volley sights were used for platoon or company area fire. Imagine 30 or 100 rifles dropping rounds on that area. The machine gun made volley sights obsolete.
Highlander said it first. A company of men volley firing into a target area would have a devastating effect. One man trying to hit a 24 inch target does not translate to 120 men shooting into a wall of marching troops.
There was a story about a rifle platoon using a similar tactic in Korea at 1,000 yards. A sniper with a M1903 fired a tracer round and then everyone shot at where the round went.
But… once your boolit goes subsonic… it’s all horse shoes, hand grenades and chit house luck. Ranges like that are for the artillery. Any of you guys squaddies? What’s the range on mortars?
I read a travel book by some guy that wandered around the backcountry in Afghanistan back in the 1930s. The local sport was to tether a goat on a hilltop and then back off to the next ridge and shoot at it. Usually the first shooter got it and he never saw any goat survive past 3 shooters. Distance varied but at least a mile. Standard weapon was a 303 of about the same vintage. If I understand the ballistics correctly, it would have been shot like a mortar.
The rifle is a Magazine Lee Enfield aka 'Long Lee' as used in the Boer War in South Africa 1899-1902. Canadian militiamen who volunteered for South Africa were supplied with new Long Lees by the British Army which they brought home. I would guess this rifle is an Australian bring back. In 1907 the British Army revised all their kit. The Long Lees had their barrels shortened to 25.2 inches, the volley sights and dust cover were removed and it became the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield III*, aka SMLE or "smelly" which was the standard rifle in WWI. Al_in_Ottawa
volley sights were used for platoon or company area fire. Imagine 30 or 100 rifles dropping rounds on that area. The machine gun made volley sights obsolete.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed to have a 10 second flight time. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteI have watched them before and I understand the attraction of him to his spotter; but she is a terrible spotter.
ReplyDeleteHighlander said it first. A company of men volley firing into a target area would have a devastating effect. One man trying to hit a 24 inch target does not translate to 120 men shooting into a wall of marching troops.
ReplyDeleteThere was a story about a rifle platoon using a similar tactic in Korea at 1,000 yards. A sniper with a M1903 fired a tracer round and then everyone shot at where the round went.
ReplyDeleteI like Mark and Sam.
ReplyDeleteBut… once your boolit goes subsonic… it’s all horse shoes, hand grenades and chit house luck. Ranges like that are for the artillery. Any of you guys squaddies? What’s the range on mortars?
I read a travel book by some guy that wandered around the backcountry in Afghanistan back in the 1930s. The local sport was to tether a goat on a hilltop and then back off to the next ridge and shoot at it. Usually the first shooter got it and he never saw any goat survive past 3 shooters. Distance varied but at least a mile. Standard weapon was a 303 of about the same vintage. If I understand the ballistics correctly, it would have been shot like a mortar.
ReplyDeleteYep, definitely mortaring them in from that distance. And massed fire? NOT for the faint of heart...
ReplyDeleteThe rifle is a Magazine Lee Enfield aka 'Long Lee' as used in the Boer War in South Africa 1899-1902. Canadian militiamen who volunteered for South Africa were supplied with new Long Lees by the British Army which they brought home. I would guess this rifle is an Australian bring back.
ReplyDeleteIn 1907 the British Army revised all their kit. The Long Lees had their barrels shortened to 25.2 inches, the volley sights and dust cover were removed and it became the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield III*, aka SMLE or "smelly" which was the standard rifle in WWI.
Al_in_Ottawa