Heroes of the Great Patriotic War became many soldiers and officers of the Red Army. It is perhaps difficult to single out military specialties that would stand out in particular when awarding military awards. Among the famous Heroes of the Soviet Union there are sappers, tankers, pilots, sailors, infantrymen and military doctors.
But I would like to highlight one military specialty, which 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 the command and liaison staff, the destruction of camouflaged single targets.
At the front, when special military units (companies, regiments, divisions) oppose the enemy, the sniper is an independent combat unit.
We will tell you about sniper heroes who have made a significant contribution to the common cause of victory. You can read about female 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, during the fighting destroyed 237 enemy soldiers and officers. Most of the enemies were eliminated by him during Battle of Stalingrad. For the destruction of Passar, the German command appointed a reward of 100 thousand Reichsmarks. Hero Russian Federation(posthumously).
2. Surkov Mikhail Ilyich (1921-1953)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 1st battalion of the 39th rifle regiment 4th rifle division 12th Army, foreman, holder of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star.
3. Kovshova Natalya Venediktovna (11/26/1920 - 08/14/1942)
Participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union.
On personal account sniper Kovshova 167 killed fascist soldiers and officers. During the service, she taught the fighters the skill of 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 - 01.17.1961)
Member 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. Foreman Zhambyl Tulaev from May to November 1942 exterminated 262 Nazis. Prepared more than 30 snipers for the front.
5. Sidorenko Ivan Mikhailovich (09/12/1919 - 02/19/1994)
Captain Ivan Sidorenko, assistant chief of staff of the 1122nd Rifle Regiment, distinguished himself as the organizer of the sniper movement. By 1944, he personally destroyed about 500 Nazis from 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)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union.
By June 23, 1944, Sergeant Okhlopkov destroyed 429 Nazi soldiers and officers from 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. Aliya Nurmukhambetovna Moldagulova (10/25/1925 - 01/14/1944)
Participant of 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 for the first 2 months of participation in the battles destroyed several dozen enemies. On January 14, 1944, she took part in the battle for the village of Kazachikha, Pskov Region, and led the fighters into the attack. Breaking into the enemy's defenses, she destroyed several soldiers and officers from a machine gun. She died in this battle.
8. Budenkov Mikhail Ivanovich (05.12.1919 - 02.08.1995)
Member 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 destroyed by sniper fire. He entered the top ten snipers of the Great Patriotic War.
9. Etobaev Arseny Mikhailovich (09/15/1903- 1987)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, civil war 1917-1922 and the conflict in the Chinese East railway 1929. Cavalier of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star, full cavalier of the Order of the Patriotic War.
The sniper destroyed 356 German invaders and shot down two planes.
10. Salbiev Vladimir Gavrilovich (1916- 1996)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, twice holder of the Orders of the Red Banner and the Order of the Patriotic War II degree.
Salbiev's sniper account has 601 enemy soldiers and officers killed.
11. Pchelintsev Vladimir Nikolaevich (30.08.1919- 27.07.1997)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, sniper of the 11th Infantry Brigade of the 8th Army of the Leningrad Front, Hero of the Soviet Union, Sgt.
One of the most effective snipers of World War II. Destroyed 456 enemy soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers.
12. Kvachantiradze Vasily Shalvovich (1907- 1950)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, foreman.
Sniper of the 259th Infantry Regiment of the 179th Infantry Division of the 43rd Army of the 1st Baltic Front.
One of the most productive snipers of the Great Patriotic War. Destroyed 534 enemy soldiers and officers.
13. Goncharov Pyotr Alekseevich (01/15/1903- 31.01.1944)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, senior sergeant of the guard.
On his sniper account, more than 380 enemy soldiers and officers were killed. He died on January 31, 1944, when breaking through the enemy defenses near the village of Vodiane.
14. Galushkin Nikolai Ivanovich (07/01/1917- 22.01.2007)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Russian Federation, lieutenant.
He served in the 49th Infantry Regiment of the 50th Infantry Division. According to reports, he destroyed 418 German soldiers and officers, including 17 snipers, and also trained 148 fighters in sniper business. After the war, he was active in military-patriotic work.
