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Considering all the horrible ways to die in WW1 (gas, buried alive by artillery, burned to death, shot in no mans land and left to the elements, freezing, starving, etc.) a snipers bullet seems like a small mercy all things considered.

Fun fact, Billy Sing was eventually sent to take out an infamous Turkish sniper called Abdul the terrible, who himself had killed many ANZACS. Billy and Abdul exchanged shots but Abdul came out second best.

I have mentioned this before in another episode, but here it is far more relevant. My Great-Grandfather was a Marksmen/Sniper in the British army. He was from Malta and was a champion sports shooter before the war. He enlisted in early 1915 due to enlistment bonuses, mostly financial. Malta did not have its own units so he was attached to an Yorkish one, however sometime before the Battle of the Somme he was reassigned to a Highlander Regiment. (We have a photo of him in his kilt) He was gassed at the Somme, and while in the Hospital he meet my Great-Grandmother and after being let go moved to Canada to be with her. Shortly after they wed however, as we have only very recently found out, he was conscripted into the Canadian Army and my have saw combat again with them. He stayed with the Canadian Army till 1922. He later moved to the US and died in 1956 from lung cancer, and he got probably got that from the cigarettes he was prescribed to fight the life long effects of the gas.

My Granddad was a British sniper during WW1. He was out in no-man's land during the Battle of the Somme. He wanted to be a non-comissioned officer during training, but when he got his new glasses he was discovered to be a crack shot. So he was sent to the front as a sniper.

My great-grandfather was in the trenches during more than three of the four years of the War, on the French side ; he still somehow managed to survive with no more than a leg wound at Arras in 1915 (hence why I'm talking to you right now) and died in 1974, aged 96. As a lot of soldiers, he never talked too much about it, but told a few things to my grandma, who repeated me what she could remember. As you understood, he was 36 when the War begun ; he talked a lot about the numerous enlisted men who were far younger than him. He told that each time new recruits were brought to the field, there would often be some of them who wouldn't be able to refrain themselves of looking over the no man's land. And he told of the terrible event that was each time, to have those young people getting picked by German snipers over and over again, underevaluating the risks, wanting to be the most courageous of the fighters of that Great War. Courage is useless when it just consists of dying for no reason. Anyway, that is just a family testimony, of no great value to historians, but I felt like it was appropriate to share it. War is screwed up, and I wish my grandparents will be the last generation to have ever known one.

My grandfather was an Australian sniper in the WWI in France as well as in the Middle East. He survived the war, but was wounded twice and gassed twice. I always wondered why we had an elephant gun shell at home, now I know.

Imagine looking at someone through a sniper scope - seeing the details of their face, watching them talk and smile, seeing them as a human being, knowing you will take their life. Easy enough to do on a video game, but it must take a special sort of person to be able to do that for real.

My grandfather, Charles Rattew, was a sniper in WW!, was shot and then became an instructor. In the Canadian Grey and Simcoe Foresters.

I have read "A Rifleman Went to War" by Herbert McBride. Great source of information about the atmosphere of WW1 as well as intricate sniping skills and riflery as well as machine gunning. As an American during WW1, prior to active US involvement, he went to Canada, joined the Canadian Army and became a machine gunner in the EmmaG's. He served in many battles and ultimately became a sniper and and officer. Great book. Also, Captain McBride competed at Camp Perry.

Thank you for mentioning Billy Sing, He has a fascinating story and I wish more people (even in Australia) knew about him.

There were some scopes made by schneider Kreutznacht for the Mauser 98 that were incredible for the time. Zeiss also made optics for rifles that were far superior to anything the allies had. The Gewehr 98 with one of those optics was one heck of a force multiplier for the Germans.

