Vasil Kvachantiradze

Vasil Shalvas dze Kvachantiradze (; ; – 9 February 1950) was a Soviet sniper during World War II. He is credited with confirmed kills numbering at least 215 officers and soldiers of the German Wehrmacht during the Vitebsk–Orsha offensive and 517 confirmed kills total during the war, thus being considered as one of the deadliest snipers in history.

Early life Kvachantiradze was born on in the village Konchkati, Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire. Vasil grew up within a peasant family and spent his youth working and assisting on the farm of his parents until he became a member of the Communist Party of Georgia in 1939. He also briefly served in the Red Army from 1932 to 1933.

World War II When the war broke out Kvachantiradze was drafted again in 1941 by the regional military commissariat and deployed as a sniper in the Soviet 650th Rifle Regiment, 138th Rifle Division. In the battle at Shumilino Vasil's detachment was encircled by counterattacks and temporarily cut off from the rest of their regiment. The sniper reportedly managed to improvise traps and ambushes without exposing their position a single time. Due to continuous harassment and resistance, the Germans were not able to secure the area, which was considered important for creating a defensive line. A combined Soviet infantry and mechanized assault eventually broke through and defeated them.

Vasil Kvachantiradze also worked with Kuzma Danilovich Smolensky and under Fyodor Okhlopkov, two other eminent Soviet snipers. Together with Smolensky he was involved in training an additional 50 snipers for the war efforts. With Okhlopkov they became the deadliest sniper team in the Soviet Union with a total of 644 kills. During the entire period from 1941 to 1945, Kvachantiradze personally scored a total of 517 kills, Smolensky 414 and Okhlopkov 429. On March 24, 1945, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet decided to bestow upon him the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" with Gold Star Medal and a second Order of Lenin.

Awards For his formidable efforts during the war, Kvachantiradze was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, Order of Lenin twice gold star medal, Order of the Red Banner twice, Order of the Patriotic War twice and the Order of the Red Star.

Postwar Kvachantiradze left the army in 1945 and became a head of a Kolkhoz as well as deputy Supreme Soviet of Soviet Georgia. Vasil Shalvovich Kvachantiradze died on February 9, 1950, at the age of 43.