How an American sniper’s “potato trick” killed 43 Germans in 2 days
William enlisted in 1942 and joined the reconnaissance platoon of the 4th Infantry Division. By December 1944, the Hürtgen Forest was a green hell where American forces were suffering catastrophic losses. Jones decided to use his six spare potatoes. His comrades laughed at him, thinking he was going to cook for the enemy, but his plan was far more tactical.
Through his scope, he selected his first target: a sentry smoking a cigarette. The rifle recoiled, but instead of the usual sharp crack, there was only a muffled “pop.” The sentry collapsed, and no one reacted. In twelve minutes, he fired seventeen times. Seventeen Germans were killed without a single alarm being raised, because the enemy couldn’t pinpoint the source of the shots.
Panic spread not through noise, but through the sight of comrades falling for no apparent reason. Lieutenant Richardson, observing the scene in awe, decided to advance and occupy the hill. This position, which should have cost hundreds of lives in a frontal assault, fell to twelve men thanks to a sniper and his few vegetables from the mess hall.
Jones then trained other snipers in his technique. On December 10, his team eliminated a German observation post, confirming 87 casualties without receiving a single shot in return. German intelligence, finding fragments of cornstarch at the scene, could not believe such a primitive method and suspected the use of sophisticated, secret American new technologies.
By the end of the war, William Jones had 137 confirmed kills, 73 of them thanks to his plant-based silencer. Despite his decorations, including the Silver Star, he remained modest, claiming it was just a hunting trick to protect his unit. He returned to Idaho, became a rancher and hunting guide, refusing to discuss his exploits until his death in 2003.
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