VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 277, 22 November 1899, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND DEFENCE NOTES.

(By Rifleman.)

The "A" Battery and the Ponsonby Navals are still under canvas at Devonport. 11 is a »Teat pity that the weather hits been so unfavourable this year, for the rain interferes with the drill, and make.-; things "uemned demp and 1111 pleasant." as the immortal Mantalitii would sny. The Navals whose drill is chiefly at the forts, are not more independent of the weather than the Artillery, who must find it hard work getting the guns over the ■ground in hs present soft condition. In spite of the wet weather, however, the men have stuck to their work well, and good musters have been maintained in either encampment during the week. The two corps joined forces on Sunday morning-, and with the Garrison Hand, to supply the music attended church parade at Holy Trinity Church, where the Rev. S. Hawthorne conducted divine service. During the afternoon large numbers of spectators visited the camps. The Garrison Baud remained throughout the afternoon, and contributed a number of selections, which were greatly appreciated. The "A" Battery were to have had their annual shot and shell practice at .Narrow Neck on Saturday afternoon, but the strong wind blowing prevented the fixing of the targets. These were placed in position out in the channel yesterday, and shooting practice was indulged in early this morning, the men turning out at halfpast three. Four guns were engaged, about twenty rounds being fired from each at ranges varying from 1000 to 2000 yards, and some good shooting was done. The shot and shell practice will probably be continued tomorrow nnd Friday mornings, instead of on Saturday afternoon. The Ponsonby Navals are doing good work at the forts, and the sixteen days under canvas cannot fail to prove beneficial. Both the Battery and the Navals strike camp next Saturday afternoon. The Domain encampment proved very successful this year, and Colonel Murray was doubtless well pleased with the work done by the battalion. under the able instruction of Ser-geant-Major Carpenter. The weather was 011 the whole unfavourable, but the various duties were cheerfully performed, and a good average muster wa.s maintained throughout the encampment. The battalion drill was for the most .part of a practical nature, the men being given a good grounding in attack drill and extended order movements. The mimic attack on a "Boer"' stronghold, with which the week's instruction was brought to a close, was well executed,.and showed that- the volunteers had benefited by their training. Altogether the eight days spent under canvas were of practical value in giving the men n better knowledge, of camp duties and the work required of them—"our defenders."

Practically every British firm of note agreed to keep open situations for reservists in itheir employ who have been called out, and further promised to give reservists' wives half pay. Extensive use was made of pigeons during- the recent German army manoeuvres. Carrier pigeons were carried by horsemen in baskets, and were let off from time to time with important despatches. It is scarcely possible to liit them; they fly too high and too swiftly. The habits necessary for the evolution of a successful rifleman are such as it becomes every nation to-encour-age, and the education which the needful training involves must at all times prove of advantage to the community. It may be necessary for Australia at some time to call on the riflemen for the protection of our shores against invaders; but, even if that necessity should not arise, skill in the use of the rifle must always be an advantage.—Sydney "Herald." Surgeon Beck, of the Thirteenth Minnesota, states that the small calibre Mauser bullets rarely fracture aj limb, and that he knows fully 100 men shot through the chest cavity in every portion except the'heart who recovered. Abdominal wounds are. however, nearly always fatal. The British Government is now manufacturing a. new bullet which is even more deadly than the dum-dum. The new projectile has a soft metal point which expands with the friction caused by flight. It is said that 200,000,000 rounds of the bullet are already in stock. Lord Wolseley, in his introduction to Colonel Henderson's great work on the American Civil War, draws the lesson that volunteers, newly-raised or halftrained, cannot be depended tipon in tough fighting. In the American Civil War the volunteers who bolted at Bull Run were just the same class of men as those who, when trained, marched calmly to death in the Richmond Peninsula and over the bluffs of Vicksburg. Two great lessons. Lord Wolseley thinks, stand out, in a military sense, from a study of the American Civil War. The main point he insists on is that if there had been even a single army corps in the hands of the Washington statesmen, the secession movement would have been crushed before the year of its inception was closed. The war showed firstly the necessity for maintaining, at all times, a, well-organised array in the highest state of efficiency and composed of fully-trained and fully-grown men. Secondly, it demonstrated the mistake of handing over to civilians the administration, organisation or control of an army, whether in peace or in war.

