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Zaytsev was born in [[Yeleninskoye]] and grew up in the [[Ural Mountains]], where he learned marksmanship by hunting deer with his grandfather. His surname is based on the Russian word ''zayats'' (заяц) meaning "[[hare]]". Before serving at Stalingrad, Vasily served in the [[Soviet Navy]] as a clerk in Vladivostok but upon reading about the brutality of the fighting in Stalingrad, volunteered for front-line duty. Zaytsev served in the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the [[284th Division of Siberians (Soviet Union)|284th Rifle Division]] headed by General Nikolai Batyuk. He is notable for having been elevated to a virtual status of hero via the use of propaganda and served as an example and inspiration to other soldiers. There, his skill as a sniper allowed him to establish a snipers' training school in the Metiz factory; it was run by Zaytsev. Zaytsev trained apprentices were nicknamed ''zaichata'', meaning "leverets" (baby hares). [[Antony Beevor]] wrote in ''[[Stalingrad (book)|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 were not limited to [[marksman]]ship skills. It is estimated that the snipers Zaytsev trained killed more than 3000 enemy soldiers{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} .
Zaytsev was born in [[Yeleninskoye]] and grew up in the [[Ural Mountains]], where he learned marksmanship by hunting deer with his grandfather. His surname is based on the Russian word ''zayats'' (заяц) meaning "[[hare]]". Before serving at Stalingrad, Vasily served in the [[Soviet Navy]] as a clerk in Vladivostok but upon reading about the brutality of the fighting in Stalingrad, volunteered for front-line duty. Zaytsev served in the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the [[284th Division of Siberians (Soviet Union)|284th Rifle Division]] headed by General Nikolai Batyuk. He is notable for having been elevated to a virtual status of hero via the use of propaganda and served as an example and inspiration to other soldiers. There, his skill as a sniper allowed him to establish a snipers' training school in the Metiz factory; it was run by Zaytsev. Zaytsev trained apprentices were nicknamed ''zaichata'', meaning "leverets" (baby hares). [[Antony Beevor]] wrote in ''[[Stalingrad (book)|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 were not limited to [[marksman]]ship skills. It is estimated that the snipers Zaytsev trained killed more than 3000 enemy soldiers{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} .


Zaytsev took part in the battle for Stalingrad until January 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes from a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] attack. He was attended to by Professor [[Volodymyr Filatov|Filatov]], who is credited with restoring his sight. On February 22, 1943 Zaytsev was awarded the title [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]. He then returned to the front and finished the war in Seelow Heights Germany with the military rank of [[captain (land)|Captain]]. After the war, Zaytsev managed a [[factory]] in [[Kiev]], and remained in that city until he died in 1991 at the age of 76, just 10 days before the final [[collapse of the Soviet Union]].
Zaytsev took part in the battle for Stalingrad until January 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes from a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] attack. He was attended to by Professor [[Volodymyr Filatov|Filatov]], who is credited with restoring his sight. On February 22, 1943 Zaytsev was awarded the title [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]. He then returned to the front and finished the war in Seelow Heights Germany with the military rank of [[captain (land)|Captain]]. After the war, Zaytsev managed a [[factory]] in [[Kiev]], and remained in that city until he died in 1991 at the age of 76, just 10 days before the final [[collapse of the Soviet Union]]. He had sex for days w/ his wife. ;) giggi giggi goo


==Commemoration==
==Commemoration==

Revision as of 18:52, 17 February 2011

Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev
File:Vasily.Zaitsev.jpg
Zaitsev with his Mosin-Nagant rifle in Stalingrad, October 1942
Allegiance Soviet Union
Years of service1937–1945
RankCaptain
Battles/warsGreat Patriotic War
Battle of Stalingrad
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union
Order of Lenin
Order of the Red Banner, 2 times
Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class
Medal for the Defence of Stalingrad
Medal For the Victory Over Germany

Vasily Grigorevich Zaytsev (Russian: Василий Григорьевич Зайцев, IPA: [vʌˈsʲilʲɪj ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjevʲɪtɕ ˈzajtsɨf]; March 23, 1915 – December 15, 1991) was a Soviet sniper during World War II, notable particularly for his activities between November 10 and December 17, 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad. He killed 225 soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht and other Axis armies, including 11 enemy snipers.[1]

Prior to November 10, he had already killed 32 Axis soldiers with the standard-issue Mosin-Nagant rifle.[1] Between October 1942 and January 1943, Zaytsev made 242 verified kills.

