A Russian Dirty Dozen with 500~ kills
During World War Two, some of the most brutal fighting took place on the more than 1000-mile long Eastern Front. All along this oft-frozen wasteland, in the midst of the largest combined arms tank vs. tank battles ever seen, snipers crawled through the rubble looking for targets of opportunity. Some 2000 of these were Soviet women.
Female snipers of 3th army, 1th Belarussian front. From left to right : 1st row down is a senior non-commission officer V.N. Stepanova (20 kills), a senior non-commission officer Y.P. Belousova (80 kills , a senior non-commission officer А.Е. Vinogradova (83 kills);
2th row is the second lieutenant Е.К. Zibovskaya (24 enemies), a senior non-commission officer К.F. Мarinkina (79 enemies), a senior non-commission officer О.S. Маrjenkina (70 enemies); 3th row is the second lieutenant N.P. Belobrova (70 kills) , a lieutenant N.А. Lobkovskaya (89 kills) , the second lieutenant V.I. Аrtamonova (kills), are a senior non-commission officer М.G. Zubchenkо (24 kills); 4th row is non-commission officer N.P. Оbuchovskaya (64 enemies), a non-commission officer А.R. Belyakova (24 enemies) Hattip Tales of War.
Most of the above seem equipped with Mosin M1891-30 Three Line rifles modified with bent bolts and PU 3.5x series fixed power rifles. Even if (as some historians have suggested) the Soviet “kill numbers” were inflated, the above Hero Snipers may still have counted for an entire company of fascist invaders rather than a battalion.
Nostrovia!