During my time in serious competitive shooting (20+ years ago) I’d guess something like 20% of the precision rifle shooters were female. Most of them were among the top shooters.

My theory was that males sort of expect to participate in sports so some pick shooting—you get a cross section. I theorize females who compete in shooting are just the really determined, competitive ones.

I don’t know if anyone’s done serious research.

Something that might contribute is body conformation. The standing position is the most difficult so being really good standing is much more valuable than kneeling or prone. When you shoot standing you don’t use muscle to keep the rifle up you rest your left elbow (it you’re right-handed) on your hip. That might be easier for women.

By the way, I don’t know if the person posing the question intended the term “precision” as it’s used within the sport. “Precision” rifle refers to rifle slow fire at stationary targets (not running target).

“Is it true that women are supposed to be better at precision shooting than men? Is this why the history of sniping is filled with proficient female shooters?”

It is an over-generalization with an element of truth to it.

What is true is that I found women to generally be better students, in the sense that they listened better, followed directions better, and progressed faster. They did not have any ego invested in the skill at arms they already had, as so many men did, even when that “skill” consisted entirely of watching movies and playing video games.

It is also true that shooting rewards fine motor control, and somewhat more women than men have high levels of fine motor control. So if you took 100 men and 100 women, you might find 1 “natural” shooter among the men and 3 among the women. You still find many more men than women who shoot at high skill levels, because so many more men are interested in it and put in the necessary training and practice time.

I can only answer from personal experience.

Living in Wyoming back then we hunted. My wife wanted to hunt so I taught her to shoot rifles and handguns. I was impressed with how quickly she learned. Taught her to hunt. Again was impressed with how quickly she picked it up. Took an elk every year, never more than one shot per elk. Then I took her bird hunting and she fell in love. That borrowed 12ga she used created a monster.

Took her to the local Trap Club one Thursday. While there she joined the trap club. She didn't own her own gun but she was a member of the Jackson Hole Trap Club. On the way home she bought her first shotgun, a 12ga BT99, still has it.

Her first year she won, "Most Improved Shooter" award, a belt buckle I think. Second year she won, "Top Woman Shooter." That caused an uproar, [cat fight?]. Half the women didn't even know who she was. The trap club had added all the competition scores for the award and she was top scorer. Why didn't some of the women know her? She didn't shoot with the women. She shot against the men.

One of my best memories was when she got her first 25 out of 25 patches. My ears still ring she yelled so loudly. Then came the 50 out of 50s, then the 100 out of 100 patches. Everyone has heard of that thing called the, "male ego." Looks downright wimpy compared to a woman winning her first 100 out of 100 patch. Although I've got to admit I've seen her speechless. She was grinning so hard she got cramps in her face.

My best day at a shoot was when a man from another club said, "Boy that pretty little girl sure can shoot, cant she." Had a hard time answering. Had cramps in my face, you know.

The British without any shadow of doubt. The Rifle No4 Mk1 (T) is considered an excellent rifle by skilled hunters and target shooters today due to the build quality.

From www.captainstevens.com - www.captainstevens.com

In service with the British Army (after converting to 7.62 NATO in 1970) till the 1990s, this is truly the best sniper rifle of WW2 for the purpose it was intended for.

However, there’s a difference in doctrine so “purpose” is the important word in this regard. During WW2, according to Wikipedia, 428,335 people received Red Army sniper training (I’m sure the British equivalent would be in the thousands) because the Soviets identified the need for the “sharpshooter” (sort of) in a battle of attrition.

Therefore, whilst the British sniper would be able to knock the sh-t off a fly’s arse from 500m, the Soviet sniper death toll would be much higher

“Successful” is a strong word. But yes, the Soviet Union trained over a hundred thousand female snipers (about 1/10 of all Soviet servicewomen during WWII). 11 of them, including the world-famous Lyudmila Pavlichenko, had a headcount of over 100 enemies.

