Which units have sniper companies? The perfect touch to a new look
It is no secret that in connection with the introduction of special sniper units into the combined arms formations of the Ground Forces, the formation of a phased and multi-level system for the selection and training of snipers began in the troops. After completing the stage of recruiting individual sniper companies, all snipers will undergo special training in training centers every 3-4 years. For the newly formed sniper training schools, training programs have been developed that provide for mastering a set of knowledge, abilities and skills, including artillery fire adjustment, army aviation guidance and counter-sniper training. The instructors, from among whom the sniper training schools that will be newly formed by December 1 at the district training centers (DTCs) will be staffed, have completed a special cycle of fire training (COTS) in the city of Solnechnogorsk.
At the finish line, a trained sniper will be able to act both as part of a unit and independently (or in pairs). The formation of sniper units in the Ground Forces, staffed by professional contract soldiers and undergoing systematic training in sniper schools at the Educational Training Center and at the Central Coordination Center (Solnechnogorsk), is scheduled to be fully completed in 2016.
Due to the variety of fire missions performed, sniper units are armed with several types of rifles with different indicators of basic combat properties. In addition, each sniper is issued a personal weapon - a pistol. In addition to weapons and sights, the sniper pair is equipped with optical-electronic surveillance equipment - a small-sized laser reconnaissance device, binoculars and means for determining the initial data for shooting. Individual and group equipment of a sniper pair includes a sniper complex, uniforms, equipment and other equipment necessary to perform tasks and maintain life.
We managed to get into one of these newly formed separate sniper companies (27th Motorized Rifle Brigade) in order to find out how combat shooting of snipers is carried out, including in pairs and with the use of fire support, what happens in tactical and special training (movement, equipment and camouflage of the firing position ), why psychological testing of snipers is needed and what is the situation with medical training.
Several qualifications have been introduced for future fighters of individual sniper units, one of which is psychological. A specially trained civilian psychologist (formerly an officer), using established methods for predicting a soldier’s behavior at the early stages, identifies people who do not have the proper level of neuropsychic stability. Testing is ordinary. Each candidate receives a form, the psychologist reads out the questions and statements, and the subject answers. For example, one of the tests, consisting of 86 questions, allows you to divide all candidates into 4 groups. Of these, only those included in groups 1 and 2 can be recommended for enrollment with subsequent admission to combat sniper weapons. Psychological selection during recruitment, as the psychologist said, is very strict.
After enlisting in a sniper company, a psychologist monitors each soldier individually. If necessary, individual lessons are again conducted with the sniper, during which an indicator such as, for example, “determination” can be adjusted and the necessary recommendations can be given. If adjustments are not possible and serious questions of psychological suitability arise, the psychologist may make a proposal to remove the sniper from service in a separate sniper company. Individual therapy is possible, and this type of therapy is typically provided weekly in small groups. They don’t bring anything “cinematic” into a sniper’s mental training: no one eats live frogs or wraps the enemy’s warm intestines around their fist. They say that such training is not required for a modern military sniper.
The main qualities that a psychologist works to consolidate and develop are determination, courage, and adequate response to any new situations. Particular attention is paid to the actions of the sniper in a future battle, the most important of which is clear and quick prioritization.
"SVD" 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle
Contract sergeant Velmatkin. Having served his military service in the army as a non-sniper, he was demobilized, thought about it and returned to the army again. I wanted to be a sniper. And so he did.
Soldiers should be able to prepare this kind of camouflage suits with masks for themselves, preferably from improvised means. The main task is to hide the silhouette of the fighter and weapon, to protect the face and hands. Of course, there are a lot of special suits on sale today, but as the pros say, there are no really good ones that don’t require modifications or “customization.” And the price tag is usually invigorating. You will have to pay 5-6 thousand. It is, of course, available if you are an airsoft manager (this is without irony or jokes, if anything). What if a contract sergeant? Those who want to make a suitable and correct suit for themselves can come here . By the way, my friends from the police special forces, who fought a lot.
To begin with, the snipers, led by a young officer, demonstrated standard measures to camouflage their position. The situation was greatly complicated by weather conditions - snow fell overnight and began to melt in the morning. Wet, dirty, not autumn or winter. But it's raining. The snipers had to wriggle out as if in battle. A white camouflage coat is not suitable for areas not covered with snow, and a green one is not suitable for snow-covered areas. To the question - “what to do if you need to immediately go into battle?”, the officer said that instead of a white coat, bandages and underwear would do, and instead of green ones, equipment that was not visible from the side would be “beds” and special barriers.
The first of the snipers chose a place for the future “lying down”. The hole, sufficient to hide a lying person, was covered with heat-insulating “foam” and a raincoat. The fighter lies on his stomach and nests in a way that is convenient for him, and his comrade covers the person lying with a simple mat. We are, of course, talking about a flat structure woven from “local” branches, twigs and lumps of snow. Approximately above the head of the lying sniper, a hummock is arranged using the same method. The sniper thrusts his rifle into this very bump so that the field of fire and observation can be seen through the sight. In such cases, the barrel is bandaged so that the blued rifle does not stand out in the snow. A sniper can spend from several hours to several days in such a shelter.
Depending on the length of stay, a reserve is made for the volume of the shelter so that the lying fighter can warm up a little, eat, and drink. In winter, being in such a bed, as they said, is surprisingly not cold, unless, of course, the sniper has properly insulated himself. “Local” spruce spruce branches are excellent for insulating under a raincoat. A small hole for ventilation allows you to breathe, and if you also light a candle inside the “bed” that is closed on all sides, it becomes warmer. Including in the soul, as the sniper officer said. An affirmative answer was received to the question about natural needs. Yes. Where to go?
A nearby open position was occupied by a sniper with a white paper mask on his face (cheap and cheerful) and a piece of wire tied to a dummy. The dummy is additionally equipped with a micromirror responsible for bright reflections. I pulled the wire and the mirror glared. An enemy sniper may well shoot at the flash, and then he will be identified by simple observation. Well, then, depending on your luck.
A simple wire structure with branches and tufts of dried grass woven into it was installed in an open field. Even if there is no fish at all, this camouflage is good. It is light, mobile and, with skillful manufacture, impenetrable to an outside observer.
