Zaitsev never states that he or the two other snipers killed this officer. As for the character of a leader of enemy snipers school, it remained a puzzle for me. print PDF. The Soviets soon organized a school of snipers based in a metal hardware factory, marking the beginning of the sniper movement in the Red Army. Vasily Zaitsev. He returned to the frontline after his eyesight recovered, and he served in the army till the end of the war. This allegedly resulted in a sniper duel which ended with Zaytsev killing Knig during the Battle of Stalingrad. Both of these names were popular in Germany at the time and could easily have referred to a number of soldiers. Vasily Zaytsev's early life Vasily Zaytsev was born to an impoverished family in the Ural Mountains region of Russia. In fear for her safety, Danilov has her transferred to an intelligence unit away from the battlefield, ostensibly to make use of her German skills in translating radio intercepts. Alyona Zaitsevas black Lexus crashed into a crowd of people when she jumped a red light in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. She should be upheld as an incredible hero and a role model for her intelligence and her shooting skills, not turned into a pretty face meant to entice a male hero. Warrior. On the September night of 1942 together with other recruits was sent across the Volga to defend Stalingrad. In reality, he served as a clerk before being transferred to the Rifle regiment. Like many of his comrades, he volunteered for transfer to the front line. One method was to cover a large area from three positions, with two men at each point a sniper and a scout. While German propaganda preferred positive news, the death of prominent soldiers was reported. Chernova was a Russian-American who went to Belarus to get her grandparents out of Russia. In 2004 Zinaida Sergeevna Zaitseva, wife of Vasily Zaitsev made the following statement: . The outbreak of World War II caught Zaytsev in the finance department of the Soviet fleet in Vladivostok, where he had been serving as a clerk since 1937. Captain Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev [1] (23 March 1915 - 15 December 1991) was a Soviet sniper during World War II . Find more about her family, personal life, career, achievements, etc. ng ni Vasily l mt th sn ni ting nht vng Ural vi bit ti sn si. For other inquiries, Contact Us. His uncle Vladimir Timoshenko demanded the "toughest penalty" for the driver who he claimed was part of a "golden youth" who no-one curbs. A shocking video of the aftermath of the crash showed bodies strewn on the pavement. The time dragged. Krasnoarmeyets Tania Chernova was a sniper of the Red Army. By that time Zaitsev had killed 32 enemy soldiers with his rifle without a sniper sight. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Mr Zaitsev said: A terrible tragedy has taken the lives of people. Canadian. He was recruited into the Red Army at the age of twenty-two. Zaitsev was serving in the Soviet Navy as a clerk in Vladivostok when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. In a twist of fate, each of them came to believe the other had died in the war, and they didnt learn theyd both survived the front lines until they were nearing old age. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) Related: This is the rifle Vasily Zaytsev used to wage a one-man war in 'Enemy at the Gates' Reportedly within 10 days of fighting in the streets of Stalingrad, Zaitsev's body count reached about 40 kills. "On our knees we are asking families of the perished and injured in this horrific road accident to forgive our daughter. The first and most simple one was a PU sight with a four-power telescope. Upon his transfer to the Army, he got the rank of a senior warrant officer and was assigned to the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the 284th Tomsk Rifle Division which later became part of the 62nd Army at Stalingrad on September 1942. supports HTML5 Vasily Zaytsev was a War Hero. Now they had to take him in sight. At the age of twelve, he managed to shoot a wolf dead with a single bullet from a single-barreled Berdan rifle. Only in Stalingrad he defeated 225 enemy soldiers and officers, 11 of them were snipers. When Stalin learned about the marriage, he sent his son a letter in red pencil, reading: "Why didn't you ask my permission to get married? Both mom and daughter are doing okay. She traveled to Belarus to get her grandparents out of Russia, but upon arriving learned that German invaders had already killed them. BooWiki. While German snipers were not heroes shown in propaganda, a kill count this high would have placed him on the Knights Cross list. Tania traveled through Stalingrad on her own and, at times, with Zaytsev, and the two did eventually became lovers. He returned to the frontline after his eyesight recovered, and he served in the army till the end of the war. Otto von Singer, allegedly sent out to kill Lyudmila Pavlichenko, is a sniper created by Soviet propaganda. World War II caught a future hero in the position of a chief of finance in the Pacific Fleet, where he had been serving since 