I actually live near Sniperskya street in Moscow, named after a female sniping school that was located in this area during WWII. One of the local schools is named after famous Soviet Kazakh sniper Aliya Moldagulova, who had a headcount of 78. The school has a small monument to Aliya on its premises.

Pictured - Soviet female snipers.

Sgt. Roza Shanina, a kindergarten worker that volunteered to fight as a sniper after one of his brothers was killed by the Nazis. She’s credited with 59 confirmed kills before falling in combat on January 28, 1945, at age 20, already in Nazi Germany.

Actually, the Soviet Union accepted over 800,000 women who volunteered for the front lines in every role, from fighter pilots to tank crews to snipers. 2,484 of them were snipers from 1941 to 1945, and about 500 survived the war. It is the first time in history that a major country systematically deployed large amounts of women in combat roles —and it was a resounding success.

Soviet women in World War II

Snipers were quite successful. After some initial grumbling and skepticism from “the guys”, they proved to be so good that a specific military school was created for them. However, the top female sniper of all times, Lyudmila Pavlichenko (309 confirmed kills) didn’t attend that school specifically, she had learned to shoot in one of the many shooting clubs in the USSR before the war. At age 14, 7 years before the beginning of WW2, she already was a Voroshilov Sharpshooter —a civilian decoration for markmanship.

Maj. Lyudmila M. Pavlichenko, “Lady Death”, the most successful female sniper in recorded history with 309 confirmed kills. She survived the war and became a senior researcher for the Soviet Navy.

However, my favorites are the combat pilots, including the only two female fighter aces in world history. I wrote about those girls with airplanes and Fascists to destroy here.

Women have played a crucial role. Without them, the war probably could not have been fought and won. This is unfortunately generally overlooked or minimized.

Once the men left for the front, women became the main workforce in industry, agriculture... They could now exercise almost any job reserved for men. They also played a major role in the Resistance.

In the factories

For example, in the USA, the industry needed women to replace the 16 million men sent to fight. They were in charge of making shells, bombs, planes, tanks, ships, etc. They were the ones who kept the war machine going.

It was the same thing in other countries involved in the war, even in Japan, where women were traditionally considered inferior. After the Japanese men went into battle, the women were employed in coal mines, arms factories, and steelworks.

The work of the land

One of the main contributions of women was to take care of agricultural work, which was essential to ensure the supply of the whole country. In many countries, women managed their husbands' farms.

For example, in Germany 6 million women cultivated the land. In Great Britain, 80,000 of them were members of the corps of agricultural workers, within the Women's Land Army (Women's Land Army).

Aircraft maintenance

The lack of pilots and mechanics forced many women to learn to fly and maintain airplanes.

Women pilots picked up planes from assembly plants and delivered them to air bases. And the mechanics played an essential role in preparing the planes between each combat sortie.

Air traffic control

About half a million English women joined the army. They worked there in professions ranging from cook to driver, and they even took care of the management of air traffic control and the transmission of communications, it was also vital.

For example, during the Battle of Britain, they spotted German planes on radar and relayed instructions to British pilots in flight.

The resistant women

In all the countries occupied by the Nazis, resistance movements were formed. And women played a major role in it. They took care of most of the conjunction and supplies, without which the maquis and resistance networks could not have existed.

Some of them even led networks, hosted downed Allied pilots, organized escapes, prepared bombs.

Resistance fighters even participated in the combat, they were particulary numerous in Yugoslavia or in the areas of the Soviet Union occupied by the German army.

(Simone Segouin, 19 years old in 1944. She participated in the liberation of France with arms in hand.)

The contribution of women in the Resistance has been largely downplayed. For example, the Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy organized the insurrection during the Liberation of Paris in August 1944. After the war, he was decorated with the Legion of Honour, unlike his wife, Cécile. While during the war, they acted in pairs and faced the same risks. But parity was not observed.

