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Eastern Front Sniper: The Life of Matthäus Hetzenauer
Eastern Front Sniper is a long overdue and comprehensive biography of one of World War II’s most accomplished snipers.
Mathäus Hetzenauer, the son of a Tyrolean peasant family, was born in December 1924. He was drafted into the Mountain Reserve Battalian 140 at the age of 18 but discharged five month’s later.
He received a new draft notice in January 1943 for a post in the Styrian Truppenübungsplatz Seetal Alps where he met some of the best German snipers and learned his art.
Hetzenauer went on to fight in Romania, Eastern Hungary and in Slovakia. As recognition for his more than 300 confirmed kills he was awarded on the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 17, 1945.
After nearly five years of Soviet captivity Mathäus Hetzenauer returned to Austria on January 10, 1950. He lived in the Tyrol's Brixen Valley until his death on 3 October of 2004.
Mathäus Hetzenauer, the son of a Tyrolean peasant family, was born in December 1924. He was drafted into the Mountain Reserve Battalian 140 at the age of 18 but discharged five month’s later.
He received a new draft notice in January 1943 for a post in the Styrian Truppenübungsplatz Seetal Alps where he met some of the best German snipers and learned his art.
Hetzenauer went on to fight in Romania, Eastern Hungary and in Slovakia. As recognition for his more than 300 confirmed kills he was awarded on the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on April 17, 1945.
After nearly five years of Soviet captivity Mathäus Hetzenauer returned to Austria on January 10, 1950. He lived in the Tyrol's Brixen Valley until his death on 3 October of 2004.
- GenresHistoryWorld War IIWar
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 14, 2023
The book I present to you today is part of the series concerning the history of the snipers operating in the Second World War, an editorial choice of Greenhill Books which is publishing various memoirs concerning this specialty, going to include memoirs from both the German and Soviet sides.
Today the protagonist of this book, written by the historian Roland Kaltenegger, is the best German marksman of the Second World War, Matthäus Hetzenauer. An Austrian from Tyrol, Hetzenauer is by nature a born hunter of those places, a hunter from a lineage of hunters. His story therefore leads him to be selected to be part of the snipers of the 3rd German Mountain Division.
Kaltenegger's sources, it must be said, are not many. The book is both a story of Hetzenauer and his unit, but also a book that explains a lot about the tactics and operations of sharpshooters. From an iconographic point of view the book is very valid, being full of photos, diagrams, drawings concerning the method of camouflage of snipers. There are many photos of Hetzenauer and some of his comrades.
Although Hetzenauer arrived late in the fight compared to many of his fellow soldiers, the haul of "killings" (you can't sweeten the term) in such a short time is impressive. A soldier who, especially in the last few months, in the defensive fighting of his unit on the Romanian front and elsewhere, has fulfilled his duty to the last, often foiling many attacks with his precise and aimed shot at the Soviet officers.
It is natural that for a sniper, perhaps the only soldier to closely observe his victim in modern warfare, it is not easy to recount his memories. Kaltenegger drew on newspaper articles and indirect memoirs to tell the story of Hetzenauer, but the result is still very valid.
With 346 confirmed kills, Hetzenauer's loot is the most conspicuous of all German snipers in World War II. It should be added that most likely the figures will be close to double, but 346 are those confirmed.
Hetzenauer passed away in 2004, and it is difficult to see in his old man smile, very similar to the frank and open one of when he was young, one of the deadliest soldiers of the Second World War. Kaltenegger and Greenhill Books, leave us a volume that recalls his exploits and which represents a high volume of extreme interest in this "Greenhill Sniper Library" series, and in the memories and stories of the Second World War in which the publishing house specializes. A book that cannot fail to arouse the interest of many enthusiasts.
Today the protagonist of this book, written by the historian Roland Kaltenegger, is the best German marksman of the Second World War, Matthäus Hetzenauer. An Austrian from Tyrol, Hetzenauer is by nature a born hunter of those places, a hunter from a lineage of hunters. His story therefore leads him to be selected to be part of the snipers of the 3rd German Mountain Division.
