GARRISON "TOUR."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 30, 30 October 1907, Page 10

GARRISON "TOUR."

IN-MILITARY.TACTICS. . i =','Oii Saturday next, the officers of,the Wellington Garrison will embody the results of their studies in.military tactics, .which comprised • the ■syllabus' ot the-winter- course, of lectures, in a Garrison "Tour" or "Ride." ■ That the lay.mind may be sufficiently enlightened'as to the simple'meaning of the particulafgarriso;; tour, let it be understood wtih a ."Blue" force. '■''". ?/; 'V' '■»'•■''■'. ■ ' . ' At 3. o'clock on .'the afternoon of Friday, November"!,' the, enemy attacked the Forts, aridifcmts at landing.small parties at Lyell '.Bdy and Island Bay were' made. Under cover ;,of darkness,■.tlip'Jehemy; about a quarter past •'eleven, 'attempted to'slip past tho Batteries, b'ut'wcre discovered,' arid-forced to retire.'At midnight all was quiot.: At daylight on' November 2, H.AI.S. Challenger proceeded outside, and lay off Ohariu Bay. About 11 o'clock tho samo morning, news came over the wire that a forco of the oiiemy, estimated about 800 strong, had, during the night, occupied I'aremata, and detachments, probably about 100 men, woro on the hills. Two warships and three steamers, lying under cover of Jtfana Island, wore exchanging signals with detachments of the enemy at Titalii Bay. Reports from Pahautanui showed that a detachment of about 100 men passed through Judgeford, moving in the direction of Haywards. Secret agents had meanwhile been at work on -the line's df communications, and thc'raihvay and traffic bridges' over the Manawatu River, near Palmerston, and those over tho,Otaki River, had been rendered useless -for traffic of any kind. Small parties of the enemy were also reported to bo in the vicinity of Tawa Flat. Thoy had evidently seized horses, as* they wore mounted. Tho cnomy, which had landed two guns, was reported to bo fresh and active. This is assumed to bo the position of events at noon on Saturday, November 2. It is necessary to take instant measures for the defence of Wellington from tho north, and for this purpose an imaginary force, "Red," has boon mobilised at tho, Manawatu Station Reserve. This force consists of' 1470 rank and file, including the 1) Battery and four Maxims, and is representative of every department of a ifiold service corps. On Saturday the Garrison officers will leave Wellington by tho 1.20 p.m. train, and on arrival at Johnsonyillc will be dci ailed with their imaginary forces to meet' the situation created by the invasion of Wellington. Each officer will proceed over the giound allotted to him, and carry out his instructions as if his troops wero actually present. At the conclusion of the day's operations, his map will show therein tho dispositioiuof'his,'incn,;hnd also'the orders lie has issued. These'details will'bo transferred to the commanding officer's map, and a criticism ■ of the, whole movement will then be made. In the meantime, eacli officer has committed to paper his personal idoas as to how tho. situation should bo dealt with. The papers arc to bo.criticised ,by Colonel Robin, C.8.,

iind the most successful paper will form the basis of Saturday's tour.