The Sniper Mask (The Great War, 1918)
-As if simply having to be mindful of wind velocity and camouflage was not enough to occupy the thoughts of your average World War I German sniper, some were burdened to a further degree by having to affix this half-inch steel "sniper mask" to their faces...
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A Talent for Sniping: The Native American on the Western Front
(The Stars and Stripes, 1919)
It was not beyond the editors of THE STARS and STRIPES to indulge in ethnic stereotyping from time to time and, no doubt, they exercised that privilege here as well, however the performance of the American Indian soldier got high marks for a number of valued skills from many Allied officers on the Western Front. It was not simply their ability to shoot well which invited these compliments, but also their instincts while patrolling No-Man's Land in the dark in addition to a common sense of bravery shared by all. The article is rich with a number of factoids that the Western Front reader will no doubt enjoy; among them, mention is made of German women serving in combat.
Read some magazine articles about one of the great failed inventions of the Twentieth Century: the Soviet Union.
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A Sniper Remembers (Cornhill Magazine, 1919)
The attached remembrance of sniping on the Western Front was written by Major H. Hesketh-Pritchard, D.S.O, M.C. (author of, Sniping in France 1914-18 ) and recalls the development and changes of sharp-shooting on both sides during the war. He not only played an active roll sniping but he had also served as an instructor for many of the British Commonwealth, French and American snipers candidates along that front. "When the sniping was of high class on both sides, all kinds of ruses were employed to get the other side to give a target by various battalions." The second half is available upon request.
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British Snipers (The English Review, 1920)
Written by Major E. Penberthy, former Commandant of the British Third Army Sniping School, this is an account of the training and organization of snipers as they functioned within the British Army at the time of the Great War."In the early days of the war, when reports of German 'sniping' began to be published, it was commonly considered a 'dirty' method of fighting and as not 'playing the game'."
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American Snipers in France (The Literary Digest, 1919)
This article listed the skills required to survive as a sniper in World War I France.
"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 rifle's discharge, send up a puff of steam that would reveal him to his carefully watching enemies."If you would like to see a diagram of the American W.W. I sniper rifle, click here.
*Watch a Film Clip About the Springfield '03 Sniper Rifle*
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