Old, broken armored vehicles are an excellent place to equip a position. Often snipers prepare so-called “stumps” for themselves. This can be either a real hollow stump or a handmade stump on a frame. From under it you can observe without fear of being noticed, and shoot if necessary. Of course, all snipers know about “stumps,” which is why before entering a position they are often “shot through” independently or with the help of infantry. It is never a bad idea to protect yourself from enemy snipers. Sniper shelters are often armored with our own resources and improvised means. In general, there are no limits to tricks. Nowadays the wire “spider” is in use. Metal rods on one bolt, assembled into a structure reminiscent of an umbrella. Lay it out, camouflage it, cover it up - that’s it, the position is ready. You observe from there, you have found a goal - it’s a pity and go to a new place. Disguise is life.
After the camouflage lesson we moved on to the obstacle course. A sniper pair, represented by a fighter with a sniper rifle and a soldier with a machine gun (there may be a second sniper in his place), had to quickly and trying not to stick out, overcome open space with obstacles, covering each other with fire. Soldiers from the support group provided explosions, smoke and shooting, trying to somewhat complicate the actions of the sniper pair. Some obstacles in the field were set on fire for greater naturalism.
Snipers conduct combat operations as part of, for example, a motorized rifle unit. This means that a rifleman, a machine gunner, a grenade launcher, a radio operator, a gunner and other important guys are going on the attack (or sitting on the defensive - it doesn’t matter). A full-time medical instructor is with them. That is, in the event of a wound on the battlefield, one of the comrades will be able to carry the wounded, and a first aid specialist will provide this same assistance in the shortest possible time, which is why he is appointed in each unit. Another thing is the work of a sniper pair consisting exclusively of a pair, outside the combat formations of the unit. Two people work separately from everyone else, sometimes at a considerable distance from their own. And in case of injury, there will be no one to provide even first aid. Except for yourself and your partner. All that remains is self- and mutual assistance - there are no other options.
The most common task in this case is to determine where the soldier is wounded and how to help him. The sniper has few means of providing assistance - mainly a tourniquet and an individual dressing package. And, in general, that’s all. There are no syringe tubes with promedol. In combat conditions, things can (and, I hope, will) be different.
A special exercise was devoted to practicing the skill of quickly evacuating a wounded sniper from a dangerous zone with his partner. Noticing that a soldier is in trouble, a colleague approaches him on his belly, finds out how and where he was wounded, applies a tourniquet, stops the bleeding and bandages his comrade with individual bags. When the bleeding has stopped, and there is no immediate danger of death from the injury or blood loss, it is necessary to evacuate the wounded. During the evacuation process, the sniper must try to perform all his actions unnoticed by the enemy, bending down as low as possible and using available means of camouflage. In our case, the wounded sniper was conscious according to the conditions of the task, so he was instructed to hold both sniper rifles on himself and help while crawling, pushing with his “good” leg.
The actions to evacuate the wounded were observed by a medical officer and a guard lieutenant of the medical service. In his opinion, the task was completed with a “satisfactory” rating. First medical aid was provided quickly, correctly and in the proper volume, but at the crawling stage the fighters did not bend low enough to the ground and presented a good target for the enemy.
Then, according to plan, everyone proceeded to the shooting range past the elegant green “tanks”. The snipers shot in a prone position from conventional SVDs with conventional quadruple PSOs at a distance of 100 meters. The distance is not typical, but given the number of film crews and the desire of all those present to reach the targets after shooting, it is convenient for everyone.
After the shooting, at the command of the deputy commander of the 27th separate motorized rifle brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Aksenov, everyone moved to the targets.
Comrade Sergeant fired accurately and accurately. Well done!
Here the result is worse. But the sniper is also a beginner, just learning.
At the end of the race, I was able to talk with one of the officers of a separate sniper company. The following issues were discussed:
What problem can an ordinary soldier, trained as a sniper, solve with his ordinary rifle?
Can confidently hit a target at a range of 200-500 meters. At these distances, all standard exercises are practiced as planned. In a real battle, a shot at a distance of more than 500 meters is simply impractical. For what? Yes, and such a situation rarely happens. During military operations in the city, it is completely excluded. And we must not forget about the need to identify the target as an enemy. The four-fold PSO sight mounted on the SVD rifle does not really allow this. How to make a decision to hit a target without being sure that the target is the same?
How often do shootings take place? Do you shoot a lot in your company?
In our unit, shooting takes place two to three times a week. The minimum is weekly, but this is rare. The unit is newly formed, so the attention to us is appropriate; we need to train our personnel intensively. Let's cook. We don't spare cartridges.
Are there any sniping “stars” among new sniper recruits?
Eat. About 10 percent shoot really well and show outstanding results. Practice in this matter is not enough, you also need talent. So there are excellent shooters among seasoned contract soldiers with extensive experience and among conscripts who, before their service, never came close to sniper weapons. Sniper is a calling. You need to feel this and be able to control yourself. This is truly a necessary condition. Emotions, breathing, mood - everything should be in harmony with the rifle. The basics of marksmanship training are taught to the fighter using standard tools, for example, command boxes KYA-73 and KY-83 allow you to clearly and intelligibly convey information about the conditions necessary for an accurate shot. This is both the theory and practice of aiming. Later we move on to live fire exercises.
How about hitting a target the size of, say, your head? Distance - kilometer.
Much depends on the weapon, on the sight, on the position, on the strength of the wind, on experience. In general, it happens. Not a miracle. Especially in order to set a personal sports record.
What can you say about SVD? Good rifle?
How can I say it for sure? I think the weapon is immortal. And its advantages in practice outweigh any idle talk. I think it is morally outdated, but for widespread use in the army it is still “just right.” There is no need to compare it with custom foreign rifles equipped with multi-thousand-dollar sights - after all, there is nothing like this in large quantities in the army and never will be. But there is an SVD with PSO. And for its tasks it is still an excellent tool. Those who wish, as elsewhere, apparently in the army, can buy any sight for their own. Yes, there is such a practice, we constantly try something new. Personally, I am not a supporter of such “weighting”; I believe that the simpler it is, the more reliable and better it will be.
A very important detail - the SVD rifle is difficult to damage due to inept handling. Sometimes there is no time to clean. In really extreme conditions - I took off my sock, hastily cleaned the dirty mechanism, it will work. When conditions are normal, there is no time pressure - mandatory cleaning after each use. If the rifle still breaks down or behaves strangely, it is officially sent to a weapons workshop for repairs. After the repair - again the fitting-tuning-shooting procedures. I can't remember a rifle that was damaged by poor handling. Wear and tear - yes. Nothing lasts forever.
