THE DEADLY MORTAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1942, Page 6

THE DEADLY MORTAR

ACCURATE RANGE FINDING

Most of the New Zealanders have a tremendous respect for the Germans' 51b mortars, which they operate with deadly accuracy, report men who have returned from the Middle East. These mortars have a range of some 4000 yards, and the Germans, it was stated, were wizards in finding the range. "They would send over one, then they would send over another, and the third would hit the mark," said one man. •'This sort of thing happened ah the time. It was the only weapon that really scared me, because you can't dodge it. You can give it a go to get away from machine-guns, but not these deadly mortars. They come over "whoosh,1 and if you're within twenty or thirty yards of a burst you're for it."

This soldier*, who wab through Gallipoli in the last war, told of a New Zealand machine-gunner in his section who was doing deadly work from a narrow slit trench at an advanced post He was'mowing the Germans down in great style as they came over the top. and then the German mortars started on him. "They were as accurate as ever," he said. "First one shell came over just behind the trench. Our chaps knew the young chap in fronthe was only about 19--was for it unless he was very lucky. Then came another, which fell short .pf the trench. The third landed right in the trench. Our chap never knew what hit him. He did. a tremendous amount of damage before they got him, though."

Owing to the accidental switching on of a radiator in mistake for an electric iron, fire broke out in a private residence at 27 Everton Terrace yesterday. The radiator set fire to some books and other articles, and the flames ran up the wall. The outbreak was quickly noticed, however, and the occupants of the house had it well subdued by the time the brigade arrived.