Volley sights?

[sdh1911]

Could anybody tell me a little about the volley sights used on early Enfield rifles. What I am thinking is what was the distance the sight was set for, was there any add-ons used with the rear sight, have you ever used one and were they effective.-SDH:dunno:

[Claven2]

You'd need at least a 2000 yard range to use a volley sight, so I doubt anyone here has used one. They aren't meant to be accurate.

Large formations would use volley sights to pepper a distant area with disrupting fire.

The Machinegun largely replaced volley sights in this role ;)

[Badger]

Extracted from the England - Milsurp Knowledge Library section.


Enfield Dial Sights (Variations)

Top row, left to right:

Unmarked, 1800-3500 yd. range, used on Lee-Metford Mk. I
Unmarked, 1600-2900 yd. range, used on Lee-Metford Mk. I*
Marked “II”, 1600-2800 yd. range, used on Lee-Metford Mk. II & II*, (Long) Lee-Enfield Mk. I & I*, and Charger Loaders sighted for Mk. II & Mk. VI ball

Second row, left to right:

Marked “I”, 1600-2800 yd. range, used on some commercial Long Lees (also seen unmarked)
Marked “CL” 1700-2700 yard range, used on Charger Loaders sighted for Mk. VII ball
Marked “LES”, 1600-2800 yd. range, used on early Short Lees sighted for Mk. II & Mk. VI ball

Bottom row, left to right:

Marked “LES2”, 1700-2800 yd. range, used on early Short Lees with the c.1910 sight modifications for Mk. VII ball
Marked “LES III”, 1600-2800 yd. range, used on later Short Lees originally sighted for Mk. VII ball
Unmarked, 1500-2600 yard range, extra long pointer, used on P14s.

http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerdog/generalstorage/piclinks/dialsights.JPG

[sdh1911]

Seems a bit optimistic, but, with a stroke of luck it could produce less enemy solders to have to deal with. This could also be said for about 95% of the ladder sights you see on most milsurp rifles, I think the sights are there to make the solders feel better rather than a practical application, but, hey should one shot connect, its all paid for. SDH

[Claven2]

Bear in mind, a volley sight attack would involve dozens of brits lined up in formation emptying 10 round mags with most rounds landing in a one acre square or so.

It was so effective in the opening months of WW1 in fall of 1914 that many German units mistakenly believed their positions had been pre-sighted by British machineguns.

Bear in mind tht WW1 didn't devolve into a trench war until the spring of 1915 ;) Once both sides entrenched, volley fire became essentially useless. IT worked best against large formations of troops on the move. As always, the brits planned for the previous European war - in this case Napoleonic style strugges between massive troop formations in the open fields of Europe. They still believed a future European war would follow civilized notions of gallant struggle, unlike the Africans and their debased ungentlemanly conduct during the Boer War.

Some things never change...

[green]

Auxilliary long range sights were a feature on Belgian, Danish and Austrian rifles as well as Britain.