Are any specially selected cartridges used during preparation?
No, only those that come in zinc with the inscription “Sniper”. Normal cartridges. Reliable. But there are all sorts of single people - bumps often happen.
Is the rifle assigned to a specific fighter?
The rifle is assigned to each fighter individually. He prepares the weapon “for himself” himself - he adjusts it, leads to a normal battle, shoots it, cleans it, grooms it and cherishes it.
Is there any rivalry within the military team?
There is some informal competition among the fighters; the spirit of rivalry, of course, is inherent in the male team. Usually everyone knows who is capable of what, if a person shoots well - of course, he enjoys authority among his comrades. Shooting straight is prestigious.
If necessary, is it possible to make a decent sniper from an ordinary soldier taken at random?
Most likely no. Snipers are the elite. Everyone can't be the best. And besides, in fact, snipers, there are many other needs. We need smart soldiers for relief groups, cover, and reconnaissance. Of those who have already joined the ranks of snipers, some are leaving. There is always sifting out. I changed my mind, I couldn’t cope, I’m unfit for the job. Such people are simply transferred to other units, for example, to ordinary motorized rifles.
Is some foreign experience used in training our snipers? Is there anything new in sniper business?
In my opinion, all the most important things have long been invented. Sniper business is very painstaking. You need to carefully and especially for yourself “sharpen” the experience that has been accumulated for a long time. The memories of Red Army snipers help a lot in this matter. From foreign experience, we found a German training film about sniper training, made for training Wehrmacht snipers, useful. For example, the wire fan as the basis for frame camouflage was borrowed from there. We are studying the memories of our veteran snipers and scouts, that’s for sure. Fortunately, they are now on the Internet.
What other types of training are required for a sniper, besides physical, shooting, medical and psychological?
For example, a sniper undergoes additional engineering training. It cannot be said that it is very deep, but it is quite capable of detecting, for example, a mine. Disposal of an explosive object is not the task of a sniper. If he finds it, he’ll just go around it or mark it. Well, engineering reconnaissance has not been canceled.
What does a sniper usually carry with him on a mission?
The less load a sniper carries, the better. The main cargo is weapons, ammunition, instruments, water, food. Sometimes, if conditions allow, a walkie-talkie. The food is very ordinary. Packed rations, chocolate, stewed meat.
How does a sniper feel when he hits an enemy?
There is no remorse or horror. There is satisfaction from a well-done task that was taught. He did his job perfectly - well done, rejoice. What is there to worry about? (Hmm, who killed more than one German from his SVT during the war - the author.)
How do snipers get hit?
Voluntarily. At your own request. After a tough selection, of course. Only those who want to serve us. This is in our own interests. We have a special purpose unit, we need, in addition to discipline, personal aspirations. People come, of course, different ones. There are more sensible ones. From ordinary, but professionally suitable, we make good and excellent snipers. And about the “elite” - this is not just said. This “ideology” is imposed on the recruit, it is extremely important, without it it is difficult to develop and self-develop as a warrior. Yes, some people, as they say, take wings; a sniper rifle, again, not everyone gets it. They even say: only the sniper has a rifle, the rest have weapons. Well, we have distinctive signs. These are chevrons. Chevron must be earned. Only two companies in the entire brigade wear them - snipers and release companies. Chevron is truly prestigious. A great reason to be proud of yourself. The soldiers understand this.
*****
During the sniper run, not only snipers worked in pairs, but also photographers. .
All photos in one gallery
Press Club of the Moscow Region- thanks for stopping by. There, on the link, there is a video from the Zvezda TV channel.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov at a press conference on September 12 told reporters about the plans of the Ministry of Defense to modernize the army. According to Makarov, The defense department intends to create a separate sniper unit in each brigade of the Armed Forces. Makarov also spoke about plans to transfer the country’s air force to high-precision weapons and the readiness of the defense department to purchase foreign weapons and equipment.
However, most of all the journalists were interested in the general’s remark about the “sniperization” of the Russian army. Thus, Gazeta.ru, for example, wrote about the demand for snipers in the army and the need to switch to foreign rifles. The newspaper "RBC daily" went further and submitted an application for the creation of special sniper units in conjunction with the general's reasoning about the likelihood of social unrest in Russia.
How the transfer of snipers to separate units is related to the possibility or impossibility of a repeat of the “Arab Spring” in Russia is not entirely clear. In his interview, Makarov actually mentioned that after the Arab revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya “The Russian army must be prepared for the worst-case scenarios for the development of the political situation in the country”. However, this routine statement from the Chief of the General Staff should hardly be considered as a threat to use the army to suppress street riots.
In addition, the assumption of a number of media outlets that the Russian military intends to use snipers for these purposes seems completely implausible. What, if we talk about “Arab” scenarios, can snipers do with a crowd of thousands? have a low rate of fire and a small magazine (the magazine of the main army SVD rifle holds 10 rounds), so snipers will be of little use against an angry crowd.
But if we leave dubious political scenarios alone, the words of General Makarov still arouse interest. With all their uncertainty, it is clear that We are talking about plans for a qualitative reorganization of the Armed Forces. According to the general, the creation of separate sniper units will increase the effectiveness of targeted fire against the enemy, especially in urban combat. In addition, the creation of separate units is obviously necessary to give snipers greater independence, which they did not previously have.
Each such unit, the Chief of the General Staff said at a press conference, will consist of several sections, and each section will have one sniper. The general did not specify whether there would be other servicemen in the department besides the sniper. If we assume that by sniper units the general meant platoons, then it turns out that each brigade will have at least three snipers. Until now, snipers were assigned to each motorized rifle company, of which there may be more than ten in a typical brigade. Thus, the creation of separate sniper units is unlikely to significantly increase their overall strength.
It is also difficult to name the exact number of supposed snipers per brigade because brigades in the Russian army are not only motorized rifle. So, it is unclear exactly how many snipers will be assigned to, say, artillery or tank brigades. Today it is known that in the Ground Forces after the reform of the Armed Forces, 85 were created. Thus, in the future there will only be a few hundred snipers available for ground forces.
