December 1939, on the snow covered plains of Finland’s Karelian Isthmus, troops of the Red Army cautiously advanced on a massively outnumbered foe. Seconds later, in what appeared to be a deserted landscape, a single shot rang out, and yet another invader fell dead. They didn’t know it, but hidden to their front, and stalking their every move was the most successful sniper in the history of warfare.
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Credits:
• Research & Script: Stefan Jevtić
• Narration: Dan Hill
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• Dubbing: Lydie Moreno & Julius Houben
• Finnish Pronunciation: Aapo Aho
📝 Transcript
Transcribing... This may take a few minutes.
Top Comments
@BattleGuideVT
Checkout our Podcasts with Jesse Alexander & Prof. Matthias Strohn:
WW2 Both Sides of the Wire! | The Second World War from the Allied and Axis perspectives.
The Winter War | WW2 Podcast Episode: 13 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwep7RvN7X0
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BSOWPod
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6U3jssjPXuDJ3iYcZPPsmj
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ww2-both-sides-of-the-wire-a-battle-guide-production/id1760184837
33 likes
@somerandofilipino6957
Simo Hayha died in 2002, so he outlived the Soviet Union as revenge for what they did to his country and his jaw.
2138 likes
@damiank2568
It's 1939 and the Soviet Army is marching on Finland.
As they pass the border, they hear a Finnish voice over the hill -
"One Finnish soldier is better than 10 Soviet soldiers!"
The Soviet general laughs, as he sends 10 men on the hill to capture it.
There is gunfire for a minute and then everything goes silent for a moment, and they then hear the same voice -
"One Finnish soldier is better than a hundred of yours!"
Annoyed, the Soviet general sends hundred men to capture the hill. There is gunfire and bombs going for ten minutes, and everything goes silent again. Suddenly, the same voice yells out -
"One Finnish soldier is better than thousand of Soviet soldiers!"
Enraged, the general sends a thousand men, accompanied with tanks, artillery, mortar teams, and tells them to not return until the hill is theirs.
For half an hour hell breaks loose, bombs and explosions, gunfire, screams and death all around, and then it goes silent again.
One Soviet soldier crawls back, severely wounded and battered.
Before the general could say anything, the soldier says -
"Do not send more troops, comrade general, it's a trap! There is two of them."
1192 likes
@L00s3r
Just drove past the graveyard where Simo is now resting. Here, at Ruokolahti, where Simo spent his years after the war, I can see why someone would give his all to protect such a beautiful country.
634 likes
@Pietr01337
My grandfather had a medal which was earned when fought in Kollaa river. He used to say till his last days the phrase: "Kollaa kestää" which translates to "Kollaa will hold on."
679 likes
@stefanholmstrom68
There is a film about Häyhä being made in Finland. The premiere is in 2027.
386 likes
@sheilamorrison1954
Classic Finnish attitude "I was happy with the results".
96 likes
@timb8970
If they would have left Finland alone, Simo would have never killed anyone.
346 likes
@IkeVMAX4
From Finland, with love
257 likes
@ilkka5267
I'm Finnish, my grandfather fought in the WW2. He was 19 when the Winter War started, and 23 when he got back home. His "soldier's passpart" indicates he fought in every legendary battle fields, including Kollaa. Sadly he passed away in 1985 in a car crash. I was 5 years old. My dad says the man never talked about the war among the family members, but when some of his comraders came visiting, they sat and talked whispering for hours.
175 likes
@andrewhall7930
The Psychological effect that such a sniper has on EVERY SINGLE FRONTLINE ENEMY SOLDIER moving forward during daylight hours cannot be understated. It's almost more impactful than the high death toll he inflicted.
157 likes
@timothyoo7
Quiet, humble and unassuming, yet bound by duty to give all that he could to defend his country. The last statement of his about how it was a team effort of everyone doing their best is quiet telling of his character.
119 likes
@TheTimppis
I saw Simo in the hospital 1980 i when I took my grandfather there. My grandfather said that man was shot to his jaw in the war. I learned decades later who was that man, because nobody has ever told about Simo that time. It was appropriate to talk about such the heroes that time.
110 likes
@jokervienna6433
I am fairly sure that Simo wouldn´t have liked his "fame". I am a Swede, and have met many folks like him. They don´t talk much and prefer to show what they can do. Or stay quiet in a corner. They never boast. If asked, they´ll say "I did what was needed", or something like that. If anything.
344 likes
@AlexHalt100
i spend several winter exercises during my army time. the worst one at -25/30 degrees but only for a week and with fairly modern equipment and creature comforts. i said this under a stalingrad documentary as well: i simply cant imagine fighting in such conditions and landscapes for that amount of time or with the equipment they had.