However, the girl was constantly eager to go to the front line to “beat the enemy.” Rose was strictly cut down, because in the infantry any soldier could replace her, but in a sniper ambush - no one.
Rosa Shanina took part in the Vilnius and Insterburg-Koenigsberg operations. European newspapers called her “the invisible horror of East Prussia.” Rosa became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Glory.
On January 17, 1945, Rosa Shanina wrote in her diary that she might soon die, because in their battalion of 78 fighters there were only 6 left. Due to the incessant fire, she could not get out of the self-propelled gun. On January 27, the unit commander was wounded. In an attempt to cover him, Rose was wounded in the chest by a shell fragment. The brave girl passed away the next day. The nurse said that just before her death, Rose regretted that she did not have time to do more.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko
The Western press gave a nickname to another Soviet female sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. She was called "Lady Death". Lyudmila Mikhailovna remained known in world history as the most successful female sniper. She has 309 killed enemy soldiers and officers.
From the very first days of the war, Lyudmila went to the front as a volunteer. The girl refused to be a nurse and demanded that she be enrolled as a sniper. Then Lyudmila was given a rifle and ordered to shoot two prisoners. She completed the task.
Pavlichenko took part in the defense of Sevastopol, Odessa, and in battles in Moldova. After a female sniper was seriously wounded, she was sent to the Caucasus. When Lyudmila was cured, she flew as part of the Soviet delegation to the USA and Canada. Lyudmila Pavlichenko spent several days at the White House at the invitation of Eleanor Roosevelt.
The Soviet sniper made many speeches at numerous congresses, but most memorable was her speech in Chicago. Lyudmila said: “Gentlemen, I am twenty-five years old. At the front, I had already managed to destroy three hundred and nine fascist invaders. Don't you think, gentlemen, that you've been hiding behind my back for too long? In the first seconds, everyone froze, and then a flurry of applause broke out.
On October 25, 1943, female sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Nina Petrova
Nina Petrova is the oldest female sniper. She was 48 years old when the Great Patriotic War began, but age had no effect on her accuracy. The woman was involved in shooting when she was young. She worked as an instructor at a sniper school. In 1936, Nina Pavlovna fired 102 Voroshilov shooters, which testifies to her highest professionalism.
Nina Petrova has 122 killed enemies during the war and trained snipers. The woman did not live to see the end of the war for only a few days: she died in a car accident.
Claudia Kalugina
Claudia Kalugina was named one of the most productive snipers. She joined the Red Army as a 17-year-old girl. Claudia has 257 killed soldiers and officers.
After the war, Claudia shared her memories of how she initially missed the target at sniper school. They threatened to leave her in the rear if she did not learn to shoot accurately. And not going to the front line was considered a real shame. The first time, finding herself in a snow-covered trench in a snowstorm, the girl became cowardly. But then she overcame herself and began to make well-aimed shots one after another. The hardest thing was to drag the rifle along with you, because the slim Claudia’s height was only 157 cm. But the sniper girl overcame all adversities, and over time she was referred to as the most accurate shooter.
Female snipers
This photo of female snipers is also called “775 kills in one photo”, because in total they destroyed exactly that many enemy soldiers.
During the Great Patriotic War, not only female snipers terrified the enemy. , because the radars did not detect them, the noise of the engines was practically inaudible, and the girls dropped bombs with such pinpoint accuracy that the enemy was doomed.
Well-trained snipers have always been valued in all armies of the world, but the importance of snipers especially increased during the Second World War. The results of this war showed that the overwhelming majority of the Red Army snipers were the most trained and effective. In many respects, Soviet sniper fighters were noticeably superior to the snipers of the German Wehrmacht and not only them.
And this was not surprising, it turns out that the Soviet Union was almost the only country in the world where training in small arms was put on stream, it practically covered wide sections of the population of the entire country, they trained citizens in small arms in peacetime, as part of pre-conscription training , the older generation probably still remembers the “Voroshilov Shooter” sign.
Soviet snipers practicing in an ambush
The high quality of this training was soon tested by the war, during which Soviet snipers showed all their skills, this skill is confirmed by the so-called sniper “death lists”, from which it is clear that only the first ten Soviet snipers killed (according to confirmed data) 4200 soldiers and officers, and the first twenty - 7400, the Germans did not have such tens and twenties.