Member 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 in the midst of the fighting for the village of Dolgenkoe, Izyumsky district, Kharkov region.
16. Nomokonov Semyon Danilovich (08/12/1900 - 07/15/1973)
Member of the Great Patriotic War and the Soviet-Japanese War, twice holder of the Order of the Red Star, the Order of Lenin, the 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 score is 368 enemy soldiers and officers.
17. Ilyin Nikolai Yakovlevich (1922 - 08/04/1943)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, foreman, deputy political instructor.
In total, the sniper accounted for 494 killed enemies. On August 4, 1943, in a battle near the village of Yastrebovo, Nikolai Ilyin died, struck down by a machine-gun burst.
18. Antonov Ivan Petrovich (07/07/1920 - 03/22/1989)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, shooter of the 160th separate rifle company of the Leningrad naval base of the Baltic Fleet, sailor, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Ivan Antonov became one of the pioneers of the sniper movement in the Baltic.
From December 28, 1941 to November 10, 1942, he destroyed 302 Nazis and taught the art of marksmanship to the enemy 80 snipers.
19. Dyachenko Fedor Trofimovich (06/16/1917 - 08/08/1995)
Member of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union, major.
By February 1944, Dyachenko destroyed 425 enemy soldiers and officers, including several snipers, with sniper fire.
20. Idrisov Abuhaji (Abukhazhi) (05/17/1918- 22.10.1983)
Member 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 destroyed Nazis on his account, and he was introduced to the title of Hero. In one of the battles in April 1944, Idrisov was wounded by a fragment of a mine that exploded nearby, he was covered with earth. Comrades dug him up and sent him to the hospital.
The best snipers of World War II. German, Soviet, Finnish shooters played enough important role V war time. And in this review, an attempt will be made to consider those that have become the most effective.
The emergence of sniper art
Starting from the moment when personal weapons appeared in the armies, which made it possible to hit the enemy at long distances, well-aimed shooters began to be distinguished from the soldiers. Subsequently, separate divisions of rangers began to form from them. As a result, a separate type of light infantry was formed. The main tasks that the soldiers received included the destruction of the officers of the enemy troops, as well as the demoralization of the enemy due to marksmanship at considerable distances. To do this, the shooters were armed with special rifles.
In the XIX century there was a modernization of weapons. Changed, respectively, and tactics. This was facilitated by the emergence during the First World War, snipers were part of a separate cohort of saboteurs. Their goal was to quickly and effectively defeat a living enemy force. At the very beginning of the war, snipers were mainly used by the Germans. However, over time, they began to appear special schools and in other countries. In the context of protracted conflicts, this "profession" has become quite in demand.
Finnish snipers
In the period from 1939 to 1940 Finnish shooters were regarded as the best. The snipers of World War II learned a lot thanks to them. Finnish shooters were nicknamed "cuckoos". The reason for this was that they used special "nests" in the trees. This feature was distinctive for the Finns, although trees were used for this purpose in almost all countries.
So who exactly are the best snipers of World War II indebted to? The most famous "cuckoo" was considered Simo Heihe. It was nicknamed the "white death". The number of confirmed murders committed by him exceeded the mark of 500 liquidated soldiers of the Red Army. In some sources, his indicators were equal to 700. He received a rather severe wound. But Simo was able to recover. He died in 2002.
Propaganda played its part
The best snipers of the Second World War, namely their achievements, were actively used in propaganda. Quite often it happened that the personalities of the shooters began to grow into legends.
The famous domestic sniper was able to destroy about 240 enemy soldiers. This figure was average for effective shooters of that war. But due to propaganda, he was made the most famous Red Army sniper. At the present stage, historians seriously doubt the existence of Major Koenig, Zaitsev's main opponent in Stalingrad. The main merits of the domestic shooter include the development of a training program for snipers. He personally took part in their preparation. In addition, he formed a full-fledged sniper school. Its graduates were called "bunnies".
