SNIPERS!!!!!!

does any one know the name of any american sniper regiments,battlions ect

 

As far as I know, there weren't any dedicated sniper units in the US Army - instead marksmen were scattered throughout US infantry units.

 

I agree,

However I believe a recent TV programme (on cable TV) did state that there is some sort of 'sniper school' in the US Army where soldiers can 'perfect' their art. Don't know if this is a new addition though
Regards Graham.

 

The 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooter Regiments of the Army of the Potomac?

 

HAHA! If you're hinting what I think you're hinting, that would be an unfair fight. Automatic rifles were not very common in the 19th century.

 

Because we are talking about snipers now, who was the most succesfull sniper in WW2? And which nationality did he had?

 

The usual answer to that question is Simo Hayha (mispelt I expect) who was Finnish.

 

what about vassili Zaitsev of russia. and why is the finish guy so good

 

And what about Medvedev ?The most famous russian sniper was Zajcev or Medvedev?

 

Because Simo Hayha, known as "The White Death" is credited with between 504 to 541 confirmed kills...depending on which list you read

 

But didn't Russia have the best snipers of the war!!!

 

Depends on how you are judgeing the snipers and if you believe some of the kill claims.

 

Indeed, the Soviet Union had the best snipers of the war. The top 10 of best snipers of WWII has 9 Russians in it or so, and of course there's Simo Häyhä leading them.

And incredibly, the famous Vasili Zaitsev is not among the 10 best snipers. And one of the incredible cases in that list is that it includes Tania Mikhaílovna Pavlichenko, who scored 306 kills.

The only thing about the Soviet snipers is that they tended to shoot everyone and German snipers shot assigned targets and officers or very important people. That's why their numbers are far smaller than the Russian snipers. Check Häyhä thread for the top 10 list!

 

That is one thing I would agree with, the reason the Russian snipers scored so highly was that they would hunt for anyone, where as soldiers from other nations targeted specific individuals or at least those holding rank. I have often wondered which of the two is most effective tactically.

Just out of curiosity, wasn't Hayha the bloke who only ever used an iron sight, not a scope?

 

Yah the Soviets shot everyone that is why what isthe point of only killing the leaders!

 

Killing senior officers is far more disruptive than just shooting lowly soldiers.

 

Think about it this way, you have a Company of men, as a sniper you target men in order of their importance to the unit, starting with the company commander and working your way down. The logic is that actually a bunch of soldiers with no leaders is actually more damageing to its own force than to yours because they drain resources but theoretically are not very combat effective. As a sniper you have a limited number of shots before you have to move, thus a German sniper might find a great vantage point and wait for an officer to come along, in the mean time me may leave the opportunity to drop several other ranks (which is actually a good thing because it will make the enemy feel safe in the area, make it less likely that officers will hide etc) and then when he sees someone with rank walk through, bang! In the same situation your Russian sniper might have killed three ordinary soldiers and thats it, none of the rest of the unit would go through the area, they still have a leader and are still a combat effective unit. Actually, this tactic was supposedly particularly effective against Russian units where NCO's were not as adaptable as those of other (particularly the German) armies and so if an officer was killed the unit could have no true leadership whereas if you killed a German, US or British officer an NCO could take his place.

 

May I add a little about German snipers?
I have had a personal duel with a sniper while in a cornfield. I do not know if I have already posted that bit of action or not?

I will if requested?

One thing I could never understand, is why young German snipers continued to take lives after the were left behind when the battle swept forward. Then to come out with their hands up. NO WAY PAL! NO WAY! The snipers were very good,and we were constantly on the lookout for them, any unusual shape would warrant a burst from a Bren, on a rare occasion a body would drop out.
Brian

 

Hey Brian I am requesting the story of the sniper in the cornfield. Any and every story you have I'm going to second that so go for it.

 

Please, sapper. I'd like to see the story too. And will later print it and show it to my grandfather, who was a sniper in the German Army, though most of the time he worked as an average officer.

But one of the things he has told me is that when they faced American or British forces, the first ones to fall were not the officers, but radio operators - if they could damage the radio equippment even better - because they knew that a radio might bring up to eight artillery batallions or fighter bombers immediately against them.

[ 04. December 2003, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]