1937. If you have any questions, please contact us in. In 1969, Chernova was interviewed by American journalist William Craig, who asked her about her time in the Hares. For many years after the war she believed that Vassily Zaitsev, her lover, had died from grievous wounds. It honestly makes one sad to see such an interesting woman and historical figure squandered like this by a script. With the complete lack of evidence pointing to Knig being a real sniper, it is fairly safe to say that he was made up by Soviet propaganda. Nikolai Valuev is a Russian retired professional boxer, actor, politician, and author. She continued to "break as many sticks" as she could. After the war he ran an engineering school and a factory in the Ukraine, and lived to be 76 years old. He replied with that Zaytsev told him. He is particularly notable for his activities between 10 November and 17 December 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad. Vasily Zaytsev was born on March 23, 1915 (age 76) in Russia. Vasily Zaitsev. According to documents from the time, he was so prolific that the Wehrmacht sent their own super sniper, Erwin Knig, to take him out. Ten years after his death, he was shown as the leading character in the film Enemy at the Gates which was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. To be clear, they turned a celebrated veteran into a prop for two men to fawn over, and felt the need to erase her true military career for good measure. There are still scars left on her face that she tries to hide with makeup. Vassili Zitsev a Stalingrad, desembre de 1942 (Catalan) point in time December 1942 filming location Volgograd 1 reference sex or gender male 2 references country of citizenship Soviet Union 0 references allegiance Soviet Union 1 reference given name Vasily 0 references family name Zaytsev 0 references date of birth 23 March 1915 Gregorian He is a celebrity war hero. His popular book is Notes of a Russian Sniper - Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad. *All images of Nazi attributes and symbols do not contain propaganda of extremism and are only used for historical purposes. Seven military wounds constantly of themselves. (3.) Vasily Zaytsev has fought many battles and killed many people in the defense of his home Stalingrad. The love triangle is a lie. Chernova and Zaytsev were in love during the war but were later separated. The story of the popular film doesnt mention his early war career at all, but instead jumps into the battle at Stalingrad: while in Stalingrad, Zaytsev meets Tania Chernova, a young woman whose affections he vies for in competition with one of his close friends. An oligarch whose daughter killed five people and left six seriously injured has said he and his wife are on our knees as they begged her victims families for forgiveness. Vasily Zaytsev was one of the most successful snipers in the Soviet army. The story of his duel at the Battle of Stalingrad would be turned into the 2001 movie Enemy At The Gates. He is considered a Hero of the Soviet Union as he is believed to have killed 225 enemy soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad. He volunteered to be transferred to the Front Line during Germanys invasion of the Soviet Union. During his career as a sniper, he concealed himself in several locations such as high ground or water pipers, and also used to change his location after every few kills. The fascist shot. Zaytsev made a name for himself when he managed to kill an enemy officer 800 meters away with a single shot of his standard issue Mossin-Nagant rifle. He was physically not able to react to a car that flew to the crossroads at such speed, said his lawyer Sergey Perepelitsa, who made clear his client does not accept blame for the crash. Known as 'Lady Death', her name struck fear into the hearts of German soldiers. Jason Simpson is the son of former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O. J. Simpson. In the book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, based on his interviews, Craig wrote: More than a quarter century after her vendetta against the enemy, the graying sniper still refers to the Germans she killed as "sticks" that she broke. However, neither Knig nor Thorvald appear in Wehrmacht archives. Vasily said that a sniper had to be invisible. Vasily Grygoryevich Zaytsev died on December 15th in 1991 and was buried in Kiev, even though he asked to bury him in Stalingrad which he defeated. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. She and the rest of The Hares killed Germans by picking off guards one by one. German snipers were not promoted to high ranks because they would stop being a sniper and become a leader. Claudia Mendes holds a BA Archeology from the University of Leicester. Zaytsev was portrayed by Jude Law. He is someone who likes to serve humanity for a more significant cause. He was recruited into the Red Army at the age of twenty-two. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Vasily Zaytsev. Soviet sniper who killed 225 enemy soldiers during WWII in the 1942 Battle of Stalingrad. 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