Top scoring shooters
Who are they, the best snipers of World War II? The names of the most productive shooters should be known. In the first position is Mikhail Surkov. They destroyed about 702 enemy soldiers. Following him on the list is Ivan Sidorov. He destroyed 500 soldiers. Nikolay Ilyin is in the third position. They killed 497 enemy soldiers. With a mark of 489 killed, Ivan Kulbertinov follows him.
The best snipers of the USSR of World War II were not only men. In those years, women also actively joined the ranks of the Red Army. Some of them later became quite effective shooters. about 12 thousand enemy soldiers were destroyed. And the most productive was Lyudmila Pavlichenkova, on whose account there were 309 killed soldiers.
The best snipers of the USSR in World War II, of which there were quite a lot, have a large number of effective shots in their account. About fifteen arrows destroyed more than 400 soldiers. 25 snipers killed over 300 enemy soldiers. 36 shooters destroyed more than 200 Germans.
There is little information about enemy shooters
There is not so much information about "colleagues" from the enemy side. This is due to the fact that no one tried to boast of their exploits. Therefore, the best German snipers of the Second World War in ranks and names are practically not known. We can only say for sure about those shooters who were awarded the Knight's Iron Crosses. It happened in 1945. One of them was Friedrich Payne. They killed about 200 enemy soldiers. The most productive, most likely, was Matthias Hetzenauer. They destroyed about 345 soldiers. The third sniper who was awarded the order was Josef Olerberg. He left memoirs, in which quite a lot was written about the activities of the German shooters during the war. The sniper himself killed about 257 soldiers.
sniper terror
It should be noted that in Normandy in 1944 there was a landing of the Anglo-American allies. And it was in this place that the best snipers of the Second World War were located at that time. German arrows killed many soldiers. And their performance was facilitated by the terrain, which was simply replete with shrubs. The British and Americans in Normandy faced real sniper terror. Only after that did the allied forces think about training specialized shooters who could work with an optical sight. However, the war has already come to an end. Therefore, the snipers of America and England were never able to set records.
Thus, the Finnish "cuckoos" once taught good lesson. Thanks to them, the best snipers of World War II served in the Red Army.
Women fought alongside men
Since ancient times, it has developed so that men are involved in the war. However, in 1941, when the Germans attacked our country, the whole people began to defend it. Holding weapons in their hands, being at the machines and on the collective farm fields, they fought against fascism Soviet people- men, women, old people and children. And they were able to win.
There is a lot of information in the annals about women who received And the best snipers of the war were also present among them. Our girls were able to destroy more than 12 thousand enemy soldiers. Six of them received a high rank And one girl became full cavalier soldier's
Legend girl
As mentioned above, the famous sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenkova destroyed about 309 soldiers. Of these, 36 were enemy shooters. In other words, she alone was able to destroy almost an entire battalion. Based on her exploits, a film called "The Battle for Sevastopol" was made. The girl went to the front voluntarily in 1941. She took part in the defense of Sevastopol and Odessa.
In June 1942, the girl was wounded. After that, she no longer took part in the hostilities. The wounded Lyudmila was carried from the battlefield by Alexei Kitsenko, with whom she fell in love. They decided to file a marriage registration report. However, the happiness did not last too long. In March 1942, the lieutenant was seriously wounded and died in the arms of his wife.
In the same year, Lyudmila joined the delegation of Soviet youth and left for America. There she made a splash. After returning, Lyudmila became an instructor at a sniper school. Under her leadership, several dozen good shooters were trained. Here they were - the best snipers of the USSR in World War II.
Establishment of a special school
Perhaps, Lyudmila's experience was the reason that the country's leadership began to teach shooting art to girls. Courses were specially formed in which girls were in no way inferior to men. Later, it was decided to reorganize these courses into the Central Women's School of Sniper Training. In other countries, only men were snipers. In World War II, girls were not taught this art professionally. And only in the Soviet Union did they comprehend this science and fight on an equal footing with men.
