Another odd slant which many expert riflemen have about this sniping game, is the belief that their superior ability as a rifle-shot will gain for them such special privileges as relief from disagreeable duties or hard work, and added security through being given care or protection by higher authorities, or in the language of the trenches, being put on a “bomb proof” job. As to the first of these suppositions, I can only say that in both the Canadian and United States services it takes a lot of “rank” to get any pick-and-shovel work out of the men for anyone but themselves, and even then they are very apt to shirk much such necessary labor. My personal experience during the first few weeks of sniping was that the operation called for much additional hard labor on my part, and that often the only way to have that special work done right, let alone done at all, was to do it myself. As to the job of sniping offering additional safeguards to the sniper – why hell’s bells man, it calls for far more exposure and chance-taking than ever falls the lot of the average soldier. It’s just a lot of extra work and misery for the sniper, that’s what. So, if you are looking for a soft job in the dugouts, take up something besides sniping.
When we started our first serious sniping, in November 1915, up in the Ypres salient, we were within close, easy range of the Germans and they already had many expert snipers in their line and at work. They beat us to it at the start, but I am personally satisfied that we overtook and surpassed them in the end. As far as I know, there were at that time no text books on the subjects nor any other literature that might have been useful to us, so we had to work out our own system and “technique”.
It was at this time and place that it was first decided to organize a corps of snipers, and orders were issued for each company and detachment to submit the names of two men who were supposed to be well qualified for such work. The order stipulated that all must be “volunteers.” Now, whenever you put that phrase into an order, it is a cinch that all hands will immediately prick up their ears and take notice. Naturally, it implies that the duty is extra hazardous, and it might be supposed that the average soldier would be glad enough to “let George do it,” but the truth is that it works out just the opposite. After a few months of the monotony of routine warfare, nearly every man is anxious to make some sort of a change. The question of the “hazards” never enters his mind, he knows full well that he is liable to get bumped off any minute anyway, no matter what he is doing, so that consideration never enters into the thing. For example – we recruited our machine-gun men from the infantry companies. Now at that time the life of a machine gunner was figured as a very poor insurance risk, in fact, the M.G. outfits were commonly called “suicide clubs.” But just the same, there was always a long waiting list in every company, eager for the chance to get with us.
So it came about that company and section commanders were besieged with applications from men who wanted to be snipers. It must have been a difficult matter for some of them to make their selections, as there were many really “expert” riflemen in every company. So far as my observations went, however, they made good selections, taking men who, in addition to their known shooting ability, had had considerable experience in big game hunting. And that generation of Canadians was very fortunate in this respect.
One in particular – John Paudash – a Chippewa Indian, comes to mind. By birth, inheritance and inclination, he was a hunter. He never would have an observer, preferring to work alone as he made his devious ways along behind the lines, watching for a chance to take a shot. He seldom (perhaps never) had any permanent “nests” but moved about continually. Each evening he would turn in his report, and I for one believed him, which is more than I could say for any other lone sniper.
His brother, George, was a Corporal in our Machine Gun Section and was also selected – together with myself – to represent the Section. Together, we went back to the Sniping School and got our rifles and equipment, but poor George never had much chance to use his. You see, I was a Sergeant and he a Corporal, so I had the edge on him and he stayed with the guns mostly. No doubt he would have done as good or a better job at it than I did, but I just simply could not give up the fun I was having. However, a few months later, when the sniping business was really organized, we both had to turn in our special rifles and telescopes. But we had plenty to do in our own line from that time on.
I mentioned above a “Sniping School.” Well, that was what it was destined to be, but at that time it was in the first stages of formation. There was an improvised range of some two hundred yards and that was about all – but it was enough for us. All we did was to check up the telescope sights against the iron ones, and sight in enough to learn that we had accurate and dependable rifles. We only spent a few hours there, having left the front line that morning and returning soon after dark. As I have said elsewhere, we made our own medicine as we went along, and in the end it appeared to work out very well.
A while back, I spoke about John Paudash – the lone sniper – whom I considered to be the very best man I have known to work alone. In my opinion, the individual sniper does not get very far except for short periods of time – such as at daybreak, or at sundown, or for sniping at very short ranges where cover and shelter is apt to be scarce. For continuous sniping and observation, extending over a period of hours or days, it is much the best for the sniping force to be paired off in teams of two men.
The mental and physical strain of having to be continuously alert for long periods is entirely too much for any one man – and this is particularly true when a large portion of the observing has to be done through a high-power telescope. No one pair of eyes will stand up to the occasion for very long. With two men, the telescope can be taken turn about, and one man can take it easy while the other keeps the enemy under continuous observation. Also, this observation must often be kept up while the rifleman is sighting and waiting to take his shot. Very frequently you take a shot at a head bobbing up and down behind a trench or looking out from some gap in the sandbags, and when looking through the sights you cannot tell whether the target is in the clear or not. Under such circumstances, you “draw a bead,” get the slack out of the trigger, and squeeze off when your observer tells of the head again coming into view.
