ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13095, 21 April 1908, Page 5

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

The following account of yesterday morning's proceedings was supplied- to a "Press" reporter by Lieut.-Colonel Hawkins. V.D., Director of Manoeuvres: —Owing to the noeeesity of completing the operation at an early hour yesterday, the infantry left camp on- Sunday evening, and proceeded to tako up positions at and around Hornby, so as to bo in readiness to commenco operations at 5 a.m. The mounted brigades, with artillery, were mustered at Riccarton Church, and""from that point Colonel Chaffey completed his dispositions, moving his last unit at 5.30 a.m. This set the_troops in motion as an attacking forco to dislodge the enemy (Blue) from the .position ho was holding, and encamped half a mile west of Islington Freezing Works on Pound road. The Red forco was particularly roll handled as a whole, and the dispositions taken by tho mounteds and infantry wore satisfactory. As the operations proceeded, it was noticeable that there was concerted action by the combined forces towards their objective. Tho unit commanders showed that they had benefited by their instruction in reconnaissance duties, and the infantry showed to advantage in their methods of attack. Blue contented himself with throwing a cordon round his camp, and reconnoitring with his mounted troops to gain touch with tho attackers." These, in turn, retired on tho lines or resistance taken up by the infantry. Blues's action in splitting up his naif battery, disposing one on the right, and the other on the left, was not tactical, but in a measure pardonable, owing to the necessity of making the best stand possible to resist attack from the Red. It would have been better for the safety of his encamped position had ho placed bus lino or resistance further away from hie. canup, and Thus, when the attack developed in strong force, he would have been able to retire his force closer to his position. At 8.4-5 a.m., the time at which the manoeuvre was to cease, Blue was pretty well surrounded, ami it wae quite probable- that had the manoeuvre continued longer the superior strength of Red in regard to numbers would have meant Ms capitulation. Colonel Hawkins stated that be was the roughly well pteaeedjwith. i&e con.

of encampment. This was the first time that the volunteers had < been . placed under service conditions in regard to pay, and each man. in the ranks would tako'Kia away with him for the four days' work. In regard to the canteen, neither he nor his oft<«» had any cause to regret its establishment. The regulations had been strictly adhered to, and not a single complaint ha When n, '™ase' fire" was eonnded the troops were called in, dnd the march back to camp began. The- men reached Addington showing s .gn Q ™ their arduous morning s work tnou Sn they all had tho unmistakable camp appearance. Tho inlantry had a long march, but they swung into tho Show ground in quite a parade B t>le u Camp was broken in the atternoon the men niarohod to the Barracks, and there dismissed.