First Japanese sniper I ever saw in a tree.

[A. F Medic]

Attachment 96410

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[Bruce McAskill]

There seems to be a cocking knob on the back of the bolt which one would not find on a type 99 Arisaka. Might be the photo but it looks like something other then a standard Japanese rifle.

[A. F Medic]

An obviously posed picture. Don't know about the extra doodad on the bolt. The image just caught my eye as it seemed out of it's element.

[Lee Enfield]

Attachment 96410

That is a 1903 Springfield with what appears to be a Kollmorgen MC-1 scope.

I wonder if that isn't a movie publicity shot of some kind?

Or an manipulated "April Fools" image. That scope didn't exist during WW2, but the subject appears to wear a Japanese helmet...

[Daan Kemp]

Possibly not Japanese either. Note the fir tree.

[A. F Medic]

Thanks for pointing out what maybe very wrong in that image. I knew there was something there but couldn't point it out. Pays to stay on this forum!

[browningautorifle]

That whole mount is side set too...not over the action like they were. Maybe a civilian setup?

[Woodsy]

First Japanese sniper I ever saw in a tree.

It is the ones you don't see in the trees that are the problem! My father told me of several instances of Jap snipers in trees during the Solomons campaign. They could do some damage until they were spotted, then there was no escape for them as the unit's firepower was poured in.

[Bob Womack]

I understand that many roped themselves into the tree. Once shot they just hung from their perch.


Bob

[CINDERS]

It was common practice the the PTO that the Japanese snipers would scale different trees so they had interlocking fields of fire they also took with them cooked rice and dried protein like fish etc so they could stay up there undetected and yes they roped themselves in.
There main aim was to disrupt the enemies advance whilst the major forces withdrew of course this meant a one way ticket which to my mind is strange as why waste valuable assets like snipers the ammo the Japanese used was flash-less as the burn was completed before the projectile exited the barrel making it near on impossible to spot where the shot came from.

The allies found the best way was to plaster the palms with automatic fire from all calibers when snipers were firing or suspected of being, it was not a waste of ammo as plenty more was available I have seen a series of pics (2) where a bren gunner is firing into the palm tops in the standing position supporting the weapon on the trunk of an upright palm a rare thing in the Pacific.
The last pic shows the shot off top of the palm on the ground with the dead IJA sniper lying there either the fall killed him or the fire or both...