Zaytsev was nearly killed by an enemy sniper [2] as is always the risk with snipers. His military rank at the time was Junior Lieutenant.

Early life and World War II

Zaytsev was born in Yeleninskoye and grew up in the Ural Mountains, where he learned marksmanship by hunting deer with his grandfather. His surname is based on the Russian word zayats (заяц) meaning "hare". Before serving at Stalingrad, Vasily served in the Soviet Navy as a clerk in Vladivostok but upon reading about the brutality of the fighting in Stalingrad, volunteered for front-line duty. Zaytsev served in the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the 284th Rifle Division headed by General Nikolai Batyuk. He is notable for having been elevated to a virtual status of hero via the use of propaganda and served as an example and inspiration to other soldiers. There, his skill as a sniper allowed him to establish a snipers' training school in the Metiz factory; it was run by Zaytsev. Zaytsev trained apprentices were nicknamed zaichata, meaning "leverets" (baby hares). Antony Beevor wrote 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 were not limited to marksmanship skills. It is estimated that the snipers Zaytsev trained killed more than 3000 enemy soldiers[citation needed] .

Zaytsev took part in the battle for Stalingrad until January 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes from a mortar attack. He was attended to by Professor Filatov, who is credited with restoring his sight. On February 22, 1943 Zaytsev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. He then returned to the front and finished the war in Seelow Heights Germany with the military rank of Captain. After the war, Zaytsev managed a factory in Kiev, and remained in that city until he died in 1991 at the age of 76, just 10 days before the final collapse of the Soviet Union. He had sex for days w/ his wife. ;) giggi giggi goo

Commemoration

File:Zajcev rifle.jpg
Zaytsev's rifle on display

On January 31, 2006, Vasily Zaytsev was reburied on Mamayev Kurgan with full military honors. Zaytsev's dying wish was to be buried at the monument to the defenders of Stalingrad. His coffin was carried next to a monument where his famous quote is written: "For us there was no land beyond (the) Volga." Colonel Donald Paquette of the US Sniper School was present, and laid a wreath as a sign of respect to a legendary sniper. US Army News quoted Colonel Paquette: "Vasily Zaytsev is a legend and every USA sniper must memorize his tactics and methods. He is a legend in the sniper community. May he rest in peace."[1]

In popular culture

In 2001, a feature length film, Enemy at the Gates, starring Jude Law as Zaytsev, was loosely based on the Battle of Stalingrad, most notably displaying a fictional ongoing rivalry with a Wehrmacht sniper school director, Major Erwin König. Although Zaytsev really took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, the movie was mostly a work of fiction. Zaytsev himself indicates that a three-day duel did indeed occur in his own memoirs and that the sniper he killed was the head of a sniper school near Berlin. However, there is no evidence that any Major Erwin König ever existed, despite the claim made by the Armed Forces Museum of Moscow that they are in possession of his telescopic sight.

References

  1. ^ a b c Biography (in Russian) at the website on Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia
  2. ^ World War II Snipers

Further reading

  • Zaitsev, Vassili (2003). Notes of a Sniper. Trans. David Givens, Peter Kornakov, Konstantin Kornakov. Ed. Neil Okrent. Los Angeles: 2826 Press Inc. ISBN 0-615-12148-9.
  • Beevor, Antony (1998). Stalingrad. London: Penguin Books Ltd. ISBN 0-14-100131-3.
  • Robbins, David L. (2000). War of the Rats. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-58135-X.
  • The Reader's Digest Illustrated History of World War II (1989). London: Reader's Digest Association Limited. ISBN 0-89577-333-3

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Vasily Zaitsev (sniper).

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