DEFENCE NOTES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 15

DEFENCE NOTES

(lit Echelon)

'■■ The ;C onfract ;fqr tufl.-crection 'of.'.now■ baf- ; racks for'the .Egyptian Government atiibbas-' :Sieh, near Calro.has ;bcon'let; ' The .barracks,■ Trhich will' take 3J"years ■'to liuild, will be. on similar- lines ,t6th6se.;erecf:ecl.on SalisburyPlain. They aro to bo for the English Army! of-Occupation,: and willbo constructed; of concrete blocks.—News'item.- ; '/'''■:■::■'-. .' : .'. '■'■ " Tho old -Abbassieh ' BarracbS-what■■'• memones it, brings, back to mo" .(writes Captain I'-Cove. Brown-Cayo, at present in Wellington).' ■ , o'u, eays.when it'was an Egyptian barrack. .When at dawn an Egyptian, officer and the .whole of his guards woroparaded in front', of tho guard-room and shot away ..from the e u "fr WhJS- .BdcauseV they, had . deserted! badly. : Who was there?: Ask General Hunter A -composite-, regiment of- mounted infantry; commanded by. Colonol Barrow; of the Camerdni.iens, brother .of .Colonel Barrow; of the 19th Hussars,, both of: "whom ■ are-now dead—in "the Mttntrtfs pause.:. The adjutant was thenYCantam ilWay, of '.the (Essex Eegiment.: .•Hβ \s now 'a colonel.-.Also at ;Abbassieh' there L Che. 20thrHussars Under,: Colonol Irvine '(ono .•?r)S? r '^»«*,- crpss-covmtry .Riders.' - If .some ot .tho old , ;soldiers .who lived■ in these old ; ban-acis away. : about: 3J. miles .out - of Cairo m thosa days, knew that the old place was being pulled down,i they would say: .-■' The .old good.enoiigh'.for us.'. . ' " ... ■■ ' ; rhere. ■was: a Square. rTVo were-thb-armv ■of-ocenpation.-, Wo lined'threo sides of.-the fiquai;e-«un3 i bmbered i -iip,' and loaded. 'Inlantry.loadcdTvith.ball: Perhaps 10,060 Afaba r outside,_ : waitraß:.to-.see,.how'things went.-: It '■war 3usfc a tonch and go who 'won; - They .ffere i ;\\'y : :V-. •;.■.- ;■. .;•'.;' ° ■- Germans; find it'difficnlt v .t6 .take' tho British Armyrseriously, and haveiridiculed tho state-. ment mads in connection with the recent-mdn-TOUvresithat.tho, British soldier is an" excellent r **:'*'S'.worfc-yTto-'f/irft(i6nal , .Zoifaing,'V' Wv.an article on tlw British Army Manoeuvres,' that.in , these, scepfacal .times we.do liqve in miracles, ( rior,do We believe in such a SVraole.as.asuddon-^hanfo , . of.•character'-in. & f B "hsh:Arniy.- ; The praisebestowed on.the • British, troops? intended f6r' iof. surprised if wo.do not rogard.it seriously/,';■/ ;' pmbitiiSf- n T is Germany , s : Sft- In u ,Germany ; everyone speaks of vhmbition,,; In -England:, a*-Gorman prophesied;-ih::Germany; the,da? ; i? awaited, dread when; their entire, inarftime jommerce' will bo in' the hands of- the' ..W^ n ßriM.vHeot.;:lf;,we SidVS suppositions, .it.is, ,ovident.! ; thnt ■Germany's of bennan, man time comtnorce -by. the English - « ; ;.withm ;thd. bounds 'of:possibilityTbut ; a .German. Delbrick in.- Cpntempora;ry." s f°? ; l £ a ?^;>B^io u S-•"- le - - ln usa by ihe troops at tho recent tfe° S??? e H" En .Tor instant tho sconfa'bf.the..l9 h:Hussars were prondfed Sw■■homing-jiifflaoiis, which!were darried' iri' ■■M^^feWf , ;* , *h«r : backs" 4hfce, ; when Lberated, made straight for home, which .was .connected up -with .the .divisiona .by;a'-lißhtfield^-telephone ?ire - bTts m sent:.