French Sniper Makes Longest Shot Record

[rwsmith]

Also......

While that is an amazing shot it doesn't compare to a real sniper shot. The real deal doesn't occur on a given day at a given range under given conditions. The real deal just happens. The target presents itself, the range wind and other conditions are doped by the shooter and the spotter and quickly dealt with.

Comparing a deal like this to actual sniper combat is like comparing an actual street gun fight to pop up targets on the range.

The French have been know to fold easily, but I think this was more a leadership problem than the actual soldiers. BUT, they also fought with us for our independence, the French Foreign Legion were truly bad to thee bone.

Also, if you are a sniper somebody is probably shooting at you and after you make your shot somebody will DEFINITELY be shooting at you.

 

[Arik]

Speaking of FFL. I met and was friends with several who entered service just after WWII. All of them were ex-German soldiers. Those guys were, bad to the bone to say the least.

You can always tell who is the dominant nationality in the Legion by what's going on in the world. After ww2....a lot of Germans. During the Troubles a lot of Irish. Balkan conflict....Slavs.

 

[Arik]

Also, if you are a sniper somebody is probably shooting at you and after you make your shot somebody will DEFINITELY be shooting at you.

Lately these guys have been taking shots far from typical eye sight.

 

[Cyrano]

The Brits (and I think the Australians) have some 1000+ yard civilian rifle shooters. They do it with .308s too.


I have had "conversations" with some of them from Australia and New Zealand in the AR-10 sub forum.

I think that 1000 yard shooting is the Palma Match. It's shot prone and the ranges are something like 800, 900 and 1000 yards. They are required to use iron sights and milspec ammo: 308 with 148 gr bullets. I had a Musgrave rifle once, made in the Republic of South Africa for that competition. It was a tack driver and I'm sorry I let it go.

 

[A10]

Everyone always rags on the French. But the French invented:
Smokeless powder
Spitzer bullets
The Minie Ball
Bayonet
Flintlock
First naval periscope
The first steel helmet
Sonar
The Helicopter
Submarine (1st non human powered one) 1863.

And that is short list on the military side.



Ken

And running shoes........

 

[A10]

Partially our independence
Symbol of America (statue of liberty)

They helped during the Revolutionary War for certain. Know why the Statue of Liberty faces east? It was meant to be facing Europe, showing them that liberty is possible.

 

[rwsmith]

Statue of Liberty

They helped during the Revolutionary War for certain. Know why the Statue of Liberty faces east? It was meant to be facing Europe, showing them that liberty is possible.

Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower and the inner structure of the Statue of Liberty.

The head and shoulders of the Statue of Liberty sat outside Central Park as an aid to raising funds for its completion. I guess the French said, "Here's your statue, you put it up."

 

[the ringo kid]

I had a video detailing their signing up and training. Holy Mackerel!

Also, the FFL has a reputation for NOT folding up. Like to the last man. I think in the past they were misused and sacrificed needlessly. They were a quick strike force, but should have been backed up ASAP.

They still ask two questions of every inductee. Do you want to change your name? Do you want a new identity? Some of them had their faces fogged out. Hmmmmmmm.

Most of the ones i knew, had been in PW camps and were made an ''offer'' to volunteer for the Legion, or face being kept as a PW for several years. Some who joined in order to have any sentence commuted, had been in the Wafen SS kopfjager//headhunters//unit on the Eastern Front. They joined to escape soviet ''justice.'' Others had been in other branches, like the Gebirgejagers, Fallschirmjagers, panzers etc. Those guys were the best unit in Indochina. They were disbanded sometime before Dien Bien Phu, due to political pressure from the Russians. Those who stayed in the Legion, died or were captured after Dien Bien Phu.

The man who was in charge of the German battalion, made me an honorary member of the Legion back in 1999 and shortly before he passed away.

 

[the ringo kid]

You can always tell who is the dominant nationality in the Legion by what's going on in the world. After ww2....a lot of Germans. During the Troubles a lot of Irish. Balkan conflict....Slavs.

That is true too. During the late 40s and early 50s, it was estimated that at least 50% of the legion, was made up of Germans. The legions bonus with them, is most or all of them had significant combat experience. After they proved themselves for France, the French allowed them to form a battalion of only Germans, and eventually won the right to wear their WWII decorations. I have a few pictures somewhere, of some of them in Indochina and wearing their decorations.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

The only ex-FFL that I ever met was a Frenchman.
He was at Dien Bien Phu.
When he recovered from all that excitement, he came to the US and joined the USAF.
That's where he was when I met him.

 

[cerwinvega15]

Unbelievable!!!