Allied Snipers

Russian sniper exploits are quite well known but I suspect as much due to Communist propaganda as real achievements.

What do you call "benefit of the doubt" in reverse?

 

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.
Hi Drew, nice pictures, its unusual to see a left handed sniper as in this picture, it must of made it akward to shoot left handed due to the bolt being on the right side of the rifle

 

Even worse with a semi or automatic weapon mate

 

Hi Drew, nice pictures, its unusual to see a left handed sniper as in this picture, it must of made it akward to shoot left handed due to the bolt being on the right side of the rifle

A Friend of mine who was an 8541 Marine Scout Sniper and left handed. In a supported position he was able to put rounds on target with more speed and accuracy than right handed guys. This was due to not having to repostion his grip, eye relief or cheek weld between shots with the M-40A1. In unsupported firing positions he was hosed and would have to reach over the scope, or change hands, to work the bolt.

 

Didn´t special force training (Commando, Ranger, Raider, etc.) include sniper training?

Also, here´s some info on a Finnish sniper, Simo Häyhä, "White Death", the best there was during WW2, according to several sources:

Simo Häyhä

Simo Häyhä the Greatest Sniper: Credited with as many as 700 kills during the Finnish Winter War | Suite101.com

 

I can remember Tom Mix, he was my hero!


SIGH!



John.

 

Here's a modern day sniper.

 

Simo Häyhä




A Deadly Finn .....

 

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.

I've never seen this photo before. It seems that, at least for Canadian forces, that you really have to search for WW2 sniper accounts. It was quite different for WW1 where many Canadians achieved notoriety for their marksmanship. The best example was Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow (1891-1952).

He was the most highly decorated aboriginal soldier in Canadian military history. He was an Ojibwa from the Parry Island Band in Ontario who was awarded the Military Medal plus two bars for his battlefield service during the First World War. Pegahmagabow was one of only thirty-nine men in the entire Canadian Expeditionary Force to receive the Military Medal with two bars.
Peggy, as his fellow soldiers called him, enlisted in August 1914 and was part of the First Contingent of soldiers to go overseas. He sailed overseas with the 1st Battalion and was engaged in fierce fighting at the desperate trial-by-fire battle of 2nd Ypres in April 1915 where the Germans unleashed chlorine gas for the first time in the history of warfare.
Peggy survived even though the 1st Battalion lost almost half of its strength in three days of bitter fighting. The front returned to its static nature and soldiers dug deeper trenches to avoid the murderous artillery and sniper fire. Cpl Pegahmagabow soon acquired a fierce reputation among his fellow soldiers as a deadly sniper. Establishing himself behind the front lines or slowly worming his way into No Man’s Land at night, Peggy would wait for German soldiers to show themselves. He proved to be an effective and deadly marksman, and quickly began to account for dozens of the enemy.

Pegahmagabow was one of those rare Canadian soldiers who enlisted in 1914 and fought to the end of the war. Throughout his service at the front, he became Canada’s premier sniper of the war. Although there are no exact figures recorded, accounts of his "kills" vary to as high as 378.

 

the allied armies had some great snipers
but there are too many to name

 

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

Thanks Tom,
I know you were an armoured guy but since snipers were known to have a crack at tank commanders I thought you might have had some experience with the shooters on our side. Obviously, from your Panzershreck story, your crew didn't need help from anyone.
It's similar to a story that Bernie Pelletier related where a German soldier, in Italy, used the cover of a cow in a field as he waited to throw a grenade at a line of Bren gun carriers. As it was told, a full belt was fed through Bernie's Vickers MG to riddle both cow and German.

 

Canuk -
My own Troop leader was killed by a sniper as he - like all too many commanders - had to have his head above the turret line to know where we were going - this situation improved much later with multiple periscopes but as always - too little - too late - for too many.

We were never too involved with the Infantry except in support of an attack - when snipers were not really being used - then the counter attack - after which we invariably retired to maintain and re stock the Tanks - this was when the snipers came into their own - by then - it was bedtime or at least two hours then guardtime ! by then the sun was up once more....

Cheers

 

Even worse with a semi or automatic weapon mate

Hot casings down your jacket

 

BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND. 30/12/1944. PRIVATE T. HALL, 25TH INFANTRY BATTALION (MILITIA) PICKING OFF A JAPANESE SNIPER IN A TALL TREE DURING THE AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE ON THE ENEMY POSITIONS IN THE PIATERAPAIA SECTOR. Rifle .303 Pattern 1914 (P-14)

 

Tarakan, borneo, 05/05/1945. Corporal c.c. Donnelley, (1), and sergeant g.w. Burley, (2), members of 2/4 commando regiment, sighting a sniper tied to a tree about 100 yards to the west of the ridge.

 

Beaufort, borneo. 15/08/1945 private (pte) l. Tonks, a sniper, with pte h. O'fray and pte l. Waugh who are spotting for him and supporting him from a c company 2/43rd infantry battalion position.

 

Two more left handeders !

I've never seen so many

 

Andy,

I was just thinking the same and have been comparing the photos. They are two different soldiers.

Is it more than a coincidence?

Regards
Tom

 

I'm sure they were effective left handers too.

Someone picked it up (left handers)

Spider

 

New Guinea. Goodview Junction. Private Clarry Elliott, of Dimboola, Vic, an AIF sniper at Goodview Junction examines the British made pattern 1918 telescopic sight mounted on his No 3 MK1*(T) .303 calibre sniper"s rifle.
Another P-14
Spider