While a great deal of attention has been paid by the press of the country to the part played by our athletes in the Olympic Games, held in Stockholm, Sweden, last summer, very little has been told about the shooting features of that great competition. Yet shooting formed a considerable part of the games and had a very decided effect on the final standing of the leading countries. That shooting was overlooked in the daily press in this country was due largely to the fact that the representatives of the press of the United States not only knew very little about the shooting game, but did not even arrive at the games until after some of the most important shooting events had been completed. Furthermore, the press of this country has never taken much interest in rifle shooting, and though the big rifle matches of the country involve an enormous number of competitors, they are rarely even reported by the big newspapers and certainly are never treated as fully as are other competitive events. Take for instance the National Rifle Matches, provided for by Congress, where between forty-five and fifty teams, representing the several branches of the regular service and practically every state in the Union, compete; little or no notice is taken of the event by the newspapers. And yet the rifle teams in those matches represent longer and more careful training than football teams, and put up a quality of shooting that is marvellous. That the United States pays less attention to its shooting men than any other country is well known to all riflemen, and it was particularly impressed on the shooting members of the Olympic team this year when they found the home press gave but scant recognition of their work, as compared with that of the athletes. The readers of English papers were given full accounts of the rifle Matches; and what our shooters did in Stockholm is better known in England than it is here. It is with the idea of bringing the attention of the readers of the Institute to the excellent work done by our rifle team that this article is undertaken.
In the United States we find the idea, fostered by the press, that the Olympic Games are purely athletic competitions. They are not and never have been. In ancient days the games were almost exclusively of the Spartan type; that is, they were games that tested the skill and endurance of men with a special view to war. The games gradually broadened until they covered almost every kind of competition, including athletics. Athletics, however, came to dominate and the other competitions, being fewer in number, became in the eyes of the public secondary to the athletic events. To such an extent have athletics recently dominated that we frequently hear the athletes complain of the fact that there are any other features of the games at all. The International Olympic Committee, however, has an entirely different idea, and it is probable that the 1916 games, to be held in Berlin, will not only retain all the old events, but will also bring out many new kinds of competitions. At the Stockholm games the competitions were divided as follows:
1. Athletics, with 26 individual events and 5 team events.
2. Cycling, with one combined individual and team event of 200 miles.
3. Fencing, with 5 events.
4. Football (association), in which the teams representing the various nations played on the system of elimination by defeat.
5. Horse riding competitions, with 3 events.
6. Lawn tennis, with 4 events.
7. Gymnastics, with 4 events.
8. The modern pentathlon (an all-around test for a soldier of to-day).
9. Rowing, 4 events.
10. Swimming, ii individual and 3 team events.
11. Wrestling (Grxco-Roman style), 5 weights.
12. Yacht racing, 4 classes.
13. Shooting, divided into six groups as follows:
(a) Military rifle shooting, 3 events.
(b) Any-rifle shooting, 2 events.
(c) Miniature-rifle shooting, 4 events.
(d) Running-deer shooting (with rifles), 3 events.
(e) Revolver and pistol shooting, 4 events.
(f) Clay bird shooting (shot-guns), 2 events.
It will be seen that there were in all some 96 separate competitions, of which 18 were shooting events.
The American Olympic Games Committee divided the work of selecting and preparing teams for the different branches among the various national associations that govern the competitions held in this country in their respective branches. The shooting part was turned over as follows: The rifle shooting to the National Rifle Association of America; the revolver shooting and pistol shooting to the United States Revolver Association; and the shot-gun shooting to the Interstate Association for the Promotion of Clay Bird Shooting. In order to get representative teams it became necessary to hold try-outs for places on the teams, and each national organization therefore held such a try-out to select its team members. These try-outs were really more grueling than the Olympic matches, and the men who made their places on the teams deserved to be there.
While both the pistol and shot-gun teams did wonderful work, it is not my intention to go into it. They were entirely separate from the rifle team, with which I was connected, and their story does not belong to me.
The National Rifle Association of America, having been designated to organize our rifle team, set about its work in January, some six months before the games. Before anything else could be done, it was necessary to finance the team. Subscriptions toward the team were asked for, and it soon became apparent that the financial side could be cared for. The National Rifle Association then considered the teams and their make-up. It will be noted that there were four distinct rifle teams provided for in the games: (1) a military team (composed of six firing members and three alternates), (2) an any-rifle team (composed of six members and three alternates); (3) a miniature-rifle team (composed of four members and two alternates); and (4) a running-deer team (composed of four members and two alternates). The National Rifle Association realized at once that as it would cost over $500.00 for each man sent, the four teams called for were more than they could afford to send over; so they decided to select a team of military riflemen, and from that team make up teams to enter the other events with rifles. This was not the best thing to do, but under the circumstances was the only thing that could be done, especially as the only kind of rifle shooting that is highly developed in this country is with the military rifle. It was therefore decided to build up the strongest military team possible and trust to the natural shooting ability of the members of that team to pull them through the other kinds of shooting. The National Rifle Association requested the Navy Department to detail me for duty as the captain of the rifle team, and in March my orders were issued. From that time on I worked with the team.
The try-outs for places on the rifle team were held on the U. S. Marine Corps Rifle Range at Winthrop, Md., May 16-20. For some weeks previous, military marksmen all over the United States had known of this competition for places on the Olympic Rifle Team, to which each state or regular service organization could send six representatives. From all the representatives the best eight were to be chosen by try-out for the team.
