I found these on Pinterest. So I thought would share the results of some one’s great skill and talent to make these great looking rifles .
Here is their email address
& the work that they have shown.
CUSTOM RIFLES GALLERY
1
Chelsea Pensioner
Chelsea pensioners in scarlet coats and tricorne hats at the Founder’s Day parade in the Royal Hospital Chelsea
A Chelsea Pensioner, or In-Pensioner, is a resident at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London. The Royal Hospital Chelsea is home to some 300 retired British soldiers, male and female (since 2009), and is located on Royal Hospital Road. Historically, the phrase “Chelsea Pensioner” applied more widely, referring to both In-Pensioners and Out-Pensioners who live elsewhere.
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In- and Out-Pensioners[edit]
Sergeant William Hiseland, an English Civil War cavalierand one of the first pensioners to be admitted to the Royal Hospital in London
The Royal Hospital was founded by King Charles II in 1682 as a retreat for veterans.[1]The provision of a hostel rather than the payment of pensions was inspired by Les Invalides in Paris.[1]
During the reign of King William III and Queen Mary II, the Royal Hospital was still under construction so they introduced a system for distribution of army pensions in 1689. The pension was to be made available to all former soldiers who had been injured in service, or who had served for more than 20 years.
By the time the Royal Hospital was completed, there were more pensioners than places available in the Royal Hospital. Eligible ex-soldiers who could not be housed in the Hospital were termed Out-Pensioners, receiving their pension from the Royal Hospital but living outside it. In-Pensioners, by contrast, surrender their army pension and live within the Royal Hospital.
In 1703 there were 51 Out-Pensioners. By 1815 this figure had risen to 36,757.
The Royal Hospital remained responsible for distributing army pensions until 1955, following which the phrase “Out-Pensioner” became less common, and “Chelsea Pensioner” was used largely to refer to “In-Pensioners”.
Conditions for admission as an In-Pensioner[edit]
To be eligible for admission as a Chelsea Pensioner a candidate must be a former soldier or non-commissioned officer of the British Army (including National Service) or a former officer of the British Army who served in the ranks for at least 12 years or was awarded a disablement pension while serving in the ranks. They must be over 65 years of age, be able to live independently on the Long Wards on arrival to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and be free of any financial obligation to support a spouse or family.[2]
Life of In-Pensioners[edit]
A ward within the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Applicants for the Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) are invited for a four-day stay during which they get a taste of what life is like for a Chelsea Pensioner. If they enjoy their stay and it is felt that they will fit in they are invited to become a Chelsea Pensioner. Upon arrival at the Royal Hospital, each In-Pensioner is measured up for their Blues (day-to-day uniform) and Scarlets (the famous uniform that they wear on parade). They are given their own room, or “berth” in a ward, and are allocated to a Company. Up until refurbishment works carried out in the 1950s, these rooms measured 6 x 6 feet. Work completed in 2015 has ensured that all In-Pensioner berths include en suite facilities, a writing desk, and natural light.
On entry, In-Pensioners surrender their army pension, in return receiving board, lodging, clothing and full medical care.[2]
In-Pensioners also have their own Club with a bar, lounges and restaurant; there are allotments for those who enjoy gardening and facilities for lawn bowls. If an In-Pensioner becomes unwell they are moved into the Infirmary, which is a state of the art care home with nursing and a G.P. medical centre.[2] The Royal Hospital Burial Ground is at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey.
Admission of women[edit]
Marjorie Cole, middle, one of many female Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital
Until 2009, only male candidates were admitted. It was announced in 2007 that female ex-service personnel would be admitted on the completion of modernisation of the long wards.[3] In March 2009 the first women in the Hospital’s 317-year history were admitted as In-Pensioners: Dorothy Hughes (aged 85) and Winifred Phillips (aged 82).
