Simo Häyhä, often referred to by his nickname, The White Death, was a Finnish military sniper during World War II in the 1939–1940 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. He used a Finnish-produced M/28-30 rifle and a Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun. Häyhä is believed to have eliminated over 500 enemy soldiers during the conflict, the highest number of sniper kills in any major war. Consequently, he is often regarded as the deadliest sniper in history.
Häyhä after being awarded the honorary rifle, model 28, on 17 February 1940
Häyhä, c. 1922
Häyhä in Kollaa on 17 February 1940, right after being awarded the honorary rifle.
The Kollaa and Simo Häyhä Museum [fi] in Miettilä, Rautjärvi, Finland
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic sights. Modern snipers use high-precision rifles and high-magnification optics. They often also serve as scouts/observers feeding tactical information back to their units or command headquarters.
French and British (center) snipers equipped with FR F2, Accuracy International AWM and PGM Hécate II rifles (left to right, 2012) and camouflage Ghillie suits
Vasily Zaytsev, left, and other Soviet snipers equipped with Mosin–Nagant M1891/30 during the Battle of Stalingrad in December 1942
A modern sniper weapon system which consists of a sniper rifle (here Barak HTR 2000 chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum), telescopic sight (Leupold Mark IV x10), and additional optics
Over-watch being provided by an army sergeant during a high-level meeting, Baghdad, Iraq