Billy Sing had 201 confirmed kills, according to below: “An official despatch from the Anzac commander, General Sir William Birdwood, credited the sniper with a confirmed 201 kills. But Major Stephen Midgley, the officer who was nearest to him on the battlefield, said the tally was closer to 300.” Gallipoli Sniper: The Remarkable Life of Billy Sing by John Hamilton (2015)

My Grand Father served in WW1 as a Chaplin , During which a German sniper was picking off Canadian soldiers so he used his hat on a cane to lure the sniper to fire and it worked , he was in a hollowed tree with his gun inside the tree branch thus the Canadian snipers got him , so as a reward they gave the Mauser scopeless rifle to him and he brought it home . Years later when my dad died we were cleaning out the house and found the rifle then sold it to a collector who told us what it was , and we told him the story of it .

The British lack of specialised snipers was probably due to their prewar doctrine of every soldier being a qualified marksman. They didn't see the need until the heavy casualty toll on the BEF, coupled with the massive and rapid expansion of the wartime army, led to a drop in the level of musketry skills across the board.

My grandfather was a machine gunner in WW1 told me that once one of his mates was killed by a sniper right next to time. I wish I had asked him more about his experience in the war.

I love these specials. The weekly reports are a bit too information packed, but focusing on one theme of the war works perfectly.

thank you for mentioning Billy Sing. He learnt to shoot and grew up in my hometown of Proserpine Queensland. There is a book about him published also. In the book it mentions that he was of such small stature that if he had to hold the rifle freehand for any length of time, he couldn't and so most of his shots were "snap shots"

This is arguably one of THE BEST TGW Specials ever put out! Thanks for the comprehensive history rundown of sniper development and training, it was definitely a very enjoyable video to watch!

Fantastic video! I'm slowly making my way through your series, with a great grandfather who fought on the western front, it's fascinating to match up his personal diary entries with your weekly updates. Well done, you're doing immensely important work :)

My Grandfather was a sniper at Gallipoli with the 9th Sherwood Foresters. Also at the Somme etc employed on counter sniper work. Almost always operated alone in no man's land, usually for 3 days at a time determining opponents shooting positions, then boresighting one so when the enemy next fired, they'd be sniper, aiming at the muzzleflash. So there was some specialist sniper training in some regiments as early as 1915.

I love your show. It's so awesome to see such detailed history being taught.

Billie Sing was a brilliant marksman. The best Australian sniper ever. A man who grew up practicing on moving Roos moving through the Aussie bush. At Gallipoli, he dueled the brilliant 'Abdul the Terrible' and took his head off. Probably finished his days with PTSD which lead to heavy drinking and a forgotten death. A man who never knew his own legend.

I knew a fair amount about Snipers during the Great War. The Germans had better optics but the British had the better stalkers. That's what I've heard. But didn't know much about the snipers form other countries. Now I know a little bit more. Which is always nice. Thanks nice job.

My grandfather was a successful ww1 sniper, he worked alone in no mans land throughout 1916 before and after the battle of the Somme. In January 1917 he joined the RFC and became a pilot, and flew Sopwith camel fighters over the Somme area, ending the war with 5 kills and classed as an ace.

I've just finished reading ' A Sergeant-Major's War' by Ernest Shephard, which details vividly life on The Western Front including a great deal about sniping. This terrific short film has added enormously to my understanding.

Had a relative who was a sniper for the Canadian Black Watch he told me what he had to do to become a sniper. Also told me where he trained in England for that position and what make of rifle he preferred.

Probably just as intense if not more so than in WW2, considering the environment and somehow unbeknownst, excruciatingly terrifying in nature, patiently waiting atmosphere of death upon the soldiers.

Interesting. My GGF was 1st Life Guards (arrived Zeebrugge in Oct 1914), and was a Marksman from 1903 - but now I'm learning being a marksman may not have been unusual. Question: Did the 1st Life Guards get scopes later on? I know that Barr & Stroud in Glasgow was working on field range optics - maybe that was more for the navy.

