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Stalking the enemy:

The Sniper is the most feared man on the battlefield. Slipping elusively from cover to cover, he deals death without warning. A lone sniper can pin down whole units of enemy troops or take out high-value strategically vital single targets. But, just as the military rewards are high, so are the risks.

As a Sniper, you'll spend days at a time in constant danger, surrounded by enemies all to eager to stop you short. So, besides being an expert marksman, you have to be highly skilled in the art of concealment and stealth.

The following article is based on the "United States Marine Corps Sniper Training Manual", and shows how the USMC keeps this most valuable of all infantrymen on the move at the least risk to himself.

Calculating the risks:

As a Sniper you are constantly seeking the most effective position from which to do your work. But reaching the best firing point involves a calculated risk. You have to measure the advantage gained against the danger of attracting enemy attention and drawing fire as you move, and weigh the importance of your target against the risk involved. A General is worth a high risk; the squaddies cleaning his car are not.

Before making any significant movement, take the following preparations:

1. Check and optimise all camouflage of yourself, your clothing, and your equippment.

2. Ensureyour equippment will not rattle or snag. Tape loose items such as dog-tags. Tape or pad  all free-hanging or slack equippment without impeding its efficiency.

3. Check that all clothing is soft, flexible and snug. A starched uniform makes a noice. Baggy clothes are easily snagged by undergrowth and branches. Use ties to secure field trousers at thigh and ankle to reduse slack. Use no other ties, as they could impair circulation, leading to frostbite or injury.

4. Wear a soft cap, giving a blurred head-outline. Snipers should not wear helmets. They are distinctive in shape and muffle or distort sounds, particularly in wind.

5. Pare down all equippment to the minimum necessary for the mission. Weight reduces speed.

Cover:

Whenever possible make your move in conditions that will obscure your presence, such as darkness, fog, smoke or haze. Your first rule of safety is to assume that your area of operation is constantly under enemy observation.

Modes of movement:

Use the specially explained techniques of the rush, the walk, and the crawl (see below).

Pre-planning:

1. While still in a safe position, carefully select your next operating location. Survey minutely for signs of enemy presence, and for risk of exposure to enemy observation.

2. Before making any move, methodically work out and memorise the entire route to your new position.

3. Once at the new position, halt, listen, and observe. Animal and bird movements may give you away, so keep as still as possible.

Terrain problems:

1. Tall grass; Traveling in a straight line through tall grass attracts attention, as the grass will wave unnaturally. Therefore, change direction frequently, and if possible move only when the wind is blowing the grass.

2. Roads; These are dangerously  exposed; never travel along a road. Cross roads and trails where possible via culverts. Otherwhiseopt for low spots or curves where exposure is limited. Move quickly and quiet.

3. Ploughed crawl; Crawl parallel tofurrows whereever possible. Otherwise cross them at the lowest part of the field.

Avoid:

1. Steep slopes and loose, stoney areas. You will be in constant danger of causing inadvertent movements or sounds that may reveal your position.

2. Ridge lines, and areas cleared of cover, which will reveal your outline even when you are camouflaged. Remember, enemy snipers are looking for your silhouette.

Distractions:

Load noises such as overhead aircraft, artillery darrages, and tank or truck engines all distract the enemy's attention. Take advantage of noice to cover your own movements.

Action under flares:

You have a split second to hit the ground if overhead flares catches you out in the open. You may recognise the distinctive sound of the flare gun, and get down before the light explodes above you. The sudden light may also temporarily blind enemy observers. Move on the moment the flare burnes out. If you are caught in the light of a ground flare, move rapidly and silently out of the lighted area. If the flare catches you while you are crossing an obstacle such as barbed wire, crouch low and remain motionless until the flare has burnt out.

5 point for successful concealment:

1. Silhouette:
   However good your camouflage you will be spotted if the light is behind you. It is vital to blend in with your surroundings. Remember that the sun moves, so what seems a wonderful position this morning may be a dead giveaway in the afternoon.

2. Shapes:
   The first thing the enemy will be looking for is a familiar shape: a human figure, a helmet, a rifle etc. A wide variety of kit is avaliable to blur your shape, but do not overdo it. The "walking bush" might look good but you must not generate a lot of rustling noises when you move off.

3. Shine:
   Shiny objects must be either removed or dulled. This means watches, rings, and metal on your webbing in addition to your barrel.

4. Shadow:
   You must always remember to check what sortof shadow you are casting: pefect positions can be totally compromised by shadow. As for silhouette, do remember that the sun moves around.

5. Movement:
   Any movement can betray you; even working the action of your rifle. If your location is suspected you will be under observation through binoculares.

Using sights:

Ideally you should adjust the setting of the sight acccording to the range of the target; otherwise the bullet will not strike where the crosshairs of the sight are centered. This is fine in theory but not always possible while in action: set the sights for 500 meters and if there is not time to change the setting, aim as follows.

Aiming point 600 meters:
If the target is at greater range than you have set the sights for, you must aim above it.

Aiming point 500 meterd:
If the target happens to appear 500 meters away, the bullet will strike dead center where you are pointing the sight.

Aiming point 100 meters and 400 meters:
When the target is at these ranges, aim low. It is difficult to place the shot accurately when aiming off, but you should manage a disabling body hit.

Aiming point 200 meters and 300 meters:
Due to the trajectory of the bullet you must aim slightly lower if the target is at these middle distances.

Movement techniques:

The rush:
The rush is the fastest way to move, and you start it from prone position.