In-Pensioner Dorothy Hughes in 2013
Winifred Phillips (1926-2016) trained as a nurse and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1948 and enlisted in the Women’s Royal Army Corps in 1949 while serving in Egypt. For the next 22 years she served in Singapore, Cyprus and Egypt reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. She wrote two books about becoming one of the first female Chelsea Pensioners: My Journey to Becoming the First Lady Chelsea Pensioner (2010), and Mum’s Army: Love and Adventure from the NAAFI to Civvy Street(2013). She never married.[4][5]
Dorothy Hughes joined the British Army in 1941, later working as part of 450 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery in the London Division. In 1945 the Battery was deployed near Dover to defend against V-1 flying bomb attacks. She later worked with the Army Operational Research Group developing fuses in shells used against V-2 rockets and was discharged from the Army in 1946 with the rank of Sergeant.[6][7][8][9][10]
The records at Royal Hospital show that another woman, a Mrs. Christian Davies, was admitted to Chelsea Hospital circa 1717, and was awarded a pension for her service in the army and the wounds she received in the service of the King. She died in 1739 and was buried in the Royal Hospital Chelsea with full military honours.
Clothing[edit]
A Chelsea Pensioner in scarlet uniform.
Chelsea Pensioners are entitled to come and go from the Royal Hospital as they please, and are permitted to wear civilian clothing wherever they travel. However, within the Hospital, and in the surrounding area, they are encouraged to wear a blue uniform. If they travel further from the Royal Hospital, they should wear the distinctive scarlet coats instead of the blue uniform. The scarlet coats are also worn for ceremonial occasions, accompanied by tricornehats. (At other times a peaked hat, known as a shako, is generally worn).
In uniform, the pensioners wear their medal ribbons and the insignia of the rank they reached while serving in the armed forces. They may also wear other insignia they earned during their service and many pensioners now wear parachute jump wings and even SAS jump wings.
Men In Scarlet album[edit]
Seven Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea released an album on 8 November 2010 in order to raise money for the Chelsea Pensioners’ Appeal. Featuring Dame Vera Lynn, Katherine Jenkins, The Soldiers, and Janey Cutler, the album is full of well known wartime songs and includes their traditional march, “The Old Brigade“.[11]
Chelsea Football Club[edit]
Nearby Chelsea Football Club has been affiliated with the Chelsea Pensioners for many years; the club’s first nickname was the Pensioners and until the 1950s the club crest featured a Chelsea pensioner. Residents of the Hospital can be seen attending Chelsea’s home games at Stamford Bridge.[12]
When Chelsea won the Premier League title in 2005, Chelsea Pensioners formed a guard of honour as the players and management came out for the trophy presentation. This was done again when Chelsea won the title in 2010.[13] In tribute to the trademark scarlet coats worn by the pensioners, Chelsea’s kit for the 2010-11 season featured a red trim on the collars.[14]
See also[edit]
Over in the United Kingdom. They seem to take a more mature and caring way of taking care of their Senior Veterans.
Like the Chelsea Hospitaliers. These are British Army Veterans, who have elected to give up their pensions. Who then have a sort of Militarised Rest Home. Just do not tell them that!
Anyways, somebody got smart and interviewed them. As you can guess by now. They have some really good war stories. So I hope that you enjoy them.
The Old and the Bold: Short Magazine Lee Enfield Rifle
Categories
I WANT THEM!
A Fantastic Tribute to the Art of High End Gunsmithing!
Just look at the engraving alone! They look like to me to be “Yellowboy” Winchester Model 1866 on the right.
I do not know what the one on the left is. Maybe a Winchester 1873? Or it may be a Reproduction? I also wonder what calibers they are in?
All I know is that you will not see their like for sale at Walmart!
Here is also a pretty good picture. Of the inside guts of what these guns look like. The simplicity of it is just stunning!
Categories
What were they thinking of !?!
Can you imagine what the recoil must be like? That & where do you hold on to it? Supposedly it is in 12 gauge.
