RIFLE IN WAR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 38, 8 November 1919, Page 7

RIFLE IN WAR

STILL THE GREATEST WEAPON

CRACK SHOT'S VIEWS

"It is hard to, realise the stupidity that insists that (lie bomb and the bayonet have superseded the rifle. But I had the satisfaction of proving (hi? fallacy _to Captain Bolts, champion of the British Army with Ihe bayonet, and to some of the staff of General Pluiners Second British Army." In these terms (says tho Sydney "Daiiy Telfgraph") LieutenantColonel Blackl'ow, D.5.0.. himself famous as a rifleman, summed up his arguments in favour of an instructional scheme do ensure tho.better knowledge of the rifle anil tho arts of war, such as observation, that iu his opinion should accompany that knowledge. Colonel Blacidow was addressing an audience, of riflemen and military men at Pandwick ltille Pailge recently. Though he did not say it, the fact remains that till.' colonel, who, by the way, was a machine-gun officer, was sent for by Sir John Moiiash, Ilio Australian Com-mander-in-Chief, to give special instruction to our troops'along the lines which he now suggests should be made generally applicable to Australia through the media of I he'rifle clubs.

, Tho lecturer declared that his experience of the war showed that, as a matter of fact, the rille ivas a greater doathdealing agency in some actions than any other weapon. Tho. bugbear and"dread of all front-line troops was the highlytrained and efficient sniper. The/ musketry of tho British Army was tho one thing that had stood the test of tho war above others. And it showed that our draining was absolutely on tho • right lines, and the N.P.A. of Great Britain and the sister associations of Australia, and particularly of New South "Wales, had proved to be lacking nothing in encouraging I ho acqiiiiivmcnt. of that knowledge which should be the possession of the efficient, soldier armed with tho rifle. The. man who obtained instruction in tho use of (ho telescope and tho rifle in his club -was a more efficient medium of training for military purposes.than was l)he man dependent: nn file general muskelry course. The only drawback ho had found was that tlie training of riflemen in observation work had not gone far enough. As a matter of fact, flic ,'onours of sniping were immeasurably with the-: llncho until our men were specially jnslructed in the arts of camouflage and of observation.

In attack, lon, it had been found that no troops would, or could, assail against, undisturbed rilln fiiv and machine-gun tire. Pesort hail, always li be had to artillery barrage to keep this class of fire down. Again, when troops got to their objective it was Hie snipers who were pushfd to the front to cover consolidation operations, by keeping down enemy observers.

To-day in Australia, ho said, wo havo a splendid lot of young officers who, if. organised, would ho of immense value in helping riflemen in acquirement of tho principles of observation and map-read-' ing. Telescopic sights should be issued to clubs for practice, and men should bo taught to use lliem. A short musketry courso and tho rest could safely be left to the N.li'.A... which had stood tho test of the past. Nothing should bo dono by the authorities to kill the sporting sido and individual skill of the rifleman. Every rifleman should be allotted a company in his locality, and should bo among tho first to be mobilised in time of war.

It was (he faulty -work of the man who had undergone only a general musketry training that, in tho early stages of the war, was responsible for (he belief that'the rillo was doomed. Excellent opportunity to demonstrate tho value of the rifle in covering an attack was lost when the Australians had to go to the relief of the Americans when they broke through the Hindenhurg Tine. Artillery iiro was out of the r|iiestion, but officers did not co-ordinate as to rifle fire, am! tho affackers relied on overhead machine-gun lire to cover their advance.

Instructors, in rifle shooting should be appointed in every district of tho Commonwealth, whose special duty would bo to train the clubmen in observation work and to instill knowledge of mapping and man-reading as well as of l.lio compass. The recording of the result of searching with a telescope should also be made a feature.

Giving illustrations of his contention that the rifle is Ihe most deadly and mobile of weapons, he declared that a trench could be mopped up by it by firing unexposed down traversers much ouicker than with bomb or bayonet, though ho admitted the efficiency pi tlw bomb in clearing dugouts. Again, 0)1 the night •of April 21, when two brigades at Yillers-Brotonnenx pinched out some 1500 of the enemv with bullet and bayonet, he was surprised lo note when soimr over the ground later Ihe extent of Ihe slaughter and the number of pierced helmets Hint told of the accurate shooting of the Australians. Three out of every four bad been hit.in the bead. And that action was in complele darkness.

On these premises Colonel Blacklow summed, up as staled.