Infantry Unit Tactics, Tasks, Weapons, and Organization

[Fuchs]

Sniper combat ranges will likely be much smaller than 800 m on Finnish terrain.

Western snipers intend to snipe at 300-700 metres afaik with anything above being exceptions of little relevance* (not the least because competent, careful infantry will rarely be spotted at more than 300 m for more than a few seconds).

Sniping in forest-dominated terrain should include a lot of shooting through wood cover (not easily possible with 7.62x39) and generally sniping at partially exposed targets (heel, shoulder, helmet) at less than 150 metres.

The one exception for long-range sniping might be shooting over lakes.

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About mines:

AT mines are very versatile, especially the blast types.
A quick road barrier can be a ladder with several AT mines on it, and with metal bars connecting the mines so that a vehicle driving over the ladder would 100% initiate the charges. This ladder can lay alongside the road for most time and be pulled across it with a line of cord in seconds as a quick barrier (also good for ambushing). This was very popular in WW2 as a countermeasure to surprises by armoured reconnaissance vehicles and vanguards.

AT mines can also be used for demolishing, including opening or destroying buildings as well as making objects useless for an advancing invader.

AT mines can also be used to destroy tanks whose crews have abandoned the vehicle or were killed by HEAT penetrations.

An abundance of AT mines generally forces an element of fear and caution on the enemy whenever he advances (moves).


About AP mines; they can be used well for ambush, counter-pursuit and as a counter to counterattacks. Again, most effect is psychological. They can also slow down a low and help to make AT mine fields more difficult to clear.
I never understood why the German army didn't introduce claymore-type mines. They're still legal even after the mine ban (because of the remote control).


edit:
*: In fact, sniping at longer ranges reminds me of the Italian fighter pilots' fetish for aerobatics. They pretended it was the key art of their trade, but it marginal relevance was known to their predecessors and proved again during the next time the #### had hit the fan.
The application on an anecdotal basis did not change that.