Sniper in Action

by Charles Stronge

  Ernst Junger (1895–1998) served in the 73rd Hanoverian Fusilier Regiment during World War I and his memories of the war were vividly recorded in his books Storm of Steel and Copse 125. He was soon recognized as an exceptionally brave soldier and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Pour le mérite, or “Blue Max.” On one occasion, as he relates in Copse 125, Junger went out into No Man’s Land accompanied by a spotter known as “H” to try to neutralize British marksmen. After waiting patiently, an unsuspecting victim eventually came into view.

  Suddenly a sound rang out–a sound foreign to this noontide scene, an ominous clinking as of a helmet or bayonet striking the side of a trench. At the same moment I felt a hand grip my leg and heard a low-breathed whistle behind me. It was H., for he had passed those hours in the same alert attention as I.

  I pushed back with my foot to warn him and at the same moment a greenish-yellow shadow flitted across the exposed part of the trench. It was a tall figure in a clay-coloured uniform, with a flat helmet set well down over his forehead and both hands grasping his rifle, which was slung from his neck by a strap. It must have been the relief as he came from the rear; and now it could only be a matter of seconds till the man he relieved passed across the same spot. I sighted my rifle on it sharply.

  A murmuring of voices arose from behind the screen of glass, broken now and again by suppressed laughter or a soft clanking. Then a tiny puff of smoke ascended–the moment had come when the returning post lit a pipe or cigarette for the way back. And in fact he appeared a moment later, first his helmet only, next his whole figure. His luck was against him, for just as he came in line of aim, he turned round and took his cigarette from his mouth–probably to add a word that occurred to him during the few steps he had come. It was his last, for at that moment the iron chain between shoulder, hand and butt was drawn tight and the patch pocket on the left side of his tunic was taken as clearly on the foresight as though it were on the very muzzle of the rifle. Thus the shot took the words from his mouth. I saw him fall, and having seen many fall before this, I knew he would never get up again. He fell first against the side of the trench and then collapsed into a heap that obeyed the force of life no longer but only the force of gravity.

  GEWEHR 98 RIFLE

  This rifle was first manufactured in 1898 and remained the standard German infantry rifle throughout World War I. It was a manually operated bolt-action rifle fed by a five-round magazine. It had a relatively long barrel at 740mm (29.1in) (compared with the 640mm [25.2in] of the British Lee-Enfield), which, while less practical for close-quarters combat and rapid fire, was well suited to the sniping role.

  The bolt-action system designed by Mauser proved to be extremely effective and reliable, even if it did not allow quite such a rapid rate of fire as the system on the British Lee-Enfield. In 1915, 15,000 selected Gewehr 98 rifles were adopted specifically for sniper fire. In order to mount telescopic sights, the rifle was fitted with an adapted bolt design which kept the bolt out of the way of the sight. Despite these modifications, the telescopic sight still had to be mounted relatively high in order to keep clear of the bolt action and the safety catch. The success of the Gewehr 98 sniper-modified rifle was such that in due course over 18,000 were issued.

  Country of Origin Germany

  Caliber 7.92mm (0.31in)

  Overall length 1250mm (49.2in)

  Barrel length 740mm (29.1in)

  Weight 4.09kg (9lbs)

  A British soldier armed with a Lee-Enfield rifle watches for potential targets amidst urban wreckage, Northern France, 1918.

  THE BRITISH SNIPER SCHOOL

  So naive and unprepared were the British at the beginning of the war that they actually thought that their losses of men to individual rifle rounds were coincidental, in other words an enemy soldier just happened to be watching that gap when someone passed it. Little did they know that German snipers had every gap marked and that target opportunities that would be impossible for the naked eye over a standard iron sight were virtual sitting ducks for a trained sniper with advanced optics. Having come to the conclusion that, although on the face of it sniping was not cricket, it was even less sports-manlike to allow their men to be cut down by sniper bullets, the British began to find ways to resolve the problem.

  It had been discovered during attacks into German trenches that the German snipers sometimes operated from behind protective steel plates. Hesketh-Prichard obtained some of these steel plates and took them back to England. He did not want them for target practice; he wanted to discover which rifles had the power to penetrate them.

  The Germans had designed the plates to be proof against standard rounds from the British issue .303 (7.7mm) Lee-Enfield but Hesketh-Prichard had access to other weapons, including rifles designed to stop an elephant. Now that the British authorities had woken up, Hesketh-Prichard was allowed to buy the weapons he needed.

  Obtaining telescopic sights proved difficult because British industry was not as advanced as the Germans in producing this kind of equipment. The British took a pragmatic view of this problem and decided to try to obtain them from Germany. A deal was negotiated via Switzerland and the British obtained some Zeiss, Goerz and Voigtlander sights. By the end of the war, the optimum set up for a British sniper was said to be the 1914 Pattern .303, Mk 1 W(T) sniper rifle fitted with the Model 1918 telescopic sight.