The cruel attitude was towards the girls from the enemies
In addition to a rifle, a sapper shovel and binoculars, women took grenades with them. One was intended for the enemy, and the other for himself. Everyone knew that German soldiers treated snipers cruelly. In 1944, the Nazis managed to capture the domestic sniper Tatyana Baramzina. When our soldiers discovered her, they could only recognize her by her hair and uniforms. The enemy soldiers stabbed the body with daggers, cut out the breasts, gouged out the eyes. They stuck a bayonet in the stomach. In addition, the Nazis shot the girl at close range with an anti-tank rifle. Of the 1885 graduates of the school of snipers, about 185 girls could not survive to the Victory. They tried to save them, they did not throw them on particularly difficult tasks. But still, the glare of optical sights in the sun often gave out shooters, who were then found by enemy soldiers.
Only time has changed attitudes towards female shooters
Girls - the best snipers of World War II, whose photos can be seen in this review, experienced a terrible thing at one time. And when they returned home, they were sometimes met with contempt. Unfortunately, in the rear, a special attitude was formed towards the girls. Many of them were unfairly called field wives. Hence the contemptuous glances that were awarded to female snipers.
For a long time they did not tell anyone that they were at war. They hid their awards. And only after 20 years the attitude towards them began to change. And it was at this time that the girls began to open up, talking about their many exploits.
Conclusion
In this review, an attempt was made to describe those snipers who became the most productive during the entire time that the Second World War. There are enough of them. But it should be noted that not all shooters are known. Some tried to spread as little as possible about their exploits.
The best snipers of World War II. German, Soviet, Finnish arrows played a rather important role in wartime. And in this review, an attempt will be made to consider those that have become the most effective.
The emergence of sniper art
Starting from the moment when personal weapons appeared in the armies, which made it possible to hit the enemy at long distances, well-aimed shooters began to be distinguished from the soldiers. Subsequently, separate divisions of rangers began to form from them. As a result, a separate type of light infantry was formed. The main tasks that the soldiers received included the destruction of the officers of the enemy troops, as well as the demoralization of the enemy due to marksmanship at considerable distances. To do this, the shooters were armed with special rifles.In the XIX century there was a modernization of weapons. Changed, respectively, and tactics. This was facilitated by the emergence of an optical sight. During the First World War, snipers were part of a separate cohort of saboteurs. Their goal was to quickly and effectively defeat a living enemy force. At the very beginning of the war, snipers were mainly used by the Germans. However, over time, special schools began to appear in other countries. In the context of protracted conflicts, this "profession" has become quite in demand.
Finnish snipers
In the period from 1939 to 1940 Finnish shooters were regarded as the best. The snipers of World War II learned a lot thanks to them. Finnish shooters were nicknamed "cuckoos". The reason for this was that they used special "nests" in the trees. This feature was distinctive for the Finns, although trees were used for this purpose in almost all countries.So who exactly are the best snipers of World War II indebted to? The most famous "cuckoo" was considered Simo Heihe. It was nicknamed the "white death". The number of confirmed murders committed by him exceeded the mark of 500 liquidated soldiers of the Red Army. In some sources, his indicators were equal to 700. He received a rather severe wound. But Simo was able to recover. He died in 2002.
Propaganda played its part
The best snipers of the Second World War, namely their achievements, were actively used in propaganda. Quite often it happened that the personalities of the shooters began to grow into legends.
The famous domestic sniper Vasily Zaitsev was able to destroy about 240 enemy soldiers. This figure was average for effective shooters of that war. But due to propaganda, he was made the most famous Red Army sniper. At the present stage, historians seriously doubt the existence of Major Koenig, Zaitsev's main opponent in Stalingrad. The main merits of the domestic shooter include the development of a training program for snipers. He personally took part in their preparation. In addition, he formed a full-fledged sniper school. Its graduates were called "bunnies".
