Highly skilled snipers were worth their weight in gold during World War II. Fighting on the Eastern Front, the Soviets positioned their snipers as skilled marksmen, noticeably dominant in many ways. The Soviet Union was the only one that trained snipers for ten years, preparing for war. Their superiority is confirmed by their “death lists.” Experienced snipers killed many people and, undoubtedly, were of great value. For example, Vasily Zaitsev killed 225 enemy soldiers during Battle of Stalingrad.
Maxim Alexandrovich Passar(1923-1943) - Soviet, during the Great Patriotic War destroyed 237 enemy soldiers and officers.
In February 1942, he volunteered to go to the front. In May 1942, he underwent sniper training in units of the North-Western Front. Killed 21 Wehrmacht soldiers. Joined the CPSU(b).
Since July 1942, he served in the 117th Infantry Regiment of the 23rd Infantry Division, which fought as part of the 21st Army of the Stalingrad Front and the 65th Army of the Don Front.
Was one of the most productive snipers The Battle of Stalingrad, during which he destroyed more than two hundred enemy soldiers and officers. For the liquidation of M.A. Passar, the German command assigned a reward of 100 thousand Reichsmarks.
He made a great contribution to the development of the sniper movement in the Red Army and took an active part in the practical training of shooters. The snipers of the 117th Infantry Regiment trained by him destroyed 775 Germans. His speeches on sniper tactics were repeatedly published in the large-circulation newspaper of the 23rd Infantry Division.
On December 8, 1942, M. A. Passar received a shell shock, but remained in service.
On January 22, 1943, in a battle near the village of Peschanka, Gorodishchensky district, Stalingrad region, he ensured the success of the offensive of the regiment's units, which was stopped by enemy flank machine-gun fire from camouflaged fortified positions. Secretly approaching to a distance of about 100 meters, Senior Sergeant Passar destroyed the crews of two heavy machine guns, which decided the outcome of the attack, during which the sniper died.
M.A. Passar was buried in a mass grave on the Square of Fallen Fighters in the workers' village of Gorodishche, Volgograd Region.
Mikhail Ilyich Surkov(1921-1953) - participant in the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 1st battalion of the 39th rifle regiment of the 4th rifle division of the 12th army, sergeant major.
Before the war, he lived in the village of Bolshaya Salyr, now the Achinsk district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He was a taiga hunter.
In the Red Army since 1941 - drafted by the Achinsky (in the award list - Atchevsky) RVC. Candidate for the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) since 1942. At the end of the war he was transferred to the rear to train snipers.
After the war, Mikhail Ilyich returned to his native village. Died in 1953.
Best soviet sniper of the Great Patriotic War, the number of destroyed enemies according to Soviet sources is 702. A number of Western historians question this figure, believing that it was fabricated by Soviet propaganda in order to neutralize the result of the Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä, which he achieved during Soviet-Finnish War 1939-1940. However, Simo Häyhä became known in the USSR only after 1990.
Natalya Venediiktovna Kovshova(November 26, 1920 - August 14, 1942) - Hero Soviet Union, sniper during the Great Patriotic War.
Natalya Venediktovna Kovshova was born on November 26, 1920 in Ufa. Subsequently, the family moved to Moscow. In 1940, she graduated from Moscow school No. 281 in Ulansky Lane (now No. 1284) and went to work at the Orgaviaprom aviation industry trust, created in the late autumn of the same year. She worked as an inspector in the HR department. In 1941, she was preparing to enter the Moscow Aviation Institute. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, she volunteered for the Red Army. Completed sniper courses. At the front since October 1941.
In the battle of Moscow she fought in the ranks of the 3rd Moscow Communist Rifle Division. (The division was formed in the critical days for Moscow in the fall of 1941 from volunteer battalions, which included students, professors, elderly workers, and schoolchildren). Since January 1942, a sniper in the 528th Infantry Regiment (130th Infantry Division, 1st Shock Army, Northwestern Front). On the personal account of sniper Kovshova there are 167 exterminated fascist soldiers and officers. (According to the testimony of her fellow soldier Georgy Balovnev, at least 200; the award sheet specifically mentions that among Kovshova’s hit targets were “cuckoos” - enemy snipers and enemy machine gun crews). During her service, she trained soldiers in marksmanship.
