| |
Enemy at the Vanni`s Gates Monday, 11 February 2008 - 4:19 AM SL Time |  | |
Developing story
==========
Recently, LTTE starts to deploy sniper units in front lines.
Even though, LTTE has many skill snipers, this is the first time they specifically employ those skilled snipers in a hunting spree.
Since LTTE snipers are in well conceal positions, moving SLA soldiers is having a though time in front lines.
Learning from the history
==================
A sniper is an infantry soldier or other serviceman who specializes in shooting from a concealed position over longer ranges than regular infantry, often with a specially designed or adapted sniper rifle.
The only nation that had specially trained sniper units during the 1930`s was the Soviet Union.
Soviet snipers were trained in their skills as marksmen, in using the terrain to hide themselves from the enemy and the ability to work alongside regular forces.
This made the Soviet sniper training focus more on `normal` combat situations than those of other nations.
During the 1940 campaigns of Germany, it appeared that lone, well hidden snipers could halt the German advance for a significant amount of time.
One of the best known battles involving snipers, and also the battle that made the Germans reinstate their specialized sniper training, was the Battle of Stalingrad.
Their defensive position inside a city filled with rubble made that Soviet snipers were able to inflict significant casualties on the German.
Because of the urban nature of fighting, snipers were very hard to spot and seriously dented the morale of the German attackers.
|
Source(s)
Wikipedia, web and Enemy at the Gates movie |
Spetsnaz1
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 88
Member Profile
|
 11 Feb 2008 00:20:19 GMT Report for Abuse
|
| Snipers do play a critical role in any type of warfare. But in the long run they cannot win the war. They can win small skirmishes. And small skirmishes will not win the war. You cannot compare Stalingrad and Sri Lankan frontlines. It is beyond comparison. Battle of Stalingrad was taken place in highly urbanized area. But at this point mostly LTTE snipers are used in open areas such as front lines. Moreover for the sniper success in Stalingrad was mainly due to the close combat situations the Germans and the Russians had so there couldn t be any airstrikes, artillery or mortar barrages, since it would cause friendly fire incidents. Let s not forget the Russian no surrender policy which eventually surrounded the German 6th army. But in this situation LTTE sniper elements will have a limited success due to the reasons of Open ground areas, air power of SLDF and also MBRL attacks on LTTE positions. In conclusion even though LTTE and tamilnet make a huge public statement by saying about sniper attacks, it is just a part of war. Which SLDF is already conducting in it s front lines. Jus can figure out how important just these kind of things for the LTTE to make a huge public statement at a moment where most of the fighting units having low moral in the LTTE. These kind of things make them think they are in Hollywood movies about these kind of sniper attacks. |
MarkLevinson
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 18570
Member Profile
|
 11 Feb 2008 00:41:32 GMT Report for Abuse
|
But in the long run they cannot win the war.
Amen!
Americans used thousands of them in Vietnam war.....but didn't get anywhere....the most successful sniping I've seen was from Mujehideen who continuously harassed Russians, even they couldn't get anywhere near success till Americans gave them stingers!
Edited By - MarkLevinson - 11 Feb 2008 00:42:43 G |
Sritharan
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4249
Member Profile
|
11 Feb 2008 01:00:44 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Spetsnaz1,
Vanni landscape is well suited for the deployment of sniper units. Even though, Vanni does not have any hillsides and / or valleys, it has dense forest areas that have been surrounded by patches of open cultivated forests and paddy fields. Further the topography of Vanni is different from Jaffa. The area close to Mannar and Vavuniya are the great example for this. Topography in these areas varies from 1 - 20 m, where snipers could have good hiding places and surveillance posts.
Initially, sniper units were developed to encounter troops movements in open spaces. Well camouflaged sniper units hid behind the rocks and on the tree branches and hunted enemy. Moving troop was easy prey. During the Vietnam war, Viet-Con deployed snipers to take out company commanders of patrolling US troops. Even during the first World War, snipers had been used to encounter the enemy on the open space.
Only during the Second World War, especially in Battle of Stalingrad, snipers extensively had been used for urban battle-field. Before this battle, there were not any urban battle scene in European war theater.
