This Finnish Farmer Killed 542 Soldiers — And None of Them Ever Saw Who Was Shooting

Simo Häyhä: The Farmer Who Became “White Death”

At 6:47 a.m. on February 17, 1940, Corporal Simo Häyhä lay motionless in a snowdrift, 150 meters from a Soviet supply route near Kollaa, Finland. The temperature was -43°C. For four hours, he had waited, wearing only a white snow smock over his standard Finnish uniform. His rifle: a Mosin-Nagant M28-30, no telescopic sight, just iron sights. He’d already killed 387 Soviet soldiers in 79 days of war. The Soviets had tried everything—counter-sniper teams, artillery, patrols with orders to capture him alive. All had failed. Now, 12 more Soviet soldiers marched into his sights. None would survive the next four minutes.

From Farmer to Sniper

Simo Häyhä was born in 1905, in rural Finland near the Russian border. His family were farmers. From age 12, he hunted in Finland’s deep forests, learning patience, stealth, terrain, and marksmanship. By 20, he was the best hunter in his region, able to shoot a running fox at 400 meters and remain motionless for hours in subzero cold.

In 1925, Häyhä completed mandatory military service and joined the Civil Guard—a volunteer defense force. Finland’s independence was recent, and the threat from Russia was constant. The Civil Guard trained marksmen. Häyhä excelled: at 150 meters, he hit 97% of his targets; at 300 meters, 89%; at 500 meters, 72%.

He returned to farming, but kept training, competing, and winning national shooting championships. His competition rifle was the Mosin-Nagant M28-30—a Finnish modification of the Russian M91, with better sights, trigger, and stock. He always used iron sights, never a scope. Scopes could fog, glint in sunlight, and forced the shooter to expose more of their head. Häyhä could acquire and fire at targets in 1.5 seconds with iron sights, versus 2.8 seconds with a scope.

The Winter War

On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland with overwhelming force: 1 million soldiers, 3,000 tanks, 2,500 aircraft. Finland had just 300,000 troops, no tanks, 114 aircraft. The world expected Finland to surrender in two weeks. Finland didn’t. Simo Häyhä reported for duty.

His regiment deployed to the Kollaa River sector—a defensive line protecting Finland’s second largest city. On December 7, the Soviets attacked in waves. Finnish machine guns cut down thousands; the exchange ratio was 35:1. The Soviets had tanks and artillery; the Finns had rifles, terrain knowledge, and determination.

Häyhä started as a rifleman, but noticed the Soviets moved predictably, followed roads, bunched together. His hunting instincts told him predictable prey dies easily. He requested sniper duty, and began operating alone, selecting his own positions, engaging targets of opportunity.

The Method

Häyhä’s technique was simple and disciplined:

Operate alone, deep in snow, before dawn.
Prepare the position: pack snow tightly, clear the muzzle area to avoid disturbing snow when firing.
Minimize silhouette—only rifle barrel and head exposed.
Hold snow in his mouth to prevent breath vapor from revealing his position at -40°C.
Fire once, observe, fire again if more targets present. Never fire more than three shots from one position before relocating.
Average engagement range: 250 meters. At that distance, the bullet had enough energy to kill instantly.

He averaged 5.3 kills per day in December 1939—seven times higher than the average sniper. By December 22, he had 87 confirmed kills. The Soviets noticed: dead soldiers with single gunshot wounds, no sound, no muzzle flash. They called him Belaya Smert—White Death.

Hunting the Hunter

Soviet command sent counter-sniper teams, equipped with scoped Mosin-Nagant 91/30 PU rifles. They used sound tactics, but failed. Häyhä’s muzzle was below the snow; the blast dissipated, no flash. He relocated after three shots. He held snow in his mouth; no breath vapor. He was invisible.

Artillery bombardments failed. Häyhä moved before shells arrived. Infiltration teams tried to ambush him; he circled, observed, and killed them instead.

By February 1, 1940, Häyhä had 219 confirmed kills. The Soviets increased their efforts, but he adapted faster—changing positions, operating at dawn and dusk, firing fewer rounds per position.

February was his deadliest month. The coldest weather (-40 to -45°C) made Soviet brown uniforms stand out against white snow. Häyhä increased his range to 350–450 meters. On February 17, he killed 16 Soviet soldiers in a single day, firing 19 rounds, 16 hits.

By February 21, he had 387 confirmed kills. The Soviets changed tactics: saturation bombardment, destroying forest cover with 500 shells per day for 12 days. Häyhä adapted, moving daily, digging shallow positions, reducing exposure time.

The Wound

On March 6, 1940, Häyhä was finally hit. A Soviet patrol spotted his position at extreme range and fired. A bullet struck his face, shattering his jaw, severing his tongue, filling his throat with blood. He couldn’t breathe, but crawled 290 meters to Finnish lines. Medics performed a field tracheotomy to save his life. He underwent multiple surgeries; his face was permanently disfigured.

One week later, the Winter War ended. Finland lost territory, but survived as an independent nation. Häyhä had 542 confirmed kills (505 with rifle, 37 with submachine gun), averaging 5.5 per day—the deadliest sniper in history.

Legacy

Häyhä spent months recovering, underwent three more surgeries, and was promoted to second lieutenant. He received Finland’s highest military decoration. When asked by the commander-in-chief how he became such a good shot, Häyhä replied: “Practice.”

He couldn’t return to combat, but trained new snipers. His methods—simplicity, patience, discipline—became the foundation for Finnish sniper doctrine.

He lived quietly, farming and hunting, refusing interviews, remaining humble. In his only interview, he said, “I regret that the war happened. I regret that men died, but I don’t regret my actions. Soviet soldiers invaded my country. They would have killed Finns. I stopped them. That was my duty.”

He died in 2002 at age 96, having outlived the Soviet Union by more than a decade.

Why Simo Häyhä Matters

Häyhä’s effectiveness came from:

Exceptional marksmanship
Infinite patience
Operating alone
Intimate terrain knowledge
Exploiting enemy weaknesses
Absolute discipline
Mindset: sniping as problem-solving, not emotional combat

He proved that skill, patience, and adaptation could overcome technology and numbers. His rifle—a standard Mosin-Nagant M28-30 with iron sights—became a legend, now displayed in the Finnish Military Museum.

Military schools worldwide study Häyhä’s methods. His story is not just about kills, but about perseverance—Finnish “sisu,” the refusal to quit despite impossible odds.

Häyhä never saw himself as a hero. He was a farmer who did his duty. The 542 kills are statistics; the important thing is Finland survived.

Let the story of Simo Häyhä be remembered—not for the number, but for what it means to adapt, endure, and do what must be done.