Why the Soviet snipers were considered the most

History 16/01/20 Why the Soviet snipers were considered the most “humane”

Profession sniper well-known even to those who are military Affairs not interested. It was too romantic and heroic, so much loved by filmmakers. However, as is often the case with film, performance about the job of a sniper is created is not entirely accurate. As if these soldiers are their own war in the city ruins or forests, and the rest of the front, he like to party.

of Course, this also is one of the important objectives of snipers are enemy snipers. But in the movie, often show the inheritance of certain aces in certain conditions. And the most normal and ordinary of snipers, which was supposed to have for each rifle company or cavalry squadron, the military life was easier. Because not all of them were former hunters or professional athletes-arrows.

Hard work of a sniper at the front is well shown in the book of Joseph Polushina “At the walls of Leningrad”. The author himself is among the famous snipers of World war II, which destroyed hundreds of soldiers. Without eyes, he continued to fight and taught others until, until he lost his sight completely. And his book he wrote while being blind. And severe frontal weekdays knew firsthand. In the book Polushina described and sniper duel, when in the hours of calms between battles opponents were hunting each other, masking, creating decoys, and much more. But he describes his most important work, when, during a battle rifle is heated so that it does not touch.

Profession sniper appeared in the early XX century, when technical progress has allowed to create highly accurate small arms. EN masse they first applied in German army in the beginning of the First World war. Recruited from experienced hunters, and original German snipers even used their own hunting rifles, sometimes individual work. Atsee there are special rifles and special sights. Actually, the sniper rifle from usual differs only in the presence of the optical sight, giving a significant increase (like binoculars), but higher requirements to the production tolerances in the manufacture of all parts much less. Because the sniper sees much further and the bullet from a rifle flies more precisely.

the Work of German snipers described in Remarque’s novel “On the Western front without changes”. Hero is indignant at the cruelty of snipers which group in turn shoot French soldiers, arranging a competition on accuracy.

the Emergence of snipers in the German army demanded to take retaliatory measures in other countries. The first brought these elite marksmen in the British army, and then in all the others.

Russian snipers, of course, was no worse than others. But during the First World war among the snipers of the Russian army, first in the Caucasus, and then on other fronts appeared the rule. The unwritten rule, in any regulations and manuals of those years not recorded. Snipers of the Russian army trying not to kill unnecessarily. After all, a marksman with excellent optics and a good rifle didn’t just shoot at the enemy. He can choose the point in which to direct the bullet. So I try to shoot in the leg in the knee, the foot, in the hip part. Of course, if the situation allowed.

the Reasons for this were several. First, do not take a sin on soul. Still kill just so a man can see through the optical sight, is not easy. The more people you can not do anything, at least for the moment. It’s not in the heat of battle, when he or you or you.

second, if you kill the enemy, then he will lie. A badly wounded soldier screams, groans, and thus has a very strong moral influence on their peers. A wounded soldier is necessary from the battlefield to make, and then a couple of enemy soldiers for some time, are already not war. Wounded should be evacuated to the rear, health. A good shot to the leg (good for a sniper, not a shot) can cause enemy soldiers become disabled, that is to fight never. It is because I tried to shoot at the legs. Fatal injuries unlikely, and a broken knee or foot if and is cured, by the time the war was over.

All of this sounds harsh, but how humane it would be this soldier to kill? Mercy in war, if expressed, is sometimes in very brutal forms.

About whether to keep this rule in the Great Patriotic war, you cannot tell for sure. In Soviet times, the memories of this would not have written. And when you began to write without censorship, it has, alas, did not remain those who could write. However, according to some oral stories passed down from fathers and grandfathers, it is known that Soviet snipers sometimes operated the same way.

In December 2018, the media reported that one of the polygons Russian snipers carried out military exercises, which, in particular, practiced tactics of “humane fire”. That is, without inflict fatal wounds. Time passes and traditions not only remain, but also fit into the statutes. And although they say that the statutes are written in blood, but this is the rare case in the military, I wish this was bigger.

Cyril Shishkin

Source:
© Russian Seven

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