Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev

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Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev

Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev (Russian: Васи́лий Григо́рьевич За́йцев) (March 23, 1915 in Yelino - December 15, 1991 in Kiev), was a Soviet sniper during World War II who between November 10 and December 17 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad killed 225 soldiers and officers of the enemy, including 11 snipers (in Junior Lieutenant military rank).

Prior to November 10 he had already killed 32 Germans with the ordinary Mosin rifle ("tryokhlineyka", three line rifle) [1]. It is estimated that the 28 snipers he had trained killed more than 3000 enemy soldiers. Some sources claim, that Zaytsev's performance was not unique and a hypothetic unknown Soviet soldier, identified only as Zikan, also killed 224 Nazis by November 20.

Zaitsev served until January 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes. Professor Filatov restored his sight. After that he returned to the front and finished the war on the Dniestr river with the military rank of Captain. After the war, Zaitsev managed a factory in Kiev.

According to Anthony Beevor's book "Stalingrad", some Soviet sources claimed that the Germans brought in the chief of their sniper school, Major Heinz Thorvald (some say his last name was König), to assassinate Zaitsev. Zaitsev, after a hunt of several days, allegedly spotted his opponent hiding under a sheet of corrugated iron, and shot him dead. This supposed duel is depicted in the fictionalized film Enemy at the Gates.

The telescopic sight from Thorvald's rifle, allegedly Zaitsev's most treasured trophy, is still exhibited in the Moscow armed forces museum. However, the entire story remains essentially unconfirmed. There is absolutely no mention of it in any Soviet military reports, including those to Aleksandr Shcherbakov, even though almost every act of sniperism was reported with relish.

Zaitsev grew up in the Ural Mountains and learned marksmanship by shooting deer. Zaitsev means of hare in Russian. The snipers he trained were nicknamed zaichata, meaning "leverets" (baby hares). Anthony Beevor writes in "Stalingrad" that this was the start of the "sniper movement" in the 62nd Army. Conferences were arranged to spread the doctrine of "sniperism" and exchange ideas on technique and principles that was not limited to marksmanship skills.