Mark Tyson
Member
[Article from last year]
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International News
Canadian ammo falls short, says top sniper
STEPHEN THORNE
07/10/2002
The Globe and Mail
A world-record shot by a Canadian sniper detachment in Afghanistan could never have been made with the ammunition they were issued by the Canadian military, says the shooter, who used U.S. rounds for the landmark kill.
The Canadian .50-calibre rounds have a maximum range of between 2,200 and 2,300 metres. The U.S. rounds, they discovered, "fly farther, faster," said Corporal "Bill", a 26-year-old native of Fogo Island, Nfld.
The two-man Canadian team, outfitted with British desert fatigues and an array of equipment from all over the world, killed an al-Qaeda fighter from 2,430 metres on the second shot.
The first blew a bag from the hand of their target, who was walking on a road.
"He didn't even flinch," said Bill, who spoke on condition that his real name not be used. "We made a correction and the next round hit exactly where we wanted it to. Well, a bit to the right."
The kill, one of more than 20 unofficially credited to Canadian snipers during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan's Shahi Kot Valley, beat the 35-year-old record of 2,500 yards, or 2,250 metres, set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock in Duc Pho, South Vietnam.
"They trusted us to do our job, without question," Bill's partner, Master Corporal "James" said of his U.S. commanders.
The 31-year-old native of Kingsville, Ont., also asked that his identity not be revealed.
Bill and James said they were successful with several shots from 2,400 metres or more.
"Shots out that far are 60 per cent skill and 40 per cent luck, or vice versa," Bill said. "Usually, it takes two or three rounds, sometimes five.
"Normally, a sniper wouldn't take that many shots, but they were out so far we felt confident they couldn't tell where we were."
Soldier of Fortune magazine estimated the number of kills made by the Canadians after talking to several U.S. soldiers in Kandahar for a cover story in its August edition.
The snipers themselves will not confirm the figure.
They have, however, confirmed more than one brush with death as a result of so-called friendly fire.
In one attack, Bill and James found themselves looking up at a large dark object screaming out of the sky directly above them.
It was a 220-kilogram U.S. bomb.
"We hit the deck and covered our heads with our hands," James said.
The bomb landed 30 metres away, nose in, and never went off.
Bill and James looked at each other in disbelief.
"By the grace of God, it was a dud," Bill said. "It landed 15 metres from the B company [U.S. 101st Airborne Division] trenches. A guy got up, walked out of the trench and kicked the thing."
"Unless you have walked in their shoes or been part of a Special Forces unit, you cannot understand the closeness in proximity that a sniper is to the enemy," said Captain Paul Madej, Operation Enduring Freedom chaplain.
James, Bill and three other Canadians have been nominated for a high combat award given by the United States military -- the Bronze Star, two of the awards with V's for Valor, marking exceptional bravery.
They earned the respect of their U.S. counterparts after helping rescue dozens of paratroopers pinned down by enemy fire.
==========================================
International News
Canadian ammo falls short, says top sniper
STEPHEN THORNE
07/10/2002
The Globe and Mail
A world-record shot by a Canadian sniper detachment in Afghanistan could never have been made with the ammunition they were issued by the Canadian military, says the shooter, who used U.S. rounds for the landmark kill.
The Canadian .50-calibre rounds have a maximum range of between 2,200 and 2,300 metres. The U.S. rounds, they discovered, "fly farther, faster," said Corporal "Bill", a 26-year-old native of Fogo Island, Nfld.
The two-man Canadian team, outfitted with British desert fatigues and an array of equipment from all over the world, killed an al-Qaeda fighter from 2,430 metres on the second shot.
The first blew a bag from the hand of their target, who was walking on a road.
"He didn't even flinch," said Bill, who spoke on condition that his real name not be used. "We made a correction and the next round hit exactly where we wanted it to. Well, a bit to the right."
The kill, one of more than 20 unofficially credited to Canadian snipers during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan's Shahi Kot Valley, beat the 35-year-old record of 2,500 yards, or 2,250 metres, set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock in Duc Pho, South Vietnam.
"They trusted us to do our job, without question," Bill's partner, Master Corporal "James" said of his U.S. commanders.
The 31-year-old native of Kingsville, Ont., also asked that his identity not be revealed.
Bill and James said they were successful with several shots from 2,400 metres or more.
"Shots out that far are 60 per cent skill and 40 per cent luck, or vice versa," Bill said. "Usually, it takes two or three rounds, sometimes five.
"Normally, a sniper wouldn't take that many shots, but they were out so far we felt confident they couldn't tell where we were."
Soldier of Fortune magazine estimated the number of kills made by the Canadians after talking to several U.S. soldiers in Kandahar for a cover story in its August edition.
The snipers themselves will not confirm the figure.
They have, however, confirmed more than one brush with death as a result of so-called friendly fire.
In one attack, Bill and James found themselves looking up at a large dark object screaming out of the sky directly above them.
It was a 220-kilogram U.S. bomb.
"We hit the deck and covered our heads with our hands," James said.
The bomb landed 30 metres away, nose in, and never went off.
Bill and James looked at each other in disbelief.
"By the grace of God, it was a dud," Bill said. "It landed 15 metres from the B company [U.S. 101st Airborne Division] trenches. A guy got up, walked out of the trench and kicked the thing."
"Unless you have walked in their shoes or been part of a Special Forces unit, you cannot understand the closeness in proximity that a sniper is to the enemy," said Captain Paul Madej, Operation Enduring Freedom chaplain.
James, Bill and three other Canadians have been nominated for a high combat award given by the United States military -- the Bronze Star, two of the awards with V's for Valor, marking exceptional bravery.
They earned the respect of their U.S. counterparts after helping rescue dozens of paratroopers pinned down by enemy fire.
