GOOD SHOOTING

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 85, 8 October 1915, Page 8

GOOD SHOOTING

7th REINFORCEMENTS AND NEW BATTALIONS HIGH AVERAGES OBTAINED. Though they do not reach the record established by the sth Reinforcements, the musketry results of the 7th Reinforcements and the Ist and 2nd Battalions New Zealand Rifle Brigade are nevertheless considered highly satisfactory. The average figure of merit obtained by the Infantry of the 7th Reinforcements in the trained soldiers' course (the same as for soldiers in the British Regular Army) is 96.5, as against 91.2 registered by the Infantry of the 6ths, 102.7 by the Infantry of the sths, and 80.9 by the Infantry of the 4ths. The averages secured by the preceding drafts of reinforcements (Mounted Rifles and Infantry combined) in this course were: — 4th Reinforcements,, Bs.4 ; sths, 103.3 ; 6ths, 91.2. The. Mounted Rifles of .the 7th Reinforcements having yet to fire their trained soldiers' course in Egypt, the average figure of merit for the whole of the 7th Reinforcements draft cannot, of course, be given. The 7th Mounteds, however, have shown up l well in their recruits' course. The average figures of merit won by the Ist and 2nd Battalions New Zealand Rifle Brigade in the trained soldiers' course are aiso good, being 87.5 and 95.6 respectively. In comparing the performances of the 7th Infantry and Ist and 2nd Battalions of the Rifle Brigade with those of the sth Reinforcements, however,' it should be remembered that the sths fired at Trent/ham under good 'weather conditions, while their successors and the new battalions had much buffeting about and had to do their musketry at various places, very often in bad weather. The Ist and 2nd Battalions, Rifle Brigade, for instance, did their firing at Palmerston North and Wanganui, while the ?ths fired at Greytown and Trentham. The figures of merit obtained by the 7ths and the new Battalions are as jmder : — 7th REINFORCEMENTS. Mounted Rifles.

Mounted Rifles average 58.1 Infantry. Trained Recruits' Course. Soldiers' Course.

I n f antry average ... 57.9 96.5 R e inforcement aver- / . . *ge V" 58«0 96.5 N.Z. RIFLE BRIGADE. Ist Battalion.

Tiie above figures speak for themselves, and. give an emphatic answer to the charge, apparently made in ignorance, that the various contingents from New Zealand are sent away without having done their proper course of_ musketry. The musketry instruction, in fact, is one of the features of the training given in New Zealand, as the unceasing firing all day long at Trentham discloses. Moreover, the training sheets sent to Egypt disclose exactly what every man has done, including his musketry performances.

OLMX .DcfclrUHdjyili 'A Company 53.7 B Company ... „. 59J2 0 Company ... ... 56.8 D Company 61.3 Machine Gun Section 68.4 96. 96J 86.. IOG.i 104. BafctaHoD. average ... 59.2 9Sj 95.

I" Trained JfSJO&,I, Itecruits' Soldiers course, course. H Company ... ... 64.7 89.6 t- Company, ... ... 50.2 85.3 )> Company 57.5 86.8 )• Company 58.5 88.4 Battalion average ... 57.7 87.5

A B C D Company 'Company Company Company 57.7 56.1 57.7 60.3 96.5 96.7 93:7 99.5

A Squadron B Squadron C Squadron D Squadron E Squadron 3? Squadron G- Squadron H Squadron / ft /ecruits ... s Course. 63.2 60.1 52.4 56.3 59.5 62.7 57.'5 53.2