Great Snipers Throughout History

Throughout history the sniper has been crucial to battlefield success in nearly every war. A sniper brings many things to the battlefield other than marksmanship and long distance shooting ability. When you have a gifted shooter on your side that person can change the course of a battle by taking out significant leaders and causing fear for the opposition. A good sniper can be just as damaging in a psychological sense than from a pure damage sense. When you take a look at the past wars you can find snipers and sharpshooters that almost single-handedly changed the outcome of history.

During the Civil War it was Col. Hiram Berdan that commanded the 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooters for the Union army. These units were equipped with the legendary Sharps rifle that gained fame as one of the finest shooting rifles of the period. Hiram Berdan was the top shooter in the military for 15 years in a row leading up to war and in order to join his divisions men had to pass extremely difficult shooting and vision tests. The researchers claim that these Sharpshooter divisions caused more casualties than any other division during the history of the war.

While you cannot consider him a true sniper Alvin C. York most certainly held the skills necessary for the position and is remembered as one of the finest sharpshooters in military history. It was during World War I in 1918 where he almost single-handedly killed and captured 157 German soldiers. He led a small platoon to take out a German gun placement. After most of his group were put out of action he proceeded alone armed with just a rifle, pistol and a keen hunting sense. Alvin C. York killed 25 and captured another 132 German soldiers knocking out numerous gun positions and returning home a hero in the process.

One of the most popular snipers in history is Russian sharpshooter Vasily Zaytsev. It was during World War II at the Battle of Stalingrad where Zaytsev made his mark and struck fear into the hearts of German officers. Vasily Zaytsev is credited with 242 confirmed kills during the Battle of Stalingrad and over 400 confirmed kills for the entire war. It was his duel with top German sniper Heinz Thorvald that gained with worldwide attention. While there is much speculation as to whether or not the encounter ever happened the story is interesting all the same.

The man that many people consider the greatest sniper and shooter in American history is Carlos Hathcock II. With just 93 confirmed kills the numbers fail in comparison to the others already mentioned but the way he obtained those kills gained him legendary status. One of the most amazing stories is how he crawled 1,000 yards over the course of 4 days through enemy patrols to take out a highly ranking Vietnamese general. Then of course you have the time he time he took out a Vietnamese soldier from over 2,400 yards away. Perhaps the most important thing he ever done had little to do with sniper skills when he pulled wounded marines from a burning vehicle. The burns and injuries he received ended his career as a sniper in the field but he would continue on as an instructor.

I saved Finnish sniper Simo Hayha for last because he is one of the most underrated snipers of all-time. In just 100 days from 1939 to 1940 Simo Hayha is credited with over 500 confirmed kills against the invading Russian army. He was called “White Death” by many due to his solid white uniform and sniper tactics that involved him tunneling through the snow. The fact that he done all of this using an older rifle without a scope makes these numbers even more impressive. It is said that Simo Hayha recorded over 800 unconfirmed kills.

As you can see throughout history several men have helped change the course of battle with amazing displays of marksmanship and courage. With warfare slowly turning more towards the urban setting the use of snipers will likely increase to save military and civilian lives. As long we have war there will always be great shooters scanning the battlefield and changing the way battles are fought.