TRAINING TROOPS AT TRENTHAM

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 303, 19 September 1941, Page 6

TRAINING TROOPS AT TRENTHAM

Modern War Methods

WORK WITH TOMMY GUNS AND BREN CARRIERS

Instructors, armed with tommy guns advanced through a smoke screen put up by smoke bombs,'and Bren carriers manoeuvred smartly across a wide open stretch of country at Trentham yesterday when troops were seen in routine training. Trench mortars, and baud and rifle grenades were also used and the geq'eral effect was to demonstrate the training .through which troops in mobilization camps pass to fit themselves for the serious' tasks overseas. Home Guard officers who are undergoing a course at the Army School were present, as part of their training, at some of the demonstrations carried out by instructors. Though there were moving picture cameramen, journalists and photographers present, the show was not a special one but a fair sample of the everyday training. The greatest interest attached to the tommy-gun (Thompson sub-ma-chine gun), which New Zealand troops first contacted in Greece and Crete where they used to great advantage weapons of this type captured from the enemy. From what was shen at Trentham yesterday, New Zealand troops will now be able to use this weapon as effectively as it is possible. The tommy gun weighs 1041 b., against 81b. for the .303 service rifle. A great advantage is that it gives individual soldiers great lire power without reducing their mobility. This is most valuable in close fighting, where the gun can lie fired from the waist position by instinctive sighting. This was demonstrated by instructors yesterday. It (g most effective at 2u to o 0 yards and, with skill, great accuracy can be obtained up lo 50 yards. The gun is fitted with an aperture sight for longrange use and, fired by sight aim, is effective up to 600 yards. It still has great shocking power at this range. It files the .450 calibre bullet, which is short and stubby compared with the .303. The rate of fire is 700 to 900 rounds a minute, a tremendous improvement on the 'rapid fire rate of the .303 rifle. The great manoeuvrability of the Bren carrier was shown when a number of these fighting vehicles combined in movements over a stretch of wide, open country. The grenade is still an important assault weapon of warfare and the accuracy necessary to wield it to the greatest effect was splendidly demonstrated. The Home Guard trainees were associated with this as part of their instruction. The use of smoke bombs showed how attacking troops can move toward an enemy behind smoke cover and be almost invisible till they emerge from the edge of the smoke pall. This is usually timed to be at a point which will bring the attacking troops almost on top of the enemy. This was where the tommy gun revealed its advantage over the rifle in this class of attack for a small number of men can not only bring considerable fire power to bear on ini enemy but actually, by the rapid rate of firing, create the impression of much greater fire power than actually exists. The salient impression gained from watching these sections of training yesterday was that all who receive instruction at Trentham, whether at the Army School or in the mobilization camp, are being capably handled and coached to fit themselves for what lies ahead of them.

(Pictures on Page 5.)