MECHANISED ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 42, 17 August 1929, Page 8

MECHANISED ARMY

TIME NOT YET RIEE

A GRADUAL PROCESS

The opinion that the time has not yet arrived for the mechanisation of the New Zealand defence, forces, on lines of experiments being conducted at Home, but that some mechanised vehicles should gradually be acquired for our Territorial units, is expressed by the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Forces (Major-General B. Young) in the annual report of the Defence. Department, presented in the House of Bepresentatives yesterday.

"During the last two years," says Major-General Young, "much public attention and interest has been attracted by the development of mechanisation in the Army in England. Fostered, no doubt, by the numerous Press reports of the operations of the experimental mechanised force on Salisbury Plain and in other .commands during recent Army and divisional .manoeuvres, there appears to be a growing impression on the part of the public that the British Army is being transformed into an armoured fighting force, that the era of cavalry, infantry, and artillery as we know them is passing away, and that the combatant arinb are being superseded by the introdue tion of armoured fighting vehicles. This impression is quito erroneous. The Kegular Army still retains its divisional organisation—that is to say, units are still grouped in formations composed of all arms, with adequately proportioned infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, signals, supply units, etc. It is true that the mobility of these arms and services has been and is being inir proved by the gradual introduction of cross-country mechanical vehicles, of which the six-wheeled lorry is an example; but the organisation, functions, and principles of employment of units and their interdependence ana importance have undergone only minor changes.

TESTS UNDER SERVICE CONDITIONS.

"Tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles are organised into special units which are allotted to divisions as occasion demands. The experimental armoured force was formed in order to test under as nearly as possible service conditions the various types of armoured vehicles, and to endeavour to ascertain the capabilities and limitations of wholly mechanised units, together with their relation and co-operation with the other arms.

"Tho work of tho force has had very valuable results, but the broad questions involved aro still far from'finality, and further experiments .vill be necessary before definite conclusions can be reached regarding either the standardisation of fighting vehicles themselves or their tactical * employment in co-operation with the other

arms,

A GRADUAL PROCESS.

"In view of the above reasons, and quite apart from financial restrictions, I do not consider that tho time has yet arrived when we should attempt to form even a nucleus armoured fighting unit in the Now Zealand MilitaryForces. lam of opinion, however, that it is now essential to acquire some mechanised vehicles for our Territorial units, conimenciug with the field artillery. This process must of necessity be very gradual, but the provision of th.eso mechanical vehicles will not only be more economical in permitting a great reduction to be made in the number of horses maintained and hired for artillery training, but 'will also give much better results in the limited time availablo for field training and battery manoeuvres. ■

"With tho increasing introduction of mechanical weapons it is becoming more and more important that the preliminarj instruction and individual training of the soldier shall be well grounded and on sound .ttnes. This applies particularly to the training of the Territorial force, where actual time for field training and exercises is so very limited. The recruit must join his battalion or other unit with his preliminary training in drill and discipline so far advanced that ho can 'take up without delay the more advance ed and specialised work commencing with his Territorial service. This must obviously be essential in view of the short duration of service in the Territorial force and the necessity of devoting all the time and opportunities available to proficiency with weapons and the tactical handling of sub-units in the field.

INTERBEPENDENT SERVICES.

"For the above reasons I attach the utmost importance to the Cadet training, and move especially to the higher training of those in their final year in the Cadet force. lam convinced that the general standard of training and satisfactory results which I witnessed at the Territorial camps this year was veoy largely due to careful preliminary training in tho Cadets. With our short period of servico in the Territorial force it is more than ever essential that the latter part of the Cadet's training shall be regarded as recruit training for his Territorial unit and arm. In my opinion the two services are interdependent.'f