9
WTA
NEAR APPLEBY, WARCOP
Cumbria, UK
Lat = 54 degrees, 32.2 minutes North
Long = 2 degrees, 23.4 minutes West
Tuesday 5th September 1989 (following day)
Zero ten hours and twelve minutes BST
One of a pair of eyes that were black in colour was looking through the scope at the target two thousand yards away; Max’s left cheek still had the small two-inch scar, visible and had been assured that it would fade with time.
Max shouted “weapon hot!”
His body was lying in a prone position behind a rifle that was supported on a bipod and his right cheek was pressed tightly up against the rifles stock, giving what is called a good cheek-weld.
This means your cheekbone is held fast against the butt stock to insure proper sight alignment and sight picture.
The scope was a Leupold sniper Mil-dot scope 3x9x40mm.
This means that the image you see through the scope appears three times closer than it does with your naked eye. The nine means nine power or nine times closer than it appears with your naked eye.
The forty is the objective lens diameter in millimetres. This is a variable scope because you can vary the magnification of the scope from three to nine, stopping anywhere in between.
You would describe this scope as a three to nine by forty.
Alongside was another man with a spotter’s scope also eying the target?
Max Storm was the man peering through the rifles scope, and the man next to him was Colour Sergeant Johnson, the OSC’s armourer; a man in his fifties with short cropped grey hair and built like a tank; he would not have looked out of place as a nightclub doorman.
An ex Para, weapons, munitions and explosives expert, what Johnson did not know about these subjects was not worth knowing.
Max doped the scope, adjusting the range to 20 + 2, 2000 yards and 2 minutes of angle, he then put the cross hairs on the target and put the weapon on kill.
Both men were at the Warcop Training Area Camp, (WTA) which consists of approximately 24,000 acres (9,715 hectares) of Ministry of Defence freehold land.
Most of the Training Area is in Cumbria but a portion is in County Durham.
The Training Estate was established in 1942 originally as a tank gunnery range and tanks still use it to this day.
In 1960, the area became an all-arms facility, catering for artillery and infantry, with live firing ranges.
Standing behind the two men were the five-team leaders of the OSC and Major General Mick Strayker, operational code name Eagle 2, head of the Operational Strike Command along with a male civilian.
They were all looking at the target with binoculars.
Max was testing a new sniper rifle, which had been designed by Colour Sergeant Johnson in conjunction with the British Firearms company Accuracy International of Great Britain.
The new weapon designated AX-500 was equipped with a 22-inch barrel that has a Sure-fire muzzle brake that also had a Fast-Attach High Endurance Sound Suppressor.
At the butt end of the stock was fitted a Limbsaver recoil pad.
The 5-round magazine was able to provide the rifleman with the ability to rapidly engage multiple targets up to a maximum effective range of 2,000 yards.
The new weapon had been designed around a new 50 calibre Magnum round Booting a 250-grain BTHP (boat-tail hollow-point) from the barrel at nearly 2,800 feet per second and throwing more than 4,000 foot-pounds of energy down range.
This was unique because it is often the case where a weapon is designed around either an existing round or the weapon designed first and then a round to fit.
Max had already began his breathing exhaling a few times in order to match his breathing with his heartbeat, now the reticule was bouncing in sync, he then held his breath and the cross hairs stopped over the target area.
He squeezed the trigger, he immediately noticed how the single-stage trigger pull was light, and crisp, Max held the trigger back for a few seconds, before releasing it.
The round left the rifle and in a micro-second had found the target, a six-foot high and nine inch thick wall that it penetrated with ease, as the round exited the wall it exploded and as it proliferated, the round smashed into the secondary target; a life size mannequin filled with red dye.
Everyone observing the target area immediately observed the secondary large wall behind the hidden mannequin, which was instantly streaked in the red dye.
Max thumbed the safety on the weapon and removed the magazine; he checked the chamber was clear and said aloud, “clear! Weapon safe!”
Along with Colour sergeant Johnson, they stood up and Max said, “well sergeant; it appears you have come up trumps with this rifle, it gives great feedback just like driving a sports car!”
Johnson replied, “Yes sir, it’s some beast.”
The group behind them walked over to them, Max handed the rifle over to Roy Smith operational code name Eagle 4.
Sergeant Johnson said, “Let me introduce you to Mr Neil Clayton, from Accuracy International.”
“Neil; this is Colonel Storm.”
Max extended his right hand and both men shook hands.
Max said, “Nice to meet you Neil, you have certainly created a superb weapon.”
Neil Clayton was a short man in his late fifties, with a nearly baldhead, he replied, “Sergeant Johnson was the brains behind it, we just provided the materials and technical support.”
