this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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History Memes

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[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 52 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Explanation: Finn Simo Hayha was the most deadly sniper in history, racking up over 500 kills during the Soviet Union's ~4 month long Winter War in an unprovoked invasion of Finland. Famously, he did not use a scope for two reasons: first, because the glare from the glass could give away his position, and second, because using a scope means you have to lift your head slightly above where it would be for ironsights, and Simo very much preferred giving the enemy as small a target as possible.

I don't believe there's actually a known incident of his friend getting domed in front of him, just a joke about the danger of the job and Simo's motivations to keep his head.

He would also stuff his mouth with snow so his breath wouldn't give away his position. The Soviets were terrified of him - called him "The White Death", and attempted to call in artillery strikes on his suspected positions, and send counter-snipers to out-snipe him. He regularly sent the counter-snipers back in body bags. Near the end of the Winter War, Simo would be hit in the jaw with a bullet, and go into a several-day long coma. When he woke up, the war was over.

Simo Hayha would die in 2002, having quite literally outlived the Soviet Union. o7

[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 22 points 1 day ago

Correction: the russians didnt call him white death

Finnish sources state that Häyhä was nicknamed "The White Death" by the Red Army (Russian: Белая смерть, Belaja smert; Finnish: valkoinen kuolema; Swedish: den vita döden).[6][8] The name "White Death" has been suggested to originate entirely in Finnish propaganda, rather than having been given to Häyhä by the Russians; according to information from prisoners, to the Russians "White Death" referred to a severe frost in the deep forest. Häyhä having the nickname "White Death" first appeared in the Finnish Winter War literature of the late 1980s.[14] During the war, the "White Death" was one of the leading themes of Finnish propaganda.

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 15 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I wish I had that kind of eyesight!

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I know, right? I can barely make out a face down the hall, and Simo was out there getting people at 400+ yards in the Finnish wilderness, half-obscured by an iron-sight, while staying hidden himself.

Apparently he was extremely good at measuring distance by eye as well.

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

In one documentary I saw they stated his kills were usually on ~ 50 m range, which makes his concealment ~~abilities~~ skills even more impressing.

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Eat your carrots and you'll be fine...

(this is totally not propaganda to hide the secret of centrimetric Radar)

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

How do you lift your head with a scope? They seem pretty fragile.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 4 points 2 days ago

You have to be a real airhead