Simo Hayha (December 17, 1905 – April 1, 2002), nicknamed "White Death" by the Red Army, was a Finnish sharpshooter. Using a standard iron-sighted, bolt action rifle in the Winter War, he has the highest recorded number of confirmed kills in any major war. In temperatures between -40 and -20 degrees Celsius, dressed completely in white camouflage, Hayha was credited with 505 confirmed kills of Soviet soldiers, and 542 if including the unconfirmed deaths. The unofficial Finnish frontline figure from the battlefield of Kollaa places the number of Hayha's sniper kills over 800. A daily account of the kills at Kollaa was conducted for the Finnish snipers. Besides his sniper kills, Hayha was also credited with over two hundred kills with a Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun, thus bringing his credited kills to at least 705. Remarkably, all of Hayha's kills were accomplished in fewer than 100 days. Hayha used a Finnish variant, M/28, of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle, because it suited his small frame (5 ft 3 in/1.60 m). He preferred to use iron sights rather than telescopic sights to present a smaller target, to prevent visibility risks, and aid concealment. Another tactic used by Hayha was to compact the snow in front of him so that the shot wouldn't disturb the snow, thus revealing his position. He also kept snow in his mouth so that when breathing he wouldn't reveal his position. The Soviets tried several ploys to get rid of him, including counter snipers and artillery strikes. On March 6 1940, Hayha was shot in the jaw during combat by a Russian soldier. The bullet tumbled upon impact and left his head. He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said "half his head was missing". He regained consciousness on March 13, the day peace was declared. Shortly after the war, Hayha was promoted straight from corporal to second lieutenant by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. No one else has ever gained rank in such a quick fashion in Finland's military history. It took several years for Hayha to recuperate from his wound. The bullet had crushed his jaw and blown off his left cheek. Nonetheless, he made a full recovery and became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder after World War II, and hunted with Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. When asked in 1998 how he had become such a good shot, he answered, "Practice." When asked if he regretted killing so many people, he said "I did what I was told to as well as I could." Simo Hayha spent his last years in a small village called Ruokolahti located in the south-east of Finland near the Russian border. [READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE]
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