Categories
My Idea about Gun Control
Categories
My Addiction
“Hi my name is Grumpy & I am a gun addict. Hi Grumpy! “I also have not thought about a gun now for almost 20 seconds! Way to go Grumpy! Get the man a coin!”
(Sorry AA!)
So there you are running around minding your own business. Then it happens! All of a sudden you are in a Gun shop.
I think that it is some sort of time / space warp that happens to us gun lovers.
(Yeah, My Wonderful Wife doesn’t buy it either!)
Anyways this is my story, so here goes!
So you decide to look around the local gun emporium. Mind you, you are not really in the market for another gun.
(I believe that one as much as I think Jimmy Hoffa* is going to show up soon)
I mean the kid needs to eat, The wife needs to see the dentist. etc etc. The usual noise of being an adult here in the greatest country in the Universe.
But then you hear that little voice, “Hey you! Oh no! Not you, you say!
Come on over and look at me! Save me from that other jerk who wants to abuse me!”
Now all Gun Lovers have heard that voice right? Or maybe I forgot to take my pills again today.
Anyways, you see an interesting gun. Whom that Evil Gun Shop Owner knows that you want so bad. Who has also laid out that clever financial trap of pricing it just within reach of your gun allowance.
(Not this guy! I am just using the picture. So sorry about that!)
Now I admit that I have a problem. I have too many guns & I need more of them. As my Best Principal once told me.
(I wish I had this many!)
But it could be worse. Guys, remember that those Hounds of our youth. Those so called men. Who having seen any kind of woman. All they can think of is bedding her, Until the next one?
Or the drug addict. Who lives just for the next fix? or other folks like them. Etc etc.
Well one of my many failings is gun collecting. But at least I can rationalize it by saying its an investment.
Actually I have not lost too much cash from my trading & selling of guns over the years. To tell the God’s honest truth.
But to be really honest I do not want to be cured. I am just having way too much fun!
* For the Young Folks out there who do not know who Hoffa was.
James Riddle Hoffa was an American labor union leader who served as the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union from 1958 until 1971. He vanished in late July 1975, at age 62. Wikipedia
Born: February 14, 1913, Brazil, IN
Died: July 30, 1982, Bloomfield Township, MI
Full name: James Riddle Hoffa
Nationality: American
Spouse: Josephine Poszywak (m. 1936–1982)
I always have thought that this was some brilliant advertising!
As I was zooming thru the Net. I spied upon this little nugget of information. So being the Shameless thief that I am. I thought that there might be an interest about this subject. I hope that you wonderful folks out there will like it.
Grumpy
A Double Down Under — Heym 89B
“Phil, we’re going to pass on him; he’s just a bit too short for what we’re looking for.”
The author with the Heym 89B in .470 Nitro Express, and a huge bodied Australian water buffalo. Photo Courtesy: Stealth Films/Steve Couper
Really? The bull was as dead as yesterday, comfortably wading in the billabong, completely oblivious to the hunters standing 40 paces away behind the shade tree on the bank. But, professional hunter Graham Williams was very serious, and all I could do was draw the rifle down on the buffalo and count coup. Something in my body language must have expressed frustration, and the ever-cool Willams uttered what I would soon learn was his catch-phrase: “Please be patient, there are many bulls to be looked over.” I shouldered the big German double, and continued on the buffalo trail beside the series of waterholes that dotted the small valley.