Kaltenegger's sources, it must be said, are not many. The book is both a story of Hetzenauer and his unit, but also a book that explains a lot about the tactics and operations of sharpshooters. From an iconographic point of view the book is very valid, being full of photos, diagrams, drawings concerning the method of camouflage of snipers. There are many photos of Hetzenauer and some of his comrades.
Although Hetzenauer arrived late in the fight compared to many of his fellow soldiers, the haul of "killings" (you can't sweeten the term) in such a short time is impressive. A soldier who, especially in the last few months, in the defensive fighting of his unit on the Romanian front and elsewhere, has fulfilled his duty to the last, often foiling many attacks with his precise and aimed shot at the Soviet officers.
It is natural that for a sniper, perhaps the only soldier to closely observe his victim in modern warfare, it is not easy to recount his memories. Kaltenegger drew on newspaper articles and indirect memoirs to tell the story of Hetzenauer, but the result is still very valid.
With 346 confirmed kills, Hetzenauer's loot is the most conspicuous of all German snipers in World War II. It should be added that most likely the figures will be close to double, but 346 are those confirmed.
Hetzenauer passed away in 2004, and it is difficult to see in his old man smile, very similar to the frank and open one of when he was young, one of the deadliest soldiers of the Second World War. Kaltenegger and Greenhill Books, leave us a volume that recalls his exploits and which represents a high volume of extreme interest in this "Greenhill Sniper Library" series, and in the memories and stories of the Second World War in which the publishing house specializes. A book that cannot fail to arouse the interest of many enthusiasts.
April 7, 2018
An entirely disappointing book. The author is challenged by not be able to interview the subject (having died in 2004) and an absence of diaries or other eyewitness/source material to work from. Martin Pegler's introduction is solid and sets up the narrative nicely but then the author takes us on a magically journey back to pre-Celtic Tyrol.
Key issues that should have been addressed, such as weapons, scopes, the actuality of a day in the life, are not covered; once again due to the lack of primary source material. Instead a complex and confusing narrative is overlayed the basic movements of Hetzenauer on the retreat to Germany.
The translator has struggled with the material on hand and leaves us with a very German text that would have benefited from an editor.
I would but this book in the genre of "contemporary fashion" which has seen an explosion of poorly written sniper books in the past two years.
Wait until this book is on the remainders list for $1 and get it only for padding out your sniper history library.
A better read would be Senich's "History of the German Sniper" if you can get a copy.
Key issues that should have been addressed, such as weapons, scopes, the actuality of a day in the life, are not covered; once again due to the lack of primary source material. Instead a complex and confusing narrative is overlayed the basic movements of Hetzenauer on the retreat to Germany.
The translator has struggled with the material on hand and leaves us with a very German text that would have benefited from an editor.
I would but this book in the genre of "contemporary fashion" which has seen an explosion of poorly written sniper books in the past two years.
Wait until this book is on the remainders list for $1 and get it only for padding out your sniper history library.
A better read would be Senich's "History of the German Sniper" if you can get a copy.
October 8, 2021
It's crap, I wished it would be good but it wasn't, sniper on the eastern Front was a beauty of a book but this one was very disappointed, it just didn't interest me at all ,I found it a struggle to get thru, but that's me, the next one to read is sniper ace, Bruno sutkus I hope that's better than this waste of money.
January 21, 2018
This book has little cohesion in its content. Some cool stuff about the sniper profession but a little short.
April 9, 2022
excellent book!
Good reading, food for the soul! Great coverage this man’s compulsory journey. Excellent feedback requested and replied! Thank you,
Chris
Good reading, food for the soul! Great coverage this man’s compulsory journey. Excellent feedback requested and replied! Thank you,
Chris
December 4, 2025
Looking at a soldier through the scope of your rifle...he is smoking a cigarette...you touch the trigger lightly...you decide to let him finish...before you pull the trigger. This is the story of Matthäus Hetzenauer (345 confirmed kills - the most successful German sniper of WW II). From hunting as a young man in Brixen im Thale to the Eastern Front - this book should be required reading for anyone in the military training to become a sniper.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews