Sniper in Action

by Charles Stronge

  SMALL WARS

  The British fought an extended war against communist insurgents in the jungles of Malaya between 1948 and 1960. Here the British Special Air Service (SAS) as well as equivalent units from Australia and New Zealand developed jungle warfare skills and also carried out a successful “hearts and minds” operation that effectively isolated the communist insurgents. Special forces were also deployed in Borneo between 1963 and 1966 to prevent Indonesian raids from coming across the border into Sarawak. Due to the dense jungle, there was not much opportunity for sniper work.

  In December 1963 the Aden Emergency began within the Crown colony and the Protectorate in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Two rival nationalist organizations were active, the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY), which was supported by Egypt, and the National Liberation Front (NLF), which had Marxist roots. In this protracted conflict, fought largely in rugged mountain terrain, there were snipers on both sides. Various British units were deployed to the area, including Royal Marine Commandos, the Parachute Regiment and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The major units were backed up by the SAS. In an area known as the Crater, in an extinct volcano, snipers from the Royal Marines watched for the opportunity to pick off Arab terrorists from their positions high up in the hills. Several terrorists were killed as they walked through the streets and alleyways, unaware that they were in the sights of a sniper. One Royal Marine, Mick Harrison, took up a position in a ruined Turkish fort. He would haul himself into his concealed position while it was still dark and be ready at dawn to watch for real targets.

  Unusual for a sniper, Harrison would actually reveal himself to the enemy so that they would show themselves in turn. After this, he would have to move his position. Harrison was commended for gallant and distinguished conduct in Aden, the citation reading:

  British Royal Marine Lance-Corporal John Tilley scans the Crater area near Aden in June 1967 for insurgent activity. He is armed with an L42A1 rifle, the standard British Army issue sniper rifle of the 1960s era.

  L42A1 RIFLE

  Country of Origin United Kingdom

  Caliber 7.62mm (0.3in)

  Overall length 1181mm (46.5in)

  Barrel length 700mm (27.5in)

  Weight 4.43kg (9.76lbs)

  Unfortunately for the British, the communist guerrillas were adept snipers themselves and they targeted British officers and NCOs and commanders of armored vehicles. In one incident near Al-Mansoura, the commander of a Ferret armored car was hit between the eyes by a sniper’s bullet as his vehicle emerged from a detention center. The local guerrilla forces were excellent marksmen and they were obviously also used to their native environment. It took the British some time to acclimate. A troop from A Squadron SAS were pinned down by enemy snipers on the Radfan in April 1964. They managed to get away after receiving support from RAF Hunter aircraft but it had demonstrated once again the effectiveness of local tribesmen in their own country.

  ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICTS

  The current troubles in the Middle East starting with the creation of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948 and continuing to the time of writing have been one of the most protracted series of conflicts in history. In so far as they are centered around Jerusalem, they involve three of the major religions of the world–Judaism, Christianity and Islam–and can be said to be central to world history.

  “He was in a position overlooking the Crater under sporadic small-arms fire and was the target of a blindicide [anti-tank grenade] attack. Over a period of four days, working with another sniper position, he systematically eliminated terrorist snipers opposing him so that all terrorist fire ceased during daylight hours.”

  Citation for Royal Marine Mick Harrison

  In such a protracted conflict and in such an environment, the sniper has had an important role to play on both sides as he tries to dominate the battlefield or intimidate occupying forces, though the fast-paced style of Israeli maneuver warfare meant that in the earlier conflicts the sniper was mostly a mobile asset, supporting platoon movements and so on. During the Six-Day War, June 5–10, 1967, a battle was fought at Ammunition Hill in the Jordanian-controlled part of East Jerusalem. The Israeli commander, General Uzi Narkis, decided to conduct a ground attack against Ammunition Hill using artillery and a paratroop company, 3rd Company 66th Battalion. Jordanian snipers took up a position in Antenna House and started to take a significant toll of the Israeli attackers. About twenty-four Israeli soldiers were killed and ninety wounded before the hill was taken.

