Practical Precision Shooting in Normandy - Summer, 1944

First, the obligatory disclaimer: I yield to no one in my loathing of totalitarian regimes and their apparatchiks - be they German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Iranian, Korean, Vietnamese, or any other flavor of murdering scum.

So just to be clear - references to this article on German snipers in Normandy do not endorse anything other than their acquired skills at their particular mission. Note also the section detailing the counter-sniper efforts of US Army Technical Sergeant Frank Kwiatek.

A sample:

***

1. Fight fanatical.
2. Shoot calm and contemplated. Fast shots lead nowhere. Concentrate on the hit.
3. Your greatest opponent is the enemy sniper - outsmart him.
4. Always only fire one shot from your position. If not, you will be discovered.
5. The trench tool prolongs your life.
6. Practice in distance judging.
7. Become a master in camouflage and terrain usage.
8. Practice constantly, behind the front and in the homeland, your shooting skills.
9. Never let go of your sniper rifle.
10. Survival is ten times camouflage and one time firing.

***

Enjoy, and be sure to also read this article on Simo Hayha, the Finn often considered the world's most successful sniper.

Finally, no shooting library would be complete without copies of:

- McBride's A Rifleman Went to War, which is filled with practical advice on sniping in the First World War,

- Plaster's The Ultimate Sniper, an essential modern reference work, and

- Michaelis' Hard Target Interdiction.

Buy them now while you still can.