This is undoubtedly one of the best channels on KZonlines. Congratulations on creating a superb historical military resource

Have heard that Italian snipers was one of the hardest enemy's. Because they hide in the mountain and shot down. The enemy who fight against them, took really big risk and had really hard to find them

My great great grandfather served for the Canadians in France as a sniper. He earned the Medal of Honor. He got around 20 kills and was shot 4 times but kept going back for more. He as well saved a friendly

Billy Sing was also called “The Murderer”. I believe that this is because sniping was somehow viewed as unsportsmanlike. He is without question a brilliant soldier who honed his skills shooting moving kangaroos back at home.

You minimized a great aspect of sniping and that was the retaliation. Intense artillery, mortar and even rifle grenade barrages would be the enemy reward for accurate sniping and made snipers very unpopular with the "friendly" troops manning a section of the line snipers were working. As the war dragged on snipers became like a support arm composed of men unfamiliar to the unit manning the line the were working and they had the ability to leave the line prior to retaliation. So snipers taken prisoner usually faced battlefield justice, which was just fine with both sides. Also a lot of the German success in sniping came from the fact that their trenches overlooked the British and French for most of the war. This was a purposeful result of the offensive doctrine of the Allies.

In museum while on a battlefield tour of the western front I read that one extremely unlucky young man was the last casualty for the British Empire of WW1, being Sniped exactly 1 minute before the armistice ceasefire kicked in. What I can't help but think is how bitter the German sniper must have been. Looking down the scope one last time, seconds away from peace when the war is already lost and taking the shot? Puts it in to perspective....

William Edward "Billy" Sing, DCM was an Australian soldier of Chinese and English descent who served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, best known as a sniper during the Gallipoli Campaign. He took at least 150 confirmed kills during that campaign, and may have had over 200 kills in total.

I really like this guy i hope he is a real history teacher. He makes it interesting and really puts things into perspective while listing facts in context. Great communicator.

It's nice that you don't make war, especially this war, seem like a wonderful thing....But you also recognize the heroism and bravery of those who fight in wars. Good on you Indy.

I've read the book that you referenced. A friend of mine lent me an original copy of it......a fascinating read. It gave me a real appreciation for the science and art of sniping.

This is probably one of my favorite episodes yet. Snipers are extremely interesting.

Excellent overview of WWI sniping, Indy. Keep up the great work guys.

I read years ago that snipers would reverse the bullet by detaching it from the cap and turning it around in the chamber. This would cause the metal plate of the opposing sniper to throw metal fragments from the other side from the one hit killing them.

As a British man now living in Canada I am honored to learn that a First Nations man Francis Pegahmagabow was the best sniper in WWI with the highest number of confirmed hits.

My grandfather was a sniper in the british army in ww1, then became a pilot in the royal flying corps.

Well, I was going to say that I really like your relaxed style and your clear and concise narration but I have to say a big thank you for mentioning Billy Singh. Even most Australians don’t know about him so I was really surprised to hear an American talk about him. Well done and cheers, Stuart 🇦🇺

Billy Sing then went on to fight on the western front. His tally went up from there. He was probably the best counter sniper for the allies by the end of the war.

Nice presentation you have put together , I knew very little about this subject during the Great War and like you said it's a shame you didn't have other nations snipers stats and histories available for the video.

as a history student , the russian snipers came into name during ww2 many heroes of the soviet were snipers with over 100 confirm kills each to their names

BTW, according to Osprey book, the actual shooting position in the photo 04:17 was actually the "bush" on the base of the hill. The shield above the crest was but a diversion to lure British snipers exposing themselves

Very late finding this, but my grandfather was shot by a German sniper. He was lucky and just got hit in the fleshy part of the neck. He was chewing tobacco at the time and he said he just kept chewing until the medics came to get him. His Purple Heart is one of my prized possessions.

The German sniper at 2.07 is Walter Schmidt. Thanks for another fascinating episode.

Very interesting...my grandfather served in WWI (US) in an artillery brigade. My grandmother said he told stories about sitting on dead horses due to the vast amount of mud.

