RT by @akirstei: Photo of the White Death, the deadliest sniper who ever lived.

Simo Häyhä was a Finnish farmer who took part in hunting and target practice from a very young age.

In 1939, as the Soviet Union invaded Finland, initiating the Winter War, Simo Häyhä answered the call to defend his homeland by joining the Finnish army.

Häyhä showcased remarkable marksmanship, firing 16 rounds per minute with precision using the bolt-action SAKO M/28-30, a Finnish variant of the Russian Mosin Nagant.

Leveraging his knowledge of the terrain, Häyhä wore white camouflage, blending seamlessly into the snowy surroundings.

He strategically packed snow around his position and even placed snow in his mouth to conceal the visible vapor from his breath.

By the beginning of March, his personal tally was 505 dead, although some estimates were as high as 542. Making him the deadliest sniper in human history.

What makes this more impressive is that he accomplished this feat in less than 100 days.

The most incredible part is that he did this with iron sights and not with a scope, as the reflections from the sun on the scope could have exposed his position.

Just one week before the end of the Winter War on March 6, was hit in the jaw with an exploding bullet and left for dead until someone noticed his foot twitching.

He remained in a coma for a week and awoke to find the war ended. He survived, but his face was disfigured.

Simo lived to the ripe old age of 96. He passed away in 2002.

🐦🔗: https://nitter.cz/Morbidful/status/1753825175471001681#m

[2024-02-03 16:58 UTC]