1. Raise your head slowly, and choose the position where the rush will end up.
2. Lower your head slowly, bring the arms close in to your body, with your elbows down, and draw your right leg forward.
3. With one movement you straighten your arms, raising your bodyfrom the ground almost into a "spring-start" position.
4. Spring into action, leading off with the left foot, and run directly to the new position.
5. As you drop to the ground, plant the feet apart, land on your knees, and slide your right hand down to the heel of your rifle butt.
6. Fall forward and break your fall wiht the rifle butt, taking care not to damage the scope.
7. Shifting your weight to your left side, pull the rifle butt into your right shoulder-hollow, then roll back into the firing position.
8. Lie flat to the ground, and move quickly to any cover on either side if you have reason to believe that your rush has been seen by the enemy.

The crawl:
If you need to move without exposing yourself by rising to your feet, use the low or high crawl according to visibility, available cover and concealment, and how fast you need to move.

The low crawl:
When you need to move over terrain with poor cover, or where the enemy is likely to spot you, and when speed is not essential, you should use the low crawl.

1. Lying flat, and keeping your head down all the time, hold the rifle sling with one hand at the upper sling swivel, with the balance on top of the fore-arm, and the butt dragging on the ground.
2. Push your arms and right leg forward, then cover ground by pulling with the arms and pushing with the right leg. Keep the whole body flat, and change the pushing leg frequently to avoid fatigue.

The high crawl:
In more favorable conditions, with adequate cover, and concealment, poor visibility in your favor, and where increased speed is needed, use the high crawl.

1. Rest your weight on your forarms and lower legs so that your trunk is clear of the ground. Cradle your rifle on top of your arms, with the muzzle off the ground.
2. Proceed by alternately advancing right elbow and then left knee, then left elbow and right knee. Use short movements, keeping your knees well behind your buttocks. Keep your head and your buttocks low.

The silent crawl:
When you are close to the enemy, the low and high crawls are to noisy. Crawling on hands and knees is carried out extremely slowly, and in almost complete silence.

1. Lay your weapon on the ground. Use your right  hand to feel for or clear a place for the right knee.
2. Keeping your hand in place, bring your knee forward until it touches the hand. Repeat the process with your left hand and knee.
3. As you progress, move your weapon by feeling for and clearing a place, then lifting the weapon slowly and carefully into position. Make all movements in slow motion.

The silent walk:
Silent walking is done with extreme care and delibration, and is needed mainly at night or in heavy cover.

1. Balance solidly on one foot, then lift the other foot high enough to clear grass or brush.
2. Keeping your weight on the back foot, gently let the forward foot down, feeling with the toe for a solid place before lowering your forward heel.
3. Shift your weight forward, find the balance, and then repeat the action. Use short steps so that you do not lose your balance by over-reaching.
4. At right, or in every poor visibility, hold your weapon in one hand, holding the other out in front of you to feel for obstructions.
5. To assume the prone position from the walk, crouch down slowly, holding your weapon under your arm, and feeling for a clear spot with your free hand. Rest your weight on your free hand and the opposite knee, then extend the free leg backwards, keeping it clear of the ground until the toe finds a clear spot. Then roll gently into the prone position. At any indication of discovery by the enemy, go rapidly into the prone position.

Selecting priority targets:
The sniper is able to pin down a large force of soldiers by killing leaders and communications specialists. Without command and control, the enemy advance grinds to a halt, individual soldiersnow aware that somewhere out there is a highly-trained individual able to place his shots with phenomenal accuracy.

Using a first-class rifle with high-resolution optical sights and firing specially-selected top quality match ammunition, the sniper is able to shoot people at ranges far greater than the ordinary infantryman. The sniper's reach often comes as a disagreeable surprise, particulary for officers. The American General Sedgewick's last words were "don't worry men, they couldn't hit an elefant at this dist..."

Coloring:
Mud, charcoal, burnt cork and charred coffee grounds can all serve in place of military issue camouflage cream, but avoid using fuel, oil or grease, which all have a strong smell.

Camouflage:
You must blend with the local environment but do not tailor your camouflage to suit only one type of background.

Rubber bands:
In most cases it is preferable to use natural foilage for camouflage rather than artficila scrub. However, real material can be difficult to attach to your body. Rubber bands cut from discarded truck, jeep or bicycle tyres are a handy solution.

Weapons care:
Obviously your rifle must be well maintained but it is important not to use too much oil, especially in the barrel. Exessive oil will make the gun produce a telltale puff of smoke when you fire.

Radio operator:
Modern armies dependon their communications, taking out a radio operatorand/or his kit will create serious problems for the enemy. Look for telltale aerials - some radio men cut the aerial into a loop to make themselves less obvious.

Anti-tank gunner: Weighted down by heavy kit, anti-tank men are good target, and their loss renders their unit vulnerable to armoured attack, demoralising the whole force.

Officer:
Leaders often carry rifles and conceal anything which gives away their rank. This man is betrayed by an old problem: sunlight glinting off his binoculars.

Machine-gunner:
He provides most of an infantry section's fire power. Machine-gunners often hold the weapon down against their body to make them look like another rifleman. Observe an enemy section carefully to identify the machine-gunner.

Estimating range:
The "range card" is a handy reference which alowes you to accurately judge the range of the target. If you have time to observe the field of fire from your position, estimate the range of each significant terrain feature and mark it on the range card. You can note the appropriate sight settings in the boxes along the base of the card so that, when a target appears, you can quickly determine its range, set the sights and fire. The bottom row of boxes show where to shoot if your sights are set for 500 meters and there is not time to change them.