History Of Snipers

The History of Snipers

Mrs. Gard

Block 4

April 9, 2004

Words 2485

The History of Snipers

Snipers are by definition expert marksmen. Even before firearms were invented, there have been soldiers such as archers, who were specially trained marksmen. Snipers have special abilities, training, and equipment that allow them to do jobs that deliver highly accurate rifle fire against enemy targets which can't be attacked by regular riflemen due to variables such as visibility, range, the opportunity, size, or location. Statistics compiled from the Vietnam conflict estimate that the average number of rounds used per kill by United States Army Soldiers were 200,000 however the average number of rounds used per kill by United States Army snipers in Vietnam was only 1.3 (History). From the days of Leonardo da Vinci to Gunny Sergeant Carlos Hathcock II days in the Vietnam conflict, the development and use of snipers in combat has significantly contributed to successful warfare.

Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the earliest rifle snipers in history. He reportedly defended the walls of besieged Florence with a rifle that he designed himself (Henderson, xii). Elite air-riflemen were trained to shoot knights for France's Louis XIV and were considered the first modern snipers. Some authorities claim that their use made the use ofknights obsolete (Wikipedia). Snipers had from the beginning of their history have proven their effectiveness.

The outcome of the American War for Independence may have been very different had it not been for a decision made (or rather not made) by a British Army sniper, Colonel Patrick Ferguson. Ferguson's "Shot Never Taken" refers to an incident near Germantown, Pennsylvania when Ferguson had a chance to take a shot on a Continental officer who at the time could not be identified. Ferguson decided not to take the shot at the officer's back as he turned away. Later it was determined that the officer who Colonel Ferguson decided not to shoot was none other than General George Washington of the Continental Army. Washington later became the first President of the United States, turning down the offer to become King of the Colonies. A man of less caliber may have chosen to become king instead. Obviously the course of history would have been very different had Ferguson taken a successful shot (Snipers in History).

Sniping began to shape into a useful tool, early in American history. In The United States during the Civil War, Hiram Berdan (North) and Robert E. Lee (South) were the first in history to set up designated sharpshooter units. Although tactics and deployment of theses specialized units had not been perfected, both of theses great military leaders saw an opportunity for a different type of warfare. It wasn't until World War I that the term "sniper" was coined by the Germans, and the duties of the sniper became more specialized (History). The Germans got the word snipe refers to a type of bird which is extreamly difficult for hunters to sneak up on (Wikipedia). The first Allied sniper school was started by Hisketh Pritchard who trained both British and American snipers for the First World War (History). This training would revolutionize the style of sniping for years to come.

Vasily Zaitsev could easily have been considered one of the best snipers during the Second World War. However his actual existence is quite controversial, because his stories seemed so elaborate and impossible meaning he may have been Soviet nothing more than propaganda to scare the Germans and raise morale of the Soviets on the battle fields. In either case, the stories of Vasily Zaitsev say that he was a Soviet sniper who demoralized German troops with his skills during the 1942 Battle of Stalingrad. He is credited with killing 242 German soldiers during the Stalingrad siege and 400 by the end of the Second World War. Zaitsev's success kept the Nazis from being able to move freely about the city of Stalingrad and establish their dominance (Snipers in History). Zaitsev is the hero in the award wining film Enemy at the Gates. In the movie, Jude Law who plays Vassili Zaitsev made such a devastating mark in the German forces that Major Konig (considered one of the best snipers on the day) played by Ed Harris, was sent to Stalingrad for one purpose, to kill Vassili Zaitsev which would ultimately raise the morale of the German forces occupying Stalingrad. Vassili made a big enough impact on the German forces that sergeants were constantly being promoted to replace the officers shot down by Vassili (Enemy at the Gates). Vassili stories, true or not, show the impact that a single well trained warrior can have on an entire war.

The histories of sniper schools are also very important to the history of snipers. During the Korean conflict the first United States Army sniper school was set up in 1954-1955 by an Army Marksmanship Unit (History). This school revolutionized the sniping program in the United States because for the first time in history the use of snipers in America was considered to be a true occupation in the armed forces.

One man that revolutionized the use of sniping was Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II, who was considered by many to be the most famous United States sniper in the Vietnam conflict. Gunnery Sergeant Hathcock had over ninety-three confirmed kills (The Snipers Homepage) and over three-hundred-sixty unconfirmed kills. His impact in the Vietnam conflict may have saved hundreds and maybe even thousands of United States Soldiers lives. Carlos Hathcock's impressive career started at a very young age. Hathcock was raised just outside Little Rock, Arkansas where he lived with his grandmother and mother (U.S.M.C.). When Hathcock was three, his father who just returned from the Second World War gave him an old German Mauser rifle that he had found during the war. The rifle was plugged in order to prevent the rifle from being able to discharge. Hathcock would go outside almost every day with this capped rifle and pretend he was a Marine in the sands of Iwo Jima. He would work on his camouflage techniques by hiding from his mother and grandmother (Henderson 25). He had a love for the outdoors and he was able to teach himself to hunt in the woods at a very young age. Hathcock would hunt small game and often bring back his catch for dinner. His parents were divorced and Hathcock had to become very self-dependent. The way he was raised may be attributed to his later ability to be so self-dependant.

Hathcock's