At the same time, according to Andrei Frolov, an expert at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, in total, about 10 thousand rifles will be needed for the needs of Russian snipers. How to explain such a discrepancy in numbers is not yet very clear - apparently, we must wait for new clarifications from the military. As RBC daily notes, the core of the sniper corps in the Ground Forces will be contract sergeants, who are planned to be hired by 2012.
Snipers in the modern Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are divided into two main categories - infantry snipers And snipers-saboteurs. Infantry snipers usually operate in units and are usually recruited from the most accurate marksmen. To train such specialists, no special investments or complex training are required.
Another thing - sniper saboteurs, who are a kind of elite among shooters and are already selected from experienced soldiers. Such shooters usually act alone and try to remain unnoticed, using natural cover and camouflage. Apparently, the Armed Forces are planning to staff new units with just such sniper-saboteurs.
« Currently, the North Korean army has the most snipers - there are ten sniper brigades., - the head of the Center for Military Forecasting told RBC daily Anatoly Tsyganok. - Moreover, the North Korean army is the only one in the world that, in addition to snipers, also has 300 professionally trained kamikazes. Russia, of course, should not adopt the experience of suicide bombers, but it makes sense to take a closer look at the training of snipers in the DPRK. Because the problem will definitely arise now - how to train such a large number of snipers, where to get them, at what base to train them, who will train them».
The Soviet sniper training school, according to experts, was very strong, but over time, unfortunately, fell into disrepair. " A sniper is a piece product, it takes more than one year to prepare, so it definitely must be professional contract soldiers, - pointed out. - Here we cannot count on conscripts, as in the old days, when there were enough nuggets from among the conscripts who learned to shoot well from SVD».
Rifles for the new sniper units, according to the Chief of the General Staff, may be purchased abroad. As Frolov suggested, the British company Accuracy International could become a supplier of rifles for Russian shooters. Currently, Accuracy International rifles model AWM-F (Arctic Warfare Magnum Foldable, a folding rifle with a 0.338 Lapua Magnum cartridge) are equipped with snipers of the Alpha unit of the FSB special forces. Frolov did not rule out the possibility of further use of various modifications of the main Russian SVD rifle.
In terms of their characteristics, the AWM-F and SVD are quite different, and largely in favor of British weapons. The name Arctic Warfare speaks of the adaptability of the British rifle for operation at temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius, which is extremely important for Russian realities. The aimed firing range of the AWM-F is also higher - up to 1100 meters versus 800 for the SVD. The advantages of the Russian development include a larger capacity magazine - 10 rounds versus 5 for the AWM-F - and a slightly higher rate of fire thanks to the semi-automatic system with a gas outlet tube.
Considering a number of recent statements by the General Staff about plans to purchase Western weapons and equipment, ideas about supplying Russian snipers with more modern and technically advanced British rifles do not seem surprising at all. According to Makarov, if Western models are more advanced than domestic ones, then weapons “will certainly have to be borrowed from abroad.”
Of course, an important step is the readiness of the generals to switch to Western weapons and equipment if this helps improve the combat effectiveness of the armed forces. So if Russian snipers start shooting more accurately, even from British rifles, this will only be for the better. If only Russian citizens did not suddenly turn out to be targets.
December 2nd, 2012
If the Soviet and German rifle squads and platoons were approximately similar in composition and structure, there were very significant differences between the Soviet rifle and German infantry companies.
The main difference was that the Soviet rifle company, unlike the German one, did not have material supply and support units in its structure.
This was a 100% combat unit.
The company's logistics support was a rifle battalion and a regiment. There were corresponding rear structures, rear convoys, etc.
At the level of a rifle company, the only person who was directly involved in providing support for the company was the company commander himself and the company foreman. It was on them that all the care for the simple company economy hung.
The rifle company did not even have its own field kitchen. Therefore, the provision of hot meals was carried out at the battalion or regiment level.
The situation was completely different in the German infantry company.
A German infantry company can be conditionally divided into two parts: combat and logistical support (a convoy, two quartermaster detachments, a mobile workshop).
These are the rear units of the company, which were engaged in supplying the company with everything necessary.
They did not directly participate in combat operations on the front line and during the company’s offensive they were subordinated directly to battalion and regimental rear structures.
These units were located 3-5 km from the front line.
What constituted the combat unit of a German infantry company?
German infantry company (Schuetzenkompanie).
The total strength of the German infantry company is 191 people
(in a Soviet rifle company 179 people).
This is what it looks like schematically:
Four messengers with the rank of Gefreiter inclusive.
One of them is simultaneously a bugler, the other a light signalman.
Armed with carbines.
Two cyclists with the rank of up to and including Gefreiter.
Armed with carbines. They travel on bicycles.
Two coachmen with the rank of Gefreiter inclusive. They drive a heavy horse-drawn carriage drawn by four horses.
Armed with carbines.
Groom for an officer's horse with the rank of Gefreiter inclusive. Armed with a carbine. Equipped with a bicycle for transportation.
Thus, the total number of combat units of the control department was not 12, but 9 people. With the company commander - 10 people.
The basis of the combat unit of an infantry company was infantry platoons.
There were 3 of them, just like in the Soviet rifle company.
The total number of soldiers in the infantry platoons was 49x3 = 147 people.
Taking into account the number of combat units of the control department, including the company commander (10 people), we get 157 people.
Infantry platoons at company level received reinforcement in the form of an anti-tank squad (Panzerabwehrbuchsentrupp).
There are 7 people in the department. Of these, 1 non-commissioned officer and 6 soldiers.
The squad's group weapons are three Pz.B.39 anti-tank rifles.
Squad leader with the rank of Obergeifreiter to Unterfeldwebel. Armed with a carbine.
Three calculations of anti-tank guns.
Each squad consisted of a PR shooter in the ranks up to and including Gefreiter (personal weapon - a pistol) and his assistant in the ranks up to and including Gefreiter. Armed with a carbine.
The total number of people in the calculation is 4 people.
The number of squad members is 7 people (3x2 +1 squad leader)
The anti-tank squad was armed with:
Anti-tank rifle Pz.B.39 - 3 pcs.
Repeating rifle Mauser 98k - 4 pcs.
8-shot pistol - 3 pcs.
In total, the German infantry company has a combat strength of 157 + 7 = 164 people out of 191 people in the company.
27 people are rear guards.
Vehicles:
1. Riding horse - 1 pc.
2. Bicycle - 3 pcs.
Only 4 horses per company.