Despite everything, the role of women in the Resistance enabled them to obtain the suffrage after the war in countries like France.

The fighters

In most countries, except in the Resistance, women did not participate in combat in regular armies, with the notable exception of the Soviet Union.

Even though they were in the minority, Soviet women drove tanks, wielded rifles with skill like the famous sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, flew fighter planes.

(Liudmila Pavlichenko, nicknamed “Lady Death.” She shot down at least 309 German soldiers. In total, 2,000 Soviet women served as snipers in World War II, only 500 survived the conflict.)

Lydia Litvyak, nicknamed the "White Rose of Stalingrad" holds the record for Russian women pilots. She carried out 168 missions and shot down 12 German planes. She was wounded 3 times in Stalingrad. Then she was finally killed during a fight against Lufwaffe in July 1943, she was 21 years old.

No, they are not. Right now, women are not allowed to serve as snipers in the Russian Army. Not because they can’t do that, but because serving as a sniper is considered too harmful for female health as it involves running around with a heavy rifle and laying on the ground for hours, regardless of the weather. A woman can serve as a sniping instructor, but not do the actual sniping.

In Russia, there is a law that prohibits women from performing jobs that may harm their health to such a degree that they would be unable to become mothers. Because Russia spends a lot of effort to stimulate the birth rate, protecting women from infertility is considered equally important. It is a controversial law, but it is the law.

It helped to look up.

“I tried this experiment myself the other day, and took up my position amongst some rocks overhanging a path, and so close to it that with a fishing rod I could have touched anyone passing by. I was about eight feet above the ground, just above the height of a man’s eye. I did not hide myself, but merely sat still. Of the 54 men who walked past me in the space of two hours, only 11 looked up and saw me.”

• Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement, in his manual Aids to Scouting for NCOs and Men

Allied troops found it surprisingly easy to spot Japanese snipers once they learned the Japanese habit of literally tying themselves to a tree. Troops that faced snipers quickly learned to recognize likely hiding spots. It was not uncommon for good sniping positions to take long-range machine-gun fire “on spec,” and for investigators to later find dead Japanese in those positions. This was less likely in Europe, but there were plenty of church bell towers that were destroyed simply because they were obvious places for enemy observers.

This is, of course, why it is not recommended to observe from such positions in the first place. Scouting, it turns out, is a matter of evolutionary tit-for-tat and reverse psychology. You will not find the enemy on the road, but you may very well find him in the tree next to it. If he is not so stupid, check the ditch or grass near the road. Or perhaps he is in a spider-hole under the road, as Japanese suicide bombers sometimes were (literally; a man would sit next to a 250-lb bomb in a hole and hit it with a hammer as a tank passed over). US tunnel-rat teams in Vietnam became very good at not only spotting VC tunnels, but knowing where to look for them in the first place.

Another example from Aids to Scouting:

“…once I was having a match with a Shikari in Kashmir as to which of us could see farthest.

He pointed out a hillside some distance off, and asked me if I could see how many cattle there were grazing on it. It was only with difficulty that I could see any cattle at all, but presently I capped him by asking him if he could see the man in charge of the cattle. Now, I could not actually see this myself, but knowing that there must be a man with the herd, and that he would probably be up above them somewhere, and as there was a solitary tree above them (and it was a hot sunny day), I guessed he would be under this tree. A look through the glasses showed this surmise to be correct.”

I imagine there were more than a few former Scouts in the Allied armies who knew these techniques, and more who learned them on the job.

Mr. Anonymous, eh? Okay.

Are women better shooters? I’m not sure the numbers back that up. What I can tell you is that I typically find that if you put two new shooters on the line, one male and one female, you’ll usually find that the woman outshoots the man. Not every time, but it is pretty common.

Over time, those results start to even out with shooters of both genders getting about the same groups and demonstrating the same skills.

