Post by crazydima on Mar 19, 2009 9:19:26 GMT -5
Tovarischi,
We have to remember that when the RKKA used the term "Sniper" they meant it. It meant exactly that, "Sniper." The same goes for "Scouts." Thus if you were a sniper you were provided the training and equipment for use as a sniper. This included optics, camo, etc.
Yes it is also true that we cannot confuse Scouts with Snipers. Snipers sometimes did perform some of the same duties of the scouts such as observation and reporting of enemy activity. The right tool for the right job.
However, Scouts were an entirely different animal and their training reflected it. The 1943 Soviet Scout manual I have does not have a single page devoted to sniper training. It solely deals with the various methods of gathering intelligence from the enemy through observation and capture of enemy troops. It also addresses how to inflict damage upon the enemy with the use of various types of explosives and other field expedient methods.
Interestingly Ivan Kobets of the 596th Rifle Regiment in his memoirs states that in 1941 they did not have recon units in battalions. Only on the regimental level. "...the battalion commander ordered me to put together a "Hunters" platoon, I did, and commanded it until the winter of 1942."
Likewise the copy of the 1942 Snipers handbook only addresses those topics pertinent to the task of a Sniper and does not devote any time to methods which would be employed by a Scout for recon purposes.
Maskirovka is a science applied army wide and thus all are trained in it.
According to Sharp in his book titled "Soviet Infantry Tactics of WWII" at the beginning of the war the T. O. & E. of the Rifle Squad provided for two Snipers. However, by early 1942 the Snipers were moved to platoon level and by the fall of 1942 they became a Company HQ asset. This seems to agree with the unit listings for many of the snipers. This website has a listing of the units for various snipers.
www.wio.ru/galgrnd/sniper/sniper.htm
Thus far the only place that I have documentation showing large numbers of snipers organized into cohesive and sustained units is when speaking of the female snipers. The RKKA was still sensitive to the mater of mixing females in and around male soldiers and thus kept female units somewhat segregated.
Guards Lt. Nina Lobkovskaya alludes to this in her memoirs. She states "Our group of fifty girl snipers was assigned to the 3rd crack army on the Kalinin front."...."It was decided to create a sniper company from the group and dispatch its members to where they were needed most.
Klavdia Kalugina also alludes to this in her memoirs "And so they sent us, many girls, to the front on 1 March 1944." ...."There were probably 12 of us crawled towards the Germans to the no man's land."
Ivan kobets interview
www.iremember.ru
Klavdia Kalugina interview
www.iremember.ru/infantry/kalugina/kalugina.htm
Soviet Snipers Handbook 1942 by James F. Gebhardt and Paul Tamony
"Soviet Infantry tactics in WWII" by Charlse C. Sharp
This would be a good book to help you with camouflage questions and avoid the problems of fantouflage being sold by certain vendors.
Camouflage Uniforms of the Soviet Union and Russia.
by Dennis Desmond.
This website may help as well.
rkkacr.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=snipscot
Well I hope this adds something to the discussion.
Sincerely,
Dima
(one who is happy to see research taking place)
We have to remember that when the RKKA used the term "Sniper" they meant it. It meant exactly that, "Sniper." The same goes for "Scouts." Thus if you were a sniper you were provided the training and equipment for use as a sniper. This included optics, camo, etc.
Yes it is also true that we cannot confuse Scouts with Snipers. Snipers sometimes did perform some of the same duties of the scouts such as observation and reporting of enemy activity. The right tool for the right job.
However, Scouts were an entirely different animal and their training reflected it. The 1943 Soviet Scout manual I have does not have a single page devoted to sniper training. It solely deals with the various methods of gathering intelligence from the enemy through observation and capture of enemy troops. It also addresses how to inflict damage upon the enemy with the use of various types of explosives and other field expedient methods.
Interestingly Ivan Kobets of the 596th Rifle Regiment in his memoirs states that in 1941 they did not have recon units in battalions. Only on the regimental level. "...the battalion commander ordered me to put together a "Hunters" platoon, I did, and commanded it until the winter of 1942."
Likewise the copy of the 1942 Snipers handbook only addresses those topics pertinent to the task of a Sniper and does not devote any time to methods which would be employed by a Scout for recon purposes.
Maskirovka is a science applied army wide and thus all are trained in it.
According to Sharp in his book titled "Soviet Infantry Tactics of WWII" at the beginning of the war the T. O. & E. of the Rifle Squad provided for two Snipers. However, by early 1942 the Snipers were moved to platoon level and by the fall of 1942 they became a Company HQ asset. This seems to agree with the unit listings for many of the snipers. This website has a listing of the units for various snipers.
www.wio.ru/galgrnd/sniper/sniper.htm
Thus far the only place that I have documentation showing large numbers of snipers organized into cohesive and sustained units is when speaking of the female snipers. The RKKA was still sensitive to the mater of mixing females in and around male soldiers and thus kept female units somewhat segregated.
Guards Lt. Nina Lobkovskaya alludes to this in her memoirs. She states "Our group of fifty girl snipers was assigned to the 3rd crack army on the Kalinin front."...."It was decided to create a sniper company from the group and dispatch its members to where they were needed most.
Klavdia Kalugina also alludes to this in her memoirs "And so they sent us, many girls, to the front on 1 March 1944." ...."There were probably 12 of us crawled towards the Germans to the no man's land."
Ivan kobets interview
www.iremember.ru
Klavdia Kalugina interview
www.iremember.ru/infantry/kalugina/kalugina.htm
Soviet Snipers Handbook 1942 by James F. Gebhardt and Paul Tamony
"Soviet Infantry tactics in WWII" by Charlse C. Sharp
This would be a good book to help you with camouflage questions and avoid the problems of fantouflage being sold by certain vendors.
Camouflage Uniforms of the Soviet Union and Russia.
by Dennis Desmond.
This website may help as well.
rkkacr.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=snipscot
Well I hope this adds something to the discussion.
Sincerely,
Dima
(one who is happy to see research taking place)
