Yesterday I watched Enemy at the Gates for the second time - a great movie, especially if you are tired of the regular Americanized war films as it has a completely different feeling to Saving Private Ryan etc. yet is accurate and wonderfully shot.

The star of the film is Vassili Zaitsev aka Jude Law, who according to the Soviets was a sniper instrumental in defeating the German siege of Stalingrad. The Germans apparently feared him so much that they sent the head of their sniper schoo to duke it out with him, and Vassili came out on tops. Furthermore, his rifle is displayed in Stalingrad.

However, some debate that he was created by the Soviets to increase the morale of their troops in what seemed like a hopeless situation. Either way it made for a great movie.

What are your thoughts?

In my opinion I think that Enemy at the Gates is modeled after the book " WAR OF THE RATS" and not the book that is infact named Enemy at the Gates.

I really liked the movie though, it was very good. Heck, if I was a German officer I would look over my shoulder all of the time, and be extra aware of my surroundings!

~CHip :-)

I read in history books that this event occured, no names mentioned but the story I heard is that the Russian came in to hunt the German.

Was Vassili Zaitsev a real man? Yes he was . Was he a Sniper in Stalingrad? Again Yes. Was he really that good? Yes he was. Did it happen like in the movie? No it did not. So I guess the answer is Yes and No. That he was fact and that Hollywood made him into fiction.
HTH
Beachbm2

I agree with the interfacting of fact and fiction. Yes, he was a marvelous sniper with a girlfriend who also became a sniper. His rifle of choice is still in a museum in Stalingrad. Yes, the Germans sent someone in there to nail him. As I recall in Craig's book "Enemy At The Gate" it has only the briefest passage about him and his exploits which were of immense propaganda value to Stalin.
DJ

this is an exert from 'great battles of world war 2' by john macdonald.
'the russians excelled at sharpshooting and, to redress the balance, heinz thorwald, head of the german snipers school at zossen, was flown to stalingrad. there followed a stalking dual of nearly a week withthe german and a crack russian sniper. for most of the time the german lay in no-mans land covered by a sheet of iron. once his position was finally located, the russian snipers aid raised a helmet on a stick, when the german fired his exact position was revealed and he was killed by a single shot to the head seconds later.'

no source i have ever seen links ziatzev with this event, so maybe hollywood amalgamated the two stories?
cheers
joe

does any one know if Vassili Zaitsev survived the war? seems like the german fell for the oldest trick in the book

Yes He survived the war. Do a google search and I think you will find what you need.
Beachbm2

If I recall right I think I read that he was blinded by a mine that detonated by him/because of him.

He was quite the man! Those Ruskys!

~Chip :-)

I've read that he achieved 400 kills, 149 of which occurred in at Stalingrad, so he was undoubtedly talented.

I dug this up though:
The story of Vassili Zaitsev has long been believed to be a historical fact. However, there has not been any documented proof that the legendary sniper duel between Zaitsev and Konig ever took place. As a matter of fact, Beevor's account mentions Koning and other accounts mention a Thorwald. I am inclined to believe that the Soviet Command invented this story to inspire the beleaguered troops of Stalingrad in their darkest hours of fighting the German onslaught. As a matter of fact, I had an occasion to interview an elderly Russian gentleman who claimed to have trained under Zaitsev in Stalingrad. When I asked about the duel, he replied something to the effect of, "Its true if that is want you want to believe". I don't doubt that many duels occurred between the snipers of both sides. However, to believe that the German High Command went to the trouble to commit the chief instructor of their sniper school to finding and killing one Soviet sniper is a lot to accept.

Cokes's little dig up does bring up an interesting point. Why would they send one of their best snipers, a teacher. To hunt one Soviet sniper?

~Chip :-)