MILITARY AT MATARAE

Evening Star, Issue 15480, 30 April 1914, Page 8

MILITARY AT MATARAE

BATTLE 0F m6uNT ROSS. GENERAL HAMILTON WELL PLEASED. [From Oui Own Repobter.] MATARAE, April 29. ■ The grey mist that enveloped the camp this morning dissipated towards 10 o'clock, and by 11 it was brilliant sunshine. The special train from Dunedin brought nearly 600 spectators to the scene of the first divisional attack delivered in Otago. and another 300 were conveyed from Middlemarch. The environs of Mount Ross were besprinkled with at least 1,000 spectators when the sullen boom of the first gun from the enemy's position annunciated their apprisal of the fact _ that the invaders were within touch. Officially, as announced yesterday, the position was that an invading force (brown) were rapidly advanring towards Mount Ross, which" was held Dy an inferior force of defenders expecting reinforcements. Actually the attacking force (which consisted of "the various brigades at Matarae) numbsred 4,000 men, and theoretically (for the

purposes of this manoeuvre) the base of Mount Ross had been made thoroughly tenable by an inferior (invaded) force of 2,5C0 men, supported by one battery of field guns. WHAT THE PUBLIC SAW. It was not until after 11 a.m. that the uninitiated public witnessing the operation from the many points of vantage attainable in this rock-bestudded area really grasped the magnitude of the manoeuvre. For a half-hour before infantry scouts had been crawling into position, hugging cover wherever available (rather to the bewilderment of the spectators, who could see nothing hostile on the horizon), and at the hour when battle joined at least 1,000 riflemen were under cover within l,2Coyds of the silent position occupied by the enemy, while another 1,000 were within half a mile of the firinp line. The real position was disclosed when the first heavy gun from Mount Ross was discharged, and before its echoes had died away our men's batteries, under cover half a mile in the rear (and obeying exactly the signals of an advance corps as to direction, distance, and elevation), were shelling the enemy's position. The splutter of rifle fire punctuated the heavier discharges, the rival riflemen engaging at about I,2ooyds. Presently the superiority of fire of our men enabled them to start the rushing tactics that finally landed them in the enemy's trenches. Company by company they gained 25yds at a time, under the covering fire of the constantly-reinforced firing line, and it was not until they were within 600 yds of the coveted position, with every gun and rifle directed on them, that their impetus was checked. At this range a stubborn duel was waged, fresh regiments constantlv doubling into the firing line; and finally the artillery took up closer petition where to some extent it was possible to smother the enemy's return. Th« latter were sheerly worn down, and in half an hour's duel our men had rushed to within 300 yds, It was at this stage, when the issue hung in the balance, that the mounted brigade, wider Colonel Nicholls, appeared on the right flank of the enemy and at once engaged, assisted by three sections of machine guns and two eighteenpounders The opportune appearance on the enemy's flank of the mounted infantry, who were called in bv Colonel Bawhop at the crucial moment, clinched the affair, and within ten minutes the enemv's position was rushed and the umpires signalled the " Cease fire." THE OFFICIAL VERSION.

The enemy occupied a strongly -en trenched position at the base of Mount Ross. Th? infantry marched straight across from Matarae in artillery formation, and with scouts thrown out, to deliver a frontal pirning attack. The Mounted Rifle Brigade, whose theoretical base was Middlemarch, moved in from the left, and at 11.35 a.m. began to co-operate with the ii.-fantry by means of a flank attack on the enemy's right. A COMPLETE SUCCESS. The exerciee was remarkably successful, and reflects the more credit upon officers and men in that the training in camp. complete as it has been, had but imperfectly prepared the men for a movement of such importance as a divisional attack. GENERAL HAMILTON'S COMMENT. Subsequent to the operation the officers were addressed bv General Hamilton. "To-day," he said,""l have seen you engaged in the attack. One may say of- the attack that it is three-quarters of war. Give the men health etc.. one merely needs to bustle them to the front, and attack as quickly as possible and as fit as possible. Anybody that defends only and never attacks* is bound to be beaten. We see this even in the game of football, for the side which defends ies goal only, and makes no effort at attack, is certain to lose the game. This hill here was bound to be taken, because no attempt was made at attacking. But defence in the Dominions —especially in the attacking side of war—is apt to be slured over. It is considered wicked to think of attacking anyone. You talk here of your Minister of Defence. Mr Allen would be horrified if he were called Minister of Attack. When at comes to tactical work a commander should be a commander of attack, and not of defence. I think that you will all have to make a certain effort of imagination in carrying out elementary tactics, and visualise the enemy, and do as you would do if a real enemy were there. "One gets too much into the way of mafcirrg rushes at 50yds or so i without any clear conception of the ineani ing of the rushes, and as to whether one | will, be much better in" the position to [■which, one is rushing. The first thing a good commander gets in an attack is .to [develop the energy of his men in that