Despite the severe defeats of the first months of the war, the training of the best shooters in the units and formations of the front line continued at an accelerated pace and did not stop for a minute. In addition, sniper training was carried out in reserve training units and in short-term courses directly in the combat formations of the troops.
However, the military command understood the need for centralized training of “super-sharp marksmen.” Back on September 18, 1941, a decree was issued on universal compulsory military training for citizens of the USSR, which made it possible to organize military training population without interruption from production. The training program was designed for 110 hours. In addition to other military specialties (machine gunner, mortar operator, signalman), training also took place in the area of sniping.
Cadets of the sniper school during a practical lesson
Nevertheless, it was extremely difficult to train snipers in such a short time, so the decision was soon made to open special “schools of excellent marksmen for sniper training” (SHOSSP) at military districts. The training lasted for 3-4 months, already off-the-job. The Moscow Military District alone had three such schools. Sniping instructors from OSOAVIAKHIM were recruited as teachers, which, as in peacetime, continued to train sniper personnel in its schools.
In addition, it was decided to organize centralized training of highly qualified snipers with instructor skills. For this purpose, on March 20, 1942, a school of sniper instructors was created in Veshnyaki near Moscow.
Red Army snipers take position
Our German opponents also had special sniper schools, but the Germans did not have such a wide scope and such a serious approach to training snipers, and they found themselves far behind the Red Army in the sniper business.
During World War II sniper business Much attention was also paid to the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition, but the results of the Anglo-American snipers were much more modest than those of the Russians, Germans and Finns. The most trained snipers among the Allies were mainly the British; American snipers mainly distinguished themselves in battles with the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean.
Sniper work was hard and dangerous; soldiers had to lie in the snow or swamp for hours, or even days, in constant tension and attention; the equipment of the Soviet sniper during the Great Patriotic War was rather meager. In addition to an optical sight for monitoring targets, they had a variety of field binoculars (usually 6- and 8-fold) and TR and TR-8 trench periscopes.
For self-defense in close combat, the sniper often took several hand grenades, a pistol and a knife with him on a mission. If a sniper group was ambushed, then the weapons were supplemented with a PPSh or PPS submachine gun. Throughout the war and after it, right up to the adoption of the SVD (in 1963), the model rifle remained the standard sniper rifle in our army. 1891/30 with PU sight.
Unidentified Soviet female snipers near the dugout. Sergeant's shoulder straps are on overcoats, in the hands of a Mosin rifle with a PU optical sight (Short sight)
In total, from 1941 to 1945, 53,195 sniper rifles of the 1891/30 model were produced in the USSR. and 48,992 SVT sniper rifles. For wartime, this is a rather large figure, but if you look at the actual number of personnel snipers trained during the same time and make allowances for the natural loss of weapons during military operations, it becomes clear that all front-line “super sharp shooters” simply could not be provided with special sniper weapon.
By the middle of 1942, Soviet snipers were actively working on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War, they unleashed real sniper terror against the German troops, the moral impact on enemy soldiers by our snipers was enormous, and this is understandable why, since our snipers shot enemy soldiers almost every day and almost every minute.
The most famous Soviet sniper, of course, is the Hero of Stalingrad Vasily Zaitsev, who killed 242 German soldiers and officers, including the head of the Berlin sniper school, Major Konings. In total, Zaitsev’s group destroyed 1,126 enemy troops in four months of fighting. Zaitsev’s comrades-in-arms were Nikolai Ilyin, who had 496 Germans on his account, Pyotr Goncharov - 380, Viktor Medvedev - 342.
It should be noted that Zaitsev’s main merit is not so much in his personal combat record, but in the fact that he became a key figure in the deployment of the sniper movement among the ruins of Stalingrad. Naturally, the entire then Soviet agitprop worked for Zaitsev’s group, so he is for all of us familiar.
Soviet sniper V.A. Sidorov at a firing position in August 1941. The Red Army soldier is armed with a Mosin sniper rifle with a PE optical sight, model 1931; it is also worth noting the SSh-36 “Halking helmet” (Steel helmet 1936)
And the main record holder for the destruction of enemy soldiers according to the “death list” was the sniper Mikhail Ilyich Surkov (4th rifle division), on his account 702 killed enemy soldiers and officers were recorded, then in the top ten by the number of enemy soldiers destroyed are:
- Vladimir Gavrilovich Salbiev (71st Guards SD and 95th Guards SD) - 601 people.
