ID sabre

kronckew · 25th August 2015, 01:45 PM

his uniform is rather officer-ish

- i can't read the print at the bottom - too small.

in general, officers only have been allowed to wear gold hat bands,chin straps, sleeve braiding, trouser stripes, etc.

it lets the snipers know who to shoot.

and is why modern officers wear subdued rank insignia on their combat uniforms.

in the past it was generally agreed to, by the officers at least, that 'no undue attention to the officers was to be permitted'. more accurate long range rifles and dedicated snipers in the american civil war* and other countries kind of ended that tho. the boers especially were fond of potting british officers in their nice distinctive uniforms, prompting them & their men all to dress in khaki thereafter.

*- there was a famous union general who on may 9, 1864, went to the front line and remarked to his men, who had taken cover from the confederates, secure in the knowledge that they were mostly armed with their old smoothbore muskets, "stand up, men. they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...." when he was shot between the eyes. he had a nice funeral, i hear. he, major general john sedgwick, was the highest ranking officer killed in the civil war.

fernando · 25th August 2015, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

... his uniform is rather officer-ish

- i can't read the print at the bottom - too small...

It says, as Fernando K well mentions: Batallon Cazadores de los Andes Sub-Teniente (Gala). Gala meaning dress uniform, i guess he wouldn't go fighting with all that gear...although Fernandez Rivas depicts him in a combat attitude.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

... in the past it was generally agreed to, by the officers at least, that 'no undue attention to the officers was to be permitted'... the boers especially were fond of potting british officers in their nice distinctive uniforms,...

So much later, rank stripes were not used at all on the field, uniforms being precisely the same for all ... even for the priest, if he happened to go along. It was beleived that, in ambushes, priority shooting, before defense was established, was aimed at rank, medics and radio operators, by that order; reason why these last two were ordered to follow in the back of the line. Also soldiers wearing sight glasses were a favored target, as this indicated they were more intelectual than others, so the loss being greater. This last one is difficult to digest but, that's what ran among troops.

kronckew · 25th August 2015, 06:44 PM

snipers would also, having disposed of any higher priority targets, from the back of the line towards the front. the men at the front were less likely to notice the missing until the point man turns to tell the man behind him something, and he ain't there.

p.s. - everybody wears pistols and flashy sunglasses now. and personal radios. so shoot the man carrying the notebook computer, he's the ossifer or the sergeant. doesn't work too well on taliban tho everyone there carries a mobile phone.

p.s. - i luckily had my action station down in the ship's engine room which made it even more difficult to shoot me. i did go along on a couple of beach landings, thankfully only opposed by bovines (cows/bulls), i did not need to shoot any of them.

fernando · 25th August 2015, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

... i luckily had my action station down in the ship's engine room which made it even more difficult to shoot me...

Lucky you

.

25th August 2015, 01:45 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	his uniform is rather officer-ish - i can't read the print at the bottom - too small. in general, officers only have been allowed to wear gold hat bands,chin straps, sleeve braiding, trouser stripes, etc. it lets the snipers know who to shoot. and is why modern officers wear subdued rank insignia on their combat uniforms. in the past it was generally agreed to, by the officers at least, that 'no undue attention to the officers was to be permitted'. more accurate long range rifles and dedicated snipers in the american civil war* and other countries kind of ended that tho. the boers especially were fond of potting british officers in their nice distinctive uniforms, prompting them & their men all to dress in khaki thereafter. - there was a famous union general who on may 9, 1864, went to the front line and remarked to his men, who had taken cover from the confederates, secure in the knowledge that they were mostly armed with their old smoothbore muskets, "stand up, men. they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...." when he was shot between the eyes. he had a nice funeral, i hear. he, major general john sedgwick, was the highest ranking officer killed in the civil war. Last edited by kronckew; 25th August 2015 at 02:27 PM.*

25th August 2015, 06:44 PM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	snipers would also, having disposed of any higher priority targets, from the back of the line towards the front. the men at the front were less likely to notice the missing until the point man turns to tell the man behind him something, and he ain't there. p.s. - everybody wears pistols and flashy sunglasses now. and personal radios. so shoot the man carrying the notebook computer, he's the ossifer or the sergeant. doesn't work too well on taliban tho everyone there carries a mobile phone. p.s. - i luckily had my action station down in the ship's engine room which made it even more difficult to shoot me. i did go along on a couple of beach landings, thankfully only opposed by bovines (cows/bulls), i did not need to shoot any of them.