We have theorized why this is. I think a lot of it is ego. Men think they have to be all awesome and naturally adept at shooting. Women are more willing to listen. Women have more “white matter.” This may be the reason that women tend to be better with language-based skills. Perhaps women just listen better than men do.

As to specific links and data? Good luck. If you check the ratings for major shooting sports, women are the rarity. They aren’t typically in first place, either. This doesn’t mean that women don’t shoot as well. It is just as likely that they aren’t driven to compete like men and that they just don’t like dealing with a male chauvinistic group as you often find in shooting organizations.

Were there any female combat snipers during World War I or World War II? Are there any documented instances of this occurring on either side during both wars?

Marie Marvingt (February 20, 1875-December 14, 1963) was a French athlete, aviator and nurse.

In 1907 she won an international military shooting competition using a French army carbine and became the only woman ever awarded the palms du Premier Tireur by a French Minister of War. In 1908 she was refused permission to participate in the Tour de France because the race was open only to men. Marvingt chose to cycle the course anyway, riding some distance behind the entrants. She successfully completed the grueling ride, a feat which only 36 of 114 male riders had managed that year. Her time would have given her third place if she had been a legal competitor.

Marvingt piloting a Deperdussin

During the Great War, in 1914 she disguised herself as a man and, with the connivance of a French infantry lieutenant, served on the front lines as a Chasseur 2ième Classe (Soldier, 2nd Class) in the 42ième Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pied (42nd Battalion of Foot Soldiers). She was discovered and sent home but later participated in military operations with the Italian 3º Reggimento Alpini (3rd Regiment of Alpine Troops) in the Italian Dolomites. In 1915 Marvingt became the first woman in the world to fly combat missions when she became a volunteer pilot flying bombing missions over German-held territory and she received the Croix de guerre for her aerial bombing of a German military base in Metz.

Marvingt en poilu

After the war, she was involved in the development of air ambulances and created the role of flight nurse. She is still honored by the Aerospace Medical Association with the annual Marie Marvingt Award.

The general consensus is they were pretty good considering what they were intended to do.

Considering they weren’t expected to shoot over extreme distance (if we are only covering interactions between Japanese soldiers and American troops in the Pacific theater of operations), since most shots occurred inside 500 meters, the Type 97 and Type 99 Sniper Rifles were good enough for the job, the former actually popular enough that some US snipers picked up the fallen Japanese soldiers rifle because they found out in the field the 6.5 Japanese round was flatter shooting and produced less muzzle flash compared to 7.7 Japanese or .30–06, making it easier to hide your position from the enemy.

Also considering most snipers were not expected to survive for very long, they were effective in their objective of laying down accurate fire against American troops against priority targets (officers, machine gunners, flamethrower units, etc.), causing immediate effects on the Americans fighting capabilities until they could be taken out.

They were also good enough that it wasn’t uncommon for soldiers to fire off salvo’s at any tree they deemed large enough to hold an enemy sniper, and they usually were not given any mercy if found.

Yes, on the Eastern Front between Germans and Russians where there was no regard for conventions. Both sides claimed the other used them first although the Germans did have special ammo first for their 8mm Mauser rifles. As they were highly illegal any captured enemy found with them would be guaranteed a slow & painful death, nobody admitted to their use so there is little information about them.

The ammo used were originally designed as “marking rounds” to help zero machinegun fire from an airplane until somebody realized how devastating they would be as anti-personnel rounds. They combined phosporus and a priming compound which would explode on impact and blow huge holes in their targets.

Female snipers during World War II proved to be highly effective and made significant contributions to the war effort. The Soviet Union, in particular, employed a considerable number of female snipers in combat, and many of them achieved remarkable success on the Eastern Front. Here's an overview:

1. Effectiveness of Female Snipers: Female snipers displayed exceptional skill, marksmanship, and bravery. They often operated in pairs or small teams, providing reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and long-range precision fire support. They were responsible for neutralizing enemy personnel, including officers, machine gunners, and snipers, and instilling fear and demoralization among enemy ranks.