  During the Yom Kippur War, which started on October 6, 1973, Egyptian forces attacked Israel across the Suez Canal while Syria attacked across the Golan Heights in the north. During the tank battle against the Syrians, Syrian snipers using Soviet Dragunov rifles were deployed on the battlefield with the specific task of identifying and shooting Israeli tank commanders. The Israelis were using a version of the British Centurion tank, known as the Sho’ot, and when sitting out of the turret their silhouette was clear against the skyline. The tank battle was one of the most fiercely contested ever as the Israelis initially had only thirty-three tanks against nine hundred Syrian tanks. Although the Egyptian and Syrian armies had demonstrated their aggressive fighting qualities in the Yom Kippur War, Israeli forces pushed their way into Syria and also crossed the Suez Canal on to the West Bank and encircled the Egyptian Third Army. Due to the growing tension between the superpowers–the United States and the Soviet Union–a peace agreement was made and UN buffer forces were interposed between the combatants. A cease-fire agreement was signed in November between Israel and Egypt and peace agreements were signed on January 18, 1974. On May 31, 1974 Israel and Syria signed a cease-fire agreement. Although Israel and Egypt would formally end the state of war between them with the Camp David accords of March 26, 1979, Israel would continue to have problems with Palestinian separatists who had their main base in Lebanon. On June 14, 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon and started shelling Beirut. Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon in June 1985.

  Israeli paratroopers fire back after coming under fire from PLO snipers in the Israel-Lebanon border. The PLO were quick to realize the value of the sniper in their ongoing war of attrition.

  Dressed in bizarre camouflage, a group of guerrilla snipers of the Action Organization, Palestinian commandos pose for the camera on October 7, 1969. Their role was to intercept Israeli forces operating in the Jordan River valley.

  The next challenge that arose for Israel was rioting by Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem from December 1987. Known as the First Intifada, this involved a wide range of disturbances that resulted in the deaths of about 1100 Palestinians and 164 Israelis. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has a prescribed policy of “focused foiling” of terrorists, which involves assassinations. To carry out this strategy and in such conditions, the sniper is a useful tool.

  Anti-terrorist unit

  One of the units of the IDF is the Shimshon Battalion, which was established in 1997 primarily to conduct operations in the Gaza Strip. It is primarily an anti-terrorist unit tasked with identifying terrorist leaders and breaking up their structures. The units are trained specifically for urban warfare and target potential assailants armed with rocket-propelled grenades or missile launchers. The Shimshon Battalion is part of the Kfir Brigade, which also comprises the Nachson, Haruv, Duchifat, Lavi and Netzah Yehuda Battalions. There are other sniper units in the IDF, including the Givat Brigade. The Givati Reconnaissance Battalion also incorporates snipers. Israeli snipers used the M14 SWS rifle, which was adapted by Israeli Military Industries.

  U.S. MARINES IN LEBANON

  On June 6, 1982, the Israelis invaded Lebanon, taking the opportunity to attack terrorist forces that had opposed them, including Abu Nidal, the PLO and Muslim Lebanese forces. A peacekeeping force was sent to the Lebanon, including eight hundred American, eight hundred French, four hundred Italian and ninety-nine British soldiers and Marines.

 
In 1983, however, Islamic Jihad drove two truck bombs into the barracks of American and French forces, killing 299 servicemen, including 241 U.S. Marines. Meanwhile, U.S. Marine sharpshooters engaged with snipers at Beirut airport. One Marine was killed and another wounded by snipers. The Marines returned fire and are said to have killed five snipers who were firing at them. When rescuers tried to clear the rubble and help those caught in the barracks bombings, they were fired on by snipers as they worked. The rules of engagement given to the U.S. Marines stationed in Beirut at the time contained the wisdom of experience: “If you receive hostile fire, direct your fire at the source. If possible, use friendly snipers.”

