History UsefulNotes / SimoHayha

The Soviet forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Soviets had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Soviet army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]]. During the Continuation War (1941 - 1944), he asked to serve again, but was excused by authorities due to his still-recovering facial injuries (moreover, should he perish in battle, it would be a major blow to Finnish morale and a propaganda victory for the Soviets). Simo would spend the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

The Soviet forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Soviets had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived, killed the man that shot him, then slipped into a coma. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Soviet army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]]. During the Continuation War (1941 - 1944), he asked to serve again, but was excused by authorities due to his still-recovering facial injuries (moreover, should he perish in battle, it would be a major blow to Finnish morale and a propaganda victory for the Soviets). Simo would spend the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

The Soviet forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Soviets had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived, killed the man that shot him, then slipped into a coma. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Soviet army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]]. During the Continuation War (1941 - 1944), he asked to serve again, but was excused by authorities due to his still-recovering facial injuries (moreover, should he perish in battle, it would be a major blow to Finnish morale and a propaganda victory for the Soviets). Simo would spend the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

* ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzerDasFinale'': [[spoiler:Youko "The White Witch" of Jatkosota High School - the Finnish-themed school - who wins multiple battles with long range sniper shots and wears all white is a clear homage. First seen in part 3]]

The Soviet forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Soviets had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Soviet army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]]. During the Continuation War (1941 - 1944), he asked to serve again, but was excused by authorities due to his still-recovering facial injuries (moreover, should he perish in battle, it would be a major blow to Finnish morale and a propaganda victory for the Soviets). Simo would spend the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

* A manga called ''[[http://myanimelist.net/manga/67315/Shiroi_Majo/ Shiroi Majo]]'' was released in 2014 which features Simo Häyhä in the middle of the Winter War in 1939. Just one slight difference from reality: "Simo Häyhä" is [[GenderFlip a teenage girl]] who looks [[{{Expy}} outrageously similar]] to [[LightNovel/SwordArtOnline Sinon.]]

Using his extensive knowledge of the surrounding forest as well as a knack for camouflage (he dressed in all white and even kept snow in his mouth so as to mask his breathing and avoid giving away his position), [[OneManArmy he racked up at least 500 kills-estimate (259 by rifle, and an equal number by submachine gun)]]. While his Russian counterparts would spend a few days at a time in the field, he ''just stayed out there,'' taking food, ammo, and whatever else he needed from the bodies of Russians he killed. All the more impressive was that he did all of this ''without a scope or a spotter''. He instead used the trusty iron-sights on the rifle, as he noticed that using a scope presented a target due to the glint off the lens; when asked later in life how he had become such an incredible shot, Simo answered simply: "Practice. And clear days."[[note]]In forested terrain, where battles are fought at shorter ranges, a trained marksman can easily hit a target as large as a man without a scope. Extreme-long-range hits like those that happen in modern Afghan or Iraqi Wars are a different story.[[/note]]

The Russian forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]]. During the Continuation War (1941 - 1944), he asked to serve again, but was excused by authorities due to his still-recovering facial injuries (moreover, should he perish in battle, it would be a major blow to Finnish morale and a propaganda victory for the Soviets). Simo would spend the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

The Russian forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]]. During the Continuation War (1941 - 1944), he asked to serve again, but was excused by authorities due to his still-recovering facial injuries (moreover, if he should fall in battle, it would be a major blow to Finnish morale and a propaganda victory for the Soviets). Simo would spend the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

The Russian forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper managed to shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round, blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]], where he spent the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

* ''Manga/ShuumatsuNoWalkureRecordOfRagnarok'' has Simo listed as one of humanity's representatives to fight against the gods.

** One of the Snipers in ''VideoGame/GirlsFrontlineProjectNeuralCloud'' is named Simo. Part of a model line specially built for stealth and long-range combat, Simo is dressed in white and blue ([[WearingAFlagOnYourHead much like the Finnish flag]]) and owns a ferret named Sako, after the Finnish arms manufacturer which produced licensed copies of Mosin-Nagant.

