Vassili zaitsev rifle stalingrad museum

"...await the right moment for one, and only one well-aimed shot"

Vasiliy Zaitsev

Next lines are taken from Antony Beevor's Stalingrad, The fateful siege : 1942 - 1943.

The telescopic sight of his prey's rifle, allegedly Zaitsev's most treasured
trophy, is still exhibited in the Moscow armed forces museum, but this dramatic
story remains essentially unconvincing.

It is worth noting that there is absolutely
no mention of it in any reports.*

Indeed, the whole story of the sniper duel is fiction.

Vassili zaitsev rifle stalingrad museum

There is absolutely no trace in 
the German military archives or SS records of  SS officer Heinz Thorwald. 
Also there is absolutely no report of the duel in the Red Army files which concentrated 
on sniper activities (the daily reports of the Political Department of Stalingrad Front to Moscow)
This great story can be classified as Sovjet propaganda.

Vasiliy Zaitsev - W.W. II - Russia  - about 400 kills.
(149 Kills at the ba