German Gebirgsjäger with K98k and ZF41 scope, circa 1941-1945
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The above postcard shows a German Gebirgsjäger securing the advance of his comrades.Number four in an unknown series of propaganda postcards, the series of which this postcard was a part may - judging by the title - have showcased the various arms of service.
The front of the postcard reads: "A sharpshooter of the mountain troops secures the advance of his comrades."
Meanwhile, the reverse has a quote by none other than Adolf Hitler, saying "The German infantry stands above all".
The German propaganda effort was quite involved, with about 2,500 official photographers and reporters employed in special propaganda units.
The ZF41 represents an interesting development in sniper and marksman doctrine, and can perhaps be regarded as the first marksman scope. Indeed, it was intended as a cheap, mass-produced scope issued to the best rifleman of a unit rather than a specialist sniper. The reality of war and lack of scopes however meant that the 1.5× scope was often employed by snipers, much to their dislike.
As a source for the above two paragraphs, German Sniper Rifles, the 7th book in the propaganda photo series by G. de Vries.
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