— Vasily Shalvovich Kvachantiradze (259 rifle regiment) — 534 people.
— Akhat Abdulkhakovich Akhmetyanov (260 joint venture) — 502 people.
— Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko (1122 r.p.) — 500 people. + 1 tank, 3 tractors
- Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin (50 Guards Regiment) - 494 people.
- Ivan Nikolaevich Kulbertinov (23rd ski brigade; 7th Guards air force) - 487 people.
- Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelintsev (11th brigade) - 456 people (including 14 snipers)
— Nikolay Evdokimovich Kazyuk — 446 people.
- Pyotr Alekseevich Goncharov (44th Guards Regiment) - 441 people.
In total, there are 17 Soviet snipers, whose count of killed enemy soldiers exceeds 400 people. More than 300 enemy soldiers killed were attributed to 25 Soviet snipers, 36 Soviet snipers destroyed more than 200 enemy soldiers.
The best of the enemy snipers are considered: Finnish sniper Simo Haiha - fifth in general list, on his account over 500 killed enemy soldiers, of the Wehrmacht snipers, the most productive are twenty-seventh on the general list Matthias Hetzenauer, on his account 345 killed enemy soldiers, and Sepp Allerberg on his account 257 enemy soldiers and officers.
According to some researchers, the real accounts of many Soviet snipers are actually higher than the confirmed ones. So, for example, Fyodor Okhlopkov, a sniper of the 259th regiment, according to some sources, in total destroyed more than 1000 (!) Germans, also using a machine gun, but his official combat account recorded only 429 destroyed enemy soldiers, probably The situation on the battlefield did not always make it possible to calculate their results more accurately.
In the diaries and letters found from killed Wehrmacht soldiers and officers, the following phrases are found: “ A Russian sniper is something very terrible, you can’t hide from him anywhere! You can't raise your head in the trenches. The slightest carelessness and you will immediately get a bullet between the eyes... Russian snipers lie in one place in ambush for hours and take aim at anyone who shows up. Only in the dark can you feel safe».
But it turns out that the Germans also could not feel safe in the dark. Thus, the sniper of the 1st Guards Artillery Regiment, Ivan Kalashnikov (it turns out that the artillery also had its own snipers), out of 350 killed soldiers, destroyed 45 Nazis at night - this shooter truly had cat’s vision!
By 1943, there were already more than 1,000 women among Soviet snipers; during the war, they were credited with killing more than 12,000 fascists. The best of the female snipers is considered to be Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlyuchenko, sniper of the 54th rifle regiment; during the war, she managed to destroy 309 enemy soldiers of them 36 were snipers themselves.
Soviet sniper Sergeant Tsyrendashi Dorzhiev from the 202nd Infantry Division at a firing position. Leningrad Front. The combat count of Ts. Dorzhiev (Buryat by nationality) before his death in January 1943 amounted to 270 killed enemy soldiers and officers.
The “Combat Manual of the Infantry” adopted by the Red Army in 1942 defined the range of combat missions performed by snipers at the front: “ Destruction of snipers, officers, observers, gun and machine gun crews (especially flanking and dagger), crews of stopped tanks, low-flying enemy aircraft and in general all important targets that appear for a short time and quickly disappear... The sniper must also be able to show with a tracer bullet and in other ways infantry, artillery, mortars and anti-tank rifles important targets not vulnerable to bullets: tanks, bunkers, guns».
And the Soviet snipers clearly carried out all these tasks assigned to them. So the sniper, marine Rubakho Philipp Yakovlevich (393rd Marine Infantry Battalion Division) destroyed 346 enemy soldiers, 1 tank and disabled the garrisons of 8 enemy bunkers. Sniper 849 s.p. Ivan Abdulov destroyed 298 German soldiers, 5 of them were snipers themselves, plus the brave fighter also destroyed two enemy tanks with grenades. Sniper 283 Gv.s.p. Anatoly Kozlenkov, in addition to the 194 people he destroyed. enemy soldiers, knocked out 2 tanks with grenades, and destroyed 3 German armored personnel carriers.