This plan eliminated from the try-outs all but the best shots in each organization, so when forty-odd competitors gathered at Winthrop they represented the cream of military shots of the country. The navy, marine corps, infantry, cavalry, and the national guards of various states were represented. Every man went there to make a place on the team and was ready to fight for it for all there was in him. To make a place on that team meant a great deal to those men, for it at once placed them at the top of the military marksmen of this country and, if the team won in Stockholm, at the top of the military marksmen of the whole world.
As the principal event of the military matches of the Olympic Games was to be the "international team match," it was decided that the try-outs for places on the team should be the same as this match, but shot through four times, once each day for four days. At the end of the third day all the competitors except the highest twenty-five were to be eliminated, as it was conceded that no one who stood lower than twenty-five could in one day's shooting pull himself to eighth place or above.
The conditions of the international team match were as follows:
Ranges: 200, 400, 500, and 600 meters ( = respectively to 218.72, 437.44, 546.8, and 656.16 yards).
Targets: White with black bull's-eyes. (Pictures of the targets with the dimensions are shown below.)
Position: Any without artificial rest.
Number of shots: Each competitor fires two sighting shots and fifteen shots for record at each range.
Arm: The national military arm of the country according to the adopted model of the country, without any alteration or addition.
Sights: Regulation, but not telescopic or magnifying.
Ammunition: Any kind.
Trigger pull: Not less than four pounds.
Rifle slings: If used, must be regulation and used only as a support to one arm.
The center of the shot hole determines the value of the shot.
When one thinks of the long ranges used in the big matches in this country, he is apt to believe that the shorter ranges used in the international match were very easy. Note must however be made of the size of the targets, which are relatively much smaller than those used in this country, and also of the fact that in counting the value of hits the center of the bullet hole is counted instead of the inner edge. Again the match was hard because for each man it involved the firing in a short time of 68 perfectly fired shots, and a constant study of the changing conditions during that time. To go through this strain for four days in succession, in competition with other men, who were also fighting, was not only very hard physical work but was also very trying on the eyes and nerves; and the try-out therefore eliminated all who were not strong in physique, as well as those who could not, keep up their fine shooting under the severe strain of a long and hard match. The winners of places on the team were the hardest fighters among the best shots in the country, and such a team is hard to beat.
The eight men who won their places by the try-out were:
Sergeant Harry Adams, of the U. S. Cavalry;
Captain A. L. Briggs, of the U. S. Infantry;
Captain C. L. Burdette, of the National Guard of West Virginia (formerly a member of the U. S. Marine Corps Rifle Team);
Captain F. S. Hird, of the National Guard of Iowa;
Sergeant J. E. Jackson, of the National Guard of Iowa;
Lieutenant C. T. Osburn, of the U. S. Navy;
Captain W. C. Stiles, of the National Guard of Maine; and Hospital Steward W. A. Sprout, of the U. S. Navy.
When Captain Stiles found that he must at once join the team and remain with it until after the matches, a period of about two months, he decided that his business would not allow him to take so much time and withdrew from the team. His place was taken by Ensign H. T. Bartlett, of the Navy, who had made ninth place in the try-out.
These eight men were the six principals and two of the alternates of the international military team. But as there were other matches to be fired with other rifles, and as the entries had to be mailed immediately, it became necessary to make up the other teams practically by guess-work. Three other well-known military shots were added to the list. These were Passed Asst. Surgeon W. N. McDonnel, of the U. S. Navy; Sergeant W. F. Leushner, of the National Guard of New York; and Captain E. L. Anderson, of the National Guard of Alabama. Mr. Walter Winans, an American citizen who resides in England and who is a famous running-deer shot, volunteered for the running-deer team and was selected. Lieut.-Colonel Wm. Libbey, of the National Guard of New Jersey, had already been chosen for adjutant and quartermaster of the team and was also put on the running-deer team.
It will be noted that with the exception of Winans all the above-named men were military riflemen. With the exception of Captain Anderson none were miniature-rifle shots. With the exception of Winans (who was in Europe and joined the team only three days before the matches), none had ever seen a running-deer match, much less competed in one. And not one man connected with the team knew anything at all about the any-rifle shooting (called "match-rifle" shooting abroad), which is highly developed in Europe. We were out primarily to win the international team match and thus retain the military championship of the world, and winning that our mission would be successful; but if we could win other events too, so much the better. But my instructions were to let nothing interfere with winning the big team match.
The team had, all told, twelve firing men, and these were grouped for the matches as follows:
Military Running-Deer Any-Rifle Miniature
Burdette Winans Burdette Leushner
Adams Leushner Adams Osburn
Jackson McDonnel Jackson Sprout
Briggs Libbey Briggs Hird
Sprout Adams Sprout McDonnel
Osburn Osburn Anderson
Hird Hird
Bartlett Bartlett
McDonnel McDonnel
The team having been selected, it was taken to Annapolis, where there was two weeks' training on the Naval Academy range. With a team made up of such excellent shots, it does not take long to work out the team system; and preparing the military team was not especially difficult, though it took practically all the time allowed for training. Each man and each rifle had to be studied until they were all brought to shoot alike, so that when one man would make a center bull's-eye, all could do the same. Each man had two new and untried rifles, which, though carefully selected, required much adjusting to make them absolutely perfect arms. A properly trained and systematized rifle team is one that makes the most out of every shot. Instead of the team's score being merely the sum of six individual scores, it is the sum of the scores of six men shooting at once, each shot as it is fired conveying information to every other member of the team. If one shot went out either laterally or vertically, every man on the team at once used the knowledge to correct an error that would put succeeding shots out of the bull's-eye. To develop this in a team is usually a long process, but we were able to do it and perfect it in the time allowed.
