"BUSH ARTILLERY"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 41, 16 August 1941, Page 10

"BUSH ARTILLERY"

ITS WORK AT TOBRUK

CREATED BY AUSTRALIANS

CAIRO, August 14. Beginning humbly with the effort of two Queensland sappers in firing a captured Italian gun, the Tobruk "bush artillery" has become a definite feature of- the military activity in the fortress, writes the Australian official war 'correspondent. Manning several varieties of Italian guns the untrained crews have become quite efficient in the science of gunnery in spite of the primitive methods of aiming and ranging that must be used. The "bush artillery" is stationed well, f< ward in the perimeter of the de- j fences, and the guns are generally aimed by one member of the crew standing about 15 yards behind .the j gun and taking a sight on the area to be plastered. His comrades manhandle their gun in the direction he indicates, and generally their ranging shots are wide, but they soon get on the target. Enemy artillery has made a number oi attempts to put these guns out ofi action, with no success. The A us- ' tralian-manned guns have become well known throughout the garrison and it has become quite frequent for the commanders of British batteries when asked for support, to answer "that will be a job for the 'bush artillery.' " Then the call goes through, and the men rush to their guns. • i