Sniper hunting in the Annenieki hills

Nights in the front lines are full of fear and danger. Darkness hides unexpected surprises. Scout groups work diligently in the front line to find out the enemy's firing points and the location of his defense system. Groups of brave men are sent across the death strip to capture potential prisoners. Scouts from both sides often meet in no-man's land. Unlike the trenches near "Pumpuri", I am in a more advantageous position in Annenieki near "Īleni" because the enemy's trenches are below us and clearly visible from above. I have a lot of free time because I don't have to be on guard at the machine gun. During the day I can freely wander through the trenches, visit the heroic infantrymen in their bunkers, and get to know their everyday life better, where death, or as they call it, "bony", is always with them. Unlike the previous positions, where snipers could not be seen much, although the famous Panfilov Division stood opposite, here you have to be extremely careful. Already at night, the sniper sneaks out into the foreground, disguises himself and patiently waits for his victim. The bullet that comes directly at you is not heard. But the single shot that brings death is heard almost simultaneously with the bullet's recoil, because its sender has crept as close as possible. The noise of the bullet pierces a person like a small clap or slap. A bullet running past causes short, whip-like whistles that occur when the bullet cuts the air. In my armament, in addition to the Russian submachine gun, I also have a carbine with a grenade launcher attached to it. With its help, I can launch bright yellow plastic grenades up to a distance of 250 m. Anti-tank grenades, which can penetrate armor up to 12 cm thick, reach their target only at a distance of 50-75 m. The aiming device is attached to the left side of the carbine in its middle part. Determining the distance is the main condition for an accurate hit. I use this weapon in the fight against snipers, which is one of the obstacles of my time. It is a kind of game with death, the main criterion for victory of which is sharp observation skills, reaction and speed in determining the sniper's location. We create camouflaged gaps in the embankment of the trench for observing the front line. There are usually 2-3 soldiers in sniper hunting. The one who carries a vacu soldier's hat on the end of a board is the least at risk. It is moved as if a thoughtful and careless infantryman were walking along the trenches. After the sniper shot is fired, its location must be determined at the moment. The person who moves the hat must be further away from me to avoid the danger that is most threatening. A sniper often hides after a shot and runs into cover, which protects him from bullets, but not from grenade fragments. It is very unpleasant to encounter snipers - doubles, who cover each other from imminent danger. On a March morning, the frost still lingers. The sniper's location can be determined relatively easily by the sound of the shot, powder gases and heat, especially if there are more observers. Sometimes artillery observers also participate in dangerous games of hide-and-seek with their "scissors" - telescopes similar to the observer's periscope. Then, having determined the required distance, with extreme caution, one or more grenades, which are too risky, must be fired at the required location. To distract the sniper, instead of firing the hat, a new movement of hats must be created, so that it seems that others are running there to help the victim. When one of these death hunters is spotted in the foreground, the infantrymen call out to me: "Kid, get over here with your mine thrower! There's a sniper hiding in the foreground again."