Scharfschützen, snipers, weapons and tactics.

[bas]

@Rising_Sun

That doesn’t alter the fact that Japanese snipers in trees in the jungle could be very effective for longish times as they were adept at camouflage and jungle trees and surrounding jungle gave them good cover.

And that they were probably prepared to keep fighting to the death so weren’t really planning a escape route.

[bas]

Extract from The German Sniper 1914- 1945 P.g. 133

While German training manuals did depict riflemen in trees, this was merely standard training for the German soldier. Tree slings were reportably issued for this purpose and it is more than likely that they were utilized primarily by observers and casual riflemen. Even though various sharpshooter training courses did elaborate on the best methods of climbing trees to secure an advantages firing position, this was an effort to prepare the sniping specialists for any eventuality rather than an exercise resulting in self-destruction

There were, no doubt circumstances that may have necessitated the use of a tree “hide” by true snipers, but when one considers the extreme difficulty in obtaining a position required for accuracy while so precariously perched and the difficulty in withdrawing from such a position, it seems doubtful that an accomplished sniper would make extensive use of such positions.

Actually thinking about that sentence makes you wonder at just how effective the Japanese snipers actually were. I can’t believe that it would be the easiest to get in an accurate shot from the top of a swaying palm tree. I’m sure that they were effective in inspiring fear in allied troops, but did they account for a high number of casualities?

Also Rising Sun, looking at those pictures, I have to wonder if there isn’t a little Aussi humor at play there. It would have taken quite a few magazines from a bren gun to actually weaken the trunk enough so that it would break. Easier to spray the tree and kill the sniper and then shoot the top off to give the journalists a nice story and photos.

[Deaf_Smith]

@bas

I just tried it out with my SVD, using a fixed object as my rest and a sign hanging on a fence 70-80m away and just even the general shake natural to all shooting invalidated your idea, but as I moved my head up to the scope I could see the rifle move position noticably.

Besides, military iron sights are just too rough to compare to the optics of a scope.

Bas, you are not trying to sight the rifle in, just making sure the scope has not been knocked out of alignment (as can happen if you drop the rifle or bump the scope.)

And a bipod works fine. Just don’t touch the stock once you have aimed the rifle at a target. Even a sand bag will do. Just rest the gun on it and have it point at the target. Don’t touch the rifle. And then check the sights.

@bas

Actually thinking about that sentence makes you wonder at just how effective the Japanese snipers actually were. I can’t believe that it would be the easiest to get in an accurate shot from the top of a swaying palm tree. I’m sure that they were effective in inspiring fear in allied troops, but did they account for a high number of casualities?

Since usually they were not shooting 100 yards, it would work. Not at 600, but in jungles 100 yards is alot.

Deaf

[Panzerknacker]

3 more photos of scharfschütze in the west extracted from the german federal archives, dated 1944.