Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-24
SERVICE OF The SNIPER
Must Be Patient, Brave and an Ex'
pert Shot
POSITION OF VERY GREAT DANGER

-N-
Various Tricks Are Used in Drawing
Fire of the Enemy-They Go at
Their Work in a Business-like Man
ner and Take What Comes Without
Complaint.
By Sergeant r. j. McSwinney. a Can
adian Instructor at Camp DIX In
the American Magazine.
The sniper is a mysterious person
of whom you read much and know
little. You do not dream how impor-
tant he is to the armies. For two years
I was a sniper, and l do not hesitate
to say that it is one Of the most ex-
citing and responsible positions any
soldier can fill.
Hidden in bushes, in shell holes, In
ruined houses, the sniper lies for hours
at a time, motionless, every facuity
concentrated in a deadly vigilance.
He must have an eye of a hawk, the
patience of Job, and an inexhaustlole
ingenuity. For on his alertness and his
swiftness Of action depend the hVes'
sometimes, of scores of his fellow SOL
diers.
At Vimy Ridge one Of our snipers
was advancing in front of our assault
ing lines-watching for German ma
chine guns, snipers, or anything that
could endanger our advance. Suddenly
he spotted machine gun and its crew
in an abandoned gun pit barely hum
dred yards in front Of him.
Snow was on the ground and our
infantry was just coming over the
crest of the ridge, their khaki-clad
forms sharply silhouted against the
sky line. They were an ideal target
which could not possibly have been
missed. Another second and the Ger
man gunners would press the button
and begin playing devils tattoo up
and down that line.
At the same instant that the sniper
discovered the ambush the Germans
caught sight Of him. He heard
shout. noticed a seconds confusion
among the Huns, and then saw the gun
swing around in his direction. the
sniper. however, had been trained to
coolness, quickness and implacable ac-
curacy. Framing the scowling face
of the Hun behind the cross hairs OF
his gun-sight, his rife cracked, and the
tense face vanished into the pit. An
other took it's place almost immedi-
ately, but the sniper's rifle spat again,
and the gun had another vacancy In
its crew: Again and ai2d'n the snlpers
rifle spoke, until it had wiped out the
whole of the venomous nest
Had his first bullet beer the frac-
ton of a second later. or hao he miss
p mat o. or 81 sHg gueceedhY ssfots!
he himself would have been killed, as
sure as fate And what is more than
that his failure would have cost the
lives of more than two hundred and
hfty other men. In addition, the whole
advance might have been held up at
that point, and no one knows now
many more lives might have been sac
rificed.
This incident is an illustration of the
enormous responsibility the sniper car
ries. But our work is not always SO
dramatic as in this case. Much OF the
time is Just patient, patient, patient
watching and waiting for the lightning
chance which we must not miss. You
cannot conceive how different 1t Is
from the dash over the top, the mad
rush with the bayonet. You must
never waste a shot. But you must
never miss one.
II must be remembered that every
inch of our trenches, every corner OF
our positions, was always under the
observation Of high powered Ger
man glasses. Therefore a snipers
first duty was to find himself place
of concealment. Carefully hidden
sniper could work almost untold dam
age to the enemy. If any repairing
of trenches took place, If supplies were
being brought up to the front lines
the sniper could put stop to 1t. re-
member that once two German snipers
forced a considerable body of our men
TO give up some of the ground they
had Just taken. Our fellows were pre-
vented from digging in, sand-bagglng'
or strengthening their positions in any
way, because every time one OF US
made a move, a sniper's rifle cracked
out.
In the end we were forced to retire,
lust because of those two men.
The popular theory that snipers
make frequent use cf trees for con-
cooling themselves is a mistake. In
open warefare trees are useful TO aHoro
= rapid survey of the ground to be
crossed, and may be used for rev
shots before advancing, farther, put
in trench warfare it is out of the ques-
tion. This is because, mainly there
are no trees worthy OF the name.
Shrapnel will strip tree as pare as
telegraph pole in few seconds. be-
sides a tree is a hard position to get
IN and from under the observGnt eyes
of the enemy, and ready access TO a
position is a valuable consideration
Therefore, in preference to trees, we
look for shell holes, folds in the
ground or any natural unevenness that
is well concealed by nature. We al
ways study the back ground. of course
to make sure that the light, or the
color Of the ground and vegetation Will
not reveal the outlines of our figures
Whenever possible, we choose an
elevated position so that we can look
down on the enemy. We never get
on top of hill. however, for then the
sky line would reveal our figures or
our posts. Ruins of houses are useful
though we have to be careful lest brick
dust fly up when we shoot, and attract
the attention of an observer
Shell holes and abandoned trenches
,,ara ,,roba blv the best positions. 1t was