Matthäus Hetzenauer

Matthäus Hetzenauer was an Austrian sniper in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He served in the 3rd Gebirgsjäger Division on the Eastern Front of World War II. With 345 confirmed kills, he was the most successful German sniper and one of the deadliest snipers in history. In Nazi Germany, confirmed kills were only valid in the presence of an officer, so Hetzenauer's estimated kills are many times higher. His longest confirmed kill was reported at 1,100 meters. Hetzenauer received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 April 1945.