Periscope rifle

The device was independently invented by a number of individuals in response to the trench warfare conditions of the First World War, and while it is not clear which army was the first to use periscope rifles, the weapons were in use by the end of 1914.

[6][7][8] A form of periscope rifle was invented in May 1915 during the Gallipoli campaign by an Australian soldier, Lance Corporal, later Sergeant, William Beech (1875–1929), a builder's foreman in civilian life.

[9] Beech's device was quickly copied by other members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).

[9] A test conducted on the TV documentary series The Boffin, the Builder and the Bombardier suggested that the effective range was approximately 100 yards (91 m).

[13] However, during the Gallipoli campaign, a reduced effective range was not a significant problem as in many sectors, the Turkish and Allied trenches were close together.

Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood described the invention as one of considerable importance during the Gallipoli campaign.

[23] A number of periscope rifles including the "Elder" and the "Cameron-Yaggi" for the M1903 Springfield were devised in the United States.

[25] The Cameron-Yaggi and Elder designs could be fitted with an enlarged magazine with 25 rounds,[27][26][15] so as many shots as possible could be fired without needing to dismount the rifle below the trench parapet for reloading.