Top scoring shooters
Who are they, the best snipers of World War II? The names of the most productive shooters should be known. In the first position is Mikhail Surkov. They destroyed about 702 enemy soldiers. Following him on the list is Ivan Sidorov. He destroyed 500 soldiers. Nikolay Ilyin is in the third position. They killed 497 enemy soldiers. With a mark of 489 killed, Ivan Kulbertinov follows him.The best snipers of the USSR of World War II were not only men. In those years, women also actively joined the ranks of the Red Army. Some of them later became quite effective shooters. Soviet women about 12 thousand enemy soldiers were destroyed. And the most productive was Lyudmila Pavlichenkova, on whose account there were 309 killed soldiers.
The best snipers of the USSR in World War II, of which there were quite a lot, have a large number of effective shots in their account. About fifteen arrows destroyed more than 400 soldiers. 25 snipers killed over 300 enemy soldiers. 36 shooters destroyed more than 200 Germans.
There is little information about enemy shooters
There is not so much information about "colleagues" from the enemy side. This is due to the fact that no one tried to boast of their exploits. Therefore, the best German snipers of the Second World War in ranks and names are practically not known. We can only say for sure about those shooters who were awarded the Knight's Iron Crosses. It happened in 1945. One of them was Friedrich Payne. They killed about 200 enemy soldiers.
The most productive, most likely, was Matthias Hetzenauer. They destroyed about 345 soldiers. The third sniper who was awarded the order was Josef Olerberg. He left memoirs, in which quite a lot was written about the activities of the German shooters during the war. The sniper himself killed about 257 soldiers.
sniper terror
It should be noted that in Normandy in 1944 there was a landing of the Anglo-American allies. And it was in this place that the best snipers of the Second World War were located at that time. German arrows killed many soldiers. And their performance was facilitated by the terrain, which was simply replete with shrubs. The British and Americans in Normandy faced real sniper terror. Only after that did the allied forces think about training specialized shooters who could work with an optical sight. However, the war has already come to an end. Therefore, the snipers of America and England were never able to set records.Thus, the Finnish "cuckoos" taught a good lesson in their time. Thanks to them, the best snipers of World War II served in the Red Army.
Women fought alongside men
Since ancient times, it has developed so that men are involved in the war. However, in 1941, when the Germans attacked our country, the whole people began to defend it. Holding weapons in their hands, being at the machines and on the collective farm fields, Soviet people fought against fascism - men, women, old people and children. And they were able to win.There is a lot of information in the annals about women who received military awards. And the best snipers of the war were also present among them. Our girls were able to destroy more than 12 thousand enemy soldiers. Six of them received the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. And one girl became a full cavalier of the soldier's Order of Glory.
Legend girl
As mentioned above, the famous sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenkova destroyed about 309 soldiers. Of these, 36 were enemy shooters. In other words, she alone was able to destroy almost an entire battalion. Based on her exploits, a film called "The Battle for Sevastopol" was made. The girl went to the front voluntarily in 1941. She took part in the defense of Sevastopol and Odessa.
In June 1942, the girl was wounded. After that, she no longer took part in the hostilities. The wounded Lyudmila was carried from the battlefield by Alexei Kitsenko, with whom she fell in love. They decided to file a marriage registration report. However, the happiness did not last too long. In March 1942, the lieutenant was seriously wounded and died in the arms of his wife.
In the same year, Lyudmila joined the delegation of Soviet youth and left for America. There she made a splash. After returning, Lyudmila became an instructor at a sniper school. Under her leadership, several dozen good shooters were trained. Here they were - the best snipers of the USSR in World War II.
Establishment of a special school
Perhaps, Lyudmila's experience was the reason that the country's leadership began to teach shooting art to girls. Courses were specially formed in which girls were in no way inferior to men. Later, it was decided to reorganize these courses into the Central Women's School of Sniper Training. In other countries, only men were snipers. In World War II, girls were not taught this art professionally. And only in the Soviet Union did they comprehend this science and fight on an equal footing with men.The cruel attitude was towards the girls from the enemies
In addition to a rifle, a sapper shovel and binoculars, women took grenades with them. One was intended for the enemy, and the other for himself. Everyone knew that German soldiers treated snipers cruelly. In 1944, the Nazis managed to capture the domestic sniper Tatyana Baramzina. When our soldiers discovered her, they could only recognize her by her hair and uniforms. The enemy soldiers stabbed the body with daggers, cut out the breasts, gouged out the eyes. They stuck a bayonet in the stomach. In addition, the Nazis shot the girl at close range with an anti-tank rifle. Of the 1885 graduates of the school of snipers, about 185 girls could not survive to the Victory. They tried to save them, they did not throw them on particularly difficult tasks. But still, the glare of optical sights in the sun often gave out shooters, who were then found by enemy soldiers.