«e<l to ,tho P bi^ds^ tne ? ( !'nents.;to •■';; infantr y; oecn;pubhshed dealing vrith.the. general char- , .actorisfacs of .-.machine ;guns,- the , , organisation" and.training of their, sections, , arid the general employment; in war (states Military:, Mail'')V.'ThG .effective range-of -nS• l «? : eons.: teing ;.thei sameilas ;thatibf:ithe: ,nflo,- they, are.not suited, for iemploymenf-in' placo.of.artilloryj.on-theotherihand, thoir fife .effect is, very,great,a&d; »t closEi infantry it might : bo, annihilating.,; I/Lstlioi'abtibn of■ the mecnanism is liable to;temporary interruption by jams, ithas beondecidod that machinonuns afe^to ..,bo. organised -.in section's'of' two iftuna eachjMd that, .under..normal -guns -are.not ,to - be' used 'Singly.; . concealment are .emphasised as being very'.important,,.faotqrs,;.iav tho employment of these; weapons,. the "'effect-of: which ■■ is 'much increased •W--'^ a °P^?l?|i' , --fi^ fi !s^J r fe';j? l V!*! J ed^9Si r . ;: iTho warde of JIOOO war medals waiting-to bo claimed •by the .-.soldiars ;.who ; -.haveVserved'. , ;in notable campaigns. '■ of :.theso medals were struck for those whp served in the Sontb. African War,;though-thiiro remain'unclaimed.aview.vpreparod to the Indian/Mutiny and the campaign in' tho/Cri- 1 endof .the .South" African War tho'Queen's inedals-foTacth'oseryicei "and the King's .medal? -for those >'. who had gone , through.'practically'the.lVholo;of the dispatched .to';Soath;Afri6a.;;But. when'they .arnv|d- upwards of.;pfl'.'non-cammissioned.flf-ficers: and; men of 'the ■ various, corps, for whoni thcsO'.w.erp had,.-accepted tlieirjydiscKarge.:. Since: then Utters fr6m claimants ■•Have ".Occasionally .been received-.from all parts of; the world,; and:the -Medals fhave ibeen dispatched to:those v who hive,'proved; their bpna;.fiucs'.::,; IT-, Some, notableiiacMevenients •in.'.triuaspor,t.'.work' during;tho;reterit-Gerin&h;Army manoeuvres; are.Areportod.7,.; It- is stated■;-that-. in\tsiking.;the. lAmyiioack to'.'their'quarters from.the'sceiie'.of operations, , .Bs "specialvtrains b> 'tween midnight On September 18 and' 11 o'clock in theeyehing:of'the ; l?th; and iii-thorn;thero 'wero.'■'cpnVaycd '97^000':men,■: 2800: 'horses,.: 179 wagonSy. , ,and.about ,632 .t0n5...0f.:; impedimental The ,'time-table, was somewhat ; npset! by the failure: of; some , of .the columns to. arrive .punctually, at :thestati6ids.; -It , is.< said, ''.however, that • the' Ordinary' traffic 'was maintained. without'interfefeiice; butithis,, opinion is.not. shared by';some; at lleast.-of tho! ordinary.-passengers .traveUingJn/tte'neighbourhood; ; on. that.occa-' :sion. %;.■ ,>-; ; ' 'i''.;' ■;■;'•-.■ i' ; ;:: : : v'-' v:-.*-.";;_'; ; e :'