Sniper rifles were developed for the hunting purposes, where hunters hid behind the bushes or rocks or top of the trees hunted animals. To battle in Urban area, human only relied on hand gun and rifle during good old days.
|
Spetsnaz1
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 88
Member Profile
|
11 Feb 2008 01:07:32 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Americans used thousands of them in Vietnam war.....but didn't get anywhere....the most successful sniping I've seen was from Mujehideen who continuously harassed Russians, even they couldn't get anywhere near success till Americans gave them stingers!
True all snipers need support units to back them up. Even that they need the support of every element in the 3forces. If not snipers success is very limited. Right now LTTE is trying to create mass hysteria(which is also a common tactic used in war, specially in World War II) by making a big deal out of snipers. But unfortunately the tide of war has changed since World War II. And the role of the sniper has changed in a drastic way. And the fear of the sniper is gradually changing with modern equipment and strategies implemented and ability to fire missiles and airstrike a certain enemy area within few minutes, does bring down the role of a sniper. But I am not stating that snipers are useless in war. It s just their role in the front lines and modern days of war is very limited. As I stated before LTTE is running out of options they are trying to boost troop morale by combining Hollywood, History and Home front by stating and over exaggerating the snipers role in their fighting units.
|
Sritharan
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4249
Member Profile
|
11 Feb 2008 01:12:21 GMT Report for Abuse
|
But in the long run they cannot win the war.
Nobody argues here that only 'sniper unit' could win a battle or war. Snipers become handy, when you booby trapped a certain area and wait for troops move through open 'sniper kill zones'.
Sniper could take out random target, eg. a foot soldier or a commission officer. Either way, it will seriously dent the morale of enemy.
Edited By - Sritharan - 11 Feb 2008 01:19:51 GMT |
Revy
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11816
Member Profile
|
11 Feb 2008 01:16:17 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Good post buddy, also interesting to note this from Defencewire, the same people scoffed at the LTTE calim of sniping 12 SLA invaders, yet they claim the same here.
But they do confirm that LTTE snipers are on a lion safari now :)
12 Tigers were sniped and killed by the Sri Lanka Army at Periyapandisurichian, Kallikulam, Nagarkovil and Muhamalai FDLs yesterday alone. SLA deployed own snipers after several soldiers were injured by Tiger sniper-fire along Vavuniya and Mannar FDLs when SLA attack teams were collecting Tiger bodies. The SLA collects Tiger bodies only in Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya, given the presence of the ICRC in these areas.
-defencewire
Also Enemy at the Gates awesome movie one of my all time favorites for long gun loving, other greats in different genre include Quigley Down Under for their acurate treatment of longrange shooting, of course it doesn't hurt that Tom Selleck is a gun loving NRA member who earned the ire of that opininated windbag Rosey 'O'fatso' donell. |
Spetsnaz1
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 88
Member Profile
|
11 Feb 2008 01:22:13 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Sritharan,
I understand what your trying to say here. But what I stated was that in modern warfare snipers role is very limited. Because of the change of weaponry used in modern combat to World War II and World War I, snipers role has been more like caged. Viet Cong mainly won the war because they were fighting in their home town and the Americans did not expect to have such harsh guerrilla tactics used against them. Eg- ambushes, traps but snipers did not win the war for the Viet Cong. Support from foreign elements and from the locals helped them a lot in gaining victory from the Americans.
Tactics used in World War I is totally different to any other warfare they mainly used trench warfare in that case also snipers role was very limited. They mainly depended on chemical attacks, mass charges to the other trench and huge artillery barrages(eg-the battle of somme). In conclusion history does teach us a lot of lessons when it comes to warfare. But sniping and the role of the sniper has changed.
|
Aani
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4063
Member Profile
|
 11 Feb 2008 01:45:47 GMT Report for Abuse
|
Sri
The'weather and lack of supplies defeated the Germans.
The SLA has continuous supply from the south. The weather is not extreme. On the contrary the tigers have lost the shoreline and their supplies are limited. Just pointing out the differences:)) |
Revy
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11816
Member Profile
|
11 Feb 2008 02:51:48 GMT Report for Abuse
|
But what I stated was that in modern warfare snipers role is very limited.
The snipers role has always been limited, but when called for there is no better weapon, the sniper is the general's scalpel as some have termed it. Besides the sniper's cover and concealment expertise gives them more scope than just reaching out and touching someone, they also server as important recce units. |
|
