EDITOR'S WELCOME TEXT

HALLO TO ALL VIEWERS AROUNDS THE WORLD.WELCOME TO ONE SHOOT ONE KILL BLOG.I MAKE THIS BLOG COZ I WAS INTRESTED ON SNIPER OR MARKSMAN HISTORY.COZ I'M THE NEW ONE,IF ANY MISTAKEN OF FACT PLEASE COMMENT ME.THANKS TO ALL VIEWERS.

ETYMOLOGY


The term sniper was first attested in 1824 in the sense of the word "sharpshooter".The verb "to snipe" originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive snipe was dubbed a "sniper".

During the American Civil War, the common term used in the United States was "skirmisher". Throughout history armies have used skirmishers to break up enemy formations and to thwart the enemy from flanking the main body of their attack force.They were deployed individually on the extremes of the moving army primarily to scout for the possibility of an enemy ambush. Consequently, a "skirmish" denotes a clash of small scope between these forces.In general, a skirmish was a limited combat, involving troops other than those of the main body.The term "sniper" was not in widespread use in the United States until after the American Civil War.

The term "sniper" has been used in more serious tones especially by media in association with police precision riflemen, those responsible forassassination, any shooting from all but the shortest range in war, and any criminal equipped with a rifle in a civil context. This has rather expanded the meaning of the term. It has also given the term "sniper" mixed connotations. Official sources often use more positive connotative terms to describe snipers, especially for police snipers: "counter-sniper", "precision marksman", "tactical marksman", "sharpshooter", "precision riflemen", and "precision shooter". Some of these alternatives have been in common use for a long time; others are closer to undisguised euphemisms.

SNIPER OR MARKSMAN

A sniper is a highly trained marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles. In addition to marksmanship, military snipers are also trained in camouflage, field craft, infiltration, reconnaissanceand observation techniques.

2/24/10


Early life and World War II



Zaytsev's rifle on display
Zaytsev was born in Yeleninskoye and grew up in the Ural Mountains. His surname is based on the Russian word zayats (заяц) meaning "hare". Before going to Stalingrad, he served in the Soviet Navy as a clerk but upon reading about the brutality of the fighting in Stalingrad, volunteered for front-line duty. Zaytsev served in the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army. He is notable for having participated in the Battle of Stalingrad. There, the Soviets set up a snipers' training school in the Metiz factory; it was run by Zaytsev. The snipers Zaytsev trained were nicknamed zaichata, meaning "leverets" (baby hares). Antony Beevor wrote in Stalingrad that this was the start of the "sniper movement" in the 62nd Army. Conferences were arranged to spread the doctrine of "sniperism" and exchange ideas on technique and principles that were not limited to marksmanship skills. It is estimated that the snipers Zaytsev trained killed more than 3000 enemy soldiers.
Zaytsev took part in the battle for Stalingrad until January 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes from a mortar attack. He was attended to by Professor Filatov, who is credited with restoring his sight. On February 22, 1943 Zaytsev was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. He then returned to the front and finished the war on the Dniestr River with the military rank of Captain. After the end of the war, Zaytsev visited Berlin, where he met friends who served with him. After the war, Zaytsev managed a factory in Kiev, and remained in that city until he died in 1991 at the age of 76 just 10 days before the final dissolution of the Soviet Union.
In 2001, a feature length film, Enemy at the Gates, starring Jude Law as Zaytsev, was loosely based on the Battle of Stalingrad, most notably displaying an ongoing rivalry with a Nazi marksman, Major Erwin König. Although Zaytsev really took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, the movie was mostly fiction. While it is likely that a three day duel between Zaytsev and a talented German sniper did actually take place, since Zaytsev himself indicates this in his own memoirs, there is no evidence that any Major Erwin König ever existed.
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