  Another problem was training the men to understand how to calibrate the telescopic sights and zero the weapons. Having an incorrectly adjusted telescopic sight was about as useless as not having one at all. In muddy and wet conditions, soldiers would sometimes unscrew the eye glasses in order to clear them and often refitted them incorrectly. The capstan heads of the sights were also sometimes wrongly adjusted.

  On the German side, a specialist NCO was assigned to ensure that sights were properly calibrated and to fix any problems and the soldiers were also provided with written instructions.

  As the momentum increased, Hesketh-Prichard managed to persuade the British high command to set up a sniping school, the First Army Sniping, Observation and Scouting School, at Linghem near Calais in 1916. At this school, selected officers were taught a range of skills, which they could then pass on to different corps and battalions in the army.

  British troops at Gallipoli. The corporal in the foreground has a Lee-Enfield SMLE sniper rifle with a telescopic sight. During static trench warfare, the sniper was an important influence.

  TELESCOPIC SIGHTS IN WORLD WAR I

  The first telescopic sight with a refractor lens was developed in 1880 by August Fiedler. A few telescopic sights were used for military purposes at the end of the nineteenth century but they came into their own in World War I, largely due to the development of sniping in the German army. Even so, at the beginning of the war the German army only had a small supply of these sights and many were procured second-hand from sporting and hunting rifles.

  Telescopic sights presented the sniper with many advantages due to the clarity and magnification of the target. The disadvantages were that the sight itself was mounted high on the rifle and the lens could create a reflection that would attract the enemy. In muddy and wet conditions, the sights could be blurred and might also be difficult to adjust.

  Pre-war, British sights were normally aperture target sights with a micro-adjustable rear sight. These were typically produced by BSA, Parker Hale, Westley Richards or Alex Martin. An official British Government tender was put out for a telescopic sight to fit the Mk. III Lee-Enfield. The Periscopic Prism Company of London and Aldis Brothers were two companies that offered to meet the requirements. Other British telescopic sights were produced by Watts, Rigby, Evans and Winchester.

  The Germans began World War I with a sniper system fully organized. Here a German sniper awaits his opportunity, looking down the telescopic sight of a Gewehr 98 rifle, while his companion spots with field glasses.

  Snipers were also sent to the school from various parts of the army to improve their skills. These
skills included compass and map work, crawling and the art of concealment.

  STRATEGY AND TACTICS

  By the beginning of World War I, it was generally accepted that soldiers should wear uniforms that blended in with their surroundings. The American sharpshooters of the Civil War, the British Rifle Brigade and the British Army of the Boer War had by now set the tone. There was, however, still a learning curve to be followed. The British in particular were slow on the uptake with regard to sniper tactics and it was only when a formal sniping school was set up that they began to realize the importance of sniper camouflage and concealment and to study it.

  Camouflage and concealment

  As Hesketh-Prichard says in his book Sniping in France: “The demonstrations showing the use of protective colouring and the choice of backgrounds always interested the classes very much. Often the whole class arrived within twenty yards of a man lying within full view without being able to spot him … in open warfare the observer and the scout have to obtain safety by concealment rather than by cover from fire.”

  As Hesketh-Prichard and others were to demonstrate, to camouflage a sniper effectively in the open a leap needed to be taken beyond the ordinary issue khaki uniform. The French contributed to the development of camouflage using their famous artistic skills. A jacket painted in 1915 by a French soldier called Guingot is thought to be one of the first examples of disruptive camouflage uniform. The French learned all too quickly that dressing their men in red trousers at the beginning of the war led directly to high casualty rates. The replacement light blue trousers were not ideal either but were at least an improvement. The gamekeepers or ghillies of the Scottish Highlands had learned to make a kind of portable hunting blind which provided three-dimensional camouflage and was designed to blend in with the surroundings. It was no point having a ghillie suit of bright green foliage if the setting was brown and autumnal. In World War I, much of the foliage was destroyed altogether so the sniper suit had to blend into the local mud and debris of the battlefield. If using real foliage from his surroundings, the sniper had to take into account that in due course it would start to wilt.

  “Often the whole class arrived within twenty yards of a man lying within full view without being able to spot him … in open warfare the observer and the scout have to obtain safety by concealment rather than by cover from fire.”

  Sniping in France, Hesketh-Prichard

  Turkish expertise

  At Gallipoli, much to the discomfort of the Australians, the Turkish forces proved to be masters of disguise. Their snipers would not only conceal themselves effectively in their own lines but would also sometimes get behind the Australian lines, concealing themselves near oak trees and covering themselves in local foliage. Apart from camouflage that was worn, the sniper developed ways of concealing himself in trench lines and parapets so that his presence remained undetected even when the enemy were looking right in his direction. Part of the art of concealment lay in creating false holes and other ruses intended to distract the observer.

  For example, the Germans often used steel sheets to protect their marksmen, with loopholes built in.

  A Turkish sniper captured by Australian forces at Gallipoli shows the high level of camouflage adopted by the Turks who sometimes operated behind Australian lines.