direction; then he decides what points he will take up, and considers how he ca.n take them whilst exhausting or losing as few men as possible. Before taking Up any position it is necessary to Bend out intelligent scouts. This takes place in action, but very rarely in elementary practice. In teaching men elementary things never show them anything unreal, * With reference to to-day's manoeuvre, I may say that I expected to have many criticisms to make. , but find that I have actually very few." General Hamilton then made a few tech- ' nical criticisms concerning each branch of \ the troops which had been engaged in the j manoeuvre. With regard to the mounted l infantry, he said he had no criticism to • make, nothing for them but oongratulai tions. They hod exercised self-restraint in j a way he had not expected, and had re- ) i framed from rushii.'p into the attack before . j their time, though strongly tempted to do > j so. " I wish," he continued, "to wind up , iby saying that I am very sincerely suri prised, end that I admire the work done j to-day. I genuinely admire it because it , was a very big order io take troops who ' j work in large bodies so seldom, and to de- . j velop an attack of this rather complicated I I nature. Speaking on broad lines, I may • I,say that it was very well done indeed, and > j very creditably."

THE CONCLUDING SPECTACLE. To the non-military spectator the most imposing pa-rfof the spectacle was the march past in column of route, which concluded the exercise. It was a parade of a magnitude not before witnessed in New Zealand, and drew the avdible commendation of the Minister of Defence (the Hon. Jarr.efi Allen), who was present. It was not until the crowd debouched upon the Mount Ross homestead road that one realised its magnitude. For a mile the fairway was blocked with vehicles of all kinds, and progress was slow. There were several motor cars,-but none" penetrated so far into the rocky hillocks a 6 Lieutenant W. J. P. M'Cullpcn's cars (Ford make), which were at the disposal of the staff, Lieutenant M'Culloch being one of the principal officers in charge of the Motor Reserve, in essentials an intelligence unit. Lieutenant M'Culloch and Captain Whaite were personally complimented by General Sir lan Hamilton and General Godley upon the work done by their section. THE GENERAL FAREWELLED. If there were 1.000 people present at the tactical exercise, at least 200 remained in camp to see the troops come in and to inspect the camp. At 4.20 p.m. the excursion train, with the Yice-regal and Ministerial carriages attached, lay at the siding, surrounded by Territorials off duty and by civilian spectators. A guaTd ofhonor, consisting of B Company of the 4th Regiment (under Captain Price), was drawn up. and when General Hamilton appeared, followed, by his staff, General God lev, the Hon James Allen, and Messrs G. M." Thomson and C. E. Statham, M.P.s, the companv-gave the general salute, while the Sth Regimental Band played. The crorvd were "so eager to see the general that many (including a cinematograph operator) secured coigns of vantage on the railway carriages, and in the scuffle the windows of one were broken. Just as. Sir lan was. saving good-bye, a sextet of Maori Territorials, led by a sergeant, gave the haka, and in such enthusiastic fashion as to amuse and gratify the object of the honor. As the train steamed out, cheers were given for General Sir Tan Hamilton and General Godley, and all down the mile-lons camp these were repeated by the troops who crowded to the railway line.