SNIPER’S ART

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1940, Page 6

SNIPER’S ART

WITS AGAINST ENEMY SPECIALISED LINE OF WORK. TRICKS OF CONCEALMENT. In August. 1914. the Germans had in each infantry battalion a number of trained snipers. In the armies of the Allies there was no such organisation, and the whole subject, together with the best methods of training, had to be learnt and organised from experience, writes the Bisley correspondent of the “London Times.” Today the Germans are reported to have over 30 snipers in some battalions and a considerable number in all. The Allies also have their sniping’ organisation, and behind them is all the experience gained during 1914-18. Among those uninstructed in the art there still exists a fallacy that all that is necessary to produce a sniper is to take a battalion or company shot or,

if possible, a King's Prize or King’s Medal winner and equip him with a rifle fitted with a telescopic sight. In fact, though expert marksmanship is a necessity in a sniper, it represents not. more than about 30 per cent of his required mental and physical equipment. He is first and foremost a hunter, and both in open warfare and for work in no man's land the art of stalking has to be developed to a high degree. ‘

The sniper with any sort of static (position from which to work may, and does, construct a hide just as does the bird photographer, and. like him, he may occupy that hide with infinite patience for many hours before getting a chance of a shot. On the other hand., like the big game hunter, lie may have to go after his quarry, pitting his wits against the enemy, suspecting and watching every unusual appearance in the ground or vegetation and using his eyes, ears and nose all the time. The work of the sniper is closely allied to that of the scout. In most armies he is part of the front-line intelligence organisation and part of his duty is the gathering of information. There is however, this difference. The scout is j solely concerned with information and i getting it back in the quickest possible ' way, whereas the sniper will usually act on his own information if he can do so to the discomfort of the enemy. If, for instance. he can discover a machine-gun nest or the whereabouts of an'enemy sniper he will do his best then and there to put them out of action. The scout, with similar information. would send it back at once for

the use of others. One of the chief things the sniper has to learn is the art of concealment. His dress must enable him to match with the country through which he is moving. He dirties his face and hands, for in almost any light flesh shows up in a surprising manner. He dirties his rifle also and takes care to hide the object glass of his telescope by means of a long cover. He learns to stay absolutely still for long periods, and to crawl an inch at a time, using only one hand to pull himself along. He learns to make hides so cunningly that he has a wide arc of view from something that looks like a natural feature of the landscape. A good scout is not of necessity a good sniper, but a sniper must be a first-class scout. The best snipers and also the best scouts are usually coun-try-bred men, but men from the town do develop a flair for the game, and often become second to none at it. To be of any use the sniper must be an enthusiast. Detailing men to sniper duties as one would to lhe cookhouse is fatal. Snipers must be chosen from those who wish to do the work and have proved themselves capable of it under instruction.