MIMIC WARFARE.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 63, 14 March 1924, Page 8

MIMIC WARFARE.

REALISM AT TRENTHAK. ._ BATTLE PRACTICE. '"-"ST (By Telegraph.—Press Assoclatlou.i TRENTHAM, Wednesday. This afternoon the battle practice competition, an innovation at Treutham meeting, whicii evoked great interest, was got off. The competition was for teams of eight men under a commander, and the general idea was that they were holding a post against attacking troops. All details incidental to such a situation in actual warfare were present, an aeroplane scouting for signs of the enemy, his appearance at different points at varying ranges and in all sorts of formation, runners doing rapid sprints from cover to cover, (they and the machine gun sections were very hard to hit, too), massed attack on defenders, and an exploding gas shell in front of the post. As all teams were new to the competition and quite in ignorance of what each rapidly succeeding development might be. it was a real test of ability to assimilate aud carry out the object each commander had in mind. Territorial and cadet teams competed, the latter, in particular, entering into the spirit of things with zest. They were, it may be noted, more amenable jto control, and their shooting was superior, taken all round, to that of th. territorials. The gas shell especially, was quite reminiscent to some observers of days "somewhere in France,"' and the youthful cadet commanders were caught napping in the matter of necessary measures to be taken. As 'a finale, life-size figures of enemy sol- | diers dropped suddenly from behind a screen to the ground in front of the tier fenders, who were visibly startled in more than one instance" at this culminating bit of realism. However, the competition was on all hands voted a great success, and in future, when competitors have had a chance to practice it. the team rivalry should be keen and productive of bright attractive work