The preparation for the matches other than the military team match was scant, for we had very little time for such work. It must be remembered that not only were these matches new to our men, but at least two of them have never been fired in this country and the others fired but very little. These special departments of rifle shooting never having been developed, we had great difficulty in getting rifles suitable to fire in them. For the running-deer and miniature matches we used sporting rifles bought from stock. We were not even sure the rifles were suitable to the game, for they had never been tried. For the "any-rifle match" we had to use our Springfields, for there were no other rifles of sufficient power to be had in the country. With makeshift material of this kind we were still only slightly preparing ourselves to enter matches against teams whose equipments represented the result of years of study and practice, and whose members were specialists in their respective branches. But it was not our tools or lack of time that gave us the greatest bother, for we knew that with such men as we had the tools would be made to work. We were bothered more by the fact that the rules for the matches were so vague and obscure that we did not know what we could do or could not do. Our difficulty was to learn the games thoroughly from incomplete rules and to do it in the odd moments we might find during the two weeks. Our work was especially difficult from the fact that we had but twelve men from whom to make up the four teams, whereas other countries had a team for each branch, each team being made up of men who had specialized in that branch and who rarely did any other kind of shooting. We did not succeed in beating all the others in these matches, but that we did get places in nearly all of them must redound to the credit of our military marksmen.
The team trained on the Naval Academy range until June 13, when we left for New York to take passage on the S. S. Finland, which had been chartered by the American Olympic Games Committee to take the United States team to Stockholm and to remain there during the games as quarters for the team. The Finland left New York on June 14, and was due to arrive in Antwerp on the 23d, and in Stockholm on the 29th. On the trip across the Atlantic all the contestants managed to get some sort of training, and many remarkable devices were brought into play. The rifle team had rather more difficulty than most, for we could not improvise a range for our high-power rifles, and yet not only were the holding muscles to be kept in condition, but also the eyes and the shoulders of the team members. A regular routine of training that covered about three hours a day was laid out. Aiming and snapping at miniature targets took about half or three-quarters of an hour. This was followed by aiming and snapping drill with the rifle-dotter device, which in turn was followed by actually firing a number of rounds over the side. A bullet stop for the 22-caliber rifles was put up on the boat deck, and actual practice with that rifle was carried out. Each day, after the regular practice had been carried out, a short setting-up drill would be given, and in the afternoon each team -member was required to walk for one hour. This daily training kept the men in splendid physical condition, and they were easily in shape for the matches after two days on the range in Stockholm.
The Finland was one day late in getting to Antwerp, but as she was not due in Stockholm until June 29 in any event, and as the shooting began on that day, it was necessary that all the shooters be taken to Stockholm by rail. Arrangements had already been made for this trip, and immediately upon our arrival in Antwerp we proceeded by rail to Stockholm, where we arrived on June 26. Our big match, the International, came off on the 29th, and we therefore had, after two weeks' travel, only two days to get in condition, study the range, and put on the finishing touches. We were one of the last teams to arrive, as it was; but had we remained on the Finland we would have missed the big match entirely, as the ship was again delayed and did not get to Stockholm until the 30th.
The two days' practice on the range was a great blessing to us, for without it we would have had no chance against the British team, which had been there a week, nor against the Swedes, who had been practising on the range for months. We found, however, that the only match we could really prepare for was the international, for the firing was so arranged that it took all day to cover the four distances involved in that match, and the ranges where the other kinds of rifle matches were to be held were so far away that one had to devote half a day to get to one and have any practice at all. We at once gave up hope of getting any preparation there for anything but the international team match; and we needed all our time for that, for the military rifle range at Stockholm is one of the most difficult ranges to shoot over I have ever seen. It is set in a valley, the surrounding hills being densely wooded. Small ravines entering the valley from various directions act as funnels out of which pour combinations of wind that for variations in force and direction are remarkable. The low altitude of the sun and the peculiar light it seems to give keep the eyes always strained. The rough ground, the cobblestone firing points, the peculiar way of scoring and indicating shots, the entirely new order of fire put upon us, and a dozen other things tended to upset our team and to handicap them. But the worst blow of all was the announcement that individual telescopes could not be used on the firing line. In all previous international matches each firer has been allowed to use a small telescope. He used this to get the value and location of his hits and also to "read the mirage," which tells him what the wind is doing. In the use of telescopes the American and English teams have always excelled, and there was a decided gloom in those teams when we were told that the glasses could not be used. Other teams had known this long before, but through some oversight we were not informed until after our arrival in Stockholm. While this hurt our team, we made no complaint but determined to play under any rules that were put forth and to win anyhow. The matter seemed serious at the start, but with our system we felt that the loss of glasses was not vital, especially as under our system the team captain could use his glass and could spot for and watch the entire team at one time. As a matter of fact, this feature of our system proved especially effective without the individual glasses, when used against teams that had no system and lost their glasses too.
