German Army snipers had greatly improved their weapons and optical systems since World War I. Their excellent preparation and precise Mauser Kar 98k rifles they caused panic among the allies during the first two years of World War II. The German marksmen advanced with the troops, covered their flanks and shot down observers, machine gun nests, artillery operators... causing the demoralization of the troops, who felt that they were not safe at any time.
One of the tactics used by German snipers during an enemy advance was to hit soldiers in the rear ranks first with well-aimed shots to their stomachs. The heartbreaking cries of the wounded caused panic among their comrades, the German marksmen took advantage of those moments of confusion to hit the closest enemy soldiers in the head. Another similar technique used by snipers was not to kill, but to wound an enemy, and when his companions came to help him, they took the opportunity to cause more casualties. German snipers also managed to sow panic and bewilderment among the Allied ranks by selectively shooting enemy officers and commanders. The number of casualties among British officers was so high that, at one point, all markings or insignia of rank were removed from their uniforms.
Despite this, the German sharpshooters continued to identify and target the officers. Once they captured a German sniper and interrogated him to find out how they managed to identify them; he replied that…
They shot soldiers with mustaches!
And why did British officers wear mustaches? According to Order No. 1,695 of the Royal Regulations of 1860 :
Head hair will be kept short. The chin and the lower part of the lip should be shaved, but not the upper part…
At the beginning of the First World War, soldiers began to ignore that obsolete regulation because on many occasions mustaches prevented gas masks from fitting perfectly, with the potential danger of inhaling the gases. On October 6, 1916, General Sir Nevil Macready abolished the mustache obligation. Still, many officers who wore a mustache since they were rank-and-file soldiers continued to keep it… and that was the death sentence for him.
Unusual, human, cruel, ingenious, comic stories... and even this one about the mustaches, you can find them in the book:Fire at will!:Surprising stories of the First and Second World War