THE DEFENCE OF WELLINGTON

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 55, 3 September 1906, Page 5

THE DEFENCE OF WELLINGTON

m A PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION. GENERAL BABINGTON INSPECTS THE WELLINGTON GARRISON. A review of all arms of the Wellington Garrison was held on Saturday afternoon by Major-General Babington, Commandant of the New Zealand Defence Voices, whose term of ofiicc is now almost expired, and who will shortly leave for Enghnd to lejoin his regiment. There was air excellent muster of the several companies, and a most useful series of manoeuvres was gone through. A noticeable feature of Iho parade was tho presence of the thiee defence rifle clubs — Karori, Petone, and Upper Hutt — each of which mustered strongly. Colonel Webb, Oflicer Commanding tho Wellington Volunteer Diatrict, made a personal inspection of the riflemen, and expressed hL> sati&facI tion at their excellent muster, at the | same time qualifying- hia commendation by informing them that they would be liable to be shot in time of war if captured^ and found' armed without being in uniform, which was their p"reeenb case. The St. Patrick's College and Wellington College Cadets were also strongly represented, and their appearance was favourably commented upon. The scheme for the day's operations was devised to give good test of the efficiency of the volunteers. The Wellington Rifie Battalion, under Lieut. - Col. Collins, constituted an attacking force, and to the number of several hundreds it took boat for Miramar, and thence deployed to the sea coast, preparatory to making an advance across the neck of the isthmus on the hills surrounding Newtoww Park and its northern vicinities. A composite force defended these hills, made up of D Battery, the Heretaunga Mounted Rifles, the Wellington Engineers, tho three rifle clubs, and the two cadet corps. The Garrison Band was also in attendance. The mounted riflemen acted as scouts, the engineers and tho club riflemen took part on the right and left flames, the cadets manned an advanced spur above Ivilbirnie South, and part of the battery took positions at the southward of the park whilo another established itself on a commanding rise at the rear of the Patent Slip, and about a mile from where the rifiemon'B lines ended. The defenders were under direction of Major Brandon. The attacking force had been disembark 1 before the defenders took up post, and they made their advance with undoubted skill in the cover that was available in the early stages. The booming of guns from the battery stations was the first intimation that the defenders' rank and file had of the approach of ths attacking party, but soon afterwards the necessity of crossing the isthmus at its barren and sandiest and narrowest part threw the invaders into clear relief, whereupon the cadets harried them with a decimating fire that was maintained until nlmost iho ultimate cartndge was discharged. The cycle corps spurted past on the roadway, and received a fusilade from tlie riflemen that wa3 adjudged to empty many saddles, and nil the time the battery boomed out suppositions death from "its lofty eminences. The assaulting paity moved on through the death trap to the safer foothills, and with sound judgment delivered its main attack on the centre of the line, where a vorv desultory fire told of depleted cartridge belts; but fioni left and right of the line came an enfilading fire that betokened husbanded wourees, and in the end the umpire (Ueneral Opinion) gave his decision that a most effective defence had been put up, and that the attempt to cany the position by assault had failed. To a critical eye the lesson ot Saturdays demoiiitiation was that the invasion of Wellington by way of Miramar would be a dangerous undertaking indeed, the excellent defensive ground afforded by the long spur of hills running from Mount Victoria to beyond Newtown Park being such as to give material advantage to the defenders. The disposition of forces that gave to tli3 Wellington Rifie Bittalion the task of manoeuvring over the Miramar flats wps excellent, for the defence of the peninsula is the post sot apart for the battalion in case of Wellington being invadsd l»y an enemy from oversea. Tho wetther was fine for Saturday's manoeuvres, though cold, and a goodly number of citizens occupied coigns of vantage and watoliod the proceedings. General Babington made known his satisfaction with the way in which all arms of the service had acquitted themselves in Iheir duties. Addressing himself to the rifle clubs, he expressed the pleasure he felt at seeing them so well represented, nnd intimated his icsolve to recommend the Government to piovido them with uniforms for use on parade and at shooting contests. All in all, the. demonstration was highly successful, and general satisfaction "was felt and expressed by the representatives of every branch of the service. Tho companies of the rifle battalion inarched past Mnjor-General Babington and his staff in Roy-stieot, and were dismissed, after the General had complimented them upon their performance and their record muster. It is interesting to note that all three of tho City, Post and Telegraph, and tho Highland Rifles mustered full strength. The parade state was as follows : — City Rifles (53), under Captain Duthie ; Wellington Guards (33), under Captain John Duthie; Kelburno ' Rifles (5<J), under Captain Davis ; Civil Service Rifles ' (62), under Captain Wray ; Post and Telegraph Rifles (62), under Captain Morris; College Rifles (43), under Captain Turner; Zealandia Rifles (62), under Captain Corrigan ; Highland Rifles (63), under Captain Macintosh ; Hutt Vnlloy Rifles (51), under Captain Hobbs; Cyclo Corps (23), under Lieutenant Slinn ; part Bearer Corps (about 15), under Surgeon-Captain Bege. ( Lieutenant-Colonels Campbell and Chaytor accompanied the battalion as umpires. The defenders had excellent musters in every instance, but the parade states were not available. D Battery was under Captain Courteney, tho Heretaunga Mounted Rifles, under Captain Samuel, tho Wellington and St. Patrick's College Cadets and the Upper Hutt, Potone, and Karori Rifle Clubs-, under Captain Matheson, and the Bearer and Field Hospital Corps under Surgeon-Colonel Collins and SurgeonCaptain M'Gavin. Major-General Babington, Colonel Webb, Majors Joyce nnd Johnston, Caj>tains Campbell, Brown, and Hughes wore with the defenders. The muster of tho garrison was a record for How Zea?antl, both proportionately and Efcrnericallj".