The situation is exactly the same as that of a pair on some rifle team shooting over the 1000 yard range in a bad wind – or better still, that of a man firing his string with a good coach at the spotting scope. The coach has all the work and worry, while the rifleman merely holds steady and touches off when the coach signals that the wind is right. And furthermore – as is very often the case with the sniping team – the coach (observer) may frequently be the more important of the two men.
No – the lone sniper has a bit too much to contend with at times – particularly the one who wanders about the front lines looking for a favourable target. Not the least of his troubles may be the expostulations of some nervous Sister Annie who insists that no firing be done from that section of trench for fear “they will retaliate.”
The paired teams are much the better for sniping from fixed positions or while on the defensive, and in the Canadian Corps this was the system we started out with. It worked from the start too. With a pair, it is not absolutely necessary that both men be crack shots – the best rifleman can stick to the rifle and keep the other man observing with the glass, only relieving him for brief periods. The great benefit of the pair, to my mind, is that it breaks the monotony of long hours spent away from other troops and gives two kindred spirits the constant opportunity to talk about their common interest – in addition to other topics. Then again, conditions may be such that it is much easier to train observers than to train rifle shots. In my own case, I did all the shooting and kept Bouchard at the glass for most of the time, doing the greatest part of my observing through a pair of binoculars. No, these last were not issued – there are some things which can be gotten in active service without an indent.
Once paired off, and the equipment drawn, it behooves our team to ge
t started at their sniping. The first thing to be done is to make certain that the equipment is all right – particularly that the telescope sight is properly fitted to the rifle and lined up right. The greatest handicap to such sights is the total lack of understanding anything about them which is invariably displayed by the authorities who issue or try to tell you what shall be done with them. The average ordnance officer or sergeant will probably know next to nothing about this equipment, and finally, the men to whom the ’scopes are issued may not have the slightest idea of their use or possibilities. This was one of the great handicaps to the use of rifle telescopes in the British service; they were handed out so many to a battalion and given to men who never before had even seen a telescopic-sighted rifle. Give the average man a rifle so sighted and he looks through the glass, sees how clearly everything is “brought up close” and don’t see how he possibly can miss. Such an individual may shoot for days with a rifle whose ’scope is several feet out of alignment, yet think he is never missing a shot. This last statement is no exaggeration whatever – his bullets may be striking so far from the point of aim as to be outside the field of view of the telescope, and just because every “target” shot at will naturally duck back out of sight our “rifleman” modestly assumes that he is hitting them all.
I mention these things because they were faults which seriously handicapped the sniping game in France in its early stages. Fortunately, in the Canadian Corps we had no such troubles as these, because we had plenty of skilled riflemen who had previously used telescopes and who knew their peculiarities, faults – and virtues. One such man to a division may indeed be priceless at a time like this, and we Canadians had several such to the battalion. Our Ross rifles were promptly sighted in fight with both ’scope and iron sights – and kept that way until turned back into ordnance stores again.
Having checked up on the alignment of the telescope and seen that it is right, tight and proper, it now remains to get hold of some suitable ammunition – and enough of it. Not all the ammunition issued to troops in the field will be suitable for use, in fact, very little of it is likely to come within the requirements of accuracy as demanded by the sniper. I have spoken elsewhere of our troubles along this line, suffice it here to say that if you do locate some accurate ammunition grab on to it – enough to last a long while too. There may be a bit of competition when it comes to “grabbing off” this good ammunition. Amongst my immediate associates in the 21st Battalion were any number of really good riflemen – experienced big game hunters and guides who honestly knew good ammunition from bad. These men always selected their ammunition with the greatest of care, and when we happened to locate a case of some reliable, standard make they would promptly gather around and load up with it, often taking many times the amount actually required. They knew that the time would come when it would be impossible to obtain any good ammunition.
The spotting telescope is an important part of the team’s equipment. The ones issued to us were splendid, about 36 power I believe, which was much too high, so we put in the extra eyepiece which came with it – this was around 20 or 25 power and worked all right. The care and proper use of this spotting ’scope is something to be learned, and some chaps become very proficient with it. The important points are to keep the lens clean and free of grit, grease or fingerprints – then keep a clean bit of soft cloth handy so the objective lens may be kept in proper shape. Scratches on the surface of this objective lens will soon ruin it for clear observation. Keep the draw tubes lightly oiled with some heavy grease, and mark the first draw with a line scratched around so it will indicate the exact place at which the telescope will be roughly in focus. The use of that sun-shade on the front of the glass is of the greatest importance and this must be kept extended at all times to avoid giving your position away through the flashing of the large objective lens This was very necessary with us at early morning when the sun shone directly into our eyes. As soon as the spotting telescope is received, it should be camouflaged with a covering of khaki cloth or brown sandbag, and this cover is best kept on permanently. One always uses the observing glass from a comfortable, steady rest, and it pays to take your time and examine the enemy ground slowly and closely – a small bit at a time.