On August 14, 1942, near the village of Sutoki, Parfinsky district, Novgorod region, together with her friend Maria Polivanova, she entered into battle with the Nazis. In an unequal battle, both were wounded, but did not stop fighting. Having shot through the entire supply of ammunition, they blew themselves up with grenades along with the enemy soldiers who surrounded them.
She was buried in the village of Korovitchino, Starorussky district, Novgorod region. At the Novodevichy cemetery there is a cenotaph in the grave of her father.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded posthumously on February 14, 1943 (together with M. S. Polivanova) for dedication and heroism shown in battle.
Zhambyl Yesheevich Tulaev(May 2 (15), 1905, Tagarkhai ulus now Tunkinsky district, Buryatia - January 17, 1961) - participant in the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 580th Infantry Regiment of the 188th Infantry Division of the 27th Army of the North-Western Front, sergeant major
Born on May 2 (15), 1905 in the Tagarkhai ulus, now a village in the Tunkinsky district of Buryatia, in a peasant family. Buryat. Graduated from 4th grade. Lived in the city of Irkutsk. Worked as manager of a container depot. In the Red Army since 1942. In the active army since March 1942. Member of the CPSU(b) since 1942. Sniper of the 580th Infantry Regiment (188th Infantry Division, 27th Army, Northwestern Front), Sergeant Major Zhambyl Tulaev, killed two hundred and sixty-two Nazis from May to November 1942. He trained three dozen snipers for the front.
By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 14, 1943, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the German invaders and the courage and heroism shown at the same time, foreman Tulaev Zhambyl Yesheevich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 847).
Since 1946, Lieutenant Zh. E. Tulaev has been in reserve. Returned to his native Buryatia. He worked as chairman of a collective farm and secretary of the local village council. Died on January 17, 1961.
Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko September 12, 1919, Chantsovo village, Smolensk province - February 19, 1994, Kizlyar - Soviet sniper who destroyed about 500 enemy soldiers and officers during the Great Patriotic War. Hero of the Soviet Union
Participant of the Great Patriotic War since November 1941. He fought as part of the 4th Shock Army of the Kalinin Front. He was a mortarman. In the winter counter-offensive of 1942, Lieutenant Sidorenko’s mortar company fought from the Ostashkovo bridgehead to the city of Velizh, Smolensk region. Here Ivan Sidorenko became a sniper. In battles with the Nazi invaders he was seriously wounded three times, but returned to duty each time.
Assistant Chief of Staff of the 1122nd Infantry Regiment (334th Infantry Division, 4th Shock Army, 1st Baltic Front), Captain Ivan Sidorenko, distinguished himself as the organizer of the sniper movement. By 1944, he killed about 500 Nazis with a sniper rifle.
Ivan Sidorenko trained more than 250 snipers for the front, most of whom were awarded orders and medals.
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 4, 1944, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism displayed, Captain Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. "(No. 3688).
I. M. Sidorenko finished his combat career in Estonia. At the end of 1944, the command sent him to training courses military academy. But he didn’t have to study: old wounds opened up, and Ivan Sidorenko had to go to the hospital for a long time.
Since 1946, Major I.M. Sidorenko has been in reserve. Lived in the city of Korkino, Chelyabinsk region. He worked as a mining foreman at a mine. Then he worked in various cities of the Soviet Union. Since 1974 he lived in the city of Kizlyar (Dagestan), where he died on February 19, 1994.
Fedor Matveevich Okhlopkov(March 2, 1908, Krest-Khaldzhai village, Bayagantaysky ulus, Yakut region, Russian empire- May 28, 1968, p. Krest-Khaldzhay, Tomponsky district, YASSR), RSFSR, USSR - sniper of the 234th Infantry Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Born on March 2, 1908 in the village of Krest-Khaldzhay (now located in the Tomponsky ulus of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)) in the family of a poor peasant. Yakut. Primary education. He worked as a miner hauling gold-bearing rocks at the Orochon mine in the Aldan region, and before the war as a hunter and machine operator in his native village.
In the Red Army since September 1941. From December 12 of the same year at the front. He was a machine gunner, a squad commander of a company of machine gunners of the 1243rd Infantry Regiment of the 375th Division of the 30th Army, and from October 1942 - a sniper of the 234th Infantry Regiment of the 179th Division. By June 23, 1944, Sergeant Okhlopkov killed 429 Nazi soldiers and officers with a sniper rifle. Was wounded 12 times.