It had been a journey of epic proportions; the East Coast weather in the U.S. caused me to miss my connecting flight, and therefore the flight to Sydney. That wrinkle, coupled with the rigidity of the Australian firearms policies and a lost rifle and baggage made for a stressful couple of days. In camp already, my partners and cameraman were on the hunt, and I was sitting in Darwin waiting for gear. No worries, I was just 36 hours late, but I had arrived. The charter flight was smooth and we saw some good water buffalo bulls and a trio of wallabies on the drive into Graham Williams’ remote camp in Arnhemland, in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The hunt was a combination of work and play; we were filming an episode of Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield, but it was with a group of friends that enjoyed hunting together. Chris Sells, head honcho at Heym USA, had put the hunt together, and his buddies John Lott and John Saltys were along as well. Chris and I had a purpose: to put the Heym Model 89B double rifle — chambered in .470 Nitro Express — through its paces. It wasn’t my first jaunt with the 89B – I had the privilege of taking the first animal, a Cape buffalo bull, with the 89B in .450/400 at the end of 2016 — but it would be a great opportunity to play with the rifle chambered in .470 Nitro Express. Arnhemland is comprised of mostly Aboriginal land, and the hunting operations provide a source of income for the indigenous peoples, in addition to keeping the water buffalo population in check. You see, the Asiatic water buffalo – Bubalus bubalis – was introduced to the Northern Territory in the 1830s, and have since gone feral. Australia classifies them as an invasive species, and they are readily hunted for sport and for meat. Easily weighing over a ton – bigger than any Cape buffalo in Africa – the bulls take a pounding and can soak up a lot of lead. Using a double rifle makes a lot of sense, as the Arnhemland terrain provides enough cover to allow for a good stalk, and the shooting tends to be at close range.
For the big game hunter who’s looking for the best value in a double rifle, the Heym 89B is undoubtedly at the top of the heap.
Hailing the Heym
With a rounded boxlock action, squared at the rear, the Heym 89B offers classic British styling mated with German engineering; truly a sound marriage.
The Heym Model 89B is a perfect choice for this style of hunting, and the .470 Nitro Express is a classic, rimmed, double-rifle cartridge that has proven itself on any and all dangerous game animals, including the African elephant. Ah, the 89B! If you’re a student of dangerous game rifles, I’m certain you’ve heard the Heym name before, and I’m equally sure you are familiar with their Model 88B double rifle. Well, the 89B is the heir to the empire, the successor to the throne. It maintains the same inner workings of the 88B – a highly dependable boxlock – and pays homage to the classic Anson & Deeley design, including the Greener crossbolt and disc-set strikers. That is where the similarities end.
The .470 Nitro Express makes a great choice for any dangerous game, on any continent.
Ammunition for the water buffalo hunt was built with 500-grain North Fork cup solids over Alliant Reloder 15, in Hornady cases. Velocities were at the standard 2,150 fps mark.
When I first held the Model 89B, I immediately noticed the difference in the stock design. German-born gunmaker Ralf Martini was brought in again – he had an integral part in designing the Heym Express by Martini bolt-action rifle I love so much – and formulated a stock design that emulates the classic pre-war British doubles. A sweet, sloping pistol grip – with an angle more relaxed than that of the Model 88B – is designed with a smaller circumference fits perfectly in the hand. In addition, the smaller, sloping forend – in the classic splinter design – gives a firm grip yet none of the bulk or weight of the huge beaver-tail forend designs. The nose of the comb has been moved rearward, and the overall stock design is fundamental to keeping the balance point and weight of the rifle between the hands, to ensure a sweet-handling rifle that is characteristic of the classic double rifles of a century ago. And sweet it is! If you’ve ever handled those classic designs – the Webley & Scott, the Westley Richards – you’ll find the Heym Model 89B to be an immediate friend; it’ll feel like you’ve known each other for years.
Famed stockmaker Ralf Martini was brought in to design the Heym 89B stock, and did a fantastic job creating stylish and ergonomic furniture.
But the stock is only the beginning. During the design process, which took up the better part of a decade, the action and barrels also received an overhaul. Where the 88B has a signature look at the back of the action, with the wood jutting into the rear metal of the action, the 89B has a square action at the rear, in the classic fashion of the Webley P.R.V. 1 action. In comparison to the 88B action, many of those square edges have been rounded – especially on the top and bottom of the action – and some well-placed stippling adds a bit of flair to the action’s top. Heym saw fit to produce another frame size: a larger frame for the .470 Nitro Express and its big brother the .500 Nitro Express.
