Roza Shanina | |
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![]() Shanina in 1944 | |
Born | Edma, Velsky Uyezd, Vologda Governorate, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | 3 April 1924
Died | 28 January 1945 Near Reichau, East Prussia, Germany | (aged 20)
Buried | Znamensk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia |
Allegiance | USSR |
Service/ | Red Army |
Years of service | 1942–1945 † |
Rank | Senior sergeant |
Unit | 184th Rifle Division (3rd Belorussian Front) |
Commands | 1st Sniper Platoon (184th Rifle Division) |
Battles/wars |
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Awards |
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Roza Georgiyevna Shanina[a] (Russian: Ро́за Гео́ргиевна Ша́нина, IPA: [ˈrozə ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪɪvnəˈʂanʲɪnə]; 3 April 1924 – 28 January 1945[b]) was a Soviet sniper during World War II who was credited with over 50 kills. Shanina volunteered for the military after the death of her brother in 1941 and chose to be a sniper on the front line. Praised for her shooting accuracy, Shanina was capable of precisely hitting enemy personnel and making doublets (two target hits by two rounds fired in quick succession).
In 1944, a Canadian newspaper described Shanina as "the unseen terror of East Prussia".[3] She became the first servicewoman of the 3rd Belorussian Front to receive the Order of Glory. Shanina was killed in action during the East Prussian Offensive while shielding the severely wounded commander of an artillery unit. Shanina's actions received praise during her lifetime, but conflicted with the Soviet policy of sparing snipers from heavy battles. Shanina kept a war diary that was first published in 1965.
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