The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 266: Sniper training is full of practical knowledge, and Dr. Meng loses contact during the e

Lei Tao leaned over the clearing and slowly spread out a simple map. He picked up a few stones and held them firmly against the corners. The map displayed various terrain markers and target marks clearly. "Sniping is more than just pulling the trigger," Lei Tao tapped the map with his finger, his eyes sweeping over the Li brothers, Liu Zishan, Chen Feiyang, and Yi Guang before him. "It's a profound art that combines patience, precision, and keen judgment."

After saying that, he reached out and picked up a sniper rifle. With smooth and flowing movements, he skillfully disassembled it and quickly completed the assembly. During the process, he explained in detail the key functions of each component and the key points of daily maintenance.

"The first thing is to learn to understand the environment." Lei Tao led everyone up a high slope and pointed to the distant valley. "Wind direction, humidity, light, these seemingly ordinary factors will actually affect the flight trajectory of the bullet. Look at that crooked tree. If the breeze blows from left to right, the bullet will deviate to the right, so we must correct the aiming point in advance."

Then, he had everyone take turns to lie down in the sniper position, so they could experience the proper posture for holding a gun. "Keep your body steady and your breathing even," Lei Tao said as he stepped forward to help Yi Guang adjust his posture. "Press the butt of the rifle firmly against your shoulder so the recoil doesn't interfere with your next shot."

As Liu Zishan pulled the trigger, his hand couldn't help but tremble slightly, and his expression was nervous. Seeing this, Lei Tao patted him on the shoulder and said gently, "Don't worry. After aiming at the target, exhale slowly. At the end of the exhalation, gently pull the trigger." Liu Zishan did as he was told and tried again. This time, the bullet hit the target accurately.

Chen Feiyang was deeply confused about distance measurement. Seeing this, Lei Tao immediately pulled out a telescope with a scale and patiently demonstrated it. He pointed to a large, isolated tree in the distance and said, "Xiao Chen, look at that tree. Based on common sense, its height is about 10 meters. This is crucial information about the target's size." Lei Tao aimed the telescope's eyepiece at the tree and, while fine-tuning the focus, continued explaining, "Look at the scale on this telescope. It helps us measure the angle of the target within our field of view."

He handed the telescope to Chen Feiyang and gestured for him to observe. "Look through the eyepiece at the tree from bottom to top and count how many scales it crosses." Chen Feiyang took the telescope and squinted his eyes to observe carefully. "Captain Lei, from the bottom of the tree to the top, it takes up about 4 scales."

Lei Tao nodded and began to explain: "Next is to estimate the distance. Although we don't need a complicated formula, we can calculate it roughly. Generally speaking, the target distance is equal to the target height divided by the relative value of the angle occupied by the target in the field of view. Here the target height is 10 meters, and the relative value of the angle corresponding to the four scales. According to experience, the scale is proportional to the angle, and the angle is inversely proportional to the distance. In this way, we can calculate that this tree is about 400 meters away from us."

After resolving Chen Feiyang's doubts, Lei Tao turned to face the crowd and raised his voice: "Everyone gather around! The situation on the battlefield is complicated, and distance measuring tools may not be available at all times. Next, I will teach you an old method of measuring distance with your thumb. It can be very useful at critical moments."

After saying this, Lei Tao stood still, extended his right hand, pointed his thumb straight up, stretched his arm straight, closed one eye, and used his other eye to look through the side of his thumb at the distant tree. He said, "First, identify a target of known size, like the approximately 10-meter-tall tree just now." Then, maintaining this posture, he aimed the left side of his thumb at the base of the tree, remembering a distant reference point, such as a large rock. Then, he opened the closed eye and closed the original eye, shifting the position of his thumb accordingly.

"Look, everyone, in the two observations, the thumb has shifted relative to the target. This is because there is a distance between our two eyes, which creates parallax." Lei Tao gestured and explained in detail, "Next, estimate the distance of this displacement. That is, from the offset position of the thumb to the large rock we just used as a reference, how many of the targets we just used can fit between them." He squinted his eyes and observed for a moment, then continued, "Just like now, from the offset position of the thumb to the large rock, we can probably fit five times the height of that tree."

Lei Tao put down his hand and concluded: "Finally, use the actual height of the target, multiply it by the estimated multiple, and then multiply it by 100, and you get the approximate distance. The tree just now was 10 meters high, and it can hold 5 of them. 10 times 5 times 100 means the tree is about 500 meters away from us. Of course, this method requires repeated practice to estimate the multiple more accurately. Also, everyone's eye distance is different, so you need to be familiar with your own situation before you can measure more accurately."

Everyone raised their thumbs, imitating Lei Tao's measurements and estimates. Some quickly mastered the trick, excitedly sharing their thoughts with those around them; others continued to experiment, their brows furrowed. After a few attempts, Chen Feiyang excitedly exclaimed, "Captain Lei, this method is amazing! It's not as accurate as using a telescope, but it does allow for a quick distance estimate!"

Lei Tao smiled and nodded: "That's right, although this method is simple, the more you practice, the more proficient you will be. It can help you quickly judge distances and shoot accurately on the battlefield. Everyone must practice diligently after returning!"

Just as everyone was immersed in the high enthusiasm of learning sniping techniques, Xu Guangrong, looking panicked, hurried over and said to Lei Tao, "Something happened! I just received a telegram. Doctor Meng received a letter from her hometown. Several soldiers were escorting her back to Sichuan. They were suspected of being attacked by bandits. Doctor Meng's whereabouts are unknown..."