The underside of the barrels, with caliber and maker inscription.
The splinter forend gave a positive grip, with none of the bulk of the larger beavertail forend designs.
The barrel contour was also made slimmer, once again to put the balance of the rifle between the shooters hands. While this may not seem like such an important feature, trust me when I tell you that the handling of a gun designed specifically to serve on a dangerous game hunt is paramount. The barrel is topped off with a rear sight bedecked with a gold vertical line and some anti-glare stippling on the primary sight, with flip up leaves for further yardages. The bold front bead is filed flat, one of the little things that Heym does to enhance performance. The rib is machined to accept either the Trijicon RMR red-dot or the Docter sight; this is one feature we took full advantage of in Australia. While I used the traditional iron sights in Mozambique for my Cape buffalo, Australia does have some terrain where the shots are in open country, and the Trijicon RMR RM09 – with the oneMOA dot – makes life easier when distances approach 100 yards. As you’ll see shortly, that Trijicon was put to the test and came out shining. The rifle was certainly accurate enough, putting a right and a left within an inch of each other at 50 yards. The Heym rifles are regulated with Hornady ammunition, but for our hunt, we developed a load around the 500-grain North Fork Cup Solid, a bullet designed for all sorts of penetration, with a small cup at the nose for just the slightest hint of expansion. Fueled by Alliant Reloder 15 and clocking in at 2,147 feet per second (fps), this load regulated perfectly, and I was eager to see the performance on those huge Australian bovines.
A thick and pliable red recoil pad helped take the sting out of the .470 NE.
The twin triggers of the 89B broke cleanly and crisply, offering two quick shots for a perfect dangerous game setup. Photo Courtesy: Stealth Films/Steve Couper
The Stalk of a Lifetime
So, with this new frame size, in a rifle with undeniably classic lines, chambered in a time-proven caliber, Graham Williams, Chris Sells and I headed into the Australian bush to stalk some bulls. I was up first, and once I had that encounter with the bull in the billabong, I began to see why Mr. Williams insisted on my patience. Apparently, that bull was positioned at what we dubbed The Valley of the Bulls, as we immediately bumped into several bigger specimens, with Graham pausing an extra bit to glass a distant bull, quietly feeding in the tall grass on a slight hillside. “Do you see that bull Phil? The big one feeding up there?”
A good, bold front sight is easily picked up by the shooter’s eye. HeymUSA has the bead filed flat to reduce glare and allow for more precise shot placement.
“The one with the pink horns? Does he seriously have pink horns?” I asked.
“It’s the color of the soil; it has many different shades and changes quickly in this area. That’s a damned good bull, and we need to take him, but the wind is going to be tricky. Follow me, stay low, and if we bump another bull, stand still and let it pass.”
Aye, aye, Cap’n – right behind you. We had spotted the bull from 350 yards or so, and while he was in an open area dotted with trees, the trees got a bit thicker off to his right, and we used those trees for cover to make an approach. Along the way, two younger bulls had caught our movement, but luckily enough bounded off without too much noise; we felt good that things weren’t disturbed too badly.
The Asiatic water buffalo makes for great hunting; this old bull was fresh from his mud wallow.
