A TRUE TEST

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 59, 13 March 1929, Page 10

A TRUE TEST

SERVICE SHOOTING

ARMY MEETING

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

From bur Special Reporter.

TRENTIIAM, This Day

■ Modern warfare calls for more than, the ability to shoot straight, and to shoot quickly. A soldier must have good physical condition; he must be able to arrivs at decisions quickly; and Ho must be able to adapt himself easily under different sets of circumstances. The Army rifle meeting embraces all these desired qualities. Tho New Zealand Army Rifle Association was founded in 1922, with the object of promoting interest in weapon training for service purposes, by means of individual and collective competitions, framed as far as possible to induce practice in methods which will lead to increased efficiency on the battlefield. That being so, it follows, naturally, that the various practices at present being conducted at the Army meeting at Trentham should be of an exacting nature, and should be practices evolved to try out tho competitors under•'conditions .■ as similar as possible to those on a battlefield. ■■'.. > ' :■

The' Army Championship calls for qualities which, in the military definition, go to make a "military shot." In all, there are nine practices designed, to test a soldier's accuracy, his capacity for snap-shooting, his capacity for rapidity and volume, and his capacity for fire with movement. His accuracy is: tosted, of course, on all practices, but more especially in the slow practices, of which there are three: Two at 600 yds, and one at 300 yds. There is only one practice 'at snapshooting in the open (at 300 yds), and there are two rapid practices at 300 yds. Each of these latter practices calls for distinct qualities, which are blended in the remaining threq practices, which are conducted with "fire with movement." This is a severe test of all the' qualities of a military shot, and Practice No. 7, carried out this morning, is probably thj most exacting of all fire with movement practices.' The men' start their practice at 600 yds range, and advance to 100 yds, firing at every 100 yds advance, using different positions. Before the first target is exposed the competitor is in the lying position, with both elbows on the ground, at the 600 yds firing point. The target is exposed for 45 seconds, during which time the competitor has to advance 100 yds and fire two shots; that is, he runs to the 500 yds, lies down, and gets his shots aAvay. After he has shot, there is an interval of 15see before the next target appears. Ho advances in similar manner till he reaches'within 200 yds of the target, at which distance he fires from a kneeling position. The last advance takes him up to within 100 yds of the target, where he stands upright and gets rid of the last two rounds of ammunition. Now, it may not seem much of a problem to run 100 yds in 45sec and fire two shots; the average athlete would smile at the task, but it is quite a different matter running 100 yds dressed in full military uniform, wearing boots, and carrying a rifle. , As though those were not sufficient handicaps, the competitors have to traverse rough ground, and jump ditches. The nearer the target, the greater the exertion, and to those who a/c not in the very best of physical condition, by the time they are only 100 yds away from the, target, it is quite a problem, after running nearly a quarter of a'<.mile, to hold tho rifle still from a standing position. That is only one fire with movement ''practice.' There are two others in tho Army Championship: Rapid, 000 yds' to 500 yds; and snapshooting, 500 yds to 300 yds. In therapid practice, the competitors had to run llooyds and get ten shots away in one minute; in the snapshooting, the practice extends over three minutes, during which time ton targets appear, each for three seconds. The competitor starts 200 yds away from his firing point, and has to get his ten shots away, nine of his shots being in his bandolier, which must be . kept fastened till he reaches the firing point. It will be readily observed that the competitor who puts up the best performance in all the Army championship practices must be a rifle shot considerably above the others.

: The second and concluding stage of the Army championship wjs commenced this morning at 8 o'clock sharp, when conditions could not have been better. Yesterday was a very fine day; but today is even better. A sha*p night last night, was followed by a. beautifully fine morning with glorious sunshine and no wind. . , ■

, After, the. completion of the last stage of the championship, the 100 competitors will be selected, to shoot off for the King's Medal, one of the medals presented to each of the Dominions by H.M. the King..

: Tho cadets entered on the second stage of the Cadet Championship this morning, the practices being: 300 yds slow, 300 yds snapshooting, 300 yds rapid, 500 yds slow.

There wiir be the Regimental ( Teams Rifle Match this afternoon, and a match, for cadets. r . ;

