Hales? Mortar, Grenade?

[Steve Bramley]

All from 1915,

Can anyone tell me what these were please;

Hales

Barbed wire knife rests

Sniperscope rifles

Could the last one be used at night?

Steve.

[CROONAERT]

Steve.

A Hales (bomb) was a rifle grenade, a "knife rest" was a removable barbed wire or wooden obstacle (a whole thread has been devoted to these not too long ago) and a sniperscope rifle was a rifle with a telescopic sight. These could be used at night as they did improve night vision (in the same way that any vision magnyfying device does), but they definately weren't "night sights" as is encountered today (starlight scopes, infra-red, etc.).

Dave.

[Steve Bramley]

Thanks Dave,

I missed the earlier thread, i'll check back.

Steve.

[Guest Hussar]

Here's a photo of a sniperscope rifle in use at Gallipoli.

[Muerrisch]

Aimed shooting at night was definitely a no no. Even today, image intensifiers or illumination of target by light or laser is the only method. At sniper ranges, just not possible 1418.

Currently, using a top-quality head torch and my air rifle, I can hit vermin at 20 yards at night, but then they are not shooting back at my head. Trick is that there is enough unfocussed light to illuminate rear and fore sights, and a focussed beam on the rat or whatever.

Old Soldiers Never Die, and The War the Infantry Knew make it clear that the only way to cut down a night attack was to 'level', just as the soldiers of Wellington's era had to do with their muskets. The command was 'level', not 'aim' in those days. 2RWF even used white tapes just in front of trench, for soldiers to fire lower than the top one, and higher than the bottom one.

[Steve Bramley]

Thanks for the photo' Hussar an excellent example, i imagine that they would have made a good target for opposition snipers!

I think i may have been confused about night use, i saw the Sniperscope mentioned in a battalion war diary, i'm sure it said that it was being used during the night??

I think Mr Langleybaston clears that one up for me! By the way Mr Langley, can i recruit your services? There are a few 'vermin' at night around my way that need dealing with, especially when the pubs kick out on a weekend!!!!

By the way Langleybaston, i have a tape recording by John Stallworthy talking about Siegfried Sassoon at the Charleston Literary festival in 1995, if you are interested in a copy then give me a mail off-forum.

Thanks,

Steve.