THE ROSS RIFLE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3044, 3 April 1917, Page 7

THE ROSS RIFLE

CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO ITS EXCHANGE

TESTED IN THE FIELD

Correspondence relating to the use of' the Itoss rifle? by the X'anadian troops, in France was issued recently./ On Juiio' 19, 1915, Lord French, then, commanding the British Army in the; field, reported that ho did not feel jus- . tified in, sending a Canadian division , into battle with the Ross rifle,;. and ordered the rearming of the infantry;, of tho division with the Lee-Enfield. , On May 28, 1916, Sir Douglas Haig v reported that, as a, service rifle, the. Ross was less i trustworthy' than the. Lee-Enfield, and that the majority o?': tho men armed with the'Ross rifle had' not the confidence in it that'it to essential theyshouldpoesess. In answer . to a. request from the Govepior-General of Canada, Sir Douglas June 21, said he had again .consumed . Hh<j general officer commanding'the Second; Aimj, in case any; fresh, points had : oome'to light during the heavy: fighting in whioh the Canadians were, engaged! near Ypree, and his experience of tho working of the Ross rifle during tho last fight only confirmed him in.,his opinion that the Canadians in the Third Division, at any rate, had lost confidence in their rifle, and recom- . inonded that it should be. Although .the reports from the Second Division were not to the.sarao effect# Sir Douglas Haig was of opinion that , the Lee-Enfield should ho issued to all three divisions of the Canadian coips.He adhered to his recommendation that the Second and Third Canadian Divisions should be re-armed with the short! Lee-Enfield, and would urge that .the necessary steps to givo icffecb thereto bo taken without delay. . , On July 3, in a memorandum from tho War Office tq the High Commis-' sionor for the Dominion, it was , that the Armv Council agreed with Sir Douglas Haig thatjlio efficiency of the Ross riflo had beeXfufly tosted in the field, and thoy_had, after duo cou- . sideratioiij apprived his proposal fo excliango tho rifles of ; the 2nd and 3rd! Canadian Divisions for tho Lee-Enfield pattern; steps would- jw' taken forthwith' to carry out the exchange. Tha Army Council hoped to he ahlo .is, utilise the Ross riflos released by the troops in.FrafiCSj and thqso in ppsscs- : sion of Canadian troops iii, England,... for 'otlior purposes connected with the war, but thoy would be glad if steps would be taken to stop any more rifles of tliis pattern being brought to England, it-being understood that the, 'Army Council would thereby make themselves , responsible for supplying.' the necessary rifle*.; to they troops from) ■ Canada on arrival in England.; they,, saw no Teasou to doubt their being able to do this, ft was added that should tho, Canadian Government be desirous of undertaking. ih2_J2snufacture of a • riflo of another pafterii, it was thought thatariflo made to the same pattern as. that , being produced in 'America for tho British' Army would probahl? .be the best to adopt. This rifle is on the: lines, of the Lee-Enfield, Mark 3; but-! has had embodied in it many improve-, monts which have, been,arrived.;at_ in"} - connection witli' a now .pattern riflo | whioh tho Army Council were about tdr adopt just before the outbreak of war.- .