2. Advantage of Snipers: The effectiveness of snipers lies in their ability to engage targets from a concealed position, utilizing stealth and precision. This allowed them to inflict casualties, disrupt enemy operations, and provide cover for their own forces. Female snipers, like their male counterparts, demonstrated these skills and proved highly effective in their designated roles.

3. Reasons for Female Snipers: The Soviet Union employed female snipers extensively due to several factors. First, the Soviet Union faced a shortage of manpower during the war, and utilizing women in combat roles helped alleviate this issue. Second, Soviet propaganda highlighted the contribution of female snipers to boost morale and inspire patriotism among the population. Lastly, Soviet military doctrine recognized the value of diverse combat roles, and women were integrated into various combat functions, including sniping.

4. Close-Quarters Combat: While female snipers primarily engaged in long-range combat, it is worth noting that close-quarters fighting, which often occurs in urban environments, requires different skills and training. Infantrymen engaged in such combat need to possess specific tactical training, physical strength, and the ability to maneuver effectively in confined spaces. While some women did serve as infantry soldiers during the war, the utilization of female soldiers in close-quarters combat was not as prevalent as their deployment as snipers.

5. Societal Factors and Cultural Norms: The limited number of women serving in combat roles, including infantry, during World War II can be attributed to societal factors and cultural norms prevailing at the time. Many countries, including the Soviet Union, initially had reservations about employing women in frontline combat due to traditional gender roles and concerns about their physical capabilities. However, the urgent demands of war led to the progressive inclusion of women in combat roles, albeit predominantly in specialized roles such as sniping.

Despite the success and effectiveness of female snipers during World War II, it took several decades for women to gain broader recognition and be fully integrated into combat roles in many armed forces around the world. Today, the contributions and achievements of female snipers and combatants during the war serve as a testament to their capabilities and the breaking of gender barriers in military service.

There really is no straight answer to this question because every army during WW2 deployed snipers in some form or another, each with various training & equipment.

My vote however goes to the Soviet Red Army because they employed dedicated snipers on such a large scale. Additionally, the Soviet’s were famous for having women snipers in their ranks, which was almost unheard of during the time. Many women filled non combatant roles (nurses, cooks, etc) instead of combat roles, however, the Soviet Union broke this norm due to the dire situation the country was facing when Nazi Germany invaded. These women nonetheless would prove to be deadly snipers, earning them the wrath & fear of their enemies.

(Roza Shanina, credited with 59 kills)

(Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko, credited with 309 kills, making her the most successful female sniper in history)

During the early years of the war the Germans paid little attention to the potential that snipers could deliver. This was mainly due to the fact that Germany was on the offensive, and snipers are mainly used in defensive strategies (i.e, to tie down or stall the advancing enemy). Thus, when the Germans initially encountered Soviet snipers they would usually just bomb them into oblivion with artillery, armor or air support. This changed however when Germany was forced into the defensive when the Soviets began to push them back, consistently relying on overwhelming fire support was no longer an option by the mid-late war period. Soviet snipers were becoming such an issue that the Germans finally created a dedicated sniper school in 1943 to combat them.

(German soldier in sniper school / German sniper team on the front lines)

WW2 snipers are considered as most deadlist snipers in the history.

Modern snipers gets speciliazed training and lots of gears to track the target. Now a days a Navigator is assigned to Sniper as well to trace and successfully hit the targets.

In WW2 the snipers didn’t get much gear or navigator as compared to modern snipers. But they were quite talented, deadly and ferocious they have made some of the unbeliveable killing sprees that world have never seen before or after WW2 with no or limited gear and resources.

The top sniper from WW2 was Simo Häyhä Nicknamed ‘The White Death’705 confirmed kills (505 with rifle, 200 with submachine gun).