  In October, Marines came under sniper fire at a position near the university. The Marines promptly fired back but casualties began to mount and in some cases they had to move units away from key positions, such as guarding the airport, “because we were just taking too much sniper fire. It was no longer safe to walk out in the flight line. The snipers were there at the end of the runway, had [us] zeroed in and you just couldn’t walk out there without drawing fire. So we had to close that area completely.” [U.S. Marines in Lebanon 1982–1984, Benis M. Frank]. The Marines deployed a trained sniper against their enemies and succeeded in killing most of them but, despite this, most of the Marine detachment had to withdraw to the safety of their ships.

  U.S. Marine scout/snipers survey a built-up area in Lebanon in January 1983. An M40A1 sniper rifle lies between them. Smoke in the distance suggests the area is a combat zone.

  A U.S. Marine sniper takes up a prone-supported position in the Marine compound close to the Beirut International Airport. He is armed with a camouflaged M40A1 rifle.

  In Hay es Salaam, Marine companies sustained sniper fire on October 14, and they deployed their own sniper team to counter the enemy snipers. As so often in previous battles and wars, this tactic proved to be effective:

  After the major explosion at the Marines barracks, Marine units received 12.7mm (0.5in) sniper rifles and additional night-vision goggles. It was a sign that the time for just taking it was over. Having witnessed Amal militia ambush, Lebanese Armed Forces armored personnel carriers (APCs), capture the soldiers and then shoot them in cold blood with the 12.7mm (0.5in) machine gun mounted on the roof of the APC. U.S. Marine Corporal Rutter and his teammate Crumley felt an extra edge to their shooting skills when they were finally permitted to respond to the fire they were receiving from the Amal. Rutter put a bullet through the firing port of a bunker, silencing the gunner inside, while Crumley took aim at an Amal sniper who, while he thought he was doing the right thing by changing position after firing, did so with such predictable regularity that it was just a matter of time until he could change position no more.

  “The team surveyed the area with sniper scopes for several hours, pinpointing the snipers actually firing at Marine positions. The team then opened fire with 18 rounds of match 7.62 ammunition at 14 targets. Their success was evident by the sudden silence from each hostile position.”

  U.S. Marines in Lebanon 1982–1984, Benis M. Frank

  This episode was proof again that trained military snipers could eliminate troublesome enemy snipers, machine-gunners and other elements without having to mount an infantry exercise or call in artillery with risk of collateral damage.

  The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) had a specific policy of using snipers in its ongoing conflict with the IDF. One of the tactics used by the Palestinians was to cover their snipers by having crowds throw rocks at Israeli troops, causing a distraction. The snipers would then fire upon the enemy under cover of the confusion that was caused. The Palestinians also used rocket-propelled grenades in similar circumstances.

  In one incident, a PLO sniper positioned himself on a hilltop and fired at soldiers and civilians at a checkpoint in the Palestinian suburb of Silwad. The IDF soldiers who were present used a well-rehearsed drill to try to neutralize the sniper. This involved advancing up the hill towards the sniper during which seven IDF soldiers were killed. By the time the IDF soldiers reached the top of the hill, the sniper had vanished.

  Sniper to sniper

  Despite the fact that the IDF soldiers were using a formal battle drill to counter the sniper, their casualties mounted and the operation proved to be a failure. The alternative methods sometimes used in countering snipers are mortar or artillery fire but this can end up causing more damage to civilians in the area than it does to the sniper.

  A well-trained sniper knows how to move position between shots and to disappear when his position is identified. As occurred in the bocage of Normandy, the most effective way of engaging an enemy sniper can be through deploying a friendly sniper.

  Israeli Defense Force snipers use tripods to support their M24 sniper rifles during an operation in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on May 27, 2002. Note that both snipers also carry M4 carbines for close-quarter defense or assault should the need arise. The sniper on the left carries spare 7.62mm (0.3in) rounds slung around his wrist.