Graham and I stopped long enough to have a discussion, or perhaps a debate, about where the bull last was in comparison to where we were heading. During the talk, we simultaneously spotted those pink horns again, this time we watched him lay down about 100 yards off. Slowly, furtively, quietly we snuck from tree to tree, hoping to get good and close to the bull. There was no doubt that he was the bull we wanted to take; he had great mass and was immense in the body. The distance shortened from 50 yards to 30 yards, as Graham and I tiptoed from paperbark tree to paperbark tree, then shortened to 25 yards as I began to question exactly how close he wanted to get. Thumb firmly planted on the 89B’s safety, we ran out of trees at 17 yards, and the bull knew something was up. He got up quickly, but not quickly enough and the 89B floated to my shoulder. The shot presentation wasn’t stellar, but I had enough of an angle to see some ribs and just a hint of the shoulder from the bull’s right side; that’s fine, I didn’t have to penetrate that grass-packed paunch on the left side. The Trijicon dot settled just behind the shoulder and I broke the right trigger, immediately followed by the left. The bull stumbled to his front knees, moving straight away from me now, and another North Fork placed exactly at the root of his tail put him down for good. Still, I gave him another between the shoulder blades as he lay twitching on the ground, and only then did I get the exact scale of a mature Asiatic water buffalo: he went well over a ton, probably closer to 2,200 pounds. Huge, worn horns, caked in reddish-pink mud and broomed off at the tips, swept back beautifully, measuring well over 40 inches between the tips. I stood in awe of this magnificent animal, and as the adrenaline subsided, I reflected back on exactly how wonderful the rifle I carried was. That Trijicon RMR was so good I didn’t even notice it, the dot floated onto the target and the bullet went where the dot was. Watching the footage on film, it looked as though I was shooting a lesser caliber than the big .470; such is the case when a rifle fits you properly.
Graham Williams’ camps offered rustic, yet comfortable, accommodations, in a truly vast and wild area of Australia.
Lasting Impressions
Chris Sells had the opposite end of the distance spectrum a couple days later, when a wise, old bull that we had bumped three times stopped at 120 yards to look back, and Sells and the Heym/RMR combo settled the score for good. “Phil, I wouldn’t have tried that shot with iron sights, but that RMR changes the game” Sells confided. The two of us had carried that gun – trading off for my faithful Heym .404 Jeffery for backup – and both enjoyed the weight and balance. Even with 26-inch barrels, the Heym 89B was never cumbersome, in spite of tipping the scales at an even 11 pounds.
The North Fork Cup Solids worked just fine, giving all sorts of penetration, regardless of shot angle, and among three bulls and numerous shots, we only recovered one bullet. Just a hint of expansion and 100-percent weight retention are common features of the Cup Solid, and that’s exactly what we found.
Now if you don’t feel the need to own a good double rifle, I sort of understand, but if you end up in pursuit of dangerous game – and Graham Williams will attest to the fact that water buffalo can and will charge – a double is an excellent tool for close-quarters work. I feel confident, having handled and shot a fair number of double rifles, that the Heym 89B represents the best value on the double rifle market today. They are made to fit the client in both barrel length and length of pull, and in a market where prices can easily get into six figures, the 89B is a means of attaining a dependable and reliable, yet attractive rifle. There are numerous levels of fine wood and engraving patterns to choose from, as well as a caliber for every shooter’s comfort level. How much did I enjoy my couple of hunts with the 89B? I ordered a .470 NE, stocked to my dimensions, and I cannot wait to take delivery.
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 11 lbs.
Caliber: .470 Nitro Express (tested)
Action: Break action, boxlock
Barrel: 26 in. steel barrels
Magazine: N/A
Sights: Iron sights furnished, able to accept red dot sights, scope mounts available by special order
Overall Length: 43 in.
MSRP: Starting at ~$21,000US (call for pricing)
For more information about Heym rifles, click here.
For more information about Trijicon Red Dot sights, click here.
For more information about hunting Austrailia, click here.
For more information about North Fork Bullets, click here.
To purchase a dangerous game rifle on GunsAmerica, click here.
Categories
Finnish Sniper Rifles of WWII
![Location of Finland (dark green)– in Europe (green & dark grey)– in the European Union (green) – [Legend]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/EU-Finland.svg/250px-EU-Finland.svg.png)
Location of Finland (Dark Green)
The Sniper Version
Poor Finland! Sadly it holds the Record of being the only Democracy that fought with Hitler. Not that they wanted to, I am willing to bet. But when you have Stalin as your neighbor. One really does not have much of a choice. Since it is the Devil or the Deep Blue Sea time.
