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Period turret photo from Spielauer book

bruce98k

bruce98k

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One of our members wanted me to post this up for comment as he has some historical information to add.

Dave Roberts commented in an email today:

Rifle is definitely a Turret Rifle most likely a 1943 LT with Ajack 4X90 Scope , The Ajack scope is early type that is without Sunshade
 

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When Walloon SS couldn't break out from an encirclement, they went back and got Oberstleutnant Franz Gerhard whom they knew had a scoped rifle. They led him to the edge of the woods where they pointed out the locaiton of a Soviet machine gun nest. Gerhard aimed his rifle and fired three times, killing all the Soviet machinegunners. The retreat continued.

Judging from the pip on the epaulet, the shooter in the image appears to be an Oberst. Could the person in the image be the same as these known photos of Franz Gerhard? The first is of him as a colonel.
 

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It can only be LT since it lacks the rainshield, so has to be very early, hence only LT possible. Was the information to be added what @Blackpowderresearcher posted? If of any help, attached the picture in better quality.
 

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Oberstleutnant JoachimHeidschmidt mit K98 ZF39.jpg
Oberstleuntnant Joachim Heidschmidtmit ZF39 . This is the copy that my friend Amberg/Wolfgang gave to me Years ago it originated from his friend !!! I knew I had a copy just had to sift threw my photo collection to locate it . Hope this helps
 
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Amberg said:
Dave, I do not remember exactly, but wasn't his name Heidschmidt?
Did you write it down back then?
Click to expand...
Wolf that is his last name for some reason when I copied and transferred photo it left off part of his last name . I made correction .
Yes Wolf , I wrote down everything when You gave me the copy so I would have the info with photo .
 
This whole thing raises the issue of German officers who used sniper rifles. I've already mentioned Gerhard Franz and the circumstances under which he used a scoped rifle. I know the Reichswehr had a very hight standard of marksmanship, but was Franz and Heidschmidt sportsman hunters?
 
Update: One of my editors researched it and said the photo was by Hoffman, and therefore within public domain. This same image is often sold on Eghey as that being Heinrich Weisser, 1428 confirmed kills. Never heard of him.
 
I will take some solid evidence to convince me that any German officer was employed, used, detailed or whatever verb you want to use, as a full-time sniper. This doubt is even more true for a fieldgrade officer. 1400 plus confirmed kills is total non-sense. Maybe shooting into a POW camp but non-sense at the front. When I was 12 or 13 I read Enemy at the Gates by Craig. I’d say as I recall I had decided the whole “Major Koening” account was BS even then, almost 50 years ago. Now I have no doubt that many officers, maybe thousands of them, in many armies, got possession of optically fitted rifles, had them around in many cases, shot them occasionally at enemy troops occasionally and certainly posed with them and behind them often, but that does not make them sniper.
 
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