Only time has changed attitudes towards female shooters
Girls - the best snipers of World War II, whose photos can be seen in this review, experienced a terrible thing at one time. And when they returned home, they were sometimes met with contempt. Unfortunately, in the rear, a special attitude was formed towards the girls. Many of them were unfairly called field wives. Hence the contemptuous glances that were awarded to female snipers.For a long time they did not tell anyone that they were at war. They hid their awards. And only after 20 years the attitude towards them began to change. And it was at this time that the girls began to open up, talking about their many exploits.
Conclusion
In this review, an attempt was made to describe those snipers who became the most productive during the entire time that World War II was going on. There are enough of them. But it should be noted that not all shooters are known. Some tried to spread as little as possible about their exploits. The invasion of Russia was Hitler's biggest mistake in World War II, which led to the defeat of his predatory army. Hitler and Napoleon failed to take into account two important factors that changed the course of the war: the harsh Russian winters and the Russians themselves. Russia plunged into a war, where even village teachers fought. Many of them were women who fought not in open combat, but as snipers, who chalked up many Nazi soldiers and officers to their account, while demonstrating incredible skill with a sniper rifle. Many of them became famous heroes of Russia, earning accolades and military distinctions. Below are the ten most dangerous Russian female snipers in military history.
Tanya Baramzina
Tatyana Nikolaevna Baramzina was a kindergarten teacher before becoming a sniper in the 70th Infantry Division of the 33rd Army. Tanya fought on the Belorussian front and was parachuted behind enemy lines to carry out a secret mission. Before that, she already had 16 German soldiers on her account, and during this assignment she killed another 20 Nazis. She was eventually caught, tortured and executed. Tanya was posthumously awarded the Order of Golden Star”, and she was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on March 24, 1945.
Nadezhda Kolesnikova
Nadezhda Kolesnikova was a volunteer sniper who served on the Volkhovsky eastern front in 1943. She is credited with the destruction of 19 enemy soldiers. Like Kolesnikova, only 800,000 female soldiers fought in the Red Army as snipers, tank gunners, privates, machine gunners, and even pilots. Not many participants in the hostilities survived: out of 2,000 volunteers, only 500 could remain alive. For her service, Kolesnikova was awarded a medal for courage after the war.
Tanya Chernova
Not many people know this name, but Tanya became the prototype of a female sniper with the same name in the movie "Enemy at the Gates" (her role was played by Rachel Weisz). Tanya was a Russian-American who came to Belarus to fetch her grandparents, but they had already been killed by the Germans. Then she becomes a Red Army sniper, joining the Hares sniper group, formed by the famous Vasily Zaitsev, who is also featured in the film mentioned above. He is played by Jude Law. Tanya killed 24 enemy soldiers before being wounded in the stomach by a mine. After that, she was sent to Tashkent, where she recovered from her wound for a long time. Fortunately, Tanya survived the war.
Ziba Ganieva
Ziba Ganiyeva was one of the most charismatic figures in the Red Army, having been a Russian celebrity and Azerbaijani film actress in the pre-war era. Ganieva fought in the 3rd Moscow Communist Rifle Division Soviet army. She was a brave woman who went behind the front lines as many as 16 times and killed 21 German soldiers. She took an active part in the battle for Moscow and was seriously wounded. Her injuries prevented her from returning to action after 11 months in the hospital. Ganiyeva was awarded the military orders of the Red Banner and the Red Star.