  THE FALKLANDS WAR, 1982

  Argentina had claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which it called the Islas Malvinas, in the South Atlantic since the beginning of the nineteenth century. The islands had been occupied by the British since 1833 and the population of the islands wanted to remain British.

  The invasion of the Falkland Islands by the British was instigated both by the need of an unpopular Argentine ruling junta to distract attention from its economic mismanagement but also the pusillanimous attitude of the British towards the islands and their security. As the Argentine Government watched the British Government cut back the Royal Navy, they considered it was probably worth the risk. On April 2, 1982, the Argentines invaded the Falkland Islands with elite commandos and followed up the next day with the invasion of South Georgia, which was about 1600km (1000 miles) east of the Falklands.

  The Argentines may have been correct in assuming the dice were loaded in their favor and that the British had been suffering from a post-imperial hangover. What they had not considered was that the British Prime Minister was Margaret Thatcher and that self-doubt was decidedly out of vogue.

  The British responded by immediately declaring a 332km (200-mile) exclusion zone around the Falkland Islands and assembling a naval task force. The distance to the Falkland Islands was about 12,875km (8000 miles), which would test most people’s determination, and therefore the Argentines had plenty of time to consider what was coming their way, namely 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, including 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions; the Royal Marines Special Boat Squadron and D and G Squadrons 22 SAS. The regular army element included 5 Brigade, comprising 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, 2nd Battalion Scots Guards, 1st Battalion 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles and a troop of the Blues and Royals.

  Although the task force would take some time to travel 12,875km (8000 miles) by sea, Britain was also quick to move on the diplomatic front. Within days, Britain had gained the full support of the United Nations, the European Economic Community, NATO and the Commonwealth. Argentina, on the other hand, could not even get the support of the Organization of American States. The United States was helpful to the British cause.

  On the Falkland Islands, after the initial landing by elite Argentinian commandos, the island was heavily reinforced by conscripts, bringing the Argentine garrison up to a strength of about ten thousand men. The Argentine forces, however, could not be underestimated. There were well-trained troops available, they often had more advanced equipment than the British and among them there were trained snipers who would cause the British a lot of problems. The first British landings were made at San Carlos on May 21. By May 25, three more Royal Navy ships had been lost and a transport ship carrying essential MH-47 Chinook helicopters was also sunk. British land forces divided, with 45 Commando and 3 Para heading eastwards and 2 Para south to Goose Green, which was taken by the British. While 45 Commando and 3 Para moved on foot towards Stanley, 5th Brigade landed at San Carlos and was
then moved around by sea to Bluff Cove where landing crafts were attacked by Argentine aircrafts, causing many casualties, especially among the Welsh Guards.

  L1A1 RIFLE

  Country of Origin United Kingdom

  Caliber 7.62mm (0.3in)

  Overall length 1055mm (41.5in)

  Barrel length 535mm (21in)

  Weight 4.31kg (9.5lb)

  British Royal Marines pose after victory in the Falklands War of 1982. The Marine third from right kneeling carries an L1A1 self-loading rifle (SLR) with a telescopic sight.

  Now, however, the British forces were poised to attack the high ground positions around Stanley, namely Mount Longdon, Two Sisters, Mount Harriet, Tumbledown Mountain and Wireless Ridge. Due to the loss of many of their transport helicopters, the British soldiers had just had to walk with all their equipment across extremely difficult terrain. Now they would have to attack well-prepared positions up several hills, where Argentine snipers, well trained and with good equipment, awaited them.

  Mount Longdon

  Between June 11 and 12, 1982 British forces consisting of 3 Paratroop Regiment supported by 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery made an attack on Argentine positions on Mount Longdon.

  D Company of 3 Para were tasked with sending out a probing platoon to capture an Argentine prisoner for questioning. The patrol included specialist snipers who fired on an Argentine position, aiming at the officer. The Argentines responded by firing mortars, artillery, machine guns and small arms at the snipers.