AN ATTACK ON CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13250, 19 October 1908, Page 4

AN ATTACK ON CHRISTCHURCH.

_ » ——, • A MANCEUVRE BY THE VOLUNTEERS. On Saturday the volunteers of Christchurch turned out to repel an attack by an invader coming from North Canter•bury. The attackers were under Lieut.Colonel Day, V.D., who had with him the Kaiapoi Rifles,, under Captain E. E. Papprill, 34 men; Rangiora Rifles, under Captain B. S. Jordan, 30; and a party of Kaiapoi Military Cadets, under Lieutenant Oram; Canterbury Mounted Rifles and City Rifles, under Captain Farthing. To repel these Lieut.Colonel Creswell, V.D., had the following:—Staff (8); E Battery, under Lieut. Beattie, 55 men, with four 12-pounder field guns; Engineers, under Lieut. Andrews, 50; the First Infantry Battalion, consisting of City Guards, under Lieut. Currie, 10, with Maxims; College Rifles, under Captain Hewlett, 25; Imperial Rifles, under Lieut. Butcher, 24; Cycle Corps, under Captain Loach, 30; Queen's Cadets, under Captain Cook, 18; Second Battalion, with Major Stewart in command, oonsisting of Sydenham Rifles, under Captain Murphy, 14, Linwood Rifles, under Captain King, 29, Civil Service Rifles, under Captain Pavitt, 20, Highlaud Rifles, under Lieut. Stephenson, 26. Native Rifles, under Litut. Hawkins, 21. In addition to these there were the Field Ambulance Corps, under Sergeant-Major Finlayson, 21, the Garrison Band, under Lieut. Merton (which assisted the Field Ambulance), 18, and a number of the Canterbury Scouts. Colonel Da vies, C.8., In-peotor-Geno-ral of the Forces, watchod the operations. Ho was assisted by Lieut.Colomel Hawkins, V.D., Officer Commanding the District, Liout.-Coloncl Slater, Captain Potter, A.D.G., Captain A. E. Luttrell, Intelligence Officer, Captain Claddings, District Quartermaster, and Lieut. Chesnoy. The "General Idea" was that a hostile force (Blue) arrived at Kaiapoi on the morning of October 17th, at 5 o'clock. It had commandeered horses and bicycles, and had occupied the railway and traffic bridges across the Waimakariri river, the intention being to move on to Christchurch through Fendalton. Later information obtained from settlers in the vicinity of Kaiapoi was to the effect that the force was preparing to move at noon, mounted mon and cyclists by route march and infantry by train. Later information was that this force had arrived and detrained at Papanui at 2.15. Scouts were seen on Harewood road and l Russley road at 2.40. The main body were moving southwards on Harewood road. Tbe estimated strength of the force was 81 of all arms. - Lieut.-Cblonel Creswell, to repel this force, advanced by way of Fendalton road, utilising his. Cyclist Scouts to patrol all roads as far as Wairarapa road. Ho threw forward two guns of th© E Battery, under Lieut. Beattie, to a position on Greer's road, the other two guns, under Lieut. Climie, being allotted to an advanced position on Graham's road. These were in both cases esoorted by infantry companies, who kept a sharp look-out and utilised their men as scouts. The Engineers, who had their cable cart, established a base telegraph station at the corner of Greer's road and Burnside road', and did rapid' work in laying a field telegraph to get communication with the Second Battalion (under Major Stewart), who.were in the neighbourhood of "Wairarapa road.. Major Richardson in the meantime had ueen sent forward along Burnside road to attempt to drive the enemy towards the gun positions and' on to the Second Battalion, the whole forming a big sweeping movement. Tho enemy ■. had . meanwhile thrown forward his scouts, which were closely followed by his main body. At 3.50 a messajsewas received per cyclist reporting the * capture of threo, scouts of the City Rifles. Lieut. Beattie just then locatinc* the enemy to the west of BurnBide road. From this on. firing was heard on all slides, Major Richardson doing his part in driving the enemy forward. Lieut. Climie sign ted a number of the enemy in a donga within about 800 yards of him. Hero thoy were covered by th© College Rifles, as "well as by the guns. The Ambulance Corps, to. which Surgeon Durham was attached, established a base station neaT the junction of rarapa roads:, where.it could have been used if neoegsajy'by either side. :*At 5 o'clock "cease firing" waa sounded,' as the northern men had to catch the train for their homes, and Christchuroh was once more safe from the ruthless enemy. Colonel Davies will criticise the mmncDuvre at the Christohurch Garrison Officers' Qub this evening. ■WITH THE ATTACKERS. The compaiiiies forming the attacking force reached Papanrua by train from th© north, and were met Iby Lieut*,-*Ool. Day, who took oanumamid. Before mow- . ing off Cblonel Davies, with his aide de carma, Major Koddelli rode up and obtained some information as to the way in which it was proposed to proceed with tho attack. The troops then moved off, wiith the Rangiora Rifles as a vanguard, and proceeded* along the Harowood road, scouting th^,roads-to the eauthwatrd, which. ;gav_i no sign of any troops .'being in front, (but the force pursued its way to Woledge's road, about 2_ miles from the station, where it met the Oitjy Rifles with cycles, under Captain Farthing, and a party of mounxted rifles to act as scouts. Here tlho Kaiapoi Rifles -wero placed as the vanguard, and the forces along Woledge's road proceeded to the dry water course of the Wairarapa. .Thas tbo companies carefully skirmished over till reaching Graham's road, 'and at a triangular piiece of country with four foot live_ hedges in front a ohedk was ' given by" the faroe ■which had _tarted from near Feiwlalt«__, and almost immediately Major Ohesney, ono of the umpires, pcrinted out thi© Corps from the north must come to a' stand, as it was out-numbered by a superior body on its left and front, and was also opposed by two field guns. There was not time for fur ther movements, aaid tho Kaiapoi and Rangiora force returned to Papanui railway station and entrained for home.