He Was a Finnish soldier who, using an iron sighted bolt action rifle, amassed the highest recorded confirmed kills as a sniper in any war…ever!!Häyhä was born in the municipality of Rautjärvi near the present-day border of Finland and Russia, and started his military service in 1925. His duties as a sniper began during the ‘winter war’ (1939-1940) between Russia and Finland. During the conflict Häyhä endured freezing temperatures up to -40 degrees Celsius. In less than 100 days he was credited with 505 confirmed kills, 542 if including unconfirmed kills, however the unofficial frontline figures from the battlefield places the number of sniper kills at over 800. Besides his sniper kills he was also credited with 200 from a Suomi KP/31 Submachine gun, topping off his total confirmed kills at 705.

How were snipers of the World War II detected by soldiers?

Sadly and in most cases, by either you or one of your buddies getting killed.

(Soldiers of the US 29th Infantry Division take cover after a German sniper has already killed one of their squad, Feb 20, 1945) -Picture from Google.

Arnaud Dejaegher

Because of the difference between these two pictures.

One of them might as well wear a clown suit

There were. The movie is historically accurate in this regard.

The rifle was the Springfield, a bolt action rifle based on the Mauser. As a sniper rifle it was equipped with a scope just like in the movie.

The Marines equipped theirs with a longer scope.

Army version

Marine version

Saving Private Ryan sniper scene

The M1903 Springfield, formally the United States Rifle, Caliber .30-06, Model 1903, is an American five-round magazine fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle, used primarily during the first half of the 20th century.

It was officially adopted as a United States military bolt-action rifle on June 19, 1903, and saw service in World War I. It was officially replaced as the standard infantry rifle by the faster-firing semi-automatic eight-round M1 Garand starting in 1936. However, the M1903 Springfield remained in service as a standard issue infantry rifle during World War II, since the U.S. entered the war without sufficient M1 rifles to arm all troops. It also remained in service as a sniper rifle during World War II, the Korean War, and even in the early stages of the Vietnam War. It remains popular as a civilian firearm, historical collector's piece, and as a military drill rifle. M1903 Springfield - Wikipedia

M1903A4 Sniper Rifle

I see a lot of people mentioning kill counts here. And as a sniper, it really really really disturbs me when people keep mentioning kill counts. Keep in mind our mission is not necessarily to kill, a critically wounded soldier has the same combat effectiveness of a dead soldier if not even worse.

Getting kills is a product of opportunity, yes skill is invovled but its mainly opportunity. The fact that WW2 snipers got so many kills does not tell us much, it simply tells us that the particular sniper got a lot of opportunities, that is it. WW2 saw large conventional battles in a drawn out and protracted war of attrition, comparing this to the lightning fast high-speed-low-drag mechanised conventional operation or the complicated counter insurgency operations where battlefield density is reduced dramatically.

What we should be more interested in hearing or seeing is HOW they got those kills and how they were trained whilst understanding their contexts. And their compare accordingly.

In WW2 snipers were not really utilised as how they are today as hunters. Their role was mainly more similar to that of a marksman than an actual sniper and would work hand in hand with infantry units instead of independently. Though in some instances some units like the Wehrmacht did employ them independently and to a lesser extent the allies.

WW2 snipers were very crudely trained in comparison to today’s sniper training. Back in those days, the understanding of small arms ballistics were more primitive than modern sniper training like my own where we learnt the science of the environmental effects on our weapon systems and bullets etc.

WW2 sniper trainees were usually drawn from those with hunting background or those deemed to have superior marksmanship abilities. Much of their training invovled shooting well at distances considered short ranged by today’s standards (about 4–500m) and camouflage.

WW2 snipers with exceptions had less opportunity to operate in a true ‘hunter’ fashion like modern snipers like myself. They has less autonomy, freedom of movement as they were usually part of a company or platoon or forced to work with other units under strict guidelines, unlike the modern era where we operate at battalion, brigade or division levels at a minimum and with greater autonomy.

