FIELD TACTICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 8

FIELD TACTICS.

' RIFLE BATTALION AT- TRENTHAM. SMABT WORK BY SIGNALLERS: /t / Let ,it^bo understood that.in. some .mysterious •banner 'which, will never *.:be ■ explained, 'the' ' ifpseigfl:' foe had ; occupied;' the., neighbourhood . of-the.'TrenthaW Biile^'Range,'/posted his • pic•..kets'jdn'^the.;Mis;, large, force in. and: around tho -.trenches in front of - the'..:tarfor- tho peace, and f comfort of the commumty that the-foreign-foe should be: rocioved with tho least possible..de- ■ . lay.r'oxteymin-.ted, -if need- bo, a«lorce of 400 ;/::/W;:o^d''iwim^'.>-as: i dispatche'd'- to-.the front from ;: : v. its; ; hwdquar'tbii ,'aii - Weilihgtbn early yesterday ■ morning- with - orders to remove tho aforesaid .■■■:: foe.', About-9 a.m: a ! long ''special" drew up■ at the four fiatf iiV/vdred.'/and 'jiifegarations Svefe'immediately ;made •' for 'tho-attack on the. target' trenchcs. lronting tW'Cdllinsr Sommerville, and Seddon Ranges. Lientenant-Colonel-WiG.Duthic, OlfcccrCommahdiiig ithe Battalion, - directed that a heavy covering-fire'should :ba kept up on th« right : . flank' by-,a-maxim gun dotachinent (Kelburne, :;. : EiUes),;.and -ono, escort, company of infantry ■' • (Civil- Service'Rifles),.supplied- with ball ium-'' the advanco' in attack. The frontal attack was entrusted, to' the :City fEiiiea and' the- High- ''; : 'lan(lers , : lme},':,the , 'Post ' and. Telegraph. - Eiiles- and- the; Johnsonvillo- ItiHes wore their sdpMrts, while-the Guards and. the Hutt'Yal'ley •;dgtailed ; to•:the reserve. The on' the-left ■ ; .'i-flank—the-College.-Rifles.(hnng lino), and.the Jv'.V;-';ZraMdia: : >Bifle3'',(sujppprtiiig'.''lih '■: Ohly-'th'a ;• -given: ball, .ammunition, the-others'being served, with blank.. W . AU'went well. The maxim'.birked' merrily l 1 on' tho. right flank, ,whUo.its:csrort.pumped,'a. , hail of lead into the distant trenches, ana' au'r; v ing the temporary"dieco'mfiture created theroby , : ':in;,'th« -rainks ; qf-the' enemy, - the 1 attacking, coinp'anios.deployed into'.:pqsition, : . and worked . -. rapidly . forward! • The left*'flany~man6e,uvr.ed. with' ■ much.-.',cirounispection ■ iiv. the. diriction i of^ enemy's position, while tho" front-..advanced well forward. At tho phychological 'moment ;a .terrific demonstration was. ,'niaaeV.-hy.:.the.:companies :on the . front i;' ; : V of : the advance, and during the.commotion the , ' left flank quickly slippej round, rushed, in, •' ;. and'pinned the foreign foe." . . As .;Lieat.-Colonel Bauchop, » officer com- " 'f: Viinanditig. ths" district,-isaid - to. the'.assembled ;S . 1 officers',afterwards,^the:whole scheme 1 .was ad-'-| - mirably . conceived and carried out.. ■ .Each' pha^e. 1 of ; .tho manoeuvre* wasi deliberate, well timed, and accomplished with ch;o regard to : the- proper,; co-ordination. of -the three - sections of -.the;'attack—front;: left flank, .-and right cov- ': ;'ering , .flanki.lf-c^tMl^g, , the.maxim;gun escort (C\vil Service Rifles) was not so , soundly idis.i< have,been: 'Though detailed if.thw:;: were. ■ not',; .Eecessarilj; : - obliged io remain - closo -to the .- guns.' ;..\More, tffectivo: protection, and-also hittingi.power,': havo. been exercised ;-had- thi> o.scurt CCotaiedvthovridge some .disti llo ® «>'ay, r ;; '..The'operations' occupied the"best. ; part ; of the : day,' and-cdvered- two- daylight- parades, separ: V%>,<aM^:?^- , 'l'he'oiders,'!fdr':'the j day/ 6e(;: for,tlf. tha;t :every man ■ v .- Bhould parade' provided, with a service mess-tin, and uncooked .ration/- Some-.hroyghj; eggs; ; :few, epicures : brought: chlckon. - Littlo. fires wero,lighted here, :ih'er'e, r: .ahd-:*eV'ory.wherd, ! ' : afld ; where" :thero; was . r :!.:; smoke,Cthew. wlere- little, groups of. hungry, men, : ;';:,- ".aiiSiousl^ ;watchiog;, .tho:?b.abbling' tins. .This ... ■rtas. tho men's.'.first" oiperience with, the.''mess'- , tin cooking systism.-iand >th'6y,-:enjoyed- it..-;-:. . . Some very :-smart work' was" 1 accomplished >by ■<?.■:.the 'signallerßj liindflri tho .direction- of Lioutenant Hulbert. 'At '10.15; a.m;, 'Lieutenant. Hul- } ~"'i '■ sectioh>"^parided.'.for ibttsindss."At '-10.45 ' a.m. 'had.'.epoken .to Wei-, ,^';--.lhigton^rphe.'^'rmihar''StetKii'"^as'v'estahlf?hed 1 a.'-transmitting' Btatioa : ;i'; 'right ;of 'Trenthami

A "-'njeisage■ to; the' Chief;'of'. the • . General' Staff .(Colonel.'A: IT. :Robin, C:B.). " all' Battalibn' .Staff,- Br City -Rifles' (Captain Es--: :;. ; S eon)? : 58 ftGuards» (Captain: : DutMe)js 30; <• Kel-i butno' Rifles (Captain" Davis, V.D:), 28; Post and Telefcraph Rifles (Captain Itarton), 34; ;> l College'.Rifles:' (Captain ■! Harton),' 127;: Zealan'dia 7/ ;•; Rifle's i. (Captain.: 'Corrigan),-.. 58;.' r Highlanders . (Captain MDiarmid), 29; Hutt Valley Rifles 'i \ (Captain' Ross)l:'30; Johnshriville'■ Rifles (Cap--taui ; Mooie)i ,31 j.'Victoria College O.T.C:, 12; Gyclir : Engineers'- (Lieutenant Gibbs),32;'Cnil:Scrvice/ Ritics' (Captain 'Marshall); 28; total; 408., J'};:,y, ' The taembors ,bf . the:;distri'ct,'6taiT .present wero: Lieutenant-Colonel Bauchop, CM 6, , /-Lieutenant Hiilbert,': and'Staft-Scrgeant-Major-;-i.' RosK; vßattalion 'vStaff—Lieutenant-Colonel '.W. G. Duthie, Major 0.! ©. Mackintosh, Captains J A Co y les (Adjutant), and F B Mabin \^'3''JfW.i''''®s4 : V^',QuaTtcrmaster),'/ , -..Statt-Sermarits ... •: Coombes-and .Charters. 'Vh. . ',