The enemy's sojourn in the trenches should be made as disagreeable to him as possible. He must be kept continually on the alert. Our operations must be made a constant menace to him. It is in this way that casualties are effected and he is gradually worn out. One of the best methods of accomplishing all of the above is the employment of snipers, who are specially selected and trained in this branch of trench warfare.
The snipers are on duty all day, but they have their nights in bed. They conduct their operations in pairs and are given a definite post to occupy and in exceptional cases may be given a roving commission. The advantage of having the same men regularly on the same post is that they learn thoroughly the appearance of every square foot of the ground included in their area of observation and are able immediately to note any change that may take place. They soon learn where to look for the enemy and in fact learn the habits, etc., of the enemy occupying their sphere of observation.
The sniper must be an expert in:
1. The construction of loopholes by day and by night.
2. The use of telescopic sights, field glasses, periscopes and all optical contrivances designed for observation purposes.
3. The selection of good positions for sniping.
4. Judging distances and estimating or measuring ranges.
5. Rifle firing. He should be an expert rifleman in order that full advantage may be taken of the opportunities to inflict losses on the enemy.
6. In trench warfare each pair of snipers will be required to report each evening to the company commander the result of their day's operations.