# 10th mountain sniper



## 0neshot (May 21, 2006)

Regnar, hope this is it:

http://www.jerrysbaitandtackle.com/Trophies/Strange/WarBow.htm


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## jkm97 (Jul 8, 2004)

This reminds me of an interesting tidbit I came across while researching special ops during the Vietnam War. A special ops group known as SOG (Studies and Observations Group) routinely operated behind enemy lines and outside of the "legal" operating zone of South Vietnam. This means that they operated in both Laos and Cambodia and occasionally North Vietnam. Their job was varied, but it often entailed gathering Intel on the supplies and troops that were being funneled into South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. As you might imagine, a group of several men operating in the midst of enemy personnel were fairly concerned with not being detected. One SOG soldier apparently began carrying his hunting bow on missions so he would be able to kill VC/NVA w/o firing his gun. He lived to tell about it, so it must not have been too bad an idea.


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## bsu_beginner (Feb 14, 2005)

regnar said:


> Ok here is a question for all the archer buffs and people who spend time researching on the computer.
> 
> I HAD a picture of a 10th Mountain sniper during WWII in Italy. it showed the sniper with his rifle a long bow and a quiver full of arrows. the caption stated that the soldier not only had kills with his rifle but had also gotten one with the bow. The caption also talked about how snipers usually carried a secondary weapon and this one had chosen to use his bow.
> 
> As I said I had it. Unfoutunaltly I had a MAJOR hard drive melt down and lost almost EVERYTHING!!! If anyone could find this pic for me I would be greatly appreciative.


In a back issue of US and international archer (NFAA) I think they mentioned how the turks employed archers up until the 19th century (well after guns had replaced arrows) to take out sentries.


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## regnar (Apr 11, 2004)

Thanks that the pic. I found it on a different web site but that will do.


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## tjb357452 (Jan 24, 2003)

I believe the last actual bow related combat fatality was caused by an English soldier with a long bow during WW ll. Ripley's "Believe it or not" carried the byline.


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## Dredly (May 10, 2005)

i doubt that based on the number of tribes in africa that still use bows during all their civil wars and stuff


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## kraven (Jan 25, 2006)

A very good friend of mine who was a sniper in the French Foreign Legion's 2REP paratrooper unit said there were some Vietnam Veterans from the Legion who carried archery tackle into the jungles of Vietnam and Laos (Indochine to them) since it afforded them a more silent means of ranged attack. One crack of the rifle, and their position was given away. Not so with the bow. 
This particular gentleman, a veteran of the war on drugs in Central and South Americas said he followed their example with some success during the early 1990's. Though, he did note that it lacked the instant stopping power of a bullet.

Ripley's only seem to record popular fact. Whereas military ops are given to obfuscation. It's difficult to confirm a kill with a bow when you're in the bush.


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## Sean Ashwin (Jul 4, 2006)

*WW 2 Soldier*

The British soldier who carried a bow during the 2nd WW was a Captain Jack Churchill who actually recorded a kill. If you do some research on him you will find him a very interesting character who lived into his nineties


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## tacoben (Jun 24, 2004)

Sean Ashwin said:


> The British soldier who carried a bow during the 2nd WW was a Captain Jack Churchill who actually recorded a kill. If you do some research on him you will find him a very interesting character who lived into his nineties



Good read! Here is a link I found.....(if not allowed then please delete).

http://www.wwiihistorymagazine.com/2005/july/col-profiles.html


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## kraven (Jan 25, 2006)

wow. thanks for the link. very good reading. 
:ranger: 

Mad Jack was a bad boy. Guys like him made being a commando something. And, the bow and arrow in battle with the claymore (beag) must have been a sight.


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