June 29 was the real opening day of the Olympic Games. The events were not held in the stadium, but were scattered around the city. In addition to the international military team rifle match, held that day, there were a pistol match, a shot-gun match, football games and tennis, each held in its special place. Matches in these branches continued for one week, after which the stadium games were started. I will cover the rifle matches in the order they were fired.
THE INTERNATIONAL.
This was perhaps the most important military rifle match ever held, as ten of the leading military countries of the world were represented. The day was fair, and at the longer ranges the wind was strong enough to test in full the knowledge and ability of the contestants. The range presented a brilliant spectacle. From flagpoles erected at different parts of the range floated many Swedish ensigns; behind each team, on a short staff, was the national flag of the team; gaily uniformed officers from various countries moved up and down the line watching the match; while, intermingling with all, were the many Swedish army officers who, with their aides and orderlies, were conducting the match. The contestants themselves added not a little to the brilliancy, for as a rule each team had its own special shooting uniform. Our own khaki was perhaps the least striking and most serviceable. The most striking were the Russians, in green knickerbocker and Norfolk jacket suits, topped with green Alpine hats from which a long green feather stuck out rakishly from the side. The South Africans were conspicuous in a light yellow khaki; the Norwegians wore yellow duck; the Swedes appeared in olive drab; the British and French teams wore any old thing. Among the spectators were generals, noblemen, and even the Crown Prince of Sweden. As the Finland did not arrive until the next day we were without a following of our own.
The opening stage, 200 meters, started with our team the favorite, for our practice had been carefully watched and the remarkable way our team sized up the conditions and poured in bull’s-eyes had been noted. But many thought that the Swedes, who had been months in training, or the Britishers, who were undoubtedly Great Britain's best shots, might lead us. These wise ones acknowledged the superiority of our military sights, but could see no other good in the Springfield rifle, with its very short barrel and sight radius. It was generally conceded that our team was far ahead of any of the others in its discipline and system. But what the final outcome would be was not long in doubt, for at the first range our team made a total of 438 points out of a possible 450, ten points more than the second best team could do. We had not expected to lead at the short range by such a long margin, if at all. We knew that no team could lead us there by more than a point or two, and had therefore devoted our energies to perfecting our system at the longer ranges, where we knew the greatest gains could be made. When we led so easily at the doubtful stage, we were no longer worried about the final outcome. The standing of the teams at the zoo-meter range was:
1. United States 438
2. Great Britain 428
3. Sweden 417
4. South Africa 415
5. Norway 408
6. France 405
Greece, Denmark, Russia, and Hungary were trailing far behind.
Immediately after the completion of the firing at zoo meters, the targets were changed, the teams dropped back to 400 meters, and the second stage started. At this stage our team demonstrated its remarkable shooting ability, for while the other teams were getting many fours and threes, our team, out of the 102 shots fired, put all but four in the bull's-eye. After making bulls on all of their twelve sighting shots, our men fired 48 record shots before one went out of the bull, a truly remarkable performance. Of the four shots that did not hit the bull, two were fours and two were threes; so the total of the team was 444, only six points less than the possible. Sweden, the next best team at this range, made 28 less than we did, and Great Britain 34 less. After this remarkable shooting by our team our winning was assured, and the match then settled into a fight for second and third places. Sweden had gained six points on Great Britain and were then only five points behind them. France, with 407 to 387 for South Africa and 378 for Norway, went from sixth to fourth place.
Our splendid shots, working under a system that made use of every bit of information, were in a class by themselves. Briggs, of the army, and Osburn of the navy, firing on the same target, each made possibles and were respectively only three points and two points short of the possible for the two ranges. Ommundsen, of England, credited with being Great Britain's best shot, also made a possible at 400 meters and, as he had been only one point short of the possible at 200 meters, made his individual score at the two ranges the highest in the match. On our team Adams and Sprout were each one point behind him, Osburn two points, Burdette and Briggs three points, and Jackson five points. The British, with a team shooting as individuals, were confident that Ommundsen would make high individual score, and were taking solace in that, though they knew they could not win the match. The standing of the first six countries after the second stage (400 meters) was:
Standing Nation 200 meters 400 meters Total
1. United States 438 444 882
2. Great Britain 428 410 838
3. Sweden 417 416 833
4. France 405 407 812
5. South Africa 415 387 802
6. Norway 408 378 786
After the 400-meter stage a rest was taken for luncheon, and at 3.30 the 500-meter stage was started. There had been no wind during the forenoon, but after luncheon it was very much in evidence and brought out all the skill of the firers. Watching the wind closely and firing very rapidly when we had wind that was to our liking, we were able to finish firing at 500 meters long before any other team, and at the same time to increase our big lead. In fact it was at this range that we made our greatest gain, for while we rolled up 424 points out of the possible 450, the best the next team (South Africa) could do was 393, or 31 points less than our own score. By doing this and leading France at the range by 16 points, South Africa came up to fourth place. Great Britain, shooting 391 to Sweden's 384, increased her lead to 12 points and felt fairly sure of second place. Ommundsen for England shot high score for his team, but as it was only 69 out of the possible 75, he was passed by Briggs, Osburn, and Adams, tied with Burdette, and led Sprout by one point and Jackson by five. The standing and scores for the first six teams at the end of the 500-meter stage were as follows:
Standing Nation 200 meters 400 meters 500 meters Total
1. United States 438 444 424 1306
2. Great Britain 428 410 391 1229
3. Sweden 417 416 384 1217
4. South Africa 415 387 397 1199
5. France 405 407 377 1189
6. Norway 408 378 358 1144
The 500-meter stage was finished at about 5.00 p. m., and we at once dropped back to 600 meters. At this stage we found the most trying conditions of the day. The wind, which before had been light, now came stronger and in puffs that went up and down and across the range in eddies, first blowing one way and then the other. Although still five hours before sunset, the sun was low and, being directly behind the firers, threw a dazzling light on the targets. Worn by the hard shooting they had previously done, with eyes that were already strained to the limit, our men found a great deal of trouble. It was then that we longed for heavier bullets. On the drop back the British team shifted to a bullet that weighed, I am told, 220 grains. Ours weighed but 150 grains; and while the English were paying little or no attention to the wind, we found it necessary to change for every shot, the shifts being as much as one point, going from 1/2 left to 1/2 right and back again. When each man on the two teams had fired his first block of five shots, we found the British team had gained five points on us. Our team then redoubled its energies, and in the next block of five shots per man gained two points. In the third and last block, however, we gained 11 points and finished the range eight points to the good. Our total for the range was 381, Great Britain's 373, and Sweden's 353, giving us a total lead on Great Britain of 85 points and on Sweden of 117 points. There were no changes in the standing of any of the teams at this range. Had we fired a i8o-grain bullet at the 600-meter range, I am confident our score would have been 30 or more points higher, for practically all of our shots that went for threes would have been bulls with the heavier bullet. Having such a light bullet made our work a great deal harder, yet firing the lightest bullet of any team and still making the highest score was only further proof of the remarkable ability of our team.