And there are many such examples; our snipers even managed to shoot down German planes; it is known that the sniper of the 82nd Infantry Division, Mikhail Lysov, in October 1941, using an automatic rifle with sniper scope shot down a Yu-87 dive bomber. Unfortunately, there is no data on the number of infantrymen he killed, but the sniper of the 796th Infantry Division, Sergeant Major Antonov Vasily Antonovich, in July 1942 near Voronezh, shot down a twin-engine Yu-88 bomber with 4 shots from a rifle! There is also no data on the number of infantrymen he killed.
Sniper of the 203rd Infantry Division (3rd Ukrainian Front), senior sergeant Ivan Petrovich Merkulov at a firing position. In March 1944, Ivan Merkulov was awarded the highest award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union; during the war years, the sniper destroyed more than 144 enemy soldiers and officers.
Even Nazi generals died from Soviet sniper fire, so on the account of the sniper Semyon Nomokonov, among the 367 German soldiers and officers he destroyed, one was with the rank of Wehrmacht general. The sniper has 14 s.p. NKVD troops Evgeniy Nikolaev was also recorded as a German general.
There were even snipers specifically designed to combat enemy snipers, so sniper 81 Gv.s.p. Vasily Golosov destroyed a total of 422 enemy soldiers, 70 of whom were snipers themselves.
A special practice of using snipers existed at that time in the NKVD troops. After training and special training, the “super sharp shooters” went for combat training in the active army. Such sniper teams usually consisted of 20 to 40 people, the duration of the mission was from 10 days to a month. Thus, a significant part of the personnel not only received special training, but also underwent testing in real frontline conditions. For example, in the 23rd division of the NKVD troops for security railways During the war years, 7283 snipers were trained.
Snipers of the unit of senior lieutenant F.D. Lunin is being led salvo fire against enemy aircraft.
In the memorandum “On the combat activities of snipers of the NKVD troops of the USSR in the protection of important industrial enterprises for the period from October 1, 1942 to December 31, 1943” it says: "... Over the past period, units of the troops underwent practice in the combat formations of the active Red Army, some of them 2-3 times. As a result of combat work by troop snipers, 39,745 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed. In addition, an enemy aircraft was shot down and 10 stereo pipes and periscopes were destroyed. Losses of our snipers: 68 people were killed, 112 people were wounded».
During the war years, a total of 428,335 excellent snipers were trained - this is a huge figure; no army in the world had such mass training of snipers, which significantly strengthened battle formations rifle units.
In addition to this, in training formations 9,534 highly qualified snipers were trained under central command.
I would especially like to remember and note Lieutenant General G.F. Morozov, it was he who made a great contribution to the organization of centralized training of sniper personnel; it was he, heading one of the departments of the General Staff, who accumulated and analyzed the combat experience of Soviet snipers throughout the war.
In total, during the war years, 87 snipers became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 39 became full holders of the Order of Glory.
Female snipers of the 3rd Shock Army, 1st Belorussian Front. From left to right:
1st row from the viewer - Guard Senior Sergeant V.N. Stepanova (she has 20 enemies to her name), Guard Senior Sergeant Yu.P. Belousova (80 enemies), guard senior sergeant A.E. Vinogradov (83 enemies);
2nd row - guard junior lieutenant E.K. Zhibovskaya (24 enemies), guard senior sergeant K.F. Marinkin (79 enemies), guard senior sergeant O.S. Maryenkina (70 enemies);
3rd row - guard junior lieutenant N.P. Belobrova (70 enemies), Guard Lieutenant N.A. Lobkovskaya (89 enemies), guard junior lieutenant V.I. Artamonova (89 enemies), guard senior sergeant M.G. Zubchenko (83 enemies);
4th row - Guard Sergeant N.P. Obukhovskaya (64 enemies), guard sergeant A.R. Belyakova (24 enemies).
Sniper Roza Shanina with her rifle. Rosa Shanina has been in active service since April 2, 1944. There are 54 confirmed killed soldiers and officers, including 12 snipers. Knight of the Order of Glory 2nd and 3rd degree. Killed in battle on January 28, 1945, 3 km southeast of the village of Ilmsdorf, Richau district, East Prussia.
Hero of the Soviet Union, sniper of the 25th Chapaev Division Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko (1916-1974). Destroyed over 300 fascist soldiers and officers.