FIELD ARTILLERY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 467, 27 March 1909, Page 13

FIELD ARTILLERY.

THE "EFFICIENCY" .CHALLENGE SHIELD. v WON BY B batti;ky, DUNEDIN. Tho New Zealand Field Artillery "Efficiency" Challenge Shield has bren won tin's year by B Battery, Dnncdin, wlio tin; previous year ran the winners, D Battery, Wellington, very close. As previously announced, the Rhodes Cup for shooting was awarded to A Battery, Auckland. That and the "Efficiency" Shield aro the objects of the keenest competition among the field batteries during the traininj camp season. The marks, for efficiency, which were awarded at the conclusion of the training camps of the various field batteries in the Dominion, show that threo of tho iivo batteries have improved their last year's record, while two batteries aro in practically the same position. Two of the batteries, B and D, are in some respects remarkably efficient, and far above the standard expected from a volunteer field battery a few years ago. A Battery has done some good work during the year, but requires more men; E Battery is short of officers,, and is thereby handicapped; H Battery has only two guns, and'has undergone reorganisation during tho year, and this has to some extent affected its efficiency. Both B and D Batteries havo practically tied for tho C'hallengo Shield, which, in all cases of ties for efficiency, is awarded to the battery which scores the highest figure of merit for shooting, and as' this year B Battery obtained a higher figure, than D for classification practice, B Battery has been awarded'the shield fp.- 130S-9.

All the batteries, except D, are too weak in numbers. It is a most satisfactory performance for D Battery to train 98 men to a good standard of efficiency this year; under the present Scheme a corps does not benefit by keeping its strength up to tho establishment, which is 100 per battery. The attendance throughout was excellent, and in the case of B and D Batteries a splendid example of what volunteers will do when tiny aro keen and enthusiastic over their work. '.Ohe marks for staff are awarded for officers snd staff-sergeants. A Battery has its full complement of trained officers and staffsergeants. In other batteries one or more of the officers and staff-sergeants were cither only partly trained, or not up to the required standard. ,

Hie gunnery examinations were good all round, excepting in H Battery, where a number of men attend tho examination, lhe signallers in D Battery are most efficient, and the reason their marks' are not so much higher than other units is that tho standard aid down this year was ono which other batteries could easily reach with moderate effort; two of the batteries failed to do this, however! i„°/ an n?. e " taker f of . B and D Batteries are very good. The gunlaymg in all batteries is of a much higher standard than it was a few years ago, and to some extent accounts for'the- suner}n''„ S ii 0 £ i? B ont ' Drlvin & » good S t 6 **"" *" 3 dS tion is worthy of note. Six years ago t waVi common thing for batteries' to"tagh™^ b,T;„ „ MSS It- hook in ' and "»ow off, nSLI * Tery ?aS ? thls I?" the test has taken J h * bcst •ketches were wnR- V„ n by i D attery J but some excellent work was, aso ; done, by the E Batterv specialists. Other batteries are weak in these Anfw v Th6 ' f i6oip ? iae throughout the Keld Artillery Volunteers is excellent; in fact, there ?r.„T 7 * , Vi h OSp " de cor P s throughout. No branch of the service could work harder, or put in more time for training ' •AH the batteries have been graded A for efficiency. A B, and D Batteries were awarded First-class" foi-shooting, E and H Batteries being placed in the second class. The compare. ™ M * 55.

Marks . B Battery, Dunedin "VSr •■• -"toil Battery, Christchurch ... '... 84 06 A Battery, Auckland ..; . go" H Battel y, Nelson ... ". fa® JmJ 3 l mvosa^ h to show, in a comparative table, the marks awarded for the numerous tC&P* f° f e .r rk of field baU rie tta It H gt ° n M e , ry , deserra! special rnenl s work', and SP W dl f d a l- ro ? nd c,lal ' a °ter of its wort,!, and, ibut. for.the -loss of marks' in TM, f * ;:^uU J ,,lTe retained thes iell ■llus year,-ihoweveryr-tho. '.trophy ~ o b s to Dim to regammg the "Efficiency" Shie d thev In? ceed m carrying off the BWeTc#. wo£ fit Irks It Vl ™ a ™ is of. interest :Attendano 989<.Q3; turn-out, 3min. 20sec.-95. y S '