INSTRUCTING THE OFFICERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 71, 23 March 1916, Page 7

INSTRUCTING THE OFFICERS.

I LESSONS OF THE WAR. _ STAFF TOUR IN WAIKATO. g (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent! HAMILTON, this day. S The present tour of the officers of the Permanent Staff of the Auckland Mili- ' » tan- District, which is at present being ' • conducted in Waikato with the basis ' of operations at Hamilton, is of an en- ' c tirely different nature to former ones. : B It is purely an elementary instruction " m the handling of battalions, based ! upon the lessons learned in the present '. war. Theories have, to a certain ex tent, been put aside, and a new system, 1 ' based upon actual present war expert- " ence. entered into. Previously- the 1 officers were given charge of operations, but the present tour is one of instruc- • tkm in the handling of small unite ex- ' tending to nothing larger than a bat- \ talion. A battle ground is chosen, and ; imaginary armies placed. The officers ' are then conducted over tbe battlefield "by Major Sleeman, assistant militan . director, who was for some time in France, first as a company commander, ° I and later in charge of a battalion, and ~ I who hao been sent to New Zealand by ~ •|t"he Imperial Government for the pur- I j pose of assisting military training. Yesterday the operations were in the ' vicinity of Soddon's Hill, on the Ilamil- I 1 ton Cambridge Road, where details, methods, and the latest ideas were dkv * cussed. The greatest interest was taken in the proceeding by members of the * staff, who found the instruction very j useful and beneficial. To-day a new phase of the battle was entered upon, i while on Friday and Saturday further stages of battalion attack and defence. * under varying conditions, wil] bef° studied. I a