GDG- Incidents of Long range Rifle Fire Effectiveness

[Richard M Kadas]

There are several incidents from WW I which demonstrates the potential of accurate long range rifle fire in open terrain. Both actually took place as meeting engagements during the war's movement period (August 1914).  The Germans met the British in the first battle of Ypres on14 August 1914 where the young German recruits took so many casualties from accurate long range rifle fire of the British regulars tha the engagement was titled by the Germans the 'Kindermorde' (slaughter of innnocents). Shortly thereafter the two opponents met again at Mons.
  The Germans came to believe that the British were equipped with many more machine guns than they actually had as a the result of devastating rifle fire. . After the war, the British veterans  formed the "Old Contemptibles Association" and always celebrated "Mons Day", 23 August.
  It must be remembered that the Brits were using magazine fed, metal cartridge firing rifles, using smokeless powder. These actions are being cited as examples of the potential effectiveness of long range rifle fire in open terrain.  It is highly questionable that even remotely similar results could have been achieved during the ACW even given improved marksmanship training given technical deficiencies in rifle deveelopment, the use of black powder, and the fact that relatively few engagements took place in open terrain.
  Dick