Modern snipers like myself have training based on those endured by WW2 snipers with significantly leas variation among the different countries. We also have the amazing advantage of more advanced equipment in the form of lazer rangefinders, more accurate rifles, scopes and improved specialised ammunition. Compared to the 2x fixed scopes mounted on service rifles and using eyeballs and brain to estimate range.

Depending on combat environment, the training will focus on those more relevant. If say we are operating in the jungle, camouflage is of lesser importance due to the availability of dense cover etc. modern snipers also engage target reliable out to further ranges, 600m is considered relatively easy by today’s standards whilst back in WW2 it might be considered an extreme shot. Having all these technology also allows us to cut some corners in training, an example is shooting fundamentals, the weapon is so accurate and optimaised that less skill and therefore less training is required to utilise the weapon system. With the introduction of the laser rangefinder we don’t emphasise the need to esitmate the range with our gut feeling and we can also estimate range with modern methods like using a mildot scope and formula.

The added autonomy also allows us a grwater flexibility in choosing equipment and also gives us more firepower on hand, most modern snipers are trained to direct artillery fire or even coordinate airstrikes. Such things were only afforded to higher ranking personnel in WW2.

In summary, the mission of snipers is more clearly defined now than it was in WW2 and skill wise, WW2 Snipers are on par with modern snipers with greater emphasis on other aspects of their employment.

Best meaning the most powerful, or best by the best quality . The Zeiss lenses were definitely the finest quality. I have a set of Zeiss binoculars 7x50 from East Germany I got in 1982. They are so clear and have amazing definition. Most German sniper scopes were only 4x yet the clarity they project is amazing. They also used 6x and 8x but mostly 4x…… showing a sniper shoot 1000 yards in WW2 is bull sh…… with wind and variable amunition that shot is improbable. 100 to 300 yards with a clear precise 4x scope is a preferred shot. Not to ruin your Hollywood vision of war, but I'd worry more about the guy with a k98k with open sights 35 yards away.

Yes, they employed thousands of them. If you want to know more I highly recommend the book Avenging Angels - Soviet Women Snipers of the Eastern Front (1941–45) by Lyuba Vinogradova.

The book is also a revelation with regards to Lyudmila Pavlichenko; her story, that of one the most famous snipers in history, is seems largely fabricated. The author doesn’t say it out right. Instead, Vinogradova tells of Pavlichenko’s propaganda tours of the West, then dismantles her story, points out times when she out-right lied and brings up glaring inconsistencies. The reader is then left to draw their own conclusions. A sample is below.

Page 44

If the biographers are to be believed, Pavlichenko was evacuated from Sevastopol (by submarine!) because of a serious facial injury. She wrote herself that it was to her cheekbone. But why, in that case, is there no trace in the photos taken during her tour abroad, only a couple of months later of even a scar on her smooth young face? Why do we never read in the memoirs of her fellow soldiers in the regiment anything about Lyumila Pavlichenko? It is certainly true that nearly all of them were killed, but surely a handful at least who had fought with her in battle must have survived? Those who fought in the Maritime Army, some even in the regiment where she served, write about the heroic reconnaissance of Maria Braida; about Nina Onilovs, awarded two Orders of the Red Banner and, posthumously, the star of a Hero of the Soviet Union; about Zoya Medvedeva, who followed in the footsteps of Onilova; about the scout Annushka, who was captured and tortured by the Germans; but of Pavlichenko there is no mention…

Nina Lobkovskaya at the front of her platoon.

The book is mostly devoted to the stories of other, less well know female snipers such as suicidally brave/blood thirsty/crazy Roza Shanina. So eager was she to fight that she would attach herself to any regular infantry unit that was going into action and fight as if she was regular infantry, despite being ordered not to as her special training made her too valuable.

Roza Shanina.