“So; what’s the story on the 50 calibre round Neil?”
Neil Clayton replied, “It’s designed for hard targets including armoured personnel carriers; however it will rip apart a soft target, as you have just seen the soft target behind the wall was hit. As the round exits in this case the wall, the secondary target is hit by the shot just like a shotgun round.
“When will we have them available Neil?” Replied Max.
“We are ready to produce, todays evaluation will endorse the product Colonel.”
Strayker had been listening to the conversation and said, “well you have our approval, shall we now retire to the canteen for a hot drink, Mr Clayton.”
“That would be most welcome sir,” replied Mr Clayton.
Strayker said, “you too Max, we will leave the men to have some practice with the rifle.”
“I will follow you over sir, I will just have a word with them,” replied Max.
Strayker and Mr Clayton walked away and Max walked over to the team leaders.
Roy Smith eagle 4 was five-foot eight inches tall with broad shoulders, his light coloured hair was shaven to a number one cut and he spoke with a Geordie accent he was a good friend of Max’s.
Colin Bishop eagle 5, who was 24 years of age; he had a boyish face and blonde hair in a short back and side’s style.
At a height of 5 foot 9 inches, his slim body did not do his physique any justice when in his cloths.
Before moving to the OSC, he had been in the Parachute regiment for five years, starting his career in 2 Para after three years he was selected for 1 Para who form the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG).
The SFSG provides specialist infantry support to Special Forces, such as the SAS, anywhere in the world. The basic skills required to serve in 1 PARA are those that will have been gained in training and during time in 2 or 3 PARA.
Those selected received further training on additional weapons, communications equipment and specialist assault skills.
Vas Dembo eagle 6, was a sixth generation Namibian bushman originating from the Bushveld region along the North eastern border with Angola the Caprivi Zipvel region.
He had come to England at the age of seventeen nine years ago, for the first few years he managed to take on labouring jobs until his British citizenship was approved. He then applied for the army where his skills with languages was quickly noted, fluent in Portuguese, Afrikaans and his native language of Oshiwambo. He quickly entered the intelligence corps.
Strayker had met him on a few occasions relating to the Northern island conflict and had earmarked him quickly when setting up the new unit.
Manny Gall eagle 7 stood all of five feet five inches in height he was the smallest of the OSC team, his complexion gave away his native heritage jet-black hair and very dark brown eyes he was built like a whippet, lean and sinewy.
Manny’s skills as a tracker were infamous earning him a place on the original selection of members for training.
Like his father before him, at the age of 6 years he had been sent back to the homelands in North Dakota from Manchester to learn the tribal skills.
Five years ago at the age of eighteen he had returned to his home in Manchester and had immediately joined the Army.
Dave Schofield eagle 8 aged thirty-three and had joined the Royal Air force Infantry at the age of seventeen.
He had a fresh face boyish look with fair hair and stood at a height of five foot eight inches.
After his initial training, at RAF Honington he joined Two-squadron RAF regiment. He moved through the rank structure to a sergeant.
Three years ago, he was selected to join the RAF intelligence corps with the rank of a Warrant officer.
An unusual move, however he was fluent in four languages, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and German.
He had discovered that he had a gift to learn languages at a posting in Germany, where he picked the language up with ease.
He then found some time to learn the other three languages.
It was this; that had brought him to the notice of the intelligence corps.
When Strayker and Max had looked for men to become part of the OSC, Schofield’s name would not normally have made it into the reckoning except, he was a remarkable sharpshooter and gifted in the use of any weapon you gave him coupled with his time in the intelligence corps all added to his inclusion within the OSC.
Max addressed the group, “you will have two hours to familiarise yourself with the weapon, under the supervision of colour sergeant Johnson, he has five more AX-500’s secured in the container, any questions?”
No one replied, Max looked at his watch that was showing, Zero ten hours and twenty-two minutes.
Max addressed Sergeant Johnson, “Sergeant; we have the range until thirteen hundred hours, lunch is available from then and our transport lifts off at fourteen hundred.”
Sergeant Johnson replied, “Yes sir!”
Max turned to his men and said, “I want a complete package of firing ranges and elevations listed down in our manual for the weapon, have fun with the new rifle.”
Each of the men gave Max a grin before he walked away towards the canteen.
Max had asked them to fire the weapon from a variety of distances and angles in order to compile a list; this is referred to as dope the scope an acronym for Data On Personal Equipment that is entered into a book.
This data usually comprises of the following, temperature, wind speed/direction, humidity and altitude and should similar conditions be encountered again, the data is available to assist in making an accurate shot.