A great deal of interest is centring in the night .firing, which!' 1 takes place to-night, for Vicker's (machine gun) and light automatics (Lewis and Hotchkiss guns). This, with the battle practice to-morrow afternoon, is one of the most spectacular parts of the Army meeting. . ' : CADETS' MATCH. Two practices: 200 yards snap-shooting and 200 yards rapid. £2— J. Lusty (Nel.-Marl. and W.C. Bgt.) 64 £1 10s—B. M. Tasker (Wgtn. Egt.) 63 £I—Sgt. F. J. Jane (H.B. Egt.) .. 60 15s—L.-Cpl. C. Prince (H.B. Bgt.), 59; Sgt. D. G. Sandford (Ohch. T.S.), 57; G. A. De Lautour (Otago 8.H.5.), 57; Sgt. L. B. ■Wright (Chch. Tech.), 56. 10s—L.-Cpl. L. D. White (Canty. Bgt.), 56; H. F. Whiteinan (Wgtn. Tech.), 54; H. T. Denby (H.B. Bgt.), 52; Sgt. J. F. Fuller (Waitaki 8.H.), 51; C.-S.-M. N. G. Collinge (HSB. Bgt), '51; Cpl. J. J. Bailton (North Auck Bgt.), 51. 5s —Sgt. W. P. Tombs (Hamilton H.S.), 50; Sgt. W. J. Bamsay (Timaru 8.H.5.), 49; B. Johnston (H.B. Egt.), 49; C. J. Nyberg (Wgtu Bgt), 49; Sgt L. Shuttleworth (Nel.-Marl. and W.C. Egt.), 48; Sgt. T. W. Eussell (Waikato Bgt), 48; Sgt. B. J. Thomas (W.W.C. Egt), 47; O; L. Styles (Nel.-Marl. and W.C. Bgt), 47; B. Morris (Otago Egt.), 47; J. G. Esam (H.B. Bgt), 46; N. C. Choveaux (H.B. Egt), 45; C.-S.-M. C. E. Hubbard (Hamilton H.S.C.), 45; L.Cpl. O. "W. Chapman (Otago H.S.), 44; Sgt. G. Upton (Waitaki 8.H.5.), 44; Sgt J. Goldstone (Chch. Tech.), 44; O. Wood (Chch.. 8.H.5.), 43; B. Claguo (Wgtn. Egt.), 43; L. Schultz (W.W.C. Bgt), 43; Cpl. H. J. Brown (Nel.-Marl and W.C. Bgt), 43; Sgt. W. K. MfElweo (Nel.-Marl. and W.C. Egt), 42; Sgt E. J. Murphy (Southland Bgt.), ,42; C.-S.-M. E. Townscnd (Taranaki Egt), 42; Cpl. E. W. Mitchell (Wgtn. Egt.), 42; S.-S. C. Jones (W.W.C. Bgt), 42; Sgt. D. A. Caughley (Wgtn. Egt.), 42; Sgt L. Lewis (Taranaki Bgt), 41; L. Greenfield (H.B. Egt.), 40; Q.-M.-S. D. W. Pountney (Hamilton H.S.), 40; G. A. Jones (Auck. Bgt), 40; A. Morrison (Waikato Egt), 40; Sgt. C. Crossman (Taranaki Bgt), 40; Sgt. E. E. Newton (North Auck. Bgt), 39; L.G. Silvester (Southland Egt), 38; C.-S.-

M. D. G. Dyor (Wgtn. Rgt.), 38; Sgt. L. C. , Rico (Auek. Rgt.), 38;. Sgt. C. V. Wilson (Canty. Rgt.), 38.. , • Counted out—Sgt. A. Bowman, 38. ARMY CHAMPIONSHIP.

Lance-Corporal A. R. Symons, winner. The Army Championship, was won by Lance-Corporal A. R. Synious (Ist Batt. Hawkes Bay Regiment), with a score of 218. Captain J. V. M.'Cauty !(lst Batt. Taranaki Regiment), and 2nd Lieut. K. J. Duncan (Ist Batt. Auckland Regiment) tied with 209 each, but Captain Cauty won second place' on the count back on tho hardest fire with movement practice, 2nd Lieut. Duncan taking third place. . ■

The highest score was put up by Sergeant F..A. Iliscoek (N.Z.P.S.), with 247, but he, was uhablo to take, tho Champion Bolt, as the' champion shot of the Army must be a competitor from the New Zealand Territorial Force, active list oniv.

Following are detailed results, showing tho scores at the end of the first stage, the soeond stage, and the aggregate.

The Champion Belt and Gold Jewel. —Lance-Corporal A. R. Symons (Ist Batt.' Hawfces Bay Regiment), 121, 97— 218. :

Silver Jewel.—Captain J. "V. M. Cauty (Ist Batt. Taranaki Regiment), 102, 107—209. ■

Bronze Jewel.—2nd Lieut. IC J. Duncan (Ist Batt. Auckland Regiment), 97, 112—209;

Last year's Belt winner was Corporal H. Symon (Ist Batt Otago Regiment). Lieut. K. J. Duncan was second.

The highest possible score in the aggregate was 375, 200 for the first stage and 175 for tho second stage.

HIGHEST SCORES,

Some of the highest scores were as

follow:—

Sergeant F. A. Hiscock (N.Z.P.S.), 102, 145—247. • . ■

S.S.M. J..H. Kearney (N.Z.P.S.), 124, 116—240. :•:

Lieutenant T. J. Denton (N.Z. Per manent Air Force), 100, 124—224,.

Neither of these competitors, was able to take the Champion Belt,'but they take the prize money for the first three places. • , .