A Rifleman Went to War

times the amount actually required. They knew that the time would come when it would be impossible to obtain any good ammunition.

The spotting telescope is an important part of the team’s equipment. The ones issued to us were splendid, about 36 power I believe, which was much too high, so we put in the extra eyepiece which came with it — this was around 20 or 25 power and worked all right. The care and proper use of this spotting ’scope is something to be learned, and some chaps become very proficient with it. The important points are to keep the lens clean and free of grit, grease or fingerprints — then keep a clean bit of soft cloth handy so the objective lens may be kept in proper shape. Scratches on the surface of this objective lens will soon ruin it for clear observation. Keep the draw tubes lightly oiled with some heavy grease, and mark the first draw with a line scratched around so it will indicate the exact place at which the telescope will be roughly in focus. The use of that sun-shade on the front of the glass is of the greatest importance and this must be kept extended at all times to avoid giving your position away through the flashing of the large objective lens This was very necessary with us at early morning when the sun shone directly into our eyes. As soon as the spotting telescope is received, it should be camouflaged with a covering of khaki cloth or brown sandbag, and this cover is best kept on permanently. One always uses the observing glass from a comfortable, steady rest, and it pays to take your time and examine the enemy ground slowly and closely — a small bit at a time.

Continuous observation through a powerful telescope is very trying on the eye, and in my opinion the shooting member of the pair had better not engage in too much of it. I much preferred to do most of my general observing with a pair of good binoculars, and only used the big telescope to check up on a bit of target after my partner had found it; this was seldom necessary. By keeping Bouchard at the big glass most of the time, and spelling him with personal observations through my binocks, we both got along very well. At times, it may be necessary for the rifleman to put in a stretch of close observation; but it should generally be done as a preliminary to the actual shooting and not mixed in with it too much. A pair of good binoculars is not nearly as trying on the eyes as a telescope, at least that is my experience. But the telescope is much the best for real, honest-to-God observation at long ranges.

Having obtained our equipment, and rigged it up in proper shape, it now remains to hunt up a few places from which we can snipe. This may turn out to be a considerable job, frequently calling for much hard work on the part of both members of the team. In general, one’s sniping from a trench or defensive system falls into two classes — close range, rather restricted shooting from a loop-hole or nest built into or ahead of the front lines; and more elaborate and pretentious accommodations arranged farther back of the lines, where better concealment and a far more extensive field of fire is generally available. Maybe I better discuss the two systems a bit.

Shooting from a loop-hole in a front trench is apt to be a decidedly limited proposition. The ground which may be covered with fire is likely to be restricted to that part of the enemy lines directly in front of the loophole, quite possibly to the front trench alone, and often only a few yards of trench at that. It naturally depends upon just where the trench is located. Such sniping is more of an irritant to the enemy than a source of real danger: they soon learn to avoid that particular bit of trench or to keep heads down when in it — and if it gets too hot for them they call on the artillery to bust up the entire front section from which you are shooting. I always thought this sort of “keep your head down Allemand” sniping could best be done by the ordinary rank and file — and done all along their line too.

And when it comes to crawling alone out in front of your own trenches, probably dressed up in one of those “sniper robes,” I am off that stunt also — by preference, that is — although I have done quite a bit of it. Here, a man is strictly “on his own” and is apt to be pretty much up against it if anything goes wrong. His field of fire is much limited, no moving about can be indulged in, and generally but one or two shots may be fired before the show is over for the day. Then comes the long, fearful wait until darkness sets in, before the crawl back to your own trenches may be begun. A fellow feels pretty helpless lying out there all day in the open under a hot sun, — I know, for I have done it and I think I have about as much nerve as the average man. Still; this sort of thing must occasionally be done. But a little shelter and cover go a long way towards making one feel more secure during that “aeon” from daybreak until darkness — even if only to roll over in and go to sleep.

As I said before, another great handicap against a man working alone is that often he cannot see when to let off his shot. You are generally shooting at some very small loophole or opening, and once your eye is down over the sights, cannot tell whether or not your man has his head exposed. With a pair, you hold “ready” with the sights aligned on that place of exposure, and when the “target” slides his head out so it can be hit your observer signals and you let off immediately. Then again, once the shot is fired, no individual rifleman, and I don’t care how conscientious he is, can ever truthfully say whether or not he got his man. The rifle kicks up into your face and hides the aiming point, dust and dirt fly up around the target, and before your vision has cleared up, the target has disappeared — whether shot or merely ducked you cannot tell. Your observer often can. During our early days at sniping I was greatly amused at the tremendous “bag” made by our various lone-wolf snipers who worked up and down the trenches. These chaps never missed a shot, to hear them tell about it.

No — having tried both ways I am very much in favor of the two-man team as a sniping set-up. The pair will actually pick up and observe several times as many targets as any individual watcher, and they can keep it up for far longer periods of time. For these and other reasons mentioned above, I preferred to do most of my sniping with an observer and from the positions we had especially prepared.

It is generally advisable to move behind the front-line trenches for one or two hundred yards, and build a series of sniping posts in suitable locations. In this manner, one can invariably pick out commanding positions from which a far better observation of both enemy trenches and back areas may be maintained. Also the field of fire will be several times as extensive; we had one post where some 1200 yards of German trench system could be “commanded.” The additional hundred yards or so of range over which one must fire is of no great handicap to the real rifle shot, and will be more than compensated for in the far greater number of shots which will be obtained. Observation on the part of the enemy and consequent detection of your nest is made much harder and therefore less probable. All in all, the erection of these sniping posts somewhere back along the support trenches is much to be preferred.

While about it, make up a string of sniping posts and do not make a practice of using any particular one of them for too long a period of time. Continuous fire (if effective) coming from one fixed direction is bound to result in extensive observation on the part of the enemy and in a deluge of artillery fire once the post is finally located. Use one nest for a day or two and then move over into another one located in a different sector.

I have spoken elsewhere about the inadvisability of always locating these posts in some building, or on a hill top, or in some other prominent or commanding feature of the landscape. The enemy expects them to be located in just such places as these, has the exact range figured out to each and every one, and soon shells them apart with his artillery once trouble comes from that direction. The very best locations are out in some open field, away from anything on which he may sight or range his guns. This generally calls for much hard work and preliminary preparation, all done at night of course, before the post is properly dug in, concealed, and arrangements made for getting in and out without being seen from the front or flanks.

Once the posts are completed, and we are finally inside, it remains to get the ranges laid out and sighted in before operations really commence. This consists of making your own range maps of the exact distances to all the various prominent objects in our own and the enemy trench system, and in thoroughly checking up these with the more elaborate, official maps which will be available.

This sighting in is a rather extensive proposition. First, you and your observer lay out the entire enemy trench system and back areas into general sectors and give each a designation. The most important thing is to arrange plenty of reference points. These latter are generally prominent objects or features of the enemy system and a knowledge of them soon becomes second nature to both members of the team. Your targets will be located with reference to these designated points or objects, as: “That petrol can by the new trench, nine o’clock, third sandbag, see him?” Naturally, both know where the new trench is, and can see the petrol can, but the picking up of the exact target will not be quite so easy through the sights. In addition, the rifleman must immediately judge the exact range to that particular target, set his sight (possibly) and shoot quickly, because that target is not going to stay there all day. He will have just one “first and last shot for record,” which ends that particular shooting match for the day. Then the team starts all over — at another target somewhere else. The range will be different, the angle of fire probably changed considerably, and worst of all the light will be different. This last, I