At this stage Ommundsen made only 58, which made him tie with Sprout for sixth place in individual standing in the match, all the other members of our team being ahead of him. While I do not consider individual scores as having any meaning in a team match, the English still do, and for that reason I have dwelt on the individual scores to more clearly emphasize the increased efficiency by team work.
The individual scores made by the United States team were as follows:
| 200 meters | 400 meters | 500 meters | 600 meters | Total |
Capt. A.L. Briggs | 72 | 75 | 70 | 66 | 283 |
Lieut. C.T. Osburn | 73 | 75 | 72 | 58 | 278 |
Sergt. H.L. Adams | 74 | 74 | 73 | 62 | 283 |
Capt. C.L. Burdette | 74 | 73 | 71 | 70 | 288 |
Hos. St’d W.A. Sprout | 74 | 74 | 69 | 59 | 276 |
Sergt. J.E. Jackson | 71 | 73 | 69 | 66 | 279 |
Totals | 438 | 444 | 424 | 381 | 1687 |
The final standing and scores of all the teams were as follows:
Standing | Nation | 200 meters | 400 meters | 500 meters | 600 meters | Total score | Points per man |
1 | United States | 438 | 444 | 424 | 381 | 1687 | 281.1 |
2 | Great Britain | 428 | 410 | 391 | 373 | 1602 | 267.0 |
3 | Sweden | 417 | 416 | 384 | 353 | 1570 | 261.7 |
4 | South Africa | 415 | 387 | 393 | 336 | 1531 | 255.2 |
5 | France | 405 | 407 | 377 | 326 | 1515 | 252.3 |
6 | Norway | 408 | 378 | 358 | 329 | 1473 | 245.5 |
7 | Greece* |
|
|
|
| 1445 | 240.8 |
8 | Denmark* |
|
|
|
| 1419 | 236.5 |
9 | Russia* |
|
|
|
| 1403 | 233.8 |
10 | Hungary* |
|
|
|
| 1333 | 222.3 |
*Scores by ranges not published.
THE INDIVIDUAL MILITARY MATCHES.
As already stated, we had at all times neglected to train for any except the big team match; but having won that, our men were keen to go on and clean up in the individual matches. There were two of these matches known respectively as the "300-meter match and the "600-meter match." The first of these was a type of rapid-fire match with which we were entirely unfamiliar. In it each contestant fired 20 shots, 10 at what is called "the stationary target" and 10 at the "half-figure." The first is a ring target in the center of which is a silhouette of a prone figure. The second is a silhouette of a kneeling figure similar to our skirmish target. Each group of ten shots is fired in three minutes, the contestant at the start being at the position of "Order arms" with the piece unloaded and chamber open. At the first command "Eld" ("Fire") the contestant loads and fires at the "stationary target." The first four shots are fired from the prone position, the second four from the kneeling position, and the last two off-shoulder. Targets are then shifted and the half-figure silhouette put up, and, at the second command "Eld" the piece is loaded and ten shots are fired at the half-figure in three minutes. In this second string five shots are fired from the prone position and five from the kneeling. On the half-figure a hit counts 5, all other shots count zero. This appears to be an easy match, and if time had been allowed for training, many of our team would have made possibles. As it was, they did very well, though in the little training we had in Annapolis we made a serious mistake on the half figure. The half-figure is printed on a large sheet of paper and has a pink background. Samples of these targets had been sent to us and we pasted them on a frame and shot at them. The black figure surrounded by pink made a. weird-looking target, but imagine our surprise to find, when we got to Stockholm, that the pink part was cut off, leaving only a half-figure silhouette which sat on top of a dark earth bank and had more of the same dark earth behind it. It was too late to remedy our mistake, so we went into the match without having had any training at that target.
