Author: Hammer Jack
Statement: Soldiers say original, plagiarism will be investigated
For many German veterans of World War II, in addition to the roaring Katyusha and the T-34/85, there was one object that made them talk about it: the ubiquitous Soviet sniper. During the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, there were countless famous Soviet snipers, such as Zaitsev, Lyudmila and a large number of outstanding fighters are still talked about.
This article is not about the super ace snipers who have killed hundreds of people and are full of honors, but about a "grandma-level" Soviet female sniper. Her name is Nina Petrova, and although she did not receive the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union", she used her strength to prove to many people who looked down on her: "As long as the technology is good, no matter how old she is, she is a treasure!" ”
The Soviet army, which originally refused to allow women to join the army, recruited a large number of female soldiers from all walks of life to fill the huge losses during the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. In addition to auxiliary positions such as nurses, soviet female soldiers can be seen in front-line combat positions such as heavy machine gunners, tankers, pilots and even snipers.
Of these female soldiers, 2,484 became snipers, raising sniper rifles to avenge their husbands and sons. After a brutal battle, only about 500 people lived to see the moment of Germany's defeat
Petrova was born on 27 July 1893 in Lomonosov, the son of a naval officer. When Petrova was very young, she followed her parents to St. Petersburg to settle down, but her father died prematurely due to illness. The strong mother lived alone with 5 young children, while the whole family came to Vladivostok after graduating from Petrova Secondary School. She attended a trade school, where she studied during the day and worked as an accountant at night to support her family and younger siblings.
When the October Revolution of 1917 came, the Petrova family had returned to St. Petersburg. In 1924, full of interest in sports, she chose to become a physical education teacher and actively participated in various physical exercises, such as horseback riding, cycling, rowing, swimming, basketball, hockey... As long as Petrova is interested, she will not let go of one! Because of her love of hockey, she even became the captain of the women's hockey team of the Leningrad Military District from 1934 to 1935, and won the championship at the 1934 Military District Games.
In addition to hockey, the emerging sport of shooting is also a sport that fascinates Petrova. She constantly participates in various shooting competitions and wins numerous awards. At the Summer Games of the All-Soviet Union, Petrova won the championship and was approved to enter the sniper school for further study, after which she remained as an instructor. By 1936, under Petrova's training, 102 students had won the Outstanding Marksman Qualification Medal!
A Soviet sniper wearing an Adrian helmet and gas mask and training to shoot with a Mosin-Nagant rifle with a PU sniper scope
Excellent Shooter Qualification Badge Physical
After the outbreak of the Soviet-Finnish War in 1939-1940, the 47-year-old "grandmother" was once denied conscription due to her age. However, in the face of the prevarication of the conscription office, Petrova patted her chest and said: "I am proficient in various shooting techniques and skills, and now that the motherland has been invaded, please send me to the front line that needs me the most!" Let me fight for my country! ”
Eventually, Petrova successfully enlisted as a nurse in the medical battalion of the 4th Militia Division in Leningrad. Although she could not pick up a gun to kill the enemy, this "grandmother" did her best to help every wounded soldier she was responsible for. To this loving nurse, the wounded soldiers even called her "mother."
However, Petrova was not satisfied with the daily work of washing bandages and changing ointments. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, she again applied to her superiors to go to the front to kill the enemy. In November 1941, her application was finally approved and she was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the 284th Infantry Regiment of the 86th Infantry Division as a sniper, thus beginning her legend.
Petrova (middleman), who captained the hockey team before the war
Petrova, who works as an instructor in the Sniper School, has trained many excellent shooting talents
Because of her superb shooting skills and the trust of her comrades, Petrova was promoted to sergeant major. While participating in the battle, she taught officers and soldiers sniper skills, and won many admirers.
On January 16, 1944, near the village of Zarudin in Leningrad, Petrova, who was ambushed in the snow, snipeed and killed 2 German officers and soldiers, and the German plan to call for reinforcements was disrupted. However, due to the exposure of the position by firing, the Germans immediately organized a counterattack. Petrova calmly shifted her position, knocked down 3 German pursuers, and finally withdrew safely.
Between January and March 1944, Petrova had an additional 23 kills. On 2 March, in recognition of her outstanding sniping and outstanding teaching achievements during the Siege of Leningrad (a total of 500 snipers were taught by Petrova alone), the Soviets awarded her the Order of Honor of the Third Degree and the Leningrad Siege Medal as a reward.
Petrova's practical teaching is simple, straightforward and efficient. During an outing mission, she and a cadet spotted 2 German soldiers who were setting up communication antennas. Petrova asked the young student, "If it were you, which would you choose to fire on first?" "I'll hit the one in front of me first." The student replied.
"Wrong! You should hit the one in the back first. If the German soldiers in the front were shot first, the germans in the rear would inevitably react and immediately jump into the trenches to take shelter. Hitting the back first will shock the former for a while and make it overwhelmed. As soon as the words fell out, Petrova skillfully maneuvered her sniper rifle, a shot in one shot.
Sure enough, as she expected, the German soldier who had been hit fell, and the previous one, unaware of what had happened, was stunned. Petrova fired another shot at this point, knocking another German soldier down.
Sergeant Major Petrova with a telescope and a sniper rifle
In August 1944, during the battle for the lepassaare railway station in Estonia, Petrova single-handedly killed 12 German troops, scaring off a German counteroffensive! For this purpose, he was awarded another Medal of Honor.
By February 1945, Petrova had another major killing in Elbing, Poland: she had killed a total of 32 Germans (including machine gunners and gunners) with a single sniper rifle, creating a head start for friendly breakthroughs, and her overall record at this time also managed to break through the hundred. For this, she was awarded the Order of Honor, First Class, thus completing the Grand Slam of the Order of Honor with three consecutive stars!
Admiral Ferjuninsky, commander of the Soviet 2nd Assault Army, who was in charge of signing the commendation order, recalled: "After the Battle of Erbin, I signed the list of awards submitted by the commanders. In several lists of awards, I noticed a female sniper named Petrova. The age above says 52 years old! I couldn't believe my eyes, was she really 52 years old? Is it that the clerk recorded incorrectly? When I asked my adjutant, I learned that this data was absolutely correct! ”
The Soviet army's three medals of honor were physical, and Petrova used her own strength to win three
Sergeant Major Petrova is teaching sniper skills to a recruit sniper
Group photo with many ace comrades (3rd person from the right in the second row)
At the end of April 1945, Petrova wrote to her daughter informing her of her victory, saying that she was "tired of the war, and when it is all over, she will go home and hug her lovely granddaughter." However, Petrova failed to fulfill her wish. On May 1, 1945, Petrova was seriously injured when the truck capsized. She was buried in the Soviet Cemetery in Gryfino at the age of 52.
During the Great Patriotic War, only four women held the honor of receiving three medals of honor, and Petrova was one of them. In addition, although her record is not as good as Zaitsev and Lyudmila, she is still a respectable legend: 122 enemy killed, 3 captured, and 512 Soviet snipers were bred.
In 1978, in order to commemorate Petrova's exploits, the Soviet Union also specially produced a marked envelope featuring her, and the sniper rifle she used in that year is still displayed in the Military Museum in St. Petersburg, telling the world the legend of a heroine.
A marked envelope issued by the Soviet side in 1978 with a painted portrait of Petrova