On June 24, 1945, he took part in the Victory Parade over Nazi Germany on Red Square in Moscow.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin were awarded only in 1965.
After the war he was demobilized. Returned to his homeland. From 1945 to 1949 - head of the military department of the Tattinsky Republic Committee of the CPSU. On February 10, 1946, he was elected as a deputy of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From 1949 to 1951 - director of the Tattinsky procurement office for the extraction and procurement of furs. From 1951 to 1954 - manager of the Tattinsky district office of the Yakut meat trust. In 1954-1960 - collective farmer, state farm worker. Since 1960 - retired. Died on May 28, 1968. He was buried in the cemetery of his native village.
It should be noted that there are 200 in the list best snipers World War II - 192 Soviet snipers, the first twenty snipers of the Red Army destroyed about 8,400 enemy soldiers and officers, and the first hundred accounted for about 25,500. Thanks to our grandfathers for the Victory!
10. Stepan Vasilyevich Petrenko: 422 killed.
During World War II, the Soviet Union had more skilled snipers than any other country on Earth. Due to their continued training and development during the 1930s, while other countries were cutting down their teams of specialist snipers, the USSR had the best marksmen in the world. Stepan Vasilyevich Petrenko was well known among the elite.
His highest professionalism is confirmed by 422 killed enemies; The effectiveness of the Soviet sniper training program is confirmed by accurate shooting and extremely rare misses.
9. Vasily Ivanovich Golosov: 422 killed.
During the war, 261 marksmen (including women), each of whom killed at least 50 people, were awarded the title of outstanding sniper. Vasily Ivanovich Golosov was one of those who received such an honor. His death toll is 422 enemy killed.
8. Fedor Trofimovich Dyachenko: 425 killed.
During World War II, 428,335 people are believed to have received Red Army sniper training, of whom 9,534 used their qualifications in lethal experience. Fyodor Trofimovich Dyachenko was one of those trainees who stood out. Soviet hero with 425 endorsements, received the Distinguished Service Medal for “superior heroism in military operations against an armed enemy.”
7. Fedor Matveevich Okhlopkov: 429 killed.
Fedor Matveevich Okhlopkov, one of the most respected snipers of the USSR. He and his brother were recruited into the Red Army, but the brother was killed in battle. Fyodor Matveevich vowed to avenge his brother. Who took his life. The number of people killed by this sniper (429) did not include the number of enemies. Which he killed with a machine gun. In 1965 he was awarded the Order of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
6. Mikhail Ivanovich Budenkov: 437 killed.
Mikhail Ivanovich Budenkov was among those snipers that few others could only aspire to. Amazingly successful sniper with 437 kills. This number did not include those killed by machine guns.
5. Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelintsev: 456 killed.
This number of casualties can be attributed not only to skill and skill with a rifle, but also to knowledge of the terrain and the ability to properly camouflage. Among these qualified and experienced snipers was Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelintsev, who killed 437 enemies.
4. Ivan Nikolaevich Kulbertinov: 489 killed.
Unlike most other countries during World War II, women could be snipers in the Soviet Union. In 1942, two six-month courses attended exclusively by women yielded results: almost 55,000 snipers were trained. 2,000 women took an active part in the war. Among them: Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who killed 309 opponents.
3. Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin: 494 killed.
In 2001, a film was shot in Hollywood: “Enemy at the Gates” about the famous Russian sniper Vasily Zaitsev. The film depicts the events of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942–1943. A film about Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin has not been made, but his contribution to Soviet military history was just as important. Having killed 494 enemy soldiers (sometimes listed as 497), Ilyin was a deadly marksman for the enemy.
2. Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko: approximately 500 killed
Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko was drafted in 1939 at the beginning of World War II. During the 1941 Battle of Moscow, he learned to snipe and became known as a bandit with lethal aim. One of his most famous deeds: he destroyed a tank and three others vehicles using incendiary ammunition. However, after an injury received in Estonia, his role in subsequent years was primarily teaching. In 1944 Sidorenko was awarded the prestigious title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
1.Simo Hayha: 542 Killed (possibly 705)
Simo Haiha, a Finn, is the only one not Soviet soldier on this list. Nicknamed “White Death” by the Red Army troops because of its camouflage disguised as snow. According to statistics, Heiha is the bloodiest sniper in history. Before taking part in the war he was a farmer. Incredibly, he preferred an iron sight to an optical sight in his weapon.
