Craig Biryla

Professor Presnell
UWRT 1103
9 Sept. 2014
Inquiry Question
What factors led to Simo Hayha becoming the White Death and having the most
confirmed sniper kills?
Introduction
He holds the record for the most confirmed
sniper kills, and was called the White Death by the
Red Army. Simo Hayha was a farmer and hunter in
Finland before the war, and already had many
marksmen awards. In the 1939 Winter War he used a
basic rifle with no scope until word of his skills
reached higher ranks and he was given a proper
sniper rifle. He was able to take out an anti-sniper
squad sent to kill him, and even survived a military
barrage on his position.
What I want to know

What allowed him to get that many kills? (Equipment, location, skills, etc)
What sniper rifle did he use?
How does he compare to todays snipers in terms of skill and equipment?
Who holds the second highest number of confirmed sniper kills?
How did he choose his position, and how was he sure enemies couldnt see him?
How did he feel about killing in the war?
What did his family think about him?
How was his life changed after the war?
What did his fellow soldiers think of him?
Were any of his other family members in the war?
Did his work as a sniper change how snipers were trained, or the equipment they
used?

My interest
The reason Im interested in this is because Ive always been interested in war. I play
airsoft every few weekends, my grandpa was in the Navy, and Ive always been interested
in the tactics used for each war. I also have played the sniping role, and although in airsoft it
is very different I still cant imagine someone being able to get 505 kills, without being
injured from the troops he was shooting at. He took a stray bullet towards the end of the war

and was hospitalized, regaining consciousness the day after the war ended. I first heard
about the story when I was browsing a website and saw an article about some of the most
astonishing WWII facts.
Current knowledge
I know Simo Hayha started out with a standard sniper rifle, and was given a precision
one by the Finnish army after they heard about his feats. I also know he had 505 confirmed
sniper kills and 200 unconfirmed machine gun kills. Some of the tactics he used to
accomplish this were holding snow in his mouth to keep his breath from fogging, and he
wouldnt use a sniper scope because the glint could give away his position. The Finnish
army was at a huge disadvantage in this war. The Red Army had over one hundred times
the tanks the Finnish had, three times as many troops, and thirty times as many aircraft, but
they still held the Red Army back until a treaty was formed three months later. I also know
part of this was because of the Red Armys leadership, partly because they were fighting in
Finlands territory at temperatures below -20 which the Finnish were used to, and soldiers
like Simo Hayha. I think there will be an abundance of sources. The problem I have found is
online there are plenty of websites with information about him but many just have the same
information just rewritten.