BIG GUN SHOOT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 137, 7 December 1923, Page 8

BIG GUN SHOOT

6-IN HOWITZERS AT TRENTHAM

15th,BATTERY'S FIELD DAY.

To-day was a "field day" for the 15th Battery, N.Z.A., which has been undergoing its annual training at the Hutt Park and is now concluding its course. Though windy, the weather was fortunately fine, and the Battery, armed with its four 6-inch howitzers, left at an early hour for Trentham, where an excellent shoot was conducted. The guns were stationed in a paddock, close to the well-known "Quinn's Post," at Trentham, and from there a clear view was obtained of the targets, -3200 yards distant. These were three trenches on ranges, and represented infantry entrenched. The Battery was under tho command of Captain Kirk, M.C. Colonel M. M. Gardner, Director of Artillery, was in charge of the .shoot, assisted by Captain Ivory; arid Captain W. &. Stevens was the Artillery Instructor.

Among those present were Major-Gen-eral Sir E. W. C. Chaytor (General Umcer Commanding the Forces), tho Mayor of Wellington (Mr. R. A. Wright. M.P.), Colonel C. G. Powles (Chief of Btaff) U>lonel Burgess, Colonel C W Melvill (Officer Commanding Central Command), Major W. I. K. Jennings (Staff Officer in Charge of No. 5 Regimental District), Captain H. D. Hamilton (Naval Adviser), and Captain Clifton. ' .

The shoot commenced shortly before eleven o'clock, and during the morning and this afternoon 50 rounds were fired by the Battery. The Battery used the third-grade charge, and had no difficulty in finding the targets. Considering the small opportunities they have had for training, their shooting was certainly creditable, and ' was favourably commented upon. The actual results of the shoot will not be known until later, when the targets have been examined.

During the afternoon a detachment of the R.N.Z.I. also fired a series of 20 rounds.

The 6-inch howitzer has an extreme r rnf?™° ri1 '272 yards > a"d fives a shell of 1001b in weight. During its flight at the maximum range the shell rises 10,000 feet into the air.