..'From; the. annual -report on ,mnslcetrj,' training in the Imperial Forces, the following ■comments, which mayVhavesoine local; application, areseleoted:— <>\\;' -^ijr'r : ' :: - ' ";■■ '••"': .; It. is found net^ary,-states the "report, ,io dcoelerate periodically : progress, in musketry. The dirwtion'in/which-progress is , at the pre-* sont ; .tiiue;ino9t',neede(i-is:that of coHeotive fire', ■ training;;and'orgariitotio'n.*.These should 1 not. .bo neglected for want of range; accommodation; Firo ;wre<&oh.exercises , based, on' tables of results afford much.instruction when carried oat :.TO'thout\baU .-ammuitition. :..;In;.' the case of • ■ trained soldiers, .too'much attention to applica- ! tion of individual fire ,■ by' means' of ' minute .'changes-'in sighting'elevation.iand^deflection, based <in ehb't for ,'sbot;marking,- is to be> depre: I bated. -ShooKng 'matches for. offiocis and eer- \ eealits Wβ designed'by. tie Atiny Rifle Association under,conditions -calculated to , de-- .' veto j> skill in" fire .■ direction and cpritTiJ], - vaud. thi icoinpletoseparation of fire i.leaders froia the iTank and'file in competiH6jis'will':not only ie- ■ move a. cause of disconriigembnt.from the path" ' of the latter;, bulris obviously desirable in com-, ipetitite• fired';for' 'nibney.-pnais under condi- , ' tipns j which:'■■ confer-va.V (Hstmct ■ ..adrantage. bn' the competitor -.wlio .'possesses', the Vrapst inonoy to , start wah.'. . The musketry training ■of .feoruife' is still too much''hurried; -iaiid6caipe targets: have- been, tried , at depots as .a means /if elemfln'tai'y'.traiiring in coHecthw! firing,and 'haVe. been, most ifavotiiably reported on. Geniral Ofiicers Commanding report that eomoV improvement. has' been.' EOticed. in; the' accuracy maintained during/ rapid firing, and ■that:fieldNpfacticesihayo -been moie»eatisfacr torfly , ' carried.; out.' enargy. .hts been shown.in wmcK is producing improved results. '.-' !-■-■'. ■"■-..;■ : ■ ■> Th« Buke of Connaught; evinceo) the' greatest interest in ■ the tra-Velling field' kitchen of:' th©,■Royal : Irish ; Fusilkis- ~et > the recent ;■ aatamn; 'manoeiryjea.iin England.. Ho saw it in-use, for dinners -were-.being-*cooked for 620 men, ; and Mthough 'the oil jotshMl. only been, tened on threeKjuaiiters'of an hotti' before,, ithe dinner, consisthia o£' rich : stew ■.- and '•■'/: potatoes,- -wis ready. .The Duke : yma much impressed, with the valine of the new kitchen,.putting;a lot of ■questions- to '.liieutJ'-Sykes (the- inventor),\ and as he;rode away, expressed; nisleppiecntipn of its practical value. 'A:striking comparison between./the, "Sykes" kitchen, and , , the one. eent down from'"'Woolwloh by,' the Government for , trial was afforded on the manoeuvtesi "This prelates the "Jlilitary :Mail") was in possessioh of. a brigade of artUlery; and uses coal or wood as fuel. .It -woighs 33cirt., and oooks for : - 350 men, and. tho' cost is well over £200. .The J l usui«r3''etove, .which is.so handy and -portable 1 that it can' bo lifted off the' general'. Bcryice wagon. whioh.carried, it after, -the;troops,.Tteighi 101owt.i',cooks for 1000, men, and costs' "iIOO. '.The ■ difference'in tho cost,of -fuel-is , :also .striking. Dnring the manoeuvres coat of petroleum.has been'under 65., for which hot tea and .looked bacon: or other extra'iwas. provided-for breakfast, hot dinners eacn day, ■ivhioh : the other troops did. not get, and: hot ■tea: or coffee'in : the evening. The othsr unit ''twedi a-ton of■■: wood per day, costing'-anythin'g i-.'{rom':';?e;■-■•to'jKa.";:;;.•.v.^^Ci;-,.■,-.■■•..,-.■ ' -.-..:.-\A,-.'-'-