A few words about the Pz.B.39 anti-tank rifle.
German anti-tank rifle Pz.B.39
The German army in World War II had two main types of anti-tank rifles - the PzB-38 and its later modification, the PzB-39.
The abbreviation PzB stands for Panzerbüchse (anti-tank rifle).
Both the PzB-38 and PzB-39 used the "Patrone 318" 7.92x94 mm cartridge.
Several types of such cartridges were produced:
Patrone 318 SmK-Rs-L"spur- a cartridge with a pointed bullet in a casing, with a poisonous reagent, tracer.
Patrone 318 SmKH-Rs-L"spur.- a cartridge with a pointed bullet in a shell (hard) with a poisonous reagent, tracer.
This, in fact, is an armor-piercing cartridge.
Number 318
was the reciprocal number of the old designation (813 - 8 mm bullet in a 13 mm sleeve).
SmK meant Spitzgeschoss mit Kern (sharpened bullet in a jacket)
SmKH- Spitzgeschoss mit Kern (Hart) (pointed bullet in a jacket (Hard)
Rs- Reizstoff (Poisonous agent), because the bullet had a small amount of tear gas to affect the crew of the armored vehicle, chloro-acetophenone was placed in the recess at the bottom of the core - a toxic agent with tear action, but due to the small amount of tear gas in the capsule, the crew most often just it did not notice. By the way, until German samples of anti-tank rifles were captured, no one suspected that their bullets contained gas.
L"spur- Leuchtspur (Tracer), the bullet had a small tracer in the rear.
Its bullet weighing 14.5 g accelerated in the barrel to 1180 m/s. The fairly high armor-piercing effect of the bullet, piercing 20-mm armor installed at an angle of 20° to the normal at a distance of 400 m, was ensured by a tungsten core.
According to other data, the PTR penetrated 20 mm armor from a distance of 300 m and 30 mm armor from a distance of 100 m at an angle of 90°.
In practice, fire was fired from a distance of 100 to 200 m, mainly at the tracks and fuel tanks of the tank in order to stop it.
However, at the same time, the PTR very quickly discovered its position and became an excellent target for shooters.
Therefore, if anti-tank rifles were a reinforcement of the German infantry company in the confrontation with tanks, it was not too significant.
The main part of the tanks was destroyed by anti-tank guns, which the German infantry company did not have at its disposal.
Now let’s compare a German infantry company with a Soviet infantry company, not from the point of view of the total number of personnel, but from the point of view of the combat strength of those who were directly on the front line.
Soviet rifle company
The rifle company was the next largest tactical unit after the platoon and was part of the rifle battalion.
The rifle company was commanded by a company commander (company commander) with the rank of captain.
The company commander was entitled to a riding horse.
Because on a company march, he had to control the movement of the company, which was stretched during the march, and if necessary, the horse could be used to communicate with other companies or the battalion command.
Armed with a TT pistol.
The company political instructor was the assistant to the company commander.
He conducted political educational work in the company's units and kept in touch with the political department of the battalion and regiment.
Armed with a TT pistol.
But the actual assistant to the company commander was the company foreman.
He was in charge of the rather poor, frankly speaking, company economy, dealt with the issues of providing the company units with everything they needed, receiving everything they needed in the battalion, which included the rifle company.
For these purposes, the company had one horse and cart, which was driven by a driver with the rank of private, armed with a rifle like the foreman.
The company had its own clerk. He was also armed with a rifle.
There was one messenger in the company with the rank of private. But despite his private rank, he was, perhaps, the left hand of the company commander. He was entrusted with important tasks, he was always close to the battalion commander, knew all the platoon commanders and squad leaders well, etc. And he was known not only in the company units, but also in the battalion.
He was also armed with a rifle.
The basis of a rifle company consisted of rifle platoons.
There were 3 such platoons in the rifle company.
At the company level, rifle platoons were reinforced primarily in the form of a machine gun platoon.
Machine gun platoon.
The machine gun platoon was headed by a machine gun platoon commander with the rank of lieutenant.
Weapon - TT pistol.
The machine gun platoon consisted of two crews of the Maxim heavy machine gun.
Each crew was commanded by a sergeant.
Weapon - TT pistol.
The crew consisted of a crew commander and four privates (gunner, assistant gunner, cartridge carrier and driver), armed with rifles.
According to the state, each crew relied on a horse and a cart for transporting a machine gun (cart). The crew was armed with rifles.
The number of machine gun crews was 6 soldiers.
The size of the machine gun platoon was (6x2 + platoon commander) = 13 soldiers.
Armed with a machine gun platoon:
Machine gun "Maxima" - 2 pcs.
Self-loading rifle SVT 38/40 - (4x2)=8 pcs.
TT pistol - 3 pcs.
The main purpose of the Maxim machine gun was to suppress enemy firing points and support infantry.
The high rate of fire (combat 600 rounds per minute) and high firing accuracy of the machine gun made it possible to carry out this task from a distance of 100 to 1000 m to friendly troops.
All machine gun crew members had the same skills in firing a machine gun and, if necessary, could change the crew commander, gunner, etc.
Each heavy machine gun carried a combat set of cartridges, 12 boxes with machine gun belts (a belt - 250 rounds), two spare barrels, one box with spare parts, one box with accessories, three cans for water and lubricant, and an optical machine gun sight.
The machine gun had an armor shield that protected it from shrapnel, light bullets, etc.
Shield thickness - 6 mm.
German machine gunners have no protection other than a helmet.
True, it was not always the shield that saved the machine gunner.
Bullet hits are visible.
And here it’s actually a sieve. Apparently they were shooting from armor-piercing cartridges.
And the trunk got it.
Thus, the main weapon reinforcement for platoons at the company level was the 7.62 mm heavy machine gun of the Maxim system, model 1910/30.
In addition, as a company reinforcement of platoons during the battle, the company had 2 snipers.
A fairly powerful reinforcement of company units for the purpose of destroying enemy firing points from long distances and incapacitating enemy unit commanders.
The snipers were armed with a Mosin rifle (three-line) with a PU optical sight (short sight).
What is a sniper? A good sniper from a distance of 300 m in a minute of shooting can easily kill an infantry squad. And in a pair - half a platoon. Not to mention machine gun points, gun crews, etc.
But they could also work from 800 m.
The company also included a sanitary department.
