The Deadliest Snipers of World War II

The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most brutal battles of World War II, and within this battle two men fought a historic duel that would be talked about for decades to come. The 2001 film “Enemy at the Gates” portrays this duel between German sniper Erwin Konig and Soviet sniper Vasili Zaitsev, both considered two of the deadliest snipers of the war. Although there are some historical inaccuracies with the film, it depicts the significance of snipers in the conflict.

WWII was a period characterized by numerous forms of weaponry and tactics, and sniping played an important role in this conflict. A handful of notable snipers distinguished themselves due to their extraordinary abilities. Most of those notorious snipers were from the Soviet school of sniping.

To identify the deadliest snipers of World War II, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed various historical and military sources, including Sniper Central, War History Online, and worldwar-two.net. We ranked each sniper on the amount of confirmed kills over the course of WWII and excluded any sniper with less than 340 confirmed kills. (And these are the classic long-range sniper rifles of World War II.)

Although not at the top of the list, Zaitsev was one of the most prolific and notorious snipers of the Red Army. He had an estimated kill count of 400 over the course of the war, and was horrifically effective during the Battle of Stalingrad. Zaitsev’s intricate knowledge of terrain and adept shooting skill left a profound psychological impact on the German forces.

Another prolific sniper was Finland’s Simo Häyhä, also known as “White Death.” Working within Northern Europe’s harsh winter conditions, Häyhä amounted a staggering confirmed kill count of more than 500, the highest of any sniper in any war. He relied on his intimate understanding of Finnish topography to set perfect ambushes. Taking full advantage of camouflage, Häyhä would paint his face, use no scope to avoid reflection, and even keep snow in his mouth to reduce the visibility of his breaths. (Also see, every sniper rifle currently used by the U.S. military.)

One famous sniper from WWII that is not included on this list is the female Soviet sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who earned the name “Lady Death.” With a total of 309 confirmed kills, she proved that ingenuity and marksmanship skills knew no gender boundaries. She was one of many females that were recruited into the Soviet sniper program, and proved to be one of the deadliest.

Here is a look at the deadliest snipers of World War II.

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