Now the Finns are a hostage of geography. What with being stuck between the two major powers of Europe. (Germany & Russia)
You also have to remember that the First campaign of conquest in WWII in Europe. Was by Hitler’s then Ally -Stalin. A true Monster of a Man.
https://youtu.be/4Fo7PZzrBVU
So The Finns really did not have a choice on the matter. I mean look at who do you want to have pissed off at you? Pretty tough choice huh?
So the Finns just hunkered down. And then started throwing punches & somehow survived. Due to some great Leadership under this stud of a man.
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Now about the Guns
I have owned a couple of the Mosin–Nagant rifles over the years. During which I have found the Finnish models to be the best of the lot.
That & while they are heavy and bulky. They do shoot pretty well with the Russian 7.62x54r round. Which is a serious man stopper round.
As this guy would heartily agree with down below.
Simo Häyhä
| Simo Häyhä | |
|---|---|
Häyhä after being awarded the honorary rifle model 28.
|
|
| Nickname(s) | White Death |
| Born | 17 December 1905 Rautjärvi, Viipuri Province, Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 1 April 2002 (aged 96) Hamina, Finland |
| Allegiance |  Finland |
| Service/branch | Finnish Army |
| Years of service | 1925–1940 (2) |
| Rank | Alikersantti (Corporal) during the Winter War, promoted to Vänrikki (Second Lieutenant) shortly afterward[1] |
| Battles/wars | Winter War |
| Awards | Cross of Liberty, 3rd class and 4th class Medal of Liberty, 1st class and 2nd class Cross of Kollaa Battle[1] |
Simo “Simuna” Häyhä (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsimo̞ ˈhæy̯ɦæ]; 17 December 1905 – 1 April 2002), nicknamed “White Death” (Russian: Белая смерть, Belaya Smert; Finnish: valkoinen kuolema; Swedish: den vita döden) by the Red Army[citation needed], was a Finnish sniper. According to western sources, using a Finnish-produced M/28-30 rifle (a variant of the Mosin–Nagant rifle) and the Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun, he is reported as having killed 505 men during the 1939–40 Winter War, the highest recorded number of confirmed sniper kills in any major war.[2][3] However, Antti Rantama (Häyhä’s unit military chaplain), credited 259 confirmed sniper kills were made by Simo Häyhä during the Winter War.[4] Häyhä wrote in his diary, found in 2017, that he killed over 500 Soviet soldiers (by both sniper rifle and machine/submachine gun).[5]
Contents
[hide]
Early life[edit]
Häyhä was born in the municipality of Rautjärvi in the Grand Duchy of Finland, in present-day southern Finland near the border with Russia, and started his military service in 1925. He was the second youngest of a Lutheran heritage family of farmers of eight children.[6] Before entering combat, Häyhä was a farmer and hunter. At the age of 20, he joined the Finnish voluntary militia White Guard (Suojeluskunta) and was also successful in shooting sports in competitions in the Viipuri Province. His home was reportedly full of trophies for marksmanship.[7]
Winter War service[edit]
Häyhä in the 1940s, with visible damage to his left cheek after his 1940 wound
During the 1939–40 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, Häyhä served as a sniper for the Finnish Army against the Red Army in the 6th Company of JR 34 during the Battle of Kollaa in temperatures between −40 °C (−40 °F) and −20 °C (−4 °F), dressed completely in white camouflage. Because of Joseph Stalin’s purges of military experts in the late 1930s, the Red Army was highly disorganised and Soviet troops were not issued with white camouflage suits for most of the war, making them easily visible to snipers in winter conditions.[8]
According to Western sources, Simo Häyhä has been credited with 505 confirmed sniper kills.[2] A daily account of the kills at Kollaa was made for the Finnish snipers. All of Häyhä’s kills were accomplished in fewer than 100 days – an average of just over five per day – at a time of year with very few daylight hours.[9][10][11]