The operations of the balloon company during the German manoeuvres last month were greatly hindered by Yhe misty and rainy weather. The balloon is filled with hydrogen gas, allowed to ascend about 1000 yards, and communication established by means of a telephone. Its form is peculiar; iike a huge sausage, it hangs pendant in the air. This shape has been adopted because it offers the least resistance to the wind. Wherever the Emperor stood a signal balloon with a fiag attached was sent up in order to enable the orderlies with despatches to find him at once. Every time His Majesty decided upon ending the manoeuvres for the day, a large round ball was sent up to the signal balloon. Another novelty Was the introduction of an oxygen light for signalling purposes. In the German army cyclists are used solely for carrying despatches, not for fighting. The bicyclists are picked men, who have \mdergone a special course of training, and are equipped with leggings, cape, carbine, and revolver. They carry their dcs-

patches in relays, and hand them over to the next man in full career without dis mounting. During the whole week of the manoeuvres despatches were carried at night from the field of bati tie to the headquarters at Karlsruhe jby relays of ten"' men, a distance of about, sixty to eighty miles. If bicyclists are suddenly attacked on the j road by cavalry, and have no time to [take up a position of shelter, they disj mount, lay their machines fiat on the Iroad, retreat ten paces, and receive the [cavalry with quick fire. It is a curious ifact that horses have a most- decided I objection to charge a bicycle spread ,in the road. It is extremely difficult !to lilt a cyclist at full speed, especially jwhen he bends down over the handles. jit is like endeavouring to hit a bird !in full flight. The riders are provided I with excellent maps, and are carefully ; trained in the use of them.

Sir Redvers Boiler concludes his report on the volunteers trained at Aldershot during the last encampment in the following terms:—"There is one remark which I should like all volunteer commanders to lay to heart. They harass their men with unnecessary movements. Owing, I fancy, to the fact that most of their opportunities for training are in drill-halls, the commanders when at field operations pay too much attention to drill. Men are frequently moved to get Uiem into an exact formation when they are well where they are, and would be better if permitted to rest. It is difficult to learn, but at field exercises volunteer commanding officers of all ranks should strive to pay less attention to what they are going to do with their what their men are doing and more to men. Three companies, only of the volunteer medical staff attended during this drill season. In knowledge of company and ambulance drill the reports were satisfactory, but there is room for improvement in precision and promptness when dealing with wounded men."

the Cape papers are beginning to find out already that the present is not an easy war to report. "From the point of view," says the "Cape Times," "of the newspaper correspondents, the war now. waging between Great Britain and the Republics will be One of the most difficult and harassing that has ever occurred. Of course, at the lime of the Franco-German war there was not that keen and almost bitter competition between newspapers that iw found to-day. and the special war correspondent had not developed as an institution to anything like the extent that he has done nowadays. Newspapers were content to be served by one big agency, as a general rule. And, further, there was not that desperate rush and scurry to be first with the news which is so distinguishing a feature of latter day journalism, when newspapers consider themselves 'scooped' if a rival journal beats them in the production of an important item of news by a few minutes. In the present Avar there is an enormously wide border to be covered. Telegraph wires have been cut right and left, and no one knows with any certainty as to where any particular force on either sides may now be drawn up. Important battles may be being fought, while the newspaper correspondent is miles away in another direction getting the details of some minor skirmish of outposts, or sending off telegrams regarding the capture of a few horses. Altogether, the war correspondent's life in the South African campaign cannot be altogether a happy one. In the Soudan campaign he knew at least that there was only one wire over which his message could be transmitted, and he knew pretty exactly where battles were to be fought."