Chinese sharpshooters in the expeditionary force

Chinese sharpshooter Shen Billy

He received the Order of Excellence of the British Empire and the Cross of the Order of war in Belgium. In May–September 1915, in less than four months of the Battle of Gallipoli alone, his confirmed sniper record was 150 enemy officers and men. Even the best sniper in the Ottoman Guards died at his gunpoint.

His name was Billy Sing (full name William Edward Sing), a Chinese-American from Clemont, a mining town in central Queensland, Australia, and he was the sniper who hit the most targets in World War I.

"He simply toyed with his opponents on the battlefield, often claiming that he had won too easily, and he was a little embarrassed. He often sat and rested at the ambush point with his rifle in his hand, while his assistant observers used binoculars to find targets for him. If the enemy soldiers had just stretched out their heads, Shen Billy would often smile and ignore them, and he would have to strike later. When the enemy soldiers see that they are safe, they will slowly stick out their shoulders and even the upper body, and this is the time to move. The observer said 'OK', then a gunshot rang out, and an enemy was reimbursed. One comrade-in-arms described him as the "Gallipoli killer."

The sharpshooter was originally a coachman

In fact, this is nothing for Shen Billy. Although before World War I, Shen Billy only drove carts, cut sugar cane, and did farm work in his hometown, he was known for his excellent marksmanship early on.

It is said that as a child he could break the pig's tail 25 yards away with a 22 mm rifle. He was not only a member of the local shooting club, but also a well-known kangaroo hunter.

Of course, Shen Billy also couldn't understand whether his accurate marksmanship was a factor of Chinese blood. His father, John Shen, was born in Shanghai and was a suburban vegetable farmer in Shanghai before going to Australia. Mother Marianne was a nurse. Born on March 2, 1886, Billy Shen received a school certificate of excellence in the second grade of primary school, and the Ministry of Education's investigation report said that he was "smart and educated."

Before Christmas 1914, at the age of 28, Billy Shen joined the Australian Expeditionary Force under the 5th Light Cavalry Regiment. Upon arrival on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Europe, he was stationed at bolton Ridge, a seaside, where the sniper point was located in a place called Chessen Heights on the ridge against turks. Here he shows amazing sniping talent.

Don't rely on the scope to make a hundred shots

According to the recollections of his comrades-in-arms: "Small, dark skin, upper lip with a figure eight beard, chin a pinch of goatee" Shen Billy is particularly patient, can take a long time to aim the gun without feeling tired. Another specialty is that he has excellent eyesight, and what others can see clearly with the telescope can be seen by the naked eye. He used to snipe with a normal standard rifle and did not have a scope.

Shen Billy is very strict with his own requirements. The commander-in-chief, General Baldwood, once visited Billy Shen's sniper bunker as an observer. Shen Billy aimed and fired, only to have a gust of wind blow the bullet a little off the rails, hitting an enemy soldier next to the target. General Birdwood next to him shouted, "Hit! Hit! ”

Shen Billy said calmly, "I'm not aiming at the one that fell, so this shot doesn't count." ”

Opponents on the battlefield fell one after another under the muzzle of Shen Billy's guns, and the news spread like the latest game score in the Allied trenches. His deeds were not only reported in the Allied war newspapers, but also in the Daily Telegraph in London and in several newspapers in the United States. This Australian coachman was famous all over the world for a time.

In May-September 1915, less than four months after the Battle of Gallipoli alone, he was confirmed by observers to have killed 150 men. Coupled with the uncounted gains of his solo actions, General Burdwood identified his sniper exploits as 201 when he reported to Shen Billy in October 1915, and British and American newspapers published his deeds as 201 people.

Ace vs. Ace, Billy wins

Using snipers against snipers was the most effective tactic, and the Turks sent their aces against Shen Billy. This was a battle-hardened Ottoman Guards sniper, and under the muzzle of his gun were Russians, Greeks, Bulgarians and Arabs.

Sultan Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire personally awarded him a medal, and his rifle was honored by the Guards soldiers as the "Mother of Death", and the Australian soldiers gave him the nickname "Terrible Abdul".

Abdul knew that the most difficult enemy to deal with was the sniper master of the Australian army opposite. In order to find his opponent's sniper point, he looks for clues like a shrewd detective. Finally, one evening, he reported to the commander that the sniper point of the opposing master was located on the Chessen Heights, and that the exact location had been discovered by him, and that the nasty Australian would be eliminated before sunset tomorrow.

The next day, Billy Shen and his observers entered their sniper bunker early as usual. Shen Billy's spirit was not very good, holding the rifle while yawning and stretching his waist.

Soon after the observer began to look, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my God, come and see!" ”

Shen Billy suddenly became alert, and he took the telescope and looked in the direction indicated by the observer. All I saw was a dirt-covered face, an eagle hook nose, two large eyes, and the muzzle of a black hole hole. There were so many Turkish positions ahead, and Abdul was so well concealed, but it was discovered by the observers at once.

"Watch out," said the observer, "his eyes are like eagles, and he's staring at us." Shen Billy muttered, "Either he dies or I live." ”

Shen Billy leaned sideways and slowly moved the obstacle in front of the gun inches away. In this way, even if the enemy opened fire, he could not be hit. Unbeknownst to Abdul, Shen Billy had spotted him, and his fingers had pulled the trigger, ready to move the obstacle a little further before shooting.

At this moment, the muzzle of Shen Billy's gun burst into flames, and the bullet hit Abdul's brow.

Open-minded and optimistic, died of loneliness

Although Shen Billy shot so many targets, he did not have much hatred for the enemy and thought that he was just doing his duty. In Shen Billy's eyes, the human head behind the enemy bunker may be no different from the kangaroo head in the Australian jungle, and the whole war is just a large-scale hunting game.

12 days after the end of World War I, Shen Billy retired from the army and returned from a dazzling sharpshooter to a civilian career. He spent most of his time panning for gold, from which one could see his less open-mindedness, optimism, agility and humor on the battlefield.

In the early morning of May 19, 1943, at the age of 57, Billy Shen was found dead in a cheap hotel he rented. The once famous ace sniper, just bid farewell to the world alone. The place where he died today is a computer repair shop, and a nameplate has been set up in front of the door to inform the world that a hero once died here.