The squad was commanded by the squad commander, a sergeant-medical instructor.
He had 4 orderlies under his command.
The squad is armed with 1 pistol.
Well, that’s practically one orderly per platoon.
Rifle platoons, unlike German infantry platoons, did not have a medical orderly.
But as we see, the platoon was still not left without a medic.
Total: 5 people. Armed with one pistol.
Total company strength:
Company commander - 1 person.
Company political instructor - 1 person.
Company sergeant major - 1 person.
Bellboy - 1 person.
Clerk - 1 person.
Riding - 1 person.
Rifle platoons - 51x3=153 people
Machine gun platoon - 13 people
Sniper - 2 people
Sanitary department - 5 people.
Total: 179 people.
In service with the company:
Machine gun "Maxima" - 2 pcs.
PD Degtyarev machine gun - 12 pcs. (4 pieces each in each rifle platoon)
Light 50 mm mortar - 3 pcs. (1 piece each in each rifle platoon)
PPD submachine gun - 27 pcs. (9 pieces in each platoon)
Rifle SVT-38, SVT-40 - 152 pcs. (36 pieces in each platoon + 8x4 = 32 + 8 pieces in a machine gun platoon + 4 for the rest)
Mosin sniper rifle with PU sight - 2 pcs.
TT pistols - 22 pcs. (6 pieces in each platoon + 1 in a machine gun platoon + 1 in the medical department + 2 in the company and political officer)
Vehicles:
Riding horse - 1 pc.
Horse and cart - 3 pcs.
Total 4 horses
In service with a German infantry company / in comparison with a Soviet rifle company:
1. Light machine gun - 12/12
2. Heavy machine gun - 0/2
3. Submachine gun - 16/27
4. Repeating rifle - 132/0
5. Self-loading rifle - 0/152
6. Sniper rifle - 0/2
7. Mortar 50 mm - 3/3
8. Anti-tank rifle - 3/0
9. Pistol - 47/22
From this we can conclude that the Soviet rifle company at the company level was significantly superior in firepower and armament to the German infantry company.
Conclusions on numbers.
The total strength of the German infantry company is 191 people. (Soviet rifle company - 179 people)
However, the combat unit of the infantry company was only 164 people. The rest belonged to the company's rear services.
Thus, the Soviet rifle company outnumbered the German infantry company by 15 people (179-164).
At the battalion level, this excess was 15x3=45 people.
At the regimental level 45x3=135 people
At the divisional level there are 135x3=405 people.
405 people is almost 2.5 companies, that is, almost an infantry battalion.
The advantage in vehicles, carts and draft power at company level in a German infantry company was associated with the work of the rear services of the German company.
The combat unit of the company moved on foot in the same way as a Soviet rifle company.
Vehicles of the combat unit of the Soviet rifle company:
1. Riding horse - 1 pc.
2. Horse and cart - 3 pcs.
Only 4 horses per rifle company
Vehicles of a combat unit of a German infantry company:
1. Riding horse - 1 pc.
2. Bicycle - 3 pcs.
3. 4-horse heavy cart - 1 pc.
Only 4 horses per infantry company.
On the march, the German infantry company moved exclusively on foot, as did the soldiers of the Soviet rifle company.
Therefore, the German infantry company had no advantage in vehicles over the Soviet rifle company.
Drawing a general conclusion, we can conclude that in terms of the number of combat personnel, weapons and firepower, the Soviet rifle company was superior to the German infantry company, inferior to it only in the supply organization system.
Accuracy - politeness of saboteurs
The idea of creating separate sniper companies in each brigade of the Russian Armed Forces was announced four years ago. As a source in the Ministry of Defense told MK, now “the implementation of this idea has reached the finish line and the formation of such units will be completed in 2015.” They became necessary due to the increasing role of snipers in combat operations, especially in cities.
“MK” decided to figure out how professional snipers are trained and equipped at the present stage.
History of snipe hunters
If we go deeper into history, the definition of “sniper” first appeared in the English army in the 18th century. It comes from the English snipe - “snipe”. This is a small and nimble bird, the flight path of which is almost unpredictable, so the shot must be carried out “offhand”. Only an experienced hunter with above-average weapon skills could hit a snipe on the fly, and even then only in the case of an exceptionally favorable set of circumstances. The term "snipe shooting" was gradually shortened to the shorter term "sniping". By the end of the 18th century, the word “sniper” was already present in the letters of English officers serving in India.
By the way, during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902, the Boers with their long-range rifles attacked the British at any time of the day and, it would seem, in the safest places. The unspoken rule “three people can’t light one match” was born in the British positions in the Transvaal Republic. At night, when the officers were lighting cigars, the Boer sniper detected the flash of a lit match and the light of a cigar, when the first officer lit, then the second officer lit a light - the match light moved, the second cigar lit, the sniper took the lead in transferring fire. I lit a third cigarette and immediately received a bullet in the head.
Intelligence, nerves of steel and iron health
A candidate for professional sniper must meet fairly strict criteria, perhaps comparable to selection for astronauts.
So, age should not exceed 35 years. The applicant must have a sports rank of at least second. Classes in sport shooting, biathlon, athletics, tourism, mountaineering, and orienteering are welcome. Service experience is then taken into account. For example, a candidate sniper from among the conscripts must first serve virtually the full term of his service (12 months) in deployed motorized rifle, airborne, reconnaissance, reconnaissance, special forces, and marine units. It is preferable for contract soldiers to also have experience of combat operations in local conflict zones.
If we talk in more detail about physical training, it is assessed according to three standards: running for a distance of 100 m - 13 seconds, running for a distance of 3 km - 12 minutes. 30 sec., pull-ups on the bar with a medium overhand grip - 17 times.
In addition, the candidate must be unmarried, have no bad habits, and must not be the only child in the family or the only breadwinner.
In addition to experience, health and excellent marks in shooting, you must have limitless endurance and nerves of steel. After all, the life of a sniper depends on self-control and calmness. As professionals say, the most experienced long-range shooters are people who have an analytical mind, are patient, dispassionate, and plan their every move. Of course, they have emotions, but they have learned to overcome them so that they can mentally push the stress and anxiety into oblivion. Trained patience allows a sniper to lie motionless in the snow, rain and heat for hours, waiting for a shot that may not come. These requirements are very specific, and therefore not all candidates pass the psychological fitness test.
