DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 265, 1 August 1908, Page 9

DEFENCE NOTES.

(BY ECOTLON.} THE ATTACK ON 1 WELLINGTON. EASTERr——I9OB. THE OFFICIAL NARRATIVE. PART lll—(Contcntjed), THE MANOEUVRES REVIEWED. (Ily Licut.-Colonel A. Bauchop, C.M.G.) In last week's notes, tho narrativo closed with a summary of tho'situation at 10 p.m. on April 17. , -Red bad established an. adand a half forward °f tho mam position. His force occupied an extended front of about-fire miles, with tho flanks well and securely placed. Blue's main force had covered an advanco of seven miles and a half, and was encamped about a quarter of a milo iiorth of Porirua township, while his mounted advance line, a compact force, was established at Duncan, on tho main road, within two miles of the Red'advanced line j small commands of mounted men had also been detached for independent work on tho flanks. MfdnigJit, April 17. The force acting on the Bine left flank after a trying march (in which it was do< layed for an hour and a half in leaving camp b} 7 a failure in the ammunition supply), at 11 p.m., found itself,opposed (near:the Rutt railway line) by tho Red mounted men,, but not before it had destroyed the railway uno and telegraphic communication at Judd's. Haywards. These opposing forces remained in antagonism for a considerable time, and with the exception of checkmating each other, nothing of any moment happened. On the right flank a mounted party of Blue at midnight, bad established itself south-west' of Porirua, in the vicinity of Colonial Knob, while an advanced party held from Turnbull s, west to tho .sea. Another party (led by a local guide) proceeded by Duck "Creek along the i'akapau Road via Morgan, and surprised a red picket at tho junction of 'thePorirua and Takapau Roads. Tho other command, proceeding by Belmont Road, dc--stroyed the railway and telegraph lino to Potone, and at 11 p.m. established itself at Treadwell.

It will thus be Been that tho central advance of Blue at midnight on April 17 waa ' opposed on the main avenue of : approach by a considerable body of Reds, whilo his detached and mounted troops on both flanks had pushed well forward and occupied (with little chauco of any help from the .main body) 1 positions on the extreme flanks, four miles directly to the front and a greater distance laterally. These troops wore acting independently, and in the storm of wind and rain, - which started before midnight, it was impos- : siblo to forward word of withdrawal, with the result, that three posts were held in the severest weather conditions until their exact positions were disclosed by daylight. • The Blue position at this time may ba. compared at this stage to a crescent, tha belly composed of the main body, at no great distance from their enemy on the rjain Valley Road, while the horns of the%rescent wero pushed well forward and rested on good positions about four miles to tho front of their ,main body of troops. ' These detached mounted advance troops were numerically small. Hostilities Suspended. The weather, which had been gradually getting worse from 10.30 p.m. on Friday, was at midnight at its worst, and word was sent to the leaders early on , Saturday morning that hostilities were suspended. The difficulty of finding troops in a wide area has already been touched on, and it was not until 10 a.m. on Saturday that the whole of the troops were withdrawn, and had returned to their headquarters, -which in the case of the Blue had been pitched, in the darkness and the storm, and presented a cheerless, prospect. i Tlio Enemy's Cruisers. At the same time word was sent from tha 1 ' Director of Manoeuvres to the officer commanding at the forts, that tho cruisers were under steam, and, were covering tho establishment of tho raiders in their progress along Colonial Knob, Yukon, and the sea. At noon these cruisers stood out to sea, still , maintaining a southerly course. By this time, word had been sent to the leaders of tha forces that hostilities would, commence at 4 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. The weather, which had given no sign of breaking, seemedto be in its worst mood, and it was feared that the rest of the manoeuvres would be carried out in inist and rain. Tho Attack on the Forts. ,At dusk on Friday information had been' received that»the Blue force had landed at a point farther west along the coast; apparently the attempted attack at 2 p.m. was merely a feint to attract the intention of the defending force from tho real attack. At 3 p.m., on Saturday, while the weather, was very thick, an attempted landing waa ' made near Fort Dorset. This was repelled by the combined firing of tho 6-pounder and 12-pouiiderSj and the 6in. and Bin. B.L. guns, somo effective shooting being carried out. At 4 p.m. two'torpedo boats ran past, bub owing to the weather being so bad and tha light indifferent, the Q.F. shooting was not so good; At 9 p.m. an alarm was given by the examination steamer and a report received that a warship had entered ■ the Heads. The vessel was enveloped in smoko for some time after being picked up by tha searchlights, and thereby was most difficult to lay in until coming witlun 3500 yards range, after which some very good work was carried on. Tha " running past" took : 12 minutes, and, as events proved, this is an impossible form of attack by a largo vessel at night. At 11 p.m. a. target appeared off Fort Dorset which represented a vessol bombarding that fort, and our heavy B.Lj ,guus opened firo with excellent effect - at 3GOO yards rango. A torpedo boat attack at 11.30 p.m. (towed target), was quickly, repelled by the 12 and $-pounder Q.F. guns. At 12.1 a.m. a run past was made, when somo very effectivo shooting;' was carried out , from the 6in. B.L. guns. Tho rango varied " from 200 yards for the Q.F. to 35000 yards for the B.L. guns. It was known that a small force of the enemy had been successful in getting within striking-distanco of tha forts, anu the utm'ost activity prevailed among tho infantry force to prevent the enemy from breaking through his outposts j no effort, however, was made by tha at? tackers to drive in the outposts.

Land Operations Resumed. It had been intimated by Staff Orders thai tho positions orncuated upon the, cessation of hostilities might bo again occupied at { aim., Sunday, and that tho umpires accon* panying tho troops would seo thit no posi tion in advance of that held tho proviont day would be taken np. These position's wera i not easily found in tho darkness, but tfi<f ■ Blue found that no only were tho positibrii undisputed, but careful reconiiaisiaiiM showed that for miles in front thero, was na sign of an enoniy, although thoy had "been at . close grips when the abandonment, hSd been carried out tho'night before! That.the Reds were indifferent aoout tho disputing of this ground it is impossible to believij.j'liut it also speaks well for tho alacrity with which tha Blue forco went to their positions to he on tho ground at clock-strike, and this along was no mean achievement .when it is considered that theso posts were'four miles in froni of tho main camp, in a' conntry which was unknown-to them till the commencement ot tho manoeuvres. (To bo continued.)