p la te a n d s u b s e q u e n tf y . th e s n ip e r’s p o s t. 48
T h e A llied r e s p o n s e to s n ip in g w a s fairly e r r a tic in th e f ir s t y e a r o f th e w ar. T h e F r e n c h A rm y , th o u g h h a v in g s n ip e r s in t h e field, failed to u s e th e m to a n y c o n s id e r a b le e x t e n t b e c a u s e o f th e ir “lo w p rio rity " in t h e m ilita r y h ie ra rc h y . 49 in th e B E F . a few s e le c t s n ip e r s - o n e in e a c h C o m p a n y , o r fo u r p e r B a tta lio n - m a d e th e ir first a p p e a r a n c e a s e a r ly a s O c to b e r. 191 4 . so T h e ir v a lu e a t th is s t a g e o f th e w ar. h o w e v e r, r e m a in e d u n a c k n o w le d g e d . A few u n i t s in th e B E F d id m a k e g re a te r u s e o f m a r k s m e n a s th e y e a r d re w to a clo se , u s i n g a m ild , fle x ib le form o f o rg a n iz a tio n . R e g u la r in f a n tr y m e n a ls o c o n t i b u t e d b y h o n i n g t h e i r rifle s k il ls a n d s h o o t i n g a t o n ly t h e m o s t p r e s e n ta b le ta rg e ts . B y e a r ly 1 9 1 5 . s n ip in g m th e 1 s t C a n a d ia n D iv isio n w a s p a r t o f a b ro a d e r s c h e m e t h a t in c lu d e d a g g re ss iv e p a tr o ls a n d m in o r r a i d s to a c h ie v e s u p e r io r ity o v e r th e e n e m y , si In th is s ta g e o f th e w a r c o m p a n y c r a c k s h o ts fo u n d a u s e f u l ro le a s s i s t i n g ra id s a n d lo c a l a t t a c k s . S n ip e rs w e r e p la c e d a to p th e p a r a p e t to ta r g e t re tr e a tin g G e r m a n s a fte r th e ra id e rs le p t o u t o f th e tr e n c h . S2 T h e ir v ic tim s w e re m in i m a l, h o w ev er. B y th e s u m m e r o f 1 9 1 5 . a lim ite d n u m b e r o f R o s s M a rk III a n d L e e -E n field rifle s (a b o u t 12 e a c h ) w e re fitte d w ith te le s c o p ic s i g h t s . T he re la tiv e ly low n u m b e r o f te le s c o p ic -s ig h te d rifles m a y b e e x p la in e d b y t h e p ro b le m o f fin d in g t h e p ro p e r c o m b in a tio n o f s ig h t a n d rifle. In D e c e m b e r. 1915. e ig h t s c o p e s w e re r e tu r n e d to O rd n a n c e S to r e s b y t h e 2 n d B rig a d e b e c a u s e th e y d id n o t fit th e R o ss. 53 a r e q u e s t to fin d th e a p p r o p r ia te s i g h ts s u b s e q u e n tly follow ed a n d m o re te le s c o p ic s ig h te d rifles m a d e th e ir w ay to t h e C a n a d ia n tr e n c h e s b y 1 9 1 6 . S killed m a r k s m e n in th e B E F , p a r tic u la r ly h u n t e r s , b e g a n s n ip in g a t th e ir o w n p le a s u re s in c e th e r e w a s n o f o r m a l o rg a n iz a tio n in th e m ilita r y h ie ra rc h y . T h e k e e n e s t o f h u n t e r s
48 NAC, RG 9 III 0 3 /4 1 0 4 /1 5 /2 , ‘Sum m ary of Intelligence - 4th Inf. B de., 05/11/1916". 49 Gilbert; S n ip er, p.44.
50 Ashworth: Trerxih Warfare. p ,5 7 . 51 Duguid: Official, p. 183.
52 Bird. G h o sts. p .31 .
53 NAC, RG9 III C 3/4 166 /19/9 , "2nd Inf. Bde. C.M.R. to G.O.C. C anadian Corps. 1 2 /1 5 /1 9 1 5 ’ 2 5
s o o n re a liz e d t h a t th e y c o u ld m a k e th e i r b e s t s c o r e s w h e n a n e w G e rm a n b a tta lio n w a s e n te r in g th e lin e. It d id n o t ta k e th e e n e m y lo n g to realize th e ir c a r e l e s s n e s s , b u t m a n y a s n i p e r in B r itis h a n d C a n a d ia n t r e n c h e s to o k a d v a n ta g e o f th e in itia l o p p o rtu m tie s o ffered to th e m .
