DRIVEN OFF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 99, 29 April 1938, Page 7

DRIVEN OFF.

"ENEMY" DEFEATED. RKALISTTC MOCK BATTLE. Men of the l~t Composite Infantry Rit'.talion took part in a mock liattle in tin' C levedon di.-trict yesterday, the exercise involving field training with nuchanical transport a~ the final manoeuvre of a scries carried out since tin , battalion been in camp. A realist ii- attack was staged by the troop*. Britain was supposed to be at war. A strong maritime nation had armed merchantmen to raid the New Zealand coast, and the idea »a«? that a raiding party hope<l to isolate Auckland from the southern part of the North Inland by laiidinj; troops at Kawa- I kawa Kay to capture the isthmus o f I tin , Mamikau. The tactical exercises started at dawn, when wateheiv reported the •"hostile" force was landing at Kawakawa Bay. Two motor cycle platoons and a section of machine guniieivi were m>hcd to the i-oa<t from Clevedon by the commanding oflicer. Lieutenant-Colonel K. V. to make contact with the "enemy."' while other members of the battalion went in buHCs and took up defensive ]>ositions between Clevedon and the coast. A ! •"battle"' soon developed, tlie crackle of 1 machine gun and intermittent rifle fire beinjr heard all over the district. A further touch of realism wa~ provided by j ; the dispatch riders, on fast motor cvelev. milling between at Papa- i kura and the force which ha<l made contact with the •■enemy."' Other forms of i communication used included radio- • telephony, telephones, flay* and flashlam j Ihe 'battle - ' continued until noon when at the enemy was driven off bv . a counter attack. Colonel X. McD. Weir, •rcneial staff ofliccr. Northern Military District, watched the mock battle. Major : V. A. Le Lievre commanded tlie "enemy" , force. To-day Major-(Jenpral .J. K. Dtiipar.. chief of the (ieneral Staff. an<l t-enior olh'ceiv iiii-pecte,l the eaniji. which will break up to-morrow.