By the way, the knowledge acquired at school is also carefully checked. Intelligence is also considered a sniper's weapon.
Classification of army snipers
Of course, the most famous type of sniper is the saboteur sniper. This is, as they say, a “piece product”. It takes years of painstaking training to prepare it. Such a sniper operates alone or with a partner (providing fire cover and target designation), often far from the main body of troops, in the rear or on enemy territory. Objectives: covertly incapacitating important targets - officers, patrolmen, valuable equipment, disrupting an enemy attack, sniper terror (inducing panic in ordinary personnel, making observation difficult, moral suppression).
In order not to give away his position, the shooter often fires a shot under the cover of background noise (weather phenomena, third-party shots, explosions, etc.). The destruction distance is from 500 meters and more. Under favorable conditions, a person can be destroyed from a distance of 1.5–2 km from large-caliber 12.7 mm rifles. However, shooting at single targets of such small sizes from such a distance is practically not carried out due to the large dispersion of even the best examples of sniper weapons. The sniper-saboteur's weapon is a high-precision rifle with an optical sight, sometimes with a silencer, usually with manual reloading. Masking the position plays a big role, so it is done with special care. As camouflage, improvised materials (branches, bushes, earth, dirt, garbage, etc.), a special “shaggy” camouflage coat, as it is called in the troops, a “goblin suit,” or ready-made shelters can be used.
And the most common type of sniper is the infantry sniper. It first appeared in the USSR in the 60s. Such a sniper, like a machine gunner or grenade launcher, operates as part of a unit. Sometimes paired with a machine gunner or a pair of machine gunners (cover group). Objectives: increasing the combat radius of infantry, destroying important targets (machine gunners, other snipers, grenade launchers, ATGM crews, signalmen). As a rule, does not have time to choose a goal; shoots at everyone in sight.
The combat distance rarely exceeds 400 meters. Weapon: self-loading rifle, the main emphasis is on light weight and reliability. Sometimes such snipers are equipped with serial machine guns, which are selected at the arms factory according to the criterion of “hit accuracy” and receive an optical sight. Infantry sniper rifles are rarely equipped with suppressors.
Extremely mobile, changes position frequently. As a rule, he has the same means of camouflage as other soldiers.
Sniper weapons
Now a professional sniper is provided with the latest weapons and special equipment. For example, a sniper pair is equipped with optical-electronic surveillance equipment - a small-sized laser reconnaissance device, binoculars and means for determining the initial data for shooting.
If we talk about weapons, then snipers are armed with, for example, 6S8 or ASVK sniper systems of 12.7x108mm caliber, which can hit a target at a distance of one and a half kilometers. There is also a special VSS sniper rifle and its development - the low-noise VAL assault rifle and the modernized VSSM rifle.
But the troops have not yet decided on the classic rifle that a professional sniper should be armed with. The controversy that the current sniper rifles are morally outdated and it is high time for the Russian one to be re-equipped with a new type of sniper complexes has been going on for several years now. “A classic of the genre,” the SVD rifle, has been in service for more than 50 years, and many experts believe that it is high time to put this weapon in a museum rather than use it in real combat conditions. However, it is not yet possible to organize a “sniper revolution” and replace the “good old” Dragunov rifle with a fundamentally new weapon.
The SVD, or as it is also called “oar” in the military, according to weapons experts, is one of the best in the world in the class of self-loading sniper weapons in such parameters as accuracy and accuracy of fire, simplicity of design and reliability of automation. Of course, it has a number of disadvantages, but the world has not yet created an inexpensive self-loading sniper rifle that has a higher accuracy of fire while maintaining the same reliability of automatic operation as the SVD in a wide variety of climatic conditions. The disadvantages of the rifle include the fact that it does not provide the necessary shooting accuracy at distances of more than 400 meters; the accuracy of the SVD is no longer sufficient to solve a number of sniper tasks.
High-end snipers need a rifle chambered for a more powerful cartridge, such as the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm), which allows you to confidently hit targets with high accuracy at a distance of more than a kilometer, which are also protected by means individual armor protection. Now the Russian arms industry is ready to present several promising sniper rifles to the Ministry of Defense. You can recall the development of the Kalashnikov concern - the SV-98 sniper rifle, intended to equip the Russian armed forces, or the ORSIS T-5000 rifle. Probably, both of these models will be used by new sniper units.
The art of being invulnerable
“A sniper is a hunter. The hunter must be invisible. The sniper's invulnerability demoralizes the enemy. Your method is secrecy. Your working tool is patience. Learn to endure hunger, cold, pain, immobility. Only this will allow you to destroy the enemy everywhere, even in the depths of his defense. The enemy is a beast. Track him down and lure him out under fire. The enemy is cunning - be more cunning than him. He is resilient - be more persistent than him. Your profession is art. You can do what others cannot. They trust you. Behind you - . Be merciless. You will win because you must win! The sniper is obliged not only to destroy the enemy’s manpower, but also to paralyze the enemy’s organization of current combat work with accurate shooting. To do this, destroy his officers; arrange an hourly hunt for his scouts, observers, signalmen, and artillery spotters; smash their observation devices; blind the enemy; teach him to walk upright; make him crawl; don't let him stick out; sow panic among the lower ranks. The sniper's ultimate goal is fear. Show up where you are not expected. Remember: the enemy must be afraid!”
This manual was compiled during the Great Patriotic War, during the defense of Stalingrad, by the commander of the 62nd Army, General Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov. It is written harshly, but it clearly states the goals and objectives of the sniper. And in modern realities, this instruction of the legendary military leader has not lost its relevance.
It is no secret that in connection with the introduction of combined arms formations Ground forces special sniper units , the troops began to form a phased and multi-level system for the selection and training of snipers. After completing the stage of recruiting individual sniper companies, all snipers will undergo special training in training centers every 3-4 years. For the newly formed sniper training schools, training programs have been developed that provide for mastering a set of knowledge, abilities and skills, including artillery fire adjustment, army aviation guidance and counter-sniper training. The instructors, from among whom the sniper training schools that will be newly formed by December 1 at the district training centers (DTCs) will be staffed, have completed a special cycle of fire training (COTS) in the city of Solnechnogorsk.