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 marksmanship.” 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 of the population on the job. 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, much attention was paid to snipers among the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition, but the results of 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 observing 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 on their greatcoats, Mosin rifles with optical sight PU (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 to be: Finnish sniper Simo Haiha, fifth on the general list, with over 500 killed enemy soldiers, the most productive of the Wehrmacht snipers is twenty-seventh on the general list, Matthias Hetzenauer, with 345 killed enemy soldiers, and Sepp Allerberg on he counted 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 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 goals, not vulnerable to bullets: tanks, bunkers (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, shot down a Yu-87 dive-bomber in October 1941 using an automatic rifle with a sniper scope. 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 the protection of railways, 7283 snipers were trained during the war years.
Snipers of the unit of senior lieutenant F.D. Lunina fire volleys at 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, who significantly strengthened the combat formations of rifle units.
In addition, 9,534 highly qualified snipers were trained in centrally subordinate training formations.
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. Marinkina (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.
A good sniper does not have to be a career military man. This simple postulate was well understood by the Red Army soldiers who participated in the Winter War of 1939. One successful shot does not make a person a sniper either. Luck is very important in war. Only the true skill of a fighter who knows how to hit a target at a great distance, from an unusual weapon or from an awkward position has a greater price.
The sniper has always been an elite warrior. Not everyone can cultivate the character of such strength.
1. Carlos Hatchcock
Like many American teenagers from the outback, Carlos Hatchcock dreamed of joining the army. The 17-year-old boy, whose cowboy hat had a cinematic white feather sticking out of it, was greeted in the barracks with grins. The very first training ground, taken by Carlos on a whim, turned the laughter of his colleagues into reverent silence. The guy had more than just talent - Carlos Hatchcock was born solely for the sake of accurate shooting. The young fighter met 1966 already in Vietnam.
On his formal account there are only a hundred dead. The memoirs of Hatchcock's surviving colleagues feature prominently big numbers. This could be attributed to the understandable boasting of the fighters, if not for the huge sum put forward by North Vietnam on his head. But the war ended - and Hatchcock went home without receiving a single injury. He died in his bed, just a few days shy of turning 57 years old.
2. Simo Häyhä
This name became a kind of symbol of the war for both participating countries. For the Finns, Simo was a real legend, the personification of the god of vengeance himself. In the ranks of the Red Army soldiers, the patriotic sniper received the name White Death. Over the course of several months of the winter of 1939-1940, the shooter destroyed more than five hundred enemy soldiers. The incredible level of skill of Simo Häyhä is highlighted by the weapon he used: an M/28 rifle with open sights.
3. Lyudmila Pavlichenko
Russian sniper Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko's 309 enemy soldiers count makes her one of the best shooters in the history of world wars. A tomboy since childhood, Lyudmila was eager to go to the front from the very first days of the invasion of the German occupiers. In one of the interviews, the girl admitted that it was only difficult to shoot a living person the first time. During the first day of combat duty, Pavlyuchenko could not bring herself to pull the trigger. Then the sense of duty overpowered - it also saved the fragile female psyche from an incredible burden.
4. Vasily Zaitsev
In 2001, the film “Enemy at the Gates” was released worldwide. Main character film - a real Red Army fighter, the legendary sniper Vasily Zaitsev. It is still unknown exactly whether the confrontation between Zaitsev and the German shooter reflected in the film took place: most Western sources are inclined to the version of propaganda launched by the Soviet Union, Slavophiles claim the opposite. However, this fight means practically nothing in the overall standings of the legendary shooter. Vasily’s documents list 149 successfully hit targets. The real number is closer to five hundred killed.
5. Chris Kyle
Eight years is the best age to take your first shot. Unless, of course, you were born in Texas. Chris Kyle was on target conscious life: sporting targets, then animals, then people. In 2003, Kyle, who had already registered in several secret operations of the US Army, received a new assignment - Iraq. The fame of a merciless and very skillful killer comes a year later, the next business trip brings Kyle the nickname “Shaitan from Ramadi”: a respectful and frightened tribute to a shooter who is confident in his rightness. Officially, Kyle killed exactly 160 enemies of peace and democracy. In private conversations, the shooter mentioned three times the numbers.
