BATTLE PRACTICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3013, 26 February 1917, Page 6

BATTLE PRACTICE

TWENTY-THIRDS 'AT PAPAWAI. . One of the most successful and coinprehensile machine-gun battle practices that have been held for feome time was carried out at Papawai yesterday by the Twenty-third Specialists, under Lieut. M'Queen. Sixteen machine-guns were used, arid tlio operations /were under the direction of Major Fraser, chief machine-gun instructor, upon whom the day's work refleoted credit,t, as well as upon Lieut. D. G. Smith, assistant instructor, who was responsible for tj&f trading of this draft.

I The scheme of the work was an elai borate one. An imaginary enemy held la position across the Ruamahanga I River, while the home forces (two regij ments) wore holding, with aid of machine-guns, an advanced lino on an | island in the river. One of these regiments was forced by heavy bombardment to retire, leaving the other forces in the advanced line in a dangerous position, from which it was necossary to retire. After a violent fusilade with three Lewis's and a Maxim gun, these troops retired through the river, carrying their guns, while they carried out this manoeuvre the other section of 8 guns in tho front line defences poured in* a heavy fire upon the enemy, who wero endeavouring to cross by a pontoon bridge and reinforce the party who had carried the revtrernent with tbo guns. Foiled in this attempt, the enemy endeavoured io cros3 the river at a point further down..

At this the battle practice became thrilling. All the_ guns in.the front line were firing rapidly, and in a high Muff,- some brigade gune sent their bullets whistling overhead. firing at a range of 1500 yards. The whole of the proceedings were, very realistic, and the clattering roar of all the guns echoing across the hills made an impressive din.