Besides replacing men in industrial tasks - a major accomplishment - they worked in auxiliary services in the army, doing clerical work. Ronnie Hoye and W Sutherland Eddy have given good answers. Besides that, in “combat” role, women in England, Germany and the USA have crewed anti-aircraft guns. In England, about 125000 women were drafted and 430000 volunteered for service. 56000 of them crewed antiaircraft guns, with men commanders and women doing most types of jobs, except firing the guns, which they were forbidden of doing. In the USA there was a highly secret experimental, a mixed gender unit, the 36th Coast Artillery Brigade AA, which was considered a very successful, however, it was ended by the Chief of the Army General Staff, general Marshall.

British anti-aircraft crewwoman.

In Germany, up to 100.000 women served in the Antiaircraft units, this though Hitler`s ideology that considered the role of the women to be of the “breeders”, mothers of future Germans. In the end of the war some women fought in the front lines, one even receiving a second class iron cross, for being part of a team that destroyed three tanks with bazookas.

German searchlight crewwoman.

The largest women contingent, in combat and in auxiliary roles, was the Soviet Union one. In theory, the Communist Regime was egalitarian and women, again in theory, could do anything men could do. So there was combat units of the Red Army composed entirely of women, though this was not common. About 400.000 women served in the front, plus 300.000 in antiaircraft units (in all roles, including firing the guns) and a greater number as auxiliaries. There was a famous Air Regiment, the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, later renamed 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. This unit, was reportedly nicknamed “The Night Witches” by the Germans, as they used mostly obsolete airplanes, suitable only for night attacks; The regiment was totally composed by women, including the commander, Yevdokiya Bershanskaya. 23 women from the Regiment received the award “Hero of the Soviet Union”, one of the highest given at the time. Other soviet women to receive the medal of Hero of Soviet Union were the snipers, like Lyudmila Pavlichenko, credited to have killed 309 nazi soldiers.

1943 postal stamp celebrating Lyudmila Pavlichenko, hero of the Soviet Union.

Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko was a soldier of the Red Army in WW2. She achieved 309 confirmed kills. At school she was fiercely competitive and was regarded as a tomboy. She had an early interest in shooting, joining a shooting club and becoming a keen amateur marksman. When she was first sent into action she was only given a frag grenade and was handed a rifle by a fallen comrade. With this she made her first two kills. She served in the sieges of Odessa and Sevastopol being promoted to sergeant and subsequently to lieutenant and was shipped out of Sevastopol by submarine after suffering shrapnel wounds, being adjudged too valuable to be killed for propaganda reasons. She became known as Lady Death. and continued training snipers up to the end of the war. There were 2000 female snipers in the Red Army, though only 500 survived.

Just off the top of my head, Miquel sort of identified more about the role of Russian women in the War than he might have realized. If you look at his specialties noted, it appears that each has a certain “distance” that can be maintained from the general body of canon fodder troops. No matter what one would like to pretend, when a group of people are in the minority and especially when it is a huge numerical difference, there is danger.

Specialized skills gives reason to keep the proximity limited. Distance provides some protection. Pilot. Tanker. Sniper. Each of those gives reason to keep them out of the general population while also utilizing them in critical roles. Russian women made no better and no worse snipers than did Russian men. It was just that there was a need that could be filled by them at the time.

Of course there are snipers in the wars. It's been that way since the 1700's. now, really good snipers like from Private Ryan, (people), there are a few I know of. You can find quite a few in Russian history. Here are a few...

Simo Häyhä

Vasily Zaytsev

Ivan Mihailovich Sidorenko

...In fact, here is a link with a few more-10 Deadliest Snipers of World War II

As for actual guns, I could easily list the Mosin Nagant, the Springfield,...

In fact, here is the link for the guns...WW2 Sniper Rifles

Snipers in WW2 have done really amazing things, and are largely unknown to the world. From killing entire squads by themselves, to using incendiary rounds to destroy tanks (!), the stories are amazing.

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