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UNDER FIRE.

GARRISON ARTILLERY PRACTICE. 1 J ' \ \.l -'.V/ : FltOU THE ENEMY'S; VIEW-POINT. ! It IS'one thing to stand'behind a big giin, . with your cars/stuffed with'cotton 'wool, and watch' tlip .monster slowly psp from tho gunpit, remain poised.at the/required oievatioii and dellection' for a.'briofispabe, discharge,its missile, and they drop back, smoking, to its lair. It is another, and ,equally . interesting proceeding, to. be .privileged to .tiiko up your position oil board 'tho .steamer.: which, is:tqwing the targets out in the harbour, about 2000; yards -away,"''and 'witch)' with' a curious fascination, tho' shells. from' 12-pourider and Gpbunder. : batteries.'. throwing 1 jip , the ..spray about '100 yards.from tho.stern of the,vessel,: Ono may almost imagino that ono is boing fired at'—4oo yards is not far—and that tho next shell will,' with h'orriblo precision, 'strike' the..ship, explode,and reduce the kapless, vessel; to, an untidy wreck, whilo the human beings on board' will be reduced to tragic, .fractions.: : , ■'

: On Monday ovening a Dominion representative was kindly! permitted, itb remain-on board, tho..Jani? Soddon, after her arrival with. tho; Navals at Mahanga Bay, ill order 'to; view the , gun-practice, from tho. enemy's . standpoint. ~. ..Tho instructional.- practico- for that ovening consisted of several rounds from tho;l2-pounder and &?pbun'der batteries. This olass of armament is mostly uswV hi. ' boat ..attacks,' being' practically useless—save for tho destruction of-tho deck fittings and hamper—against the heavior armour-plating of cruisers' and battleships'.'.. : .v. "Aftertho''nie'h had' been'landed at'-tho jettyy ; tho-jHong-Kbng- targets/were" taken in ■ tow. - ' / 'Imapno -two' wooden . gratings, , each fixed Vertic'lilly tSii.a cataniaran, .arid distant' : froin; eaclr, other according< to the '^particular: typo 'of 'practice', ' and. you havo ; a:fair : idea of/what; tho/.targets, aro like. "In : this particular instance', the 'distance between target's measured' 100 feet; which ; '-is " the average l length of a modern torpedo-boat. For a shot to be reckoned a .hit, ,tho,, splash of ,the, shell ' in the water must bo: anywhoro between the two .' targets, . with;, apermissive' error " of raligo,.:' . varying; according > to:, tho class-'of Vessel, represented..; ; If. a..torpedo-boat, [.the. limit-is something liko >10 yards over and 50 yards ' short, the assumption, being-, that-:m | tho 'trajectory of ■ the. first-named tho ;bulk of the;ship: would, intervene; as to tho.latter,' . the . ricochet ~' almost, as :effeetivo m, would carry.the shot to\theVvesse).;:: '■ Tho, Hong-Kong -targets .having' been mado . fastj.jtbe ;'captaihi ; .receiyed i;his saillnc; directions,; and i tho 'Janie, Seddoii pointed ■ her nose ill' .tho direction iof ■ .Ward ' Island.. When .about, 1700, yards off,.the steamer lay, to,-.the'-tow-rope;,was'paid out, arid .the look-out man per red, through tho gathering, dusk at the distant forts, 1 awaiting tho appearance of tho signal to ,'iproceecl.!' Finally it' came, and the iJa'hio Seddon bore ' down the harbour, towards-the entrance.-v, At' the stern'stood the range;, officer;-.! with v.his assistants,: 'ready:- to' record (.■ .tho'.; results:'.' . The /. recording-gauge looks likoi' a'hay-rake;' in fact, it might. :in: these times of piping Jpeaee, easily, be used us one. ,: This .:gaiige ~ rests, , .teeth uppermost, on a stand, ahdlthb 'rbw'of points is'kept at the. same; angle''toHhef.targets as tho lino of firei'i ■ The' distanco. between -.the 1 teeth of • tho "rakb'' ; represents . so' inany ' yardii. ■■■ ■ ./-• : 1 --Tho.ro "is; a pause,, during - which' ono wonders, rather : morbidly,-", whether; the-?'- gun-' : layer iin ;tho ifort' will ' train; liisgun ,;to' the ! projier target', -and '.not, in a;ghastly. moment of (aberration 'or ;oxeiteincnt, : :upon; one's help--less self. . ,•

'{.Siiddenly-j'a '• vivid' - flash ;is scon;.;: 'fSh'ot, sirj'.' isays'the :look-out,. aiid'tho f'raiigo-bflicor squintsv along hisv.y'hayrako,'.': ready to ■ note 'the>;rbsnlti<Vi; ;Splash J -v <■ A 'column" of spray 'is- thrown \ up,.'..aboiit ten:' yardscover; tlio f'dcad line"—a good- shot." -comes the iroport, Tovorbfirating': among the hills.-.v : It is interesting'- -|work. Thb 12-pounder: detach'ments wbre.:iundei l , : .: Pett y; and. Steele,.vivhilsftljooOrpounderfdeta.chmentVwasunder P.O-' .Johnston. ■ . • r,-

, ;.Ori Mpatlfcy o imprningi i'itail series \waßV' fir(^?:[iFrpm'jtlieright7 and,,left 6-inch'.guns idt . Fort J3allaricc, under -Petty Ofßcers-.(Gslnan .v-wd v Griffiths - respectively; Captain .Mpnaicsi being Battery-Commander-.! Yesterday Amorning two rounds' were fired from tlio tig-: 8-inch,-gun ..at-,-Fort. Gordon, : tlia detachmcnt,being; undor P.(X Hopworth; the v'' Batt'cry-.Commaridbr' \ was t . Lieutenant Slomahr ■'Tliis'. morning tho class-firing Series forYthb -right iand_ left :6-irieh' ' guns'; alt 'Fort Ballarice', 'arid tho instructional series' for the' 8-inclr gun (P.O; M'Kay) at Kn'u battery-commander' Lieutenant 'Dennistony are to'be taken:' •

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19080219.2.77

Bibliographic details

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 9

Word Count
681

UNDER FIRE. Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 9

UNDER FIRE. Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 9

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