The match was held in the morning, the sky being overcast and the day dark, with some but not much wind. Our team, unpractised as it was, was, however, better than most, for the men were cool and methodical and made the best of things. Their average score was easily the highest of any nation. But even at that we were not what we thought good.
Out of the possible 100 points the high score 97 was made by A. Prokoff, a Hungarian. The next highest score was 95, and three contestants tied with that—Osburn of the United States, Skogen of Norway, and Lerides of Greece. As all three had made a possible at the half-figure, the tie had to be shot off. Of Osburn's 20 shots all had been bulls except one, and that was a bad pull off-shoulder at the stationary target, on which he drew a miss. It went just out of the I ring at two o'clock. Just before the tie was shot off, the other contestants suggested that the points be divided, but knowing Osburn's ability we declined. Osburn fully justified us, for while the Greek blew up completely and made but 46, and Skogen got off with 91, Osburn came through with 99, only one point short of a possible, and beat the winning score by two points. There were 91 contestants in this match, representing twelve countries. The final standing of the first four was as follows:
1. A. Prokoff, Hungary. 97
2. C. T. Osburn, United States 95
3. E. E. Skogen, Norway 95
4. M. N. Lerides, Greece 95
After luncheon we went back to 600 meters for the individual military match. The conditions of this match were five sighters and 20 shots for record. At the beginning of the match the weather was very threatening. Dark clouds gathered and the wind rose. There were 85 contestants, representing twelve countries, and as all could not fire at the same time, they were divided into relays. Those on the first relay had much the most difficult conditions of the day, and under these conditions Captain Briggs made 93 out of the possible 100, a remarkable performance, and six points more than were made by any other man in that relay. When the second relay came on, the conditions were improving rapidly, as the average scores showed, and there were two 94's and a 93 knocked out. I am of the opinion that the masterful, shooting of Captain Briggs in this match proved him to be the man who should have won it, for when he fired the conditions were against him by the value of about six points. The difficult wind conditions again made us realize that we should have had a 180-grain bullet for the longer ranges, for while Captain Briggs was making changes of a full point for wind between shots, men from other countries firing heavy bullets rarely got out at all for wind. The scores of the first four men were:
1. P. R. Colas, France, 94
C. T. Osburn, U S., 94
3. A. L. Briggs, U. S., 93
J. E. Jackson, U. S., 93
The ties for both first and third places required a shoot-off to decide the final standing, and the shoot-off was held three days later. We were unfortunate in having the shoot-off come immediately after a small-bore match in which Osburn was firing, for he went to the shoot-off after having been shooting under a hard strain all day. The day was dark and the wind puffy. Colas and Osburn, on adjacent targets, were fighting to determine the first and second places, while Briggs and Jackson fought out their fight for the third place near by. Osburn and Colas went at it nip and tuck. Colas, firing a heavy bullet, had no wind changes to make, and with him it was merely a question of holding. Osburn had to change for wind on every shot. In spite of the handicap, Osburn led most of the way, only to be evened up on the i9th shot. Then came the 20th shots. Colas got his off first and it was a bull. Osburn took his time, made a careful study of the wind and at last let the shot go. We all hoped and prayed for a bull, which would again tie the score; but the shot, though perfect for wind, was a four just out at twelve o'clock. Colas' score was 91 and Osburn's 90. There is no doubt that Colas is a wonderful shot and he deserved his laurel wreath, for there are but few shots in the world who can equal him at slow fire at long ranges and I feel that none can excel him. His was a popular victory. While Colas and Osburn were having their fight, Jackson and Briggs were working hard, first one and then the other leading. At the end, however, Jackson had 90 to Briggs' 89 and took the bronze medal.
This finished the military matches. We had won first in the team match, second in the rapid-fire match, and second and third in the 600-ineter match. Our possible number of points, had we won all the places, would have been fifteen. In the Olympic Games a first in any kind of an event counts three points, a second two points, and a third one point; and had we won first, second, and third in both individual events, on top of first in the team match, we would have had the fifteen points. However, competing against all the rest of the world, we took eight of the possible fifteen points. England had two points, Sweden one, Hungary three, and France three. We at least took our fair share, took a place in all the events, and took four of the seven medals it was possible for any one country to win. We were considered by all to have made a wonderful record, and our success was taken special notice of by the King of Sweden, who made a trip to the range just to see the work of our team.
In these military matches the work of Lieut. C. T. Osburn, of the navy, was remarkable. He not only did his work well in the team match, but in the individual matches he was especially brilliant. His taking second place in the rapid-fire match was most creditable, but when in the shoot-off of the tie in that match he made a score that beat the winning score by two points, he proved to the world his remarkable ability and steadiness. When, on top of that, in the same day, handicapped by having to fire a bullet far lighter than he should have had, he tied for first place in the long-range slow-fire match, he proved his right to the title of the best all-around military marksman in the world.
An analysis of the scores made in the military matches shows that both in the individual matches and in the team matches the United States team was in a class by itself. In the team match, out of a possible 300 points per man, the average points per man for our team ranged from 13 to 59 points more than the average points per man of our opponents. Only one man from any other nation equaled the score of any one of our men in the team match. and that man only tied with our lowest score. Not one other individual was within ten points of our lowest score. As this very great difference in individual scores was not apparent in the individual matches, I feel that our team system of shooting, in which we were far ahead of any other nation, was responsible for it. To the British team our shooting was a big surprise, for though they knew that we were very good they had no idea that we had advanced so far ahead of them. One of the members of their team, writing for one of the London papers, said: "In shooting, the Americans were a revelation and a law unto themselves, and their organization must be seen to be appreciated."
