Useful excerpts about scoped rifles and snipers

Amberg said:

Somewhat surprising, that nobody seems interested in the scoped 98/40.



From:
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?19984-98-40-sniper

Click to expand...

Only for official use.

123. Inf. Division
Kommandeur

Div. Gef.Std., June 1, 1942

Instructions
about
d e f e n s e .

I didn't translate this and the following paragraphs

(Page 16)

13. ) The fight in quiet times is led out of the position by sniper, the heavy infantry weapons and the artillery. Into the enemy direction of our main battlefield by reconnaissance patrols, raiding patrols, and attacks with limited target.

a) In each company section at least 1 sniper must be present. His job is to shoot at any enemy movement, forcing the enemy completely into cover during the day. The sniper must be a hunter, who lies here and there for hours, to whom nothing escapes and his shot hit perfect the targets. So a man who is particularly suitable for this, and who is to be relieved of other service as possible. He will usually bring the best enemy observations. He must have shot his distances accurately (if possible scoped rifle). His protection is the camouflage. As a tree-shooter, snipers often have better ability to observe and effect.

I didn't translate this and the following paragraphs

Click to expand...

Generalkommando II. LW. - Feldkorps
- Der Kommandierende General -
Ia Br. B. Nr. 664/42 n.f.D.

Gef.Qu., November 23, 1942

Only for official use !

Advice for the combat mission
No. 3

(distribute to all company- and unit commanders)

I didn't translate this and the following paragraphs

I I I . T r a i n i n g.

1. ) Scoped rifles.

The Divisions now have a larger number of scoped rifles available.

For their deployment I order :

a) The scoped rifles are not schematically issued, but as a special award in the hands of the best shooter regardless of his rank. The shooter keeps this rifle without change as his permanent equipment.

b) Prior to issue, the scoped rifles must be adjusted and zero in by the Waffenmeister. New adjustment is required after each longer transport.

c) The hunters selected for the equipment with scoped rifles are to be trained with the utmost care behind the front line on the training ground after order of the battalion. Target recognition and observation, aiming and stance must be intensively practiced against changing targets at different distances.

Prerequisite for a good shot is a safe rifle rest. For each scoped rifle a adequate-fitted rifle rest (branch crotch) is to be made, which is constantly carried by the shooter.

d) For the combat mission, the scoped rifle shooters must receive a clear fighting order. They are to be used in sectors in which combat contact with the enemy exists. It is the task of the scoped rifle shooters to shoot down enemy guard, standing patrols, observers and carelessly visible soldiers and make the enemy unsafe by a continuous firefight.

In the enemy attack, the scoped rifle shooter has the task of fighting in particular the persons recognized as leaders, as well as machine guns and heavy weapons, which the enemy wants to deploy.

Particularly effective is the cooperation of the scoped rifle shooter with grenade launchers and other heavy weapons. The scoped rifle shooter fight the enemy when they are pushed out of cover by the grenade launcher fire.

In order to set the sights to important terrain points in the foreground, the distance is determined with tracer ammunition. The observation is done by another man with binoculars. The actual fire fight is led from a new fighting position, since the tracer ammunition reveals the position of the shooter.

I didn't translate this and the following paragraphs

Click to expand...

Amberg said:

Somewhat surprising, that nobody seems interested in the scoped 98/40.

Click to expand...

ditch68 said:

SO if they don't have the monopod, they were to build one from a tree branch and carry it in the field. Interesting.



Jeff

Click to expand...

ditch68 said:

Yes, I completely agree. When I was in Iraq, some guys in our unit fabricated MG swivel mounts for the gun turret side plate on our HMMWVs from M113 mounts found in DRMO for backup M249/M240 guns, this became a battalion wide accepted and condoned modification, and some guys were tasked with fabbing them for all the trucks, but it went no higher than that. So, official but certainly not Army wide doctrine.

Jeff

Click to expand...

mrfarb said:

I think some explanation should be done - to me, these documents are from specific units, not general OKH mandates/guidelines, so the excerpts you see are geared toward specific units who adopted these measures. That would mean only that unit was given this directive, other units did not see them.

Click to expand...

ditch68 said:

SO if they don't have the monopod, they were to build one from a tree branch and carry it in the field. Interesting.



Jeff

Click to expand...

Panzer-Aufklärungsabteilung 13

O.U., December 9, 1941

Questions of leadership and training.

I didn't translate this and the following paragraphs

a) Shooting training

................................................................................

In each company, there must be so many outspoken snipers that in attack or in defense a greater number of them can be used to fight specially recognized enemy. I am thinking of the use of snipers, as we have often encountered it disturbing by the Russians.


................................................................................

To paragraph 13.)

The semi-automatic 10-round-rifle has proved to be a useful rapid-fire weapon in the hands of snipers, especially in hedge warfare and bush warfare, as well as during summer combat in grainfields. For the instinctive firing also from the motor vehicle as well as for the fight against hedgehopper it's better than the light machine gun because its faster shot sequence and easy handling.

The scoped rifle proved to be a useful weapon at medium and long range. The easy-to-use optics also allow the less trained soldiers to safely aim at ranges where accuracy is normally not achieved otherwise. The scope is by no means a hindrance due to its small size and good attachment.

I didn't translate this and the following paragraphs

Click to expand...