Rosa Shanina
Rosa Shanina, who was called "Invisible Horror East Prussia”, began to fight when she was not even 20 years old. She was born in the Russian village of Yedma on April 3, 1924. She wrote to Stalin twice to be allowed to serve in a battalion or reconnaissance company. She became the first female sniper to be awarded the Order of Glory and participated in the famous battle for Vilnius. Rosa Shanina had 59 confirmed destroyed soldiers on her account, but she did not live to see the end of the war. While trying to save a wounded Russian officer, she was seriously wounded by a shell fragment in the chest and died on the same day, January 27, 1945.
Lyuba Makarova
Guards Sergeant Lyuba Makarova was one of the 500 lucky ones who survived the war. Fighting in the 3rd Shock Army, she was known for her active service on the 2nd Baltic Front and the Kalinin Front. Makarova chalked up 84 enemy soldiers and returned to her native Perm as a military hero. For her services to the country, Makarova was awarded the Order of Glory 2nd and 3rd degree.
Claudia Kalugina
Klavdia Kalugina was one of the youngest soldiers and snipers in the Red Army. She started fighting when she was only 17 years old. She began her military career working at an ammunition factory, but she soon enrolled in a sniper school and was subsequently sent to the 3rd Belorussian Front. Kalugina fought in Poland and then participated in the Battle of Leningrad, helping to defend the city from the Germans. She was a very accurate sniper and chalked up as many as 257 enemy soldiers. Kalugina remained in Leningrad until the end of the war.
Nina Lobkovskaya
Nina Lobkovskaya joined the Red Army after the death of her father in the war in 1942. Nina fought in the 3rd shock army, where she rose to the rank of lieutenant. She survived the war and even participated in the Battle of Berlin in 1945. She commanded a whole company of 100 female snipers there. Nina had 89 destroyed enemy soldiers on her account.
Nina Pavlovna Petrova
Nina Pavlovna Petrova is also known as "Mother Nina" and could very well be the oldest female World War II sniper. She was born in 1893, and by the beginning of the war she was already 48 years old. After she entered the sniper school, Nina was assigned to the 21st Guards Rifle Division, where she actively performed her sniper duties. Petrova chalked up 122 enemy soldiers. She survived the war but died in a tragic car accident just a week after the end of the war at the age of 53.
Ludmila Pavlichenko
Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who was born in Ukraine in 1916, was the most famous Russian female sniper, nicknamed "Lady Death". Before the war, Pavlichenko was a university student and an amateur shooter. After graduating from the sniper school at the age of 24, she was sent to the 25th Chapaev Rifle Division of the Red Army. Pavlichenko was probably the most successful female sniper in military history. She fought in Sevastopol and Odessa. She had 309 confirmed enemy soldiers killed, including 29 enemy snipers. Pavlichenko survived the war, after she was discharged from active duty due to her injuries. She was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and her face was even depicted on a postage stamp.
After the start Great Patriotic War hundreds of thousands of women went to the front. Most of them became nurses, cooks, and more than 2000 - snipers. Soviet Union was almost the only country that attracted women to perform combat missions. Today I would like to recall the shooters who were considered the best during the war years.
Rosa Shanina
Rosa Shanina was born in 1924 in the village of Yedma, Vologda province (today the Arkhangelsk region). After 7 classes of study, the girl decided to enter pedagogical school in Arkhangelsk. The mother was against it, but the daughter's stubbornness was not to be taken from childhood. Buses did not go past the village then, so the 14-year-old girl walked 200 km through the taiga before reaching the nearest station.
Rosa entered the school, but before the war, when education became paid, the girl was forced to go to work in kindergarten educator. Fortunately, then the employees of the institution were given housing. Rose continued to study at the evening department and successfully completed the 1941/42 academic year.
Even at the beginning of the war, Roza Shanina applied to the draft board and asked to volunteer for the front, but the 17-year-old girl was refused. In 1942 the situation changed. Then the active training of women snipers began in the Soviet Union. It was believed that they are more cunning, patient, cold-blooded, and the fingers pull the trigger more smoothly. At first, Rosa Shanina was taught to shoot at the Central Women's Sniper Training School. The girl graduated with honors and, having refused the position of instructor, went to the front.