THE ANY-RIFLE MATCHES.
On Tuesday, July 2, the individual any-rifle match was held. At the last minute we were in some doubt as to whether or not we should enter this match, for when'we saw what kind of a match it was we knew that it was a waste of time for us, without proper equipment, to attempt it. But we were very anxious to compare the shooting efficiency of our military weapon with the perfect target weapons so highly developed by the European gun-makers, and so went in. In this match each man fired 120 shots from a distance of 300 meters, at a target one meter in diameter divided into ten concentric zones, valued from 1 to 10. Forty shots were fired standing, 40 kneeling, and 40 prone. Only open sights were allowed.
The rifles used by the Europeans in this match were of high power; they had very long barrels, were fitted with special grips for the hands, were perfectly balanced, and were equipped with hair-triggers. They could not be used for any other than target purposes. Consider putting a military rifle built only for war purposes, and with a trigger-pull of four pounds, against rifles of that kind. It had never been done before, and our competitors were amazed to see what we were attempting to do.
The day was anything but good for shooting. A drizzling rain was falling and the fresh wind was very raw. Our men had hardly fired a shot off-shoulder in three weeks, and our light rifles, which have a heavy recoil and were difficult to hold steady in the fresh wind, gave our men a mighty hard day's work. The lead the Europeans made when firing off-shoulder was more than we could overcome, for they were also a little better than we when shooting kneeling, and, though we easily beat them from the prone position, we could not gain enough to make up our previous losses and the best we could make was fifteenth place, taken by Osburn in a field of 82 contestants. Our men as a rule were above the average of the other contestants, an excellent showing when one considers that we had about as much chance in this match as a man would have of winning a tennis tournament using a baseball bat instead of a tennis racquet.
It might be well to state here that a program of the rifle matches had been sent to us some months before the games, and that in accordance with it we had arranged our teams and entered all the matches. But after we arrived in Stockholm we found that the program had been changed, and that whereas, in the original program, there had been only one match going on at a time, in the new one the any-rifle team match, the individual 50-meter miniature match, and the running-deer team match were all to be held at the same time. As they were held on widely separated ranges, it was clearly impossible for our team to shoot in all. We could shoot either in the any-rifle team match or in both the individual 50-meter match and the running-deer team match, so we gave up the any rifle team match, as the results of the individual match showed us that while we could easily beat five of the opposing countries, there were three that would almost certainly beat us. We had a better chance in the other two matches, and therefore chose them. As we took first place in one and second in the other, our decision was wise.
THE MINIATURE MATCHES.
The miniature matches began on Tuesday, July 2, with the 50-meter team match. This was open to teams of four men from each nation, 40 shots per man. Any breech-loading rifle of caliber not exceeding 6 mm., and having an initial velocity of not more than 1476 feet, could be used. No telescopic or magnifying sights could be used. Any position without artificial rest was allowed.
While we were practically without training for this match, we still had hopes of winning it with our Stevens .22-caliber rifles. We found, however, that though we had an excellent rifle, we were outclassed on sights, for in comparison with the sights of our opponents, which had vernier adjustments both ways, our sights, which required a screw driver to move them, were really pitiful.
There were two rulings in this match that surprised every contestant except those from Sweden. The first was that after having had our telescopes taken from us when shooting at ranges from 200 to 600 meters, we were informed that at 50 meters we could use them. The other was the executive officer's ruling as to what constituted "artificial rest" forbidden by the rules. His ruling was that since the earth is not artificial, you may use it as a rest in any way you want to. I am sorry to say that the only team that knew of this remarkable and previously unheard-of ruling was the Swedish team, and they took advantage of it in this way: The firing mounds had a considerable slope to the rear. By digging a small hole in the ground in which the toe of the rifle was placed, the firer could, by resting his rifle barrel on the front edge of the mound or on his left arm extended on the ground, get a holding position that was about as steady as a machine rest. It was so clearly against every known precedent of rifle shooting that no other team would use it and all protested strongly against it. Nevertheless it was allowed.
The match started. It became quickly apparent that Great Britain's splendid team, with their perfect rifles, was the best in the field. The fight for second place was between the Swedes and ourselves; but their "machine rest" style of holding overcame our much greater shooting ability, and they finally beat us out by four points out of the possible 800.
The standing and scores of the teams were as follows:
1. Great Britain 762
2. Sweden 748
3. United States 744
4. France 714
5. Denmark 708
6. Greece 708
The individual 50-meter miniature match was held on the Fourth of July. As W. A. Sprout, of the navy, had in the team match tied with W. E. Pimm, of England, for first individual honors, our men felt that we had some chance of winning despite our inferior arms. In this they were right, for though the match was remarkably close, Captain F. S. Hird, firing against 41 opponents, succeeded in getting a lead of one point in the early stages, which lead he maintained to the end, finishing with the remarkable score of 194 out of a possible 200. The scores of the first three men were as follows:
1. F. S. Hird. United States, 194
2. W. Milne, Great Britain, 193
3. H. Burt, Great Britain, 192
On the following day the 25-meter miniature matches were held, the individual match being held in the morning and the team match in the afternoon. The conditions of these two matches were the same except that in the team match the four individual scores were added together. The targets used in these two matches were silhouettes of a man 4.7 inches high. This tiny figure was divided into ten zones, which, in case the number of hits on the figures of two contestants were a tie, would be counted to determine the score. These zones had a value of from 1 to 10, the 10 zone being a patch considerably smaller than a dime. Each competitor fired 25 shots in five series of five shots each. The little figure would appear 25 times, each time for three seconds, with an interval of five seconds between appearances. At the end of each series of five shots the target was renewed.
