Invisible Death: the 7 best snipers in the history of all the wars of the world

A good sniper doesn't have to be a career soldier. This simple postulate was well understood by the Red Army soldiers who participated in the Winter War of 1939. One successful shot also does not make a person a sniper. Luck is very important in war. Only the true skill of a fighter who knows how to hit a target at a great distance, from an unusual weapon or from an uncomfortable position has a greater price.

The sniper has always been an elite warrior. Not everyone can cultivate the character of such a force. 

1. Carlos Hatchcock

Like many American teenagers from the outback, Carlos Hatchcock dreamed of joining the army. A 17-year-old boy with a cinematic white feather sticking out of his cowboy hat was greeted with grins at the barracks. The first firing range, taken by Carlos in a rush, turned the chuckles of his colleagues into a reverent silence. The guy was not just a talent-Carlos Hatchcock was born solely for the sake of accurate shooting. In 1966, the young fighter met in Vietnam.

There are only a hundred dead people on his official account. The memoirs of Hatchcock's surviving co-workers include significantly larger numbers. This could be attributed to the understandable bragging rights of the fighters, if not for the huge amount put up by North Vietnam for his head. But the war was over — and Hatchcock went home without being wounded. He died in his bed, just a few days short of the age of 57.

2. Simo Hyuhya

This name became a kind of symbol of war for both participating countries at once. For the Finns, Simo was a true legend, the personification of the god of vengeance himself. In the ranks of the Red Army, the patriot sniper received the name White Death. In a few months of the winter of 1939-1940, the shooter destroyed more than five hundred enemy soldiers. Simo Hyuhya's incredible level of skill is highlighted by the weapon he used: the M/28 rifle with an open sight.

3. Lyudmila Pavlichenko

The 309 enemy soldiers on the account of the Russian sniper Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko make her one of the best shooters in the history of world wars. A kid from childhood, Lyudmila was eager to go to the front from the very first days of the invasion of the German occupiers. In one of the interviews, the girl admitted that it was difficult to shoot a live person only for the first time. For the first day of combat duty, Pavlyuchenko could not bring herself to pull the trigger. Then the sense of duty overcame — it also saved the fragile female psyche from an incredible load.

4. Vasily Zaitsev

In 2001, the film "The Enemy at the Gate"was released worldwide. The main character of the film is a real fighter of the Red Army, the legendary sniper Vasily Zaitsev. Until now, it is not known exactly whether the confrontation between Zaitsev and the German shooter reflected in the film took place: most Western sources are inclined to the version of propaganda launched by the Soviet Union, while Slavophiles claim the opposite. However, this fight means almost nothing in the overall standings of the legendary shooter. In the documents of Vasily, there are 149 successfully hit targets. The real number is closer, rather, to five hundred killed.

5. Chris Kyle

Eight years old is the most suitable age to take your first shot. If you were born in Texas, of course. Chris Kyle has been aiming at the target all his adult life: sports targets, then animals, then people. In 2003, Kyle, who has already been noted in several secret operations of the US army, receives a new assignment-Iraq. The fame of a ruthless and very skilled killer comes a year later, the next business trip brings Kyle the nickname "shaitan of Ramadi": a respectfully frightened tribute to the confident shooter. Officially, Kyle has killed exactly 160 enemies of peace and democracy. In private conversations, the shooter mentioned three times as many numbers.

6. Rob Furlong

For a long time, Rob Furlong served as a simple corporal in the Canadian Army. Unlike many of the other snipers mentioned in this article, Rob did not have a pronounced talent for shooting. But the perseverance of the guy would be enough for a company of completely untalented warriors. Through constant training, Furlong developed his ambidexter abilities. Soon the corporal was transferred to the special forces unit. Operation Anaconda was the high point of Furlong's career: in one of the battles, a sniper made a successful shot at a distance of 2,430 meters. This record still holds.

7. Thomas Plunkett

Just two shots brought private soldier of the British army Thomas Plunkett in the category of the best sniper of his time. In 1809, the battle of Monroe took place. Thomas, like all his colleagues, was armed with a Brown Bess musket. Field training was enough for the soldiers to hit the enemy at a distance of 50 meters. Unless, of course, the wind was too strong. Thomas Plunkett, taking good aim, knocked the French general off his horse at a distance of 600 meters.

The shot could be attributed to incredible luck, magnetic fields, and the machinations of aliens. Most likely, the shooter's associates would have done so, having recovered from their surprise. Here, however, Thomas demonstrated his second virtue: ambition. He calmly reloaded his rifle and shot the general's adjutant-at the same 600 meters.