Continuous observation through a powerful telescope is very trying on the eye, and in my opinion the shooting member of the pair had better not engage in too much of it. I much preferred to do most of my general observing with a pair of good binoculars, and only used the big telescope to check up on a bit of target after my partner had found it; this was seldom necessary. By keeping Bouchard at the big glass most of the time, and spelling him with personal observations through my binocks, we both got along very well. At times, it may be necessary for the rifleman to put in a stretch of close observation; but it should generally be done as a preliminary to the actual shooting and not mixed in with it too much. A pair of good binoculars is not nearly as trying on the eyes as a telescope, at least that is my experience. But the telescope is much the best for real, honest-to-God observation at long ranges.
Having obtained our equipment, and rigged it up in proper shape, it now remains to hunt up a few places from which we can snipe. This may turn out to be a considerable job, frequently calling for much hard work on the part of both members of the team. In general, one’s sniping from a trench or defensive system falls into two classes – close range, rather restricted shooting from a loop-hole or nest built into or ahead of the front lines; and more elaborate and pretentious accommodations arranged farther back of the lines, where better concealment and a far more extensive field of fire is generally available. Maybe I better discuss the two systems a bit.
Shooting from a loop-hole in a front trench is apt to be a decidedly limited proposition. The ground which may be covered with fire is likely to be restricted to that part of the enemy lines directly in front of the loophole, quite possibly to the front trench alone, and often only a few yards of trench at that. It naturally depends upon just where the trench is located. Such sniping is more of an irritant to the enemy than a source of real danger: they soon learn to avoid that particular bit of trench or to keep heads down when in it – and if it gets too hot for them they call on the artillery to bust up the entire front section from which you are shooting. I always thought this sort of “keep your head down Allemand” sniping could best be done by the ordinary rank and file – and done all along their line too.
And when it comes to crawling alone out in front of your own trenches, probably dressed up in one of those “sniper robes,” I am off that stunt also – by preference, that is – although I have done quite a bit of it. Here, a man is strictly “on his own” and is apt to be pretty much up against it if anything goes wrong. His field of fire is much limited, no moving about can be indulged in, and generally but one or two shots may be fired before the show is over for the day. Then comes the long, fearful wait until darkness sets in, before the crawl back to your own trenches may be begun. A fellow feels pretty helpless lying out there all day in the open under a hot sun, – I know, for I have done it and I think I have about as much nerve as the average man. Still; this sort of thing must occasionally be done. But a little shelter and cover go a long way towards making one feel more secure during that “aeon” from daybreak until darkness – even if only to roll over in and go to sleep.
As I said before, another great handicap against a man working alone is that often he cannot see when to let off his shot. You are generally shooting at some very small loophole or opening, and once your eye is down over the sights, cannot tell whether or not your man has his head exposed. With a pair, you hold “ready” with the sights aligned on that place of exposure, and when the “target” slides his head out so it can be hit your observer signals and you let off immediately. Then again, once the shot is fired, no individual rifleman, and I don’t care how conscientious he is, can ever truthfully say whether or not he got his man. The rifle kicks up into your face and hides the aiming point, dust and d
irt fly up around the target, and before your vision has cleared up, the target has disappeared – whether shot or merely ducked you cannot tell. Your observer often can. During our early days at sniping I was greatly amused at the tremendous “bag” made by our various lone-wolf snipers who worked up and down the trenches. These chaps never missed a shot, to hear them tell about it.
No – having tried both ways I am very much in favor of the two-man team as a sniping set-up. The pair will actually pick up and observe several times as many targets as any individual watcher, and they can keep it up for far longer periods of time. For these and other reasons mentioned above, I preferred to do most of my sniping with an observer and from the positions we had especially prepared.
It is generally advisable to move behind the front-line trenches for one or two hundred yards, and build a series of sniping posts in suitable locations. In this manner, one can invariably pick out commanding positions from which a far better observation of both enemy trenches and back areas may be maintained. Also the field of fire will be several times as extensive; we had one post where some 1200 yards of German trench system could be “commanded.” The additional hundred yards or so of range over which one must fire is of no great handicap to the real rifle shot, and will be more than compensated for in the far greater number of shots which will be obtained. Observation on the part of the enemy and consequent detection of your nest is made much harder and therefore less probable. All in all, the erection of these sniping posts somewhere back along the support trenches is much to be preferred.
While about it, make up a string of sniping posts and do not make a practice of using any particular one of them for too long a period of time. Continuous fire (if effective) coming from one fixed direction is bound to result in extensive observation on the part of the enemy and in a deluge of artillery fire once the post is finally located. Use one nest for a day or two and then move over into another one located in a different sector.
A Rifleman Went to War Page 31