6. Rob Furlong
For a long time, Rob Furlong served with the rank of simple corporal in the Canadian Army. Unlike many of the other snipers mentioned in this article, Rob did not have any obvious talent as a marksman. But the guy’s tenacity would have been enough for another company of completely mediocre warriors. Through constant training, Furlong developed the abilities of an ambidexter. Soon the corporal was transferred to a special forces detachment. Operation Anaconda was the high point of Furlong's career: in one of the battles, the sniper made a successful shot at a distance of 2430 meters. This record still stands today.
7. Thomas Plunkett
Just two shots brought private British Army soldier Thomas Plunkett into the ranks of the best sniper of his time. In 1809, the Battle of Monroe took place. Thomas, like all his colleagues, was armed with a Brown Bess musket. Field training was enough for the soldiers to hit the enemy at a distance of 50 meters. Unless, of course, the wind was too strong. Thomas Plunkett, taking good aim, knocked the French general off his horse at a distance of 600 meters.
The shot could be explained by incredible luck, magnetic fields and the machinations of aliens. Most likely, this is what the shooter’s comrades would have done, having recovered from their surprise. However, here Thomas demonstrated his second virtue: ambition. He calmly reloaded the gun and shot the general's adjutant - at the same 600 meters.
Many soldiers and officers of the Red Army became heroes of the Great Patriotic War. It is perhaps difficult to single out military specialties that would be especially prominent when awarding military awards. Among the famous Heroes of the Soviet Union there are sappers, tank crews, pilots, sailors, infantrymen and military doctors.
But I would like to highlight one military specialty that occupies a special place in the category of feat. These are snipers.
A sniper is a specially trained soldier who is fluent in the art of marksmanship, camouflage and observation, hitting targets with the first shot. Its task is to defeat command and communications personnel and destroy camouflaged single targets.
At the front, when special military units (companies, regiments, divisions) act against the enemy, the sniper is an independent combat unit.
We will tell you about the sniper heroes who made a significant contribution to the common cause of victory. You can read about women snipers who participated in the Great Patriotic War in ours.
1. Passar Maxim Alexandrovich (08/30/1923 - 01/22/1943)
A participant in the Great Patriotic War, a Soviet sniper, killed 237 enemy soldiers and officers during the fighting. Most of the enemies were eliminated by him during the Battle of Stalingrad. For the destruction of Passar, the German command assigned a reward of 100 thousand Reichsmarks. Hero Russian Federation(posthumously).
2. Surkov Mikhail Ilyich (1921-1953)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 1st battalion of the 39th rifle regiment of the 4th rifle division of the 12th army, sergeant major, holder of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star.
3. Natalya Venediktovna Kovshova (11/26/1920 - 08/14/1942)
Participant in the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union.
On the personal account of sniper Kovshova there are 167 killed fascist soldiers and officers. During her service, she trained soldiers in marksmanship. On August 14, 1942, near the village of Sutoki, Novgorod Region, she died in an unequal battle with the Nazis.
4. Tulaev Zhambyl Yesheevich (02(15/05/1905 - 17/01/1961)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Hero of the Soviet Union.
Sniper of the 580th Infantry Regiment of the 188th Infantry Division of the 27th Army of the North-Western Front. Sergeant Major Zhambyl Tulaev destroyed 262 Nazis from May to November 1942. Trained more than 30 snipers for the front.
5. Sidorenko Ivan Mikhailovich (09/12/1919 - 02/19/1994)
The assistant chief of staff of the 1122nd Infantry Regiment, Captain Ivan Sidorenko, distinguished himself as the organizer of the sniper movement. By 1944, he personally killed about 500 Nazis with a sniper rifle.
Ivan Sidorenko trained more than 250 snipers for the front, most of whom were awarded orders and medals.
6. Okhlopkov Fedor Matveevich (03/02/1908 - 05/28/1968)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union.
By June 23, 1944, Sergeant Okhlopkov killed 429 Nazi soldiers and officers with a sniper rifle. Was wounded 12 times. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin were awarded only in 1965.
7. Moldagulova Aliya Nurmukhambetovna (25.10.1925 - 14.01.1944)
Participant in the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously), corporal.
Sniper of the 54th separate rifle brigade of the 22nd Army of the 2nd Baltic Front. Corporal Moldagulova destroyed several dozen enemies in the first 2 months of participation in battles. On January 14, 1944, she took part in the battle for the village of Kazachikha, Pskov Region, and led the soldiers into the attack. Having broken into the enemy’s defenses, she destroyed several soldiers and officers with a machine gun. She died in this battle.
