Quote:
Originally Posted by Aktungbby
The only Two British generals of note killed in American wars by known shooters were Simon Fraser at he Battle of Saratoga by Known sharpshooter Timothy Murphy and General Ross in the War of 1812 at North Point in the campaign around Baltimore by two teenaged boys Wells and McComas; both militiamen of Baltimore. In the case of Fraser who was brilliantly leading his troops, he was spotted by no less than Benedict Arnold who noted that Fraser 'was worth a regiment" to Gen Dan Morgan in command of a regiment of skilled marksmen able to hit a seven inch target at 250 yards with a rifled (Kentucky) longrifle. Gen Morgan turned to the Marksman, Timothy Murphy and said "It is necessary that man should Die." Murphy fired three shots using his and another preloaded weapon which missed; hit Fraser's horse; and hit the general who later died in the night of the abdominal wound. Murphy's immediate fouth shot also killed the overall British commander, General Burgoyne's aide, rushing up with new orders. No scope is mentioned or depicted on a monument to Timthy Murphy. In the second instance, the death of equally capable General Ross at Baltimore, two leather trade militiamen, who knew the general on sight from a previous American defeat at Bledensburg, fired simultaneously " I have a mark" at Gen Ross who was struck once and died. Both Wells and McComas were instantly killed by a return volley by British regulars firing at the tell-tale smoke of the youths' firing position. Again no scopes, nor were these 18-19 yr. old boys snipers. A third general might have been General Packenham, Ross's replacement and the British commander at the Battle of New Orleans; he was knocked off his horse by a cannon ball and then shot twice in the neck and body fatally by musketry in the disastrous frontal assault on Andrew Jacksons lines. Again no scoped muskets are noted and the smoke and fog would have nullified any optic advantage anyway.   |
Right I'll give you that like I said I am no expert especially on early American warfare.I do know that crude optics did exist at the time period not that they where all that useful I merely stated that they where around I admit a I mistook the story about the marksmen kills.I am not sure if a 335 word paragraph was needed to explain my error when the greater point was that extremely crude optics(like jerry rigged) did exist at the time and that there nearly 200 year development prior to WWII made WWII ear scopes a far greater leap in technology than the guys at the gun store where making claim to.
According to what I found the first purpose built optics where made by some man named Morgan James and another man named William Malcolm made a mass produced scope starting in 1855.Even fro that date that is still nearly 100 years of development time between then and WWII.
All I know is if I was around in WWII I would not want an enemy sniper or marksman aiming his "useless" optics at my big fat noggin as I am confident barring some extremely good luck that said shooter would have no problem blowing my brains out or my heart or lungs if his(or her) aim was off a scootabit.
I cant imagine what those WWII era snipers could do with a modern sniper like say an M24 with .338 Lapua bet the ratios would be at least 30% higher.