It will be seen that, with a bobbing target of this kind which always comes up in the same place, the peculiar method of holding used by the Swedes was a tremendous advantage, for as they used automatic rifles it was only necessary to lay the gun correctly the first time and pull the trigger on subsequent shots. With this tremendous advantage they naturally took the first three places, although the Englishmen were right on their heels.
After the individual match the firing stopped for the luncheon hour, during which our team discussed the advisability of adopting the Swedes' method of holding. We still felt that it should not have been allowed, but it was suicidal for us not to use it. So, in the short time between matches, our team practiced that method of holding, and in the team match in the afternoon used it.
Attention should here be called to the fact that though we were using .22-caliber automatic rifles in these "bobber" matches, as were other countries, they had a big advantage over us by having a rear sight with a vernier adjustment both laterally and vertically, while our rear sight could be moved only in the vertical plane. To compensate lateral errors our men had to take a hammer on the firing line and tap the front sight over. As the hammer was in continual use it afforded much amusement to the other contestants —and some amazement too, when they noted the work our men did with such crude material—for the fact that we were given third place in this match, instead of first place, hinged on the decision of the executive officer as to the value of one of our shots.
During the early stages of the match both the British and Swedish teams missed the little figure on one shot. This gave each team 99 hits out of the 100 shots fired. The United States had fired 95 shots and had made them all hits. In the last string of five shots our last man fired a shot that just grazed the figure. Under the written rules of this match the edge of the shot hole was to determine the value of the shot. As the shot had clearly touched the black we claimed a hit, which would have made all our shots hits and given us the match with a perfect score. But the executive officer ruled that though the shot had touched the black it had not cut it, and that it was therefore a miss. We felt our claim was particularly good, for at the point where the bullet hit there was a slight notch in the edge of the figure, where one of the white-zone rings became tangent to the edge. Had the edge been smooth, the shot would have been a good hit. But the executive officer was firm and scored us but 99 hits, which made us tie in hits with both Great Britain and Sweden. Thus the score had to be determined by counting the zones, and as the more accurate sights of both the other countries had enabled them to bunch their shots much better, they both beat us. Sweden of course got first place, while Great Britain took second, and the United States third, the official score being as follows:
1. Sweden 925
2. Great Britain 917
3. United States 881
I wish to say that in making the decision as to whether or not the shot in question was a hit, the executive officer ruled as he had done in several other instances, and we therefore have no fault to find with him. I have dwelt on the point more with the idea of showing the wonderful adaptability of our riflemen, for not only were they engaged in a new game with inferior equipment, but at the last minute they changed their entire style of shooting and still shot so well as to make their winning or losing dependent on a ruling of that kind. The men firing on our team were Sprout and McDonnel, of the navy, and Hird and Leushner, of the national guard.
THE RUNNING-DEER MATCHES.
During the time that the -other rifle matches were being held on the ranges to the eastward of the city, the running-deer matches were being held at Rasunda, to the northward. During the two days of preliminary shooting, the running-deer team had made an effort to get some practice, for it must be remembered that (excepting Winans) they had never even seen a running-deer target or range. It was essential that they should see what they had to do. But they got but scant practice, for there was but one running-deer target and there were many contestants wanting practice. Our men found, too, that while we had what is considered a very good sporting rifle, it was in many ways inferior to the arm especially designed for the game and with which all the other contestants were equipped. More than that, our men were meeting in this match the best running-deer shots of Europe, men who are highly trained and specialized in the game.
In the running-deer match the target consists of a silhouette of a running deer in natural size. This deer is made to run from cover to cover (23 meters) in about four seconds. The contestant in any position (usually sitting) and at a firing point one hundred meters from the deer's run, has his rifle at the ready. After the deer appears he must aim and fire before it disappears. In some matches they fire single shots and in others double shots. The deer is divided into spaces of different values and a hit has a value depending on its location. To get a five requires a hit through the heart, and other values down to one represent hits in less vital spots; hits in the head, legs, or hind quarters count zero. It will be seen that this match is devised particularly for sportsmen, and that by all precedents a novice would have no chance. Our men did not get a place in either the individual single-shot match or the individual double-shot match; but in the team match, where the average shooting counts, they took second place by a good margin and against teams of experts. Sweden took first place and Finland third. I know of nothing that points out better than this match the all-around shooting ability of our military riflemen. The men who fired on this team were Mr. Winans, Colonel Libbey, Passed Asst. Surgeon McDonnel, and Sergeant Leushner.
The shooting features, which had been going on for a week, were -completed on July 5. Our rifle team, originally made up to win the international team match, had not only made the three points for first place in that match, but had, by trying everything, gained places in seven of the ten other rifle events, and made a total of 15 points for the United States. The pistol team, during the same time, took eleven points, and the shot-gun team six, so that at the end of the first week the United States had 32 points to her credit, all of which were gained in shooting. This put the United States in the lead in points gained, which position she maintained until the team left Sweden.