The Russian forces were [[TheDreaded absolutely terrified of Häyhä]], nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper, after Simo had killed 40 other soldiers, managed to ''shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round'', blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]], where he spent the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

''[[caption-width-right:250: [[RedBaron The White Death]]]]]]''

''[[caption-width-right:250: [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas The last thing you never see.]]]]''

* In ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', one legendary sniper rifle was called the "White Death" (ironically manufactured by the Russian-styled Vladof Corporation). It was later renamed to "Lyuda" after Lyudmila Pavlichenko, but Xbox 360 versions of the game retain the White Death name.

[[quoteright:243:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Simo_hayha_honorary_rifle_787.jpg]]

The Russian forces were absolutely terrified of Häyhä, nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper, after Simo had killed 40 other soldiers, managed to ''shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round'', blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo survived. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]], where he spent the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

* ''Manga/ShuumatsuNoWalkureRecordOfRagnarok' has Simo listed as one of humanity's representatives to fight against the gods.

The Russian forces were absolutely terrified of Häyhä, nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper, after Simo had killed 40 other soldiers, managed to ''shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round'', blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo walked back to his nearest unit, where he was sent to the hospital, whereupon he slipped into a coma. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]], where he spent the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.

-->--'''Website/BadassOfTheWeek''', [[http://www.badassoftheweek.com/hayha.html on the man himself]].

* One achievement in ''VideoGame/SniperEliteV2'' ("World Record") is achieved by getting 506 total sniper rifle kills, beating Häyhä's (believed to be accurate at the time) kill count by one.

* One achievement in ''VideoGame/SniperEliteV2'' ("World Record") is achieved by getting 506 total sniper rifle kills, beating Häyhä's kill count by one.

Using his extensive knowledge of the surrounding forest as well as a knack for camouflage (he dressed in all white and even kept snow in his mouth so as to mask his breathing and avoid giving away his position), [[OneManArmy he racked up to an incredible 704-742 kills-estimate (542 by rifle, and around 200 by submachine gun)]]. While his Russian counterparts would spend a few days at a time in the field, he ''just stayed out there,'' taking food, ammo, and whatever else he needed from the bodies of Russians he killed. All the more impressive was that he did all of this ''without a scope or a spotter''. He instead used the trusty iron-sights on the rifle, as he noticed that using a scope presented a target due to the glint off the lens; when asked later in life how he had become such an incredible shot, Simo answered simply: "Practice. And clear days."[[note]]In forested terrain, where battles are fought at shorter ranges, a trained marksman can easily hit a target as large as a man without a scope. Extreme-long-range hits like those that happen in modern Afghan or Iraqi Wars are a different story.[[/note]]

The Russian forces were absolutely terrified of Häyhä, nicknaming him [[RedBaron The White Death]]. They attempted numerous times to kill him, from sending teams of countersnipers after him ([[AssassinOutclassin none came back alive]]) to [[TheresNoKillLikeOverKill artillery bombing any place they thought he was hiding]]. Each of these attempts was met with failure, and Simo continued to stomp any enemy who came within his sights. Eventually, the Russians had a stroke of luck when one sniper, after Simo had wiped out the whole team, managed to ''shoot him through the jaw with an explosive round'', blowing half of his cheek away. Incredibly, Simo walked back to his nearest unit, where he was sent to the hospital, whereupon he slipped into a coma. A ceasefire was ordered, and [[AsleepForDays eleven days later, on the day Simo awoke]], the Russian army withdrew. While almost certainly a coincidence, it was nonetheless an incredible one. With the Winter War over, Simo [[CallToAgriculture returned to farming]], where he spent the majority of his life breeding dogs and hunting moose, sometimes being the hunting guide of the [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} President of Finland]]. When asked if he regretted killing so many people, all Simo had to say was: [[JustFollowingOrders "I did what I was told to as well as I could"]]. He passed away in 2002, aged 96.