Allied Snipers

Maybe Sapper or Tom Canning can weigh in on this:

Throughout Allied combat accounts, you hear of extensive German sniper activity and obviously the resulting casualties. I don't recall many veterans not making at least some passing reference to sniping or in fact describing it as a big problem.

What I'm curious about is just how effective, if at all, were the snipers in British, Canadian, American and Commonwealth forces? I've seen very few Allied snipers tell their stories. I also don't recall German accounts ever mentioning Allied sniping or describing casualties. Was it a priority and actively conducted in most Allied infantry units? If so, were they less effective than German sharpshooters?

Any idea of how many dedicated snipers were in any given infantry company or regiment?

 

The Russians had some really famous snipers, the most famous is probably Vasily Zaytsev. The Wiki has more info,

Sniper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From what I've read it seems the Russians had people dedicated to sniping while other Allied nations did after the start of the war when seeing the success of the sniper.

 

Tim - I interviewed one of our fellows who was with the Irish Regiment who identified his military occupation as that of a sniper. I will ask him your questions and see what he has to say.

cheers,
phil

 

The Russians had some really famous snipers, the most famous is probably Vasily Zaytsev. The Wiki has more info,

Sniper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From what I've read it seems the Russians had people dedicated to sniping while other Allied nations did after the start of the war when seeing the success of the sniper.

Russian sniper exploits are quite well known but I suspect as much due to Communist propaganda as real achievements. Can you readily name an Allied sniper?

 

Canuk -
The question actually belongs with the Infantry as both Tank man and Sappers rarely were called upon to shoot anyone - and most unlikely could hit the broad side of a barn - we had training on pistol and Tommy Gun shooting - but this could not be termed sniper actions.

One day we spotted a PG with a Panzershriek waitng fo the next Tank to rioll by - so the Gunner was ordered to employ the "besa PG 400yds to the right -"ON" - fire "!

I watched his hand move from the besa trigger to the main gun ?

We finally got up there and found this PG with a five inch hole in his chest - that was sniper fire ! Harry was a great gunner whose Test and Adjustment skills(T&A) were excellent....

Cheers

 

Guess he was dead then Tom? Nice shot!!

Good question Canuck. Apart from characters in the movies, I've never heard of an honoured Allied sniper either.

Anybody know the true story of that Shifty Powers from Easy Company?
He was supposed to have been a crack shot. Why didn't they make him a sniper?

 

The US Army and Marines had a very much on off Sniper training programme between the the two world wars and after. I believe the US Army didn't have a dedicated peace time training programme until Vietnam.

I would say it's fair to say that the Allies didn't really appreciate the value of sniping as soon as Germany and the Soviet Union although American origins can be traced back to the militia/skirmishers fighting the British in the 1700's.

The British traditions of sniping come from Scotland that have connections with the poaching and gamekeeping communities...So much so the Ghillie suit originates from there.

Some further info:

Snipers in History

Sniper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





Cheers
Andy

 

Drew -

The Americans had many crack shots - all the way back to Tom Mix -Audie Murphy John Wayne - Henry Fonda - Jimmy Stewart - there were dozens of them ...

Cheers

 

I don't doubt that Tom, my point though was the Americans didn't take it serious enough as they did not have a peace time sniper school until around the time of the Vietnam conflict.

Here you go:
Although the US Army set up an advanced marksmanship course at Camp Perry, Ohio, the Army had no official sniper course during WWII. Between wars, the USMC sustained limited sniper training but not enough to compete with other countries during WWII.

Infact it appears to be later than the 60's:

The US Army Sniper School was established in 1987, at the Infantry Center at Fort Benning, GA, and continues to produce top-notch snipers today.

Army Sniper Association History

Cheers
Andy

 

Drew -

The Americans had many crack shots - all the way back to Tom Mix -Audie Murphy John Wayne - Henry Fonda - Jimmy Stewart - there were dozens of them ...

Cheers


You forgot Gary Cooper

 

jugs -
I knew there was another - just couldn't think of him in High Noon etc

Cheers

 

jugs -
I knew there was another - just couldn't think of him in High Noon etc

Cheers

Right guy, wrong movie............I was in reference to "Sgt York" gobble gobble

I just watched a show in the Military Channel and a portion was about the Marines, US Marines that is, at the battle of "Belleau Wood". They were dropping the German defenders from 800+ meters with 1903 Springfields and iron sights.

 

Its been some time since I read it but I seem to recall that Dennis Edwards, of Pegasus Bridge fame, talks about his own sniping activities in the days following D-Day in his book "The Devils Own Luck".
Jim

 

Soviet snipers after returning from 'hunt', left one shows number of killed enemies.

EDIT: These ones showing us one kind of soviet snipers - people from small native population of some part of USSR that were using rifles to hunt for animals to survive, for example natives from Siberia. Those ones were already good shooters and were used as instructors and snipers on front.

 

Owen asked me what about soviet snipers and I can tell the following on basis of Battle Of Stalingrad. There was an order of Stalingrad Front HQ dated 29 october 1942: "1. Each unit should have sniper team gathered for training and action during fights. 2. Each platoon should have at least 2-3 snipers. 3. Popularize actions of snipers, each good shot have to be widely known in masses." (that's a free translation of an order by me).

 

Corporal G.E. Mallery covering other members of the Scout Platoon, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, advancing towards Fort de Brasschaet. October 9, 1944.

 

Canadian snipers of the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders. These men have killed 101 of the enemy through sniper operations.

Camp de Brasschaet, Belgium 9 October 1944.