  A canny sniper might set up a steel sheet with loopholes to attract attention while creating his real firing position and loophole behind some inconspicuous sandbags.

  Other skills

  Snipers had to learn to make the best use of the time of day or night, light conditions and so on. It was also important for the sniper to learn how to minimize movement so that he could lie in wait, take any necessary food and drink and get himself into the optimum firing position when the moment came. The Hawkins Position allowed the sniper to lie in wait for hours without undue fatigue while holding the weapon ready for use. This was a variation of the prone unsupported position with the upper sling swivel held by the non-firing hand, forming a fist to support the front of the weapon. The non-firing arm was locked straight. The butt of the weapon was rested on the ground and placed under the firing shoulder, minimizing the profile of the sniper while providing good stability and maximum concealment.

  A good sniper is a creature of the shadows and always blends into his background. He never breaks the skyline, minimizes movement and sound proofs all his equipment. Hard edges, such as parts of the rifle, are broken up by the use of special camouflage bags or disruptive camouflage.

  Early teamwork

  Although the sniper is often thought of as working on his own, Hesketh-Prichard’s school also taught the value of working with an observer equipped with a telescope. The pupils at the school were given training in deception techniques, which Hesketh-Prichard demonstrated in action when he set himself up as a dummy, having positioned a team of snipers in another place and told them to keep their heads down until the right moment.

  Hesketh-Prichard deliberately attracted attention to himself by loosing random shots upon which the Germans let down their guard and revealed themselves. The sniping team thereupon accounted for them. The sniper school was used by Canadians, who proved to be very keen and adept snipers, and by other nationalities, including the Portuguese Army. British regiments with a particular talent for scouting included the Artists’ Rifles and the Lovat Scouts.

  In 1916, the Lovat Scouts (Sharpshooters) became the first official sniper unit in the British Army. Being formed largely of gamekeepers and ghillies from Scotland, they had a natural aptitude for concealment and stalking. The ghillie suit was named after them and is still used to describe a sniper camouflage suit. Lovat Scouts provided many of the trainers at the Sniping School and the unit was also deployed for sniping duties at Gallipoli.

  CANADIAN SNIPERS

  Canadians seemed to have a particular interest in and aptitude for sniping. An American serving in a Canadian regiment, Herbert McBride, also made a name for himself. Perhaps the most famous Canadian sniper was Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow (1891–1952), who had a tally of 378 enemies killed and 300 captured. “Peggy,” as he was known, was a Native American of the Ojibwa tribe from Parry Island. He joined the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, which was the first Canadian battalion to be deployed to Europe. Peggy proved to be an extremely effective messenger and often got vital information through when under heavy fire. His real skill, however, was as a sniper. Either concealed in his own trenches or working his way unseen into No Man’s Land, Peggy had a natural instinct for stealth and concealment and would lie patiently in wait for a target.

  Peggy served at Ypres, on the Somme and at Passchendaele where he provided vital communications for the Canadians. He received the Military Medal for his work at Passchendaele, with a citation remarking on his skill as a scout:

  “At Passchendaele November 6th/7th 1917, this NCO did excellent work. Before and after the attack he kept in touch with the flanks, advising the units he had seen, this information proving the success of the attack and saving valuable time in consolidating. He also guided the relief to its proper place after it had become mixed up.”

  Official citation for Corporal Pegahmagabow

  Another Canadian sniper with a fearsome reputation was Henry Norwest. He was of Cree Indian stock and from his early years had developed the natural skills of a hunter, including stealth and patience. Norwest was also a master of camouflage.

  He would often head out into No Man’s Land or even behind enemy lines and lie undetected, sometimes for days, until he could be sure of his victim. Norwest used a rifle with a telescopic lens and his score is said to have been at least 115. These were kills confirmed by an independent observer. Norwest is likely to have made many more that were not officially confirmed. Due to his mastery of stealth and camouflage, Norwest was sometimes used by Canadian forces for observation missions. Unfortunately for Norwest, despite his skills, on a mission on August 18, 1918 a German sniper detected him and shot him through the head.

>   GALLIPOLI

  Not only was sniping an important factor in the trenches of the Western Front, it was also practiced on both sides of the Gallipoli campaign, which was fought between April 1915 and January 1916. The aim of the British Commonwealth forces, including a large contingent of Australians and New Zealanders, supported by French forces, was to capture Istanbul and open a supply route to Russia.

  The prelude to the Gallipoli landings was the naval Dardanelles campaign when the Royal Navy sent a significant fleet of about eighteen ships to batter Turkish gun emplacements along the coast. Turkish mines and shore-based artillery began to sow confusion among the Allied fleet and the focus was moved to a land operation so as to neutralize the Turkish artillery.

  Canadian officers are trained in the art of sniping during World War I. Many of the best Canadian marksmen were Native Americans well versed in the necessary hunting and tracking skills that made a good sniper.