At the finish line, a trained sniper will be able to act both as part of a unit and independently (or in pairs). The formation of sniper units in the Ground Forces, staffed by professional contract soldiers and undergoing systematic training in sniper schools at the Educational Training Center and at the Central Coordination Center (Solnechnogorsk), is scheduled to be fully completed in 2016.
Due to the variety of fire missions performed, sniper units are armed with several types of rifles with different indicators of basic combat properties. In addition, each sniper is issued a personal weapon - a pistol. In addition to weapons and sights, the sniper pair is equipped with optical-electronic surveillance equipment - a small-sized laser reconnaissance device, binoculars and means for determining the initial data for shooting. Individual and group equipment of a sniper pair includes a sniper complex, uniforms, equipment and other equipment necessary to perform tasks and maintain life.
We managed to get into one of these newly formed separate sniper companies (27th Motorized Rifle Brigade) in order to find out how combat shooting of snipers is carried out, including in pairs and with the use of fire support, what happens in tactical and special training (movement, equipment and camouflage of the firing position ), why psychological testing of snipers is needed and what is the situation with medical training.
Several qualifications have been introduced for future fighters of individual sniper units, one of which is psychological. A specially trained civilian psychologist (formerly an officer), using established methods for predicting a soldier’s behavior at the early stages, identifies people who do not have the proper level of neuropsychic stability. Testing is ordinary. Each candidate receives a form, the psychologist reads out the questions and statements, and the subject answers. For example, one of the tests, consisting of 86 questions, allows you to divide all candidates into 4 groups. Of these, only those included in groups 1 and 2 can be recommended for enrollment with subsequent admission to combat sniper weapons. Psychological selection during recruitment, as the psychologist said, is very strict.
After enlisting in a sniper company, a psychologist monitors each soldier individually. If necessary, individual lessons are again conducted with the sniper, during which an indicator such as, for example, “determination” can be adjusted and the necessary recommendations can be given. If adjustments are not possible and serious questions of psychological suitability arise, the psychologist may make a proposal to remove the sniper from service in a separate sniper company. Individual therapy is possible, and this type of therapy is typically provided weekly in small groups. They don’t bring anything “cinematic” into a sniper’s mental training: no one eats live frogs or wraps the enemy’s warm intestines around their fist. They say that such training is not required for a modern military sniper.
The main qualities that a psychologist works to consolidate and develop are determination, courage, and adequate response to any new situations. Particular attention is paid to the actions of the sniper in a future battle, the most important of which is clear and quick prioritization.
"SVD" 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle
"SVD" 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle
Contract sergeant Velmatkin. Having served his military service in the army as a non-sniper, he was demobilized, thought about it and returned to the army again. I wanted to be a sniper. And so he did.
Contract sergeant Velmatkin. Having served his military service in the army as a non-sniper, he was demobilized, thought about it and returned to the army again. I wanted to be a sniper. And so he did.
Soldiers should be able to prepare this kind of camouflage suits with masks for themselves, preferably from improvised means. The main task is to hide the silhouette of the fighter and weapon, to protect the face and hands. Of course, there are a lot of special suits on sale today, but as the pros say, there are no really good ones that don’t require modifications or “customization.” And the price tag is usually invigorating. You will have to pay 5-6 thousand. It is, of course, available if you are an airsoft manager (this is without irony or jokes, if anything). What if a contract sergeant? Those who want to make a suitable and correct suit for themselves can come here . By the way, my friends from the police special forces, who fought a lot, made homemade sniper outfits are not neglected .
To begin with, the snipers, led by a young officer, demonstrated standard measures to camouflage their position. The situation was greatly complicated by weather conditions - snow fell overnight and began to melt in the morning. Wet, dirty, not autumn or winter. But it's raining. The snipers had to wriggle out as if in battle. A white camouflage coat is not suitable for areas not covered with snow, and a green one is not suitable for snow-covered areas. To the question - “ But what to do if you need to immediately go into battle?", the officer said that instead of a white robe, bandages and underwear would do, and instead of a green robe, equipment not visible from the outside "lyozhek" and special barriers.
The first of the snipers chose a place for the future "beds". The hole, sufficient to hide a lying person, was covered with heat-insulating “foam” and a raincoat. The fighter lies on his stomach and nests in a way that is convenient for him, and his comrade covers the person lying with a simple mat. We are, of course, talking about wicker "local" branches, twigs and lumps of snow in a flat design. Approximately above the head of the lying sniper, a hummock is arranged using the same method. The sniper thrusts his rifle into this very bump so that the field of fire and observation can be seen through the sight. In such cases, the barrel is bandaged so that the blued rifle does not stand out in the snow. A sniper can spend from several hours to several days in such a shelter.
Depending on the length of stay, a reserve is made for the volume of the shelter so that the lying fighter can warm up a little, eat, and drink. In winter, being in such a bed, as they said, is surprisingly not cold, unless, of course, the sniper has properly insulated himself. Great for insulation "local" spruce spruce branches under a raincoat. A small hole for ventilation allows you to breathe, and if inside is closed on all sides "beds" Also light a candle - it gets warmer. Including in the soul, as the sniper officer said. An affirmative answer was received to the question about natural needs. Yes. Where to go?
A nearby open position was occupied by a sniper with a white paper mask on his face (cheap and cheerful) and a piece of wire tied to a dummy. The dummy is additionally equipped with a micromirror responsible for bright reflections. I pulled the wire and the mirror glared. An enemy sniper may well shoot at the flash, and then he will be identified by simple observation. Well, then, depending on your luck.
A simple wire structure with branches and tufts of dried grass woven into it was installed in an open field. Even if there is no fish at all, this camouflage is good. It is light, mobile and, with skillful manufacture, impenetrable to an outside observer.
Old, broken armored vehicles are an excellent place to equip a position. Often snipers prepare for themselves so-called "stumps". This can be either a real hollow stump or a handmade stump on a frame. From under it you can observe without fear of being noticed, and shoot if necessary. About "stumps", of course, all snipers know, so before entering a position they are often "shoot through" independently or with the help of infantry. It is never a bad idea to protect yourself from enemy snipers. Sniper shelters are often armored with our own resources and improvised means. In general, there are no limits to tricks. Nowadays wire is in use "spider" Metal rods on one bolt, assembled into a structure reminiscent of an umbrella. Lay it out, camouflage it, cover it up - that’s it, the position is ready. You observe from there, you have found a goal - it’s a pity and go to a new place. Disguise is life.