Vasili Zaitsev was a renowned Russian sniper during World War II. Born in 1915 in the Ural Mountains, he learned to hunt from an early age and later joined the Soviet Navy. Zaitsev voluntarily transferred to the Red Army and was assigned to the 1047th Rifle Regiment. He became a skilled sniper and was reassigned to work with a spotter, using tactics like decoys and camouflage to take out enemy targets.
During the Battle of Stalingrad, Zaitsev killed 225 enemy soldiers, including 11 German snipers, and was featured in Soviet propaganda as a hero. He was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union medal and went on to train others to become snipers. After the war, Zaitsev studied textiles and worked as an engineer, eventually becoming a director of a textile factory. He died in 1991 at the age of 76 and was reburied in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) with full military honors in 2006.
Zaitsev's estimated total kills during the war range from 242 to 400, and his legacy as one of the top snipers of World War II remains.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. World War Dough is a new mobile RTS game with a commander and towers.
2. The game has a tournament with a $25,000 prize pool.
3. Vasili Zaitsev was a Russian sniper during World War II.
4. Zaitsev was born into a peasant family in the Ural Mountains of Russia.
5. Zaitsev learned to hunt deer and wolves with his grandfather.
6. Zaitsev joined the Soviet Navy in 1937 at the age of 22.
7. Zaitsev was posted to the city of Vladivostok near the Chinese border.
8. Zaitsev was a skilled marksman and was reassigned as a sniper.
9. Zaitsev used a Russian Mosin-Nagant rifle.
10. The Mosin-Nagant rifle was a bolt-action rifle with a five-shot magazine and a range of 900 yards.
11. Zaitsev was skilled at camouflage, survival, infiltration, and reconnaissance techniques.
12. Zaitsev was tasked with killing key enemy personnel like artillery observers and machine gunners.
13. Zaitsev was heavily featured in Soviet propaganda.
14. Zaitsev set up a sniper school in Stalingrad, which proved highly effective.
15. The graduates of Zaitsev's sniper school killed over 3,000 Germans during the battle for Stalingrad.
16. Zaitsev killed 225 enemy soldiers, including 11 German snipers, between November 10th and December 17th, 1942.
17. Zaitsev was injured by an enemy mortar shell in January 1943.
18. Zaitsev was operated on by Dr. Vladimir Filatov and made a full recovery.
19. Zaitsev trained others to become snipers, commanded a mortar platoon, and became a regiment commander.
20. Zaitsev finished his fighting career at the Battle of Cielo Heights, also known as the gates of Berlin.
21. Zaitsev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union medal for his sniping achievements.
22. The Hero of the Soviet Union medal entitled Zaitsev to a pension, priority housing, and medical benefits.
23. Zaitsev's tally of kills for the war was around 242, but some historians suggest it may have been closer to 400.
24. After the war, Zaitsev studied textiles at the University in Kiev and became a director of a textile factory.
25. Zaitsev died in 1991 at the age of 76, just 11 days before the Soviet Union was dissolved.
26. Zaitsev was initially laid to rest in Kiev but was reburied in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) in 2006 with full military honors.