However, Simo Hayha’s result is impossible to check, because his targets were always on the Russian side.[12] During the war, the “White death” is one of the leading themes of Finnish propaganda.[13] The Finnish newspapers frequently featured the invisible Finnish soldier, thus creating a heroic myth.[14][15] Depending on the statistics, Häyhä is believed to have killed between 200 to 500 enemies by sniper rifle.[15]
A. Svensson, Häyhä’s division commander, credited Häyhä with 219 confirmed sniper kills, and an equal number of kills by submachine gun, when he awarded Häyhä an honorary rifle on 17 February 1940. In his diary, military chaplain Antti Rantamaa reported 259 confirmed sniper kills and an equal number of kills by machine/submachine gun from the beginning of the war until 7 March 1940, one day after Simo Hayha was seriously wounded.[16]
Some of Simo Häyhä’s figures are from a Finnish Army document (counted from beginning of the war, 30/11/1939):
- 22 December 1939: 138 sniper kills[17]
- 26 January 1940: 199 sniper kills[18]
- 17 February 1940: 219 sniper kills[16]
- 7 March 1940 (when Simo Hayha was seriously wounded): total of 259 sniper kills[16]
Häyhä used his issued Civil Guard rifle, an early series SAKO M/28-30 (Civil Guard district number S60974). The rifle was a Finnish White Guard militia variant of the Mosin–Nagant rifle, known as “Pystykorva” (literally “The Spitz”, due to the front sight’s resemblance to the head of a spitz-type dog) chambered in the Finnish Mosin–Nagant cartridge 7.62×53R. He preferred iron sights over telescopic sights as to present a smaller target for the enemy (a sniper must raise his head a few centimeters higher when using a telescopic sight), to increase accuracy (a telescopic sight’s glass can fog up easily in cold weather), and to aid in concealment (sunlight glare in telescopic sight lenses can reveal a sniper’s position). Häyhä also did not have prior training with scoped rifles thus using captured Soviet scoped rifle (m/91-30 PE or PEM) in combat without proper training was not what he preferred to do. As well as these tactics, he frequently packed dense mounds of snow in front of his position to conceal himself, provide padding for his rifle and reduce the characteristic puff of snow stirred up by the muzzle blast. He was also known to keep snow in his mouth whilst sniping, to prevent steamy breaths giving away his position in the cold air.[19]
In their efforts to kill Häyhä, the Soviets used counter-snipers and artillery strikes,[citation needed] and on 6 March 1940, Häyhä was hit in his lower left jaw by an explosive bullet fired by a Red Army soldier.[20] He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said “half his face was missing”, but he did not die, regaining consciousness on 13 March, the day peace was declared. Shortly after the war, Häyhä was promoted from alikersantti (Corporal) to vänrikki (Second lieutenant) by Finnish Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.[21]
Later life[edit]
Simo Häyhä’s gravestone in Ruokolahti Church Graveyard, Karelia, Finland. The inscription reads: Home – Religion – Fatherland
It took several years for Häyhä to recuperate from his wound. The bullet had crushed his jaw and blown off his left cheek. Nonetheless, he made a full recovery and became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder after World War II, and even hunted with the Finnish President Urho Kekkonen.[19]
When asked in 1998 how he had become such a good shot, Häyhä answered, “Practice.” When asked if he regretted killing so many people, he said, “I only did my duty, and what I was told to do, as well as I could.” Simo Häyhä spent his last years in Ruokolahti, a small municipality located in southeastern Finland, near the Russian border. Simo Häyhä died in a war veterans’ nursing home in Hamina in 2002 at the age of 96,[21][22] and was buried in Ruokolahti.[23]
All that I know for a Red Hot Gospel Truth. Is that I would not want him pissed off at me in my Area of Operations!
for your time spent here!
Grumpy