T h e s e e a r ly e x p lo its b y b a tta lio n m a r k s m e n e v e n tu a lly e n a b le d a p r e v io u s ly ig n o r a n t h ig h c o m m a n d to s e e th e v a lu e o f s n ip in g in tr e n c h w a rfa re . S u d d e n ly , o r d e r s w e re b e in g is s u e d to b rig a d e O ffice rs to d ep lo y th e ir s n ip e r s a s q u ic k ly a s p o s s ib le . 54 S k illed s h o ts w ere s o o n fitte d w ith te le s c o p ic -s ig h te d rifles, a n d th e ir a c tiv ity p ro m o te d d o w n to B a tta lio n level. It to o k th e g e n iu s o f H e s k e th - P r ic h a r d to ta k e th e in c ip ie n t s t e p s to w a rd s ta n d a r d iz e d sn ip in g . If w e o rg a n iz e s n ip in g , we c a n g e t so lid a n d ta n g ib le r e s u l t s by k illin g th e e n e m y a n d s a v in g th e lives o f o u r o w n m e n . O n ly th o s e w h o h a v e b e e n in a t r e n c h o p p o s ite H u n s n ip e r s t h a t h a d th e m a s te r y , k n o w w h a t a h e ll Ufe c a n b e m a d e u n d e r th e s e c o n d itio n s. 55 T h o u g h t h e in f o r m a l o r g a n iz a t i o n o f s n ip in g in t h e B E F o ffe re d s o m e s u b s t a n t i a l r e s u l t s t h r o u g h 1 9 1 5 . th e G e rm a n m a r k s m a n r e t a i n e d h is s u p e r io r ity o v e r th e A llies. W h a t w a s n e e d e d w a s a s y s te m a tic o rg a n iz a tio n th a t c o u ld b e m o n ito re d a n d c o n tro lle d . A form o f e d u c a tio n a n d tra in in g w as re q u ire d if th e A llies w e re to m a tc h th e ir sk illed c o u n te r p a r ts .
In s u m . th e o u t b r e a k o f w a r in 1 9 1 4 b ro u g h t o n a y e a r o f m is s e d o p p o r t u n i tie s . T h e h o p e fo r a q u ic k a n d d ecisiv e v ic to ry o n b o th s id e s w a s im m e d ia te ly s h a t t e r e d b y th e e v e n ts in th e fall a n d w in te r o f 1 9 1 4 . The few m a jo r c a m p a ig n s - r e tr e a t to M o n s. th e b a ttle of th e M a rn e - e n d e d in s u d d e n s ta n d o f fs t h a t p r o m p te d a “r a c e to th e s e a " . W ith th e s h a llo w ~S" s h a p e o f t r e n c h e s s lin k in g th e i r w a y a c r o s s th e fie ld s o f F r a n c e a n d F la n d e r s , th e p h e n o m e n o n o f tr e n c h w a rfa re - e x is t a n t in th e A m e ric a n Civil W a r a n d th e B o er W a r - w a s r e s u r r e c te d . "In d e e d , th e e n tire tr e n c h s y s te m w a s sim p ly a
54 NAC. RG9 III 0 3 /4 1 4 0 /1 0 /1 3 . “2nd Division to 6th Inf. Bde.. 11/15/1915". 55 Hesketh-Prichard; Sniping, p.23.
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r e s p o n s e to th e d e s tr u c tio n o f m o d e m fire a rm s ." 56 A nd s o b e g a n a p a in f u l le s s o n for th e A llies. T h ey s o o n le a r n e d th a t s n ip in g , by w a y o f th e G e r m a n e x a m p le , w as a f e a tu r e o f t r e n c h w a rfa re th a t c o u ld only b e c o n tro lle d if th e y s u r p a s s e d it. It to o k so m e tim e to re a lize th is fa c t, b u t b y 1 9 1 5 th e B ritis h a n d C a n a d ia n s h a d d e v e lo p e d c e r t a i n c o u n te r m e a s u r e s in r e a c tio n to t h e G e rm a n s n ip e r. U n fo rtu n a te ly , th e s e w ere n o t e n o u g h : d e fe n siv e r e s p o n s e s o n ly so lv ed h a lf t h e p ro b le m . A s a m a t e u r s n ip e r s to o k to th e field, th e re w a s a s u d d e n re a liz a tio n th a t th e y w e re e s s e n tia l to th e w a r effo rt. By w ay o f a h a r d le s s o n th e p r o c e s s of s n ip e r e v o lu tio n w a s in itia te d : th e m o d e m s n ip e r h a d b e e n b o m o n th e W e s te rn F r o n t b v 1915.
56 Gilbert; Sniper, p .42.
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A fte r t h e h ig h c o m m a n d re a liz e d t h e im p o r ta n c e o f s n ip in g in th e tre n c h e s , th e B ritis h E x p e d itio n a ry Force (BEF) to o k n e c e s s a r y s te p s to m a k e