8. Budenkov Mikhail Ivanovich (05.12.1919 - 02.08.1995)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, senior lieutenant.
By September 1944, Guard Senior Sergeant Mikhail Budenkov was a sniper in the 59th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 21st Guards Rifle Division of the 3rd Shock Army of the 2nd Baltic Front. By that time, he had 437 enemy soldiers and officers killed by sniper fire. He entered the top ten best snipers of the Great Patriotic War.
9. Etobaev Arseny Mikhailovich (09/15/1903- 1987)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Civil War 1917-1922 and the conflict in the Chinese East railway 1929. Knight of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star, full holder of the Order of the Patriotic War.
The sniper killed 356 German invaders and shot down two planes.
10. Salbiev Vladimir Gavrilovich (1916- 1996)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, twice holder of the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree.
Salbiev's sniper account includes 601 killed enemy soldiers and officers.
11. Pchelintsev Vladimir Nikolaevich (30.08.1919- 27.07.1997)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 11th Infantry Brigade of the 8th Army of the Leningrad Front, Hero of the Soviet Union, sergeant.
One of the most successful snipers of World War II. Destroyed 456 enemy soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers.
12. Kvachantiradze Vasily Shalvovich (1907- 1950)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, sergeant major.
Sniper of the 259th Infantry Regiment of the 179th Infantry Division of the 43rd Army of the 1st Baltic Front.
One of the most successful snipers of the Great Patriotic War. Destroyed 534 enemy soldiers and officers.
13. Goncharov Pyotr Alekseevich (01/15/1903- 31.01.1944)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, Guard Senior Sergeant.
He has more than 380 killed enemy soldiers and officers as a sniper. He died on January 31, 1944 while breaking through enemy defenses near the village of Vodyanoye.
14. Galushkin Nikolai Ivanovich (07/01/1917- 22.01.2007)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Russian Federation, lieutenant.
Served in the 49th Infantry Regiment of the 50th Infantry Division. According to available information, he destroyed 418 German soldiers and officers, including 17 snipers, and also trained 148 soldiers in sniper work. After the war he was active in military-patriotic work.
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, commander of the sniper company of the 81st Guards Rifle Regiment, guard lieutenant.
By the end of June 1943, already the commander of a sniper company, Golosov personally destroyed about 420 Nazis, including 70 snipers. In his company, he trained 170 snipers, who in total destroyed more than 3,500 fascists.
He died on August 16, 1943 at the height of the battles for the village of Dolgenkoye, Izyum district, Kharkov region.
16. Nomokonov Semyon Danilovich (08/12/1900 - 07/15/1973)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War and the Soviet-Japanese War, twice holder of the Order of the Red Star, Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner.
During the Great Patriotic War, he destroyed 360 German soldiers and officers, including one major general. During the Soviet-Japanese War, he destroyed 8 soldiers and officers of the Kwantung Army. The total confirmed count is 368 enemy soldiers and officers.
17. Ilyin Nikolai Yakovlevich (1922 - 08/04/1943)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, sergeant major, deputy political instructor.
In total, the sniper had 494 killed enemies. On August 4, 1943, in a battle near the village of Yastrebovo, Nikolai Ilyin was killed by machine gun fire.
18. Antonov Ivan Petrovich (07/07/1920 - 03/22/1989)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, shooter of the 160th separate rifle company of the Leningrad naval base of the Baltic Fleet, Red Navy man, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Ivan Antonov became one of the founders of the sniper movement in the Baltic.
From December 28, 1941 to November 10, 1942, he destroyed 302 Nazis and trained 80 snipers in the art of accurate shooting at the enemy.
19. Dyachenko Fedor Trofimovich (06/16/1917 - 08/08/1995)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, major.
By February 1944, Dyachenko had destroyed 425 enemy soldiers and officers with sniper fire, including several snipers.
20. Idrisov Abukhadzhi (Abukhazhi) (05/17/1918- 22.10.1983)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 1232nd Infantry Regiment of the 370th Infantry Division, senior sergeant, Hero of the Soviet Union.
By March 1944, he already had 349 fascists killed, and he was nominated for the title of Hero. In one of the battles in April 1944, Idrisov was wounded by a fragment of a mine that exploded nearby and was covered with earth. His comrades dug him up and sent him to the hospital.
