RIFLES Snipers kill 75 Taliban in 40 days

Utrinque Paratus

The arrival at the newly-established Patrol Base Shamal Storrai (Pashto for “North Star”) in late August 2009 of Serjeant Tom Potter and Rifleman Mark Osmond marked the start of an astonishing episode in the history of British Army sniping.

Within 40 days, the two marksmen from 4 Rifles [both men are Green Jackets], part of the Welsh Guards Battle group, had achieved 75 confirmed kills with 31 attributed to Potter and 44 to Osmond. Each kill was chalked up as a little stick man on the beam above the firing position in their camouflaged sangar beside the base gate – a stick man with no head denoting a target eliminated with a shot to the skull.

Potter had notched up seven confirmed kills in Bara in 2007 and 2008 while Osmond’s total was 23. Both were members of the Green Jackets team that won the 2006 British Army Sniper Championships.

On one occasion they killed eight Taliban in two hours, ‘I wasn’t comfortable with it at first,’ said Osmond, ‘you start wondering is it really necessary?’ But the reaction of the locals soon persuaded him. ‘We had people coming up to us afterwards, not scared to talk to us. They felt they were being protected’.

read more about the 'double kill' and the Riflemans exploits here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8376808/Dead-Men-Risen-The-snipers-story.html

alanmcqueen

From the link supplied:

'Most of the kills were at a range of 1,200 metres using the 7.62 mm L96 sniper rifle.'

That's pretty remarkable with a 7.62mm.

RMD

alanmcqueen wrote: »

From the link supplied:

'Most of the kills were at a range of 1,200 metres using the 7.62 mm L96 sniper rifle.'

That's pretty remarkable with a 7.62mm.

Highly doubt it was the 7.62mm, most media sources will wiki the rifle and take the first option, very rarely do they get any info on arms right. More than likely the .338 Lapua for those distances, still some great shooting on their behalf.

alanmcqueen

I was thinking along the same lines. The rifle shown in most pics on that thread appears to be the L96 but I might try the book for the finer detail. But yes, even so, it's some record.
The US, Canadian and UK Sniper training programs must be benefitting enormously from rotating guys through these conflicts.

LondonIrish90

Recently purchased the book in which their story is told - "Dead Men Risen" it is called, and by all accounts it is a very gripping and insightful book.

As an aside, I have just finished reading "Callsign Hades" which was written by a Dubliner serving in the Royal Irish in Sangin. Really well written book which tells it exactly how it is, from the fighting on the ground, to the tactics and politics which dismay so many infantrymen in Helmand. Would definately recommend it