Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 109
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[Page 109]
very gradually & cautiously slide up your rifle, through the loop hole keeping it very close to the side, then you look again to see if your "target" is still visible & if so you make preparation for a good aim.
At first you find the foresight is cocked away up in the air, (to carry right beyond the Hun trench) & to raise the back sight high enough for a proper alignment of both sights, you really feel as if your head & shoulders must be quite clear above your own parapet. You quickly look to see & perhaps wonder why you have not been "picked off".
After a while this wears off, you take your sight, pull carefully & then hope your "target" has been hit
For the first shot or two you will not know what has happened, but gradually you wait to see the effect of the shot, the only indication seen in this sector was, if the shot struck the trench too low or to the right or left the flying dirt would show it but if too high or even if the target was hit, you would receive no indication
By the time you have fired six or seven shots, all at undoubted targets, you will have gained an amount of coolness & steadiness that both watching & firing are done just as a matter of course, & when the relief comes, if he is about to have his first experience, you speak as if you had been "sniping" for months & confidently point out that although a little strange at first, it comes quite natural in no time. At the same time there is a certain little secret feeling of relief & elation that you are able to "turn in" for four hours after having got through the first bit of business quite creditably & certainly to your own great satisfaction
On going "up" the second time probably during daylight, after at first a little care, you drop into the work quite confidently & from that time you never have any difficulty in taking your place in the line & keeping an excellent