The fact that you said at the end why you only talked about the British snipers was really amazing and made me love this channel right away

Kudos for crediting first nation soldiers. Thank you. Thank you for your talent and work.

My grandfather told me that German snipers would shoot from behind steel plates set in their trenches. A standard 303 bullet wouldn't penetrate but they discovered a solution. They would remove the bullet from the casing and reinsert it back to front. They would shoot at the plate and the impact would cause metal fragments to flake off into the face of the man on the other side. The loss in accuracy wasn't that important with the distances involved. I have heard that some anti tank rounds work in a similar fashion.

"The first rule of not being seen is to not stand up."- Monty Python

I really appreciate how The Great War team acknowledges and uses the resource that is their history buff audience. I found that with many history channels or indeed wargame sites the comments can have astonishing amounts of information one would not come across normally even if one reads up on a particular interest.

I really am interested with the evolution of sniping in the Ottoman front, I've heard their marksmen are highly capable because they've taken to the musket rifle very well for hunting.

Snipping has been a part of the American military from the earliest days. The British complained about the shooting of their officers during both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Both sides used effective sniping during the Civil War. I remember hearing my dad's cousin, who fought in WW1, talking about a sniping duel between an American and a German. The American won that round.

Imagine being a sniper on the alpine front. That would've been an experience to say the least

My great grandfather was a sniper in WW1, well, until he wasn't anymore. A bullet hit him in the eye, but, in a twist of sheer impossible luck, it was deflected by his skull.

I still feel like this channel deserves more recognition.Anyone else feels the same?

I have a question for Out Of The Trenches! After watching the story of the Red Baron on Netflix I noticed that it seemed that the pilots that were taken captive tend to be treated better I was wondering if this was true or were all prisoners, just prisoners? Also my history teacher started to teach us about WW1 and she seemed to struggle on some of the key points so I showed her your videos and she hasn't turned back as to let you teach the class sorta speak anyways I love the show. And thanks for the help.

My grandfather (Australian) was a sniper in both France and the Middle East and he had others who were snipers with him. He was there from 1914-1918, the entire war. He was wounded twice and gassed twice. From what I have read, the Australians did use the Lee Enfield and some of these may have been specifically built as sniper rifles. The German snipers did not like the Australians at all, for they would use guerilla type tactics, by crawling through the grass and to take out the German snipers - not very sporting apparently.

it's interesting how a new kind of technology in the military like sniping and air combat tactics have their roots at their inception and despite the advances in technology, the tactics at their origin, for the the largest part remain valid

Thank you for many informative facts about the first rifle philosophy of the world war nations! You are a man who have the tools to be a great historic expert!

another great episode ! you guys totally rock ! keep it up !

I just discovered this channel. What an amazing channel! I've learned so much in such a short time. I was always absolutely stunned en fascinated about the Great War. Thank you Indie en the full 'Great War'-team. Amazing job! p.s. : is there a video about the Third battle of Ypres? More specific on the horrors that happened on the fields of Passchendaele? (I'm a Belgian, hence the specific interest)

Its interesting to note that British had foregone the idea of sharpshooters and snipers given their experience in the US War Of Independence and their subsequent adoption of these tactics in the Napoleonic Wars during which they were the master snipers and skirmishers with their rifle regiments

Anzacs had snipers at Gallipoli too. One was Stan Savige who rose from sniper to General in WW 1.

Iused to shoot with a WW1 lee Enfield in 303 and can confirm that once you put a decent post and rail scoe on it it becomes an extremely accurate Rifle up to say 1200 yds We also used to practice 'Snap' Shooting where the target is a Triangular shaped target representing a German Soldiers Head and you only have 3 to 5 seconds to hit it!

I read Hesketh Pritchard's book. He tells the story of how a British sniper who spotted a cat. His spotter asked him why shoot the cat? "He's a Hun cat. Here goes." Later, the snipers and their spotters figured out that only German Officers had cats.

Now this is a channel worthy of 10 million subscribers.

