Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-11-21
WORK OF HE SNIPER
Dangerous 1t Is But Very FaSCinat.
Ing.
REQUIREMENTS SKILL and PATIENCE
American Sharpshooters Upheld Tradi-
tional Supremaey-Scientific Rules,
Thoroughly Understood and Closely
Followed-Expert Gives Away


tional Supremaey-Scientifie Rules,
Thoroughly Understood and Closely
FoIIowed-Expert Gives Away
Secrets.
The sniper doesn't snipe simply by
getting behind some convenient object
and discharging his rifle. Experience
has taught him much, and he, now has
code Of rules to observe, some of
which relate to the accuracy Of his fire
and some to the efficiency Of his con-
cealment from the enemy. With the
recent return to the United States of a
group of snipers attached, to the amer
lean Expedtionary Force, the de
tailed lessons in trickery and shoot
ing magic" as Ret Harrow expresses
it in Popular Mechanics" Chicago,
November) have become known. In
genious and scientific to a microscopic
degree, they reveal how technical, and
yet how fascinating, sniping became in
the progress of warfare. Says Mr..
Harrow:
Without a doubt the most danger
Gus pursuit in the war, sharpshooting
was the one branch OF the service that
Americans clamored with the greatest
fervor to join, for it harked back to a
traditional American superiority-the
use of the life. Not even the gener-
ally credited statement that a sniper's
life was, on an average, but 10 days,
stopped them, and with the British
and French they worked out an artful
system of rules that completely baffled
the Germans. Toward the last Of the
fighting, the American sharpshooters
came to be called body snatchers,' on
account Of their success in this parti-
cular field.
THE first rule for these daring rifle
men who stole out in No Mans Land
to pick off opponents, was that they
should always hide before cover
rather than behind it. BY lying down
between an object and the enemy
sniper was much more efficient than
when lying with the protecting object
between him and his prey. He was
taught to blend himself with the house,
tree wall. or trench in his rear, open
70 the enemy's fire, but concealed from
his sight. He was never to let his head
appear against the sky line; never to
shoot at a German head directly in
front of him but always at heads far
to the right or left This mode Of
procedure prevented the Germans from
discovering the angle from which the
bullets were coming.
EVERY sniper carried a barometer
and a little gauge for the measuring OF
the winds velocity. He knew just how
much the wind swerved the bullets at
any and all velocities, and just how the
amount Of moisture in the air slowed
the speed of bullet.
"One extremely important rule was
that he should swab the muzzle OF his
rifle after every shot, to make sure that
no moisture had collected there. one
tiny drop of water would, upon the
rifles discharge, send up a puff OF
steam that would reveal him TO MS
carefully watching enemies.
when shooting through loophoic
in masonry, the sniper must water Tie
aperture thoroughly so no dltst would
be blown into the air when the rlhe
spoke. In shooting from house, the
sniper never occupied a window, out
stationed himself at the far erd of the
room where he could not be seen. and
sent his bullets through the window
from this distance.
HE was never permitted, in the later
days, to use binoculars, but was sup
piled with a telescope, for the use or
the latter meant that the gleam OF only
one glass lens might be caught by the
enemy. thus betraying the sniDer,
whereas with binoculars the chances
were double. With this telescope he
studied enemy trenches and 'shlpefs
nests all day long, scarcely moving, so
keen was the enemys lookout.
Sinners always worked in pairs, one
using the telescope and tho other tie
rife, the former whispering directions
to the latter. Lying a few feet apart
so that if one was detected, the other
need not necessarily be killed also, they
lay all day long in one position, their
only relief being the exchange oil spy
glass and rife to lessen the intense
strain.
Each pair of snipers made two sets
of nests on nights before going out
establishing a false p1i: of nests
where the enemy might discover them
and placing near by the hiding places
which they would actually occupy
Often from the shrewdly canouflaged
nests they could discover German
snipers shooting at the dummy retreats
and perhaps get a bullet into selfSatis-
fed Heinie. If their nests were dis
covered, they took chances on Wrig-
Cling out into shell holes, and thus
away, but not until they had put I'D
little sign reading Danger which they
always carried. so that no brother.
sniper might occupy it later 20 his mis- q.
fortune.
"One of the most imperioC5 rules
was that no Sniper who suspected the
presence of an enemy snip"" was To