Three days after arriving at the location of the 338th Infantry Division, 20-year-old Roza Shanina fired the first shot. In her diary, the girl described the sensations: “... her legs weakened, she slipped into the trench, not remembering herself: “I killed a man, a man ...” Alarmed friends, running up to me, reassured me: “Well, you killed the fascist!” Seven months later, the sniper girl wrote that she was already killing enemies in cold blood, and now this is the whole meaning of her life.
Among other snipers, Roza Shanina stood out for her ability to make doublets - two consecutive shots that hit moving targets.
Shanina's platoon was ordered to move in the second line, behind the infantry detachments. However, the girl constantly rushed to the front line to "beat the enemy." The rose was strictly cut off, because in the infantry it could be replaced by any soldier, and in a sniper ambush - by no one.
Rosa Shanina took part in the Vilnius and Insterburg-Koenigsberg operations. In European newspapers, she was nicknamed "the invisible horror of East Prussia." Rosa became the first woman to be awarded the Order of Glory.
On January 17, 1945, Roza Shanina wrote in her diary that she could soon die, because only 6 of their 78 fighters remained in their battalion. Because of the incessant fire, she could not get out of the self-propelled gun. On January 27, the unit commander was wounded. In an attempt to cover him, Rose was hit in the chest by a shell fragment. The brave girl died the next day. The nurse said that before her death, Rosa regretted that she had not had time to do more.
Ludmila Pavlichenko
The Western press gave the nickname to another Soviet female sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. She was called "Lady Death". Lyudmila Mikhailovna remained famous in world history as the most successful female sniper. On account of her 309 killed soldiers and officers of the enemy.
From the very first days of the war, Lyudmila went to the front as a volunteer. The girl refused to be a nurse and demanded to be enrolled as a sniper. Then Lyudmila was given a rifle in her hands and ordered to shoot two prisoners. She got the job done.
Pavlichenko took part in the defense of Sevastopol, Odessa, in battles in Moldova. After a female sniper was seriously wounded, she was sent to the Caucasus. When Lyudmila recovered, she flew as part of the Soviet delegation to the United States and Canada. Lyudmila Pavlichenko spent several days at the White House at the invitation of Eleanor Roosevelt.
The Soviet sniper made many speeches at numerous congresses, but her speech in Chicago was most memorable. Lyudmila said: “Gentlemen, I am twenty-five years old. At the front, I have already managed to destroy three hundred and nine fascist invaders. Don't you gentlemen think you've been hiding behind my back for too long?" In the first seconds, everyone froze, and then a flurry of approving applause erupted.
On October 25, 1943, female sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Nina Petrova
Nina Petrova is the oldest sniper among women. She was 48 years old when the Great Patriotic War began, but age did not affect her accuracy in any way. A woman in her youth was engaged in bullet shooting. At the sniper school, she worked as an instructor. In 1936, Nina Pavlovna released 102 Voroshilov riflemen, which testifies to her highest professionalism.
Behind Nina Petrova 122 killed enemies during the war and the training of snipers. The woman did not live to see the end of the war for only a few days: she died in a car accident.
Claudia Kalugina
Claudia Kalugin was named one of the most productive snipers. She got into the ranks of the Red Army as a 17-year-old girl. On account of Claudia 257 destroyed soldiers and officers.
After the war, Claudia shared her memories of how at first she did not hit the target at the sniper school. They threatened to leave her in the rear if she did not learn to shoot accurately. And not to go to the front line was considered a real shame. For the first time, being in a blizzard in a trench covered with snow, the girl got scared. But then she overcame herself and began to make well-aimed shots one after another. The hardest thing was to drag a rifle along with her, because the growth of thin Claudia was only 157 cm. But the sniper girl overcame all adversity, and over time she was spoken of as the most accurate shooter.
female snipers
This photo of female snipers is also called "775 kills in one shot", because in total they destroyed exactly that many enemy soldiers.
During the Great Patriotic War, not only female snipers terrified the enemy. , because the radars did not detect them, the noise of the engines was practically inaudible, and the girls dropped the bombs with such precision that the enemy was doomed.