A captured German sniper at the end of the war was asked how they knew the men they were shooting were officers, since the insignias were removed in the field. He said the enlisted soldiers were constantly digging and repairing the trenches so they were dirty and stocky. The officers were the ones with unwrinkled clean uniforms and slender arms.

I would suggest to read the novel "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden to anyone interested in the first nation snipers in ww1. great piece of litterature.

I remember reading somewhere that in the British trenches the German Bavarian snipers were known to miss their targets intentionally. After watching this vid though I can’t see how that could be true.

Billy Sing achieved all of his confirmed kills at Gallipoli. Almost nothing is known about his actions for the rest of WW1.

In Regio L'Esercito, there were the Bersaglieri, who were sharpshooters first introduced by the brilliant La Mormara in 1836 for Italy's forerunner, Sardegna-Savoia-Piemonte. They would be highly decorated for their performance at Cernaia in the Crimean War. At the beginning of Unification in 1861, there were 6 regiments which was expanded to 12 in 1914. Speed and sharpshooting were their trademark. They distinguished themselves in WW I as well.

I have a long lineage of French military aristocracy that served in the Chasseur alpin. I might be able to help get you guys more information on French snipers during World War One.

In Russia in early 1914 an optical scope of Hertz was tested for Mosin-Nagan rifle, and it proved to be effective. But the mass production started in late 1916 and there were just 20 new equipped rifles delivered to front troops. So, as you said, Russian sniper's service was pretty much non existent. Also there were manufactured couple hundreds of periscopic aiming devices from Finnish manufacturer as counter-sniper measure.

THANK YOU Indy !!! You guys finally have covered one if my favorite topics of the first world war! Keep up the great work!

I once heard a story about a British Corporal signaller who, after spending most of the war behind the lines was sent to the trenches. Half an hour after he arrived he asked another soldier 'Where's this no mans land everyone talks about then?' The soldier nonchalantly pointed towards the front of the trench, said 'Oh, it's over there' before walking away. The signaller went over to a firestep, looked over and said 'Oh yes. There it is.' Two seconds later a sniper's bullet hit him right in the middle of his forehead.

always a classroom's time worth of info in under 10 minutes. you guys are amazing.

Fantastic history lesson. Thank you!!!

My Great Grandad was wounded on sniper duty in WW1. The paper which we have framed in my dads house tells the story of he how was 16 years old at the time and he climbed a tree and was shot out of it. So you saying that at the start of ww1 the British were just handing guys rifles and try sniping makes a lot of sense. He survived by the way, he went on and served in the Somme and was wounded again on the arm. Served in Ww2 in the Navy as an engineer. Died in 1978

Billy Sing is still a hero in today’s Australian Army.

Wow this is amazing. I hate to say this, but video games like Verdun and Battlefield 1 gave me a appreciation for WW1. I mean I feel bad that a game that can make light of this war is what got me into it. But so much I never knew. From the tactics, brutality and overall warfare. Its just amazing because this war was something different from any other and completely shaped a new era of war in the future, as far as tactics and weaponry. Innovation like this was amazing. Was a lot of interesting things but still such a horrific war.

When I was in the Army in 1969 I wanted to be a sniper or designated marksman but couldn't because I only qualified as a Sharpshooter and not as an Expert on my M-16. My M-16 was unreliable and would often jam and it was frustrating having to deal with clearing my jammed rifle during qualification.

I love it when people name both the scales. Saves me a bunch of time!

Dear The Great War I'm an Italian student and I remember of a diary written in 1918 by WW1 sniper Michele Campana during his recovery in hospital. Where he recounts killing a famed Austrian officer from a cave. He also describes his rifle and the scheibler optic he used. If I can find it I will add it in a reply to this comment. I hope I have been helpfull

I would love to hear more about the Canadians, I've heard much about how their bushmen abilities were used during the war and would like to hear what you have to say.

I must say this is a very informative channel. It has renewed my interest in wwi