N.Z. FORCES

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1938, Page 10

N.Z. FORCES

ARMY BECOMES MECHANISED. Recognising that in the present disturbed state of the world it is necessary for the democracies to be in a position to defend themselves against aggression, the Labour Government of New Zealand has set about the task of reorganising the Defence Forces in a thoroughly business-like manner. When the Government took office, the land defences of New Zealand were in a state of neglect and a poor return was being obtained for the money expended. A thorough reorganisation of the Defence Forces was necessary to place them on an efficient basis and to ensure that young men would willingly offer their services as members of the Territorial units. Expenditure of large sums of money was not called for. The Government realised that it could spend a great deal of money quite easily, but if it did not get results that money would be wasted. So it adopted a policy of spending money on defence in the direction of securing the highest aggregate of efficiency at the lowest possible cost. To-day the first fruits of that policy are to be seen in the reorganisation that has taken place—in the setting up of boards which ensure the co-ordination of the three fighting services on the highest basis of efficiency. In the reorganisation of theland forces there has been amalgamation of units to provide for the most efficient training of officers and non-com-missioned officers, schools of instruction have been established, and mechanisation has been introduced in line with the most modern practice in the older countries of the world. Gradually the horse is being replaced by the motor. A pool of motor vehicles is being established in each of the three military commands These vehicles will be used for demonstration purposes in the main. The great bulk of the motor vehicles in use every day could, if required in an emergency, be converted for use as military vehicles, thus providing the Defence Forces with extra plant and transport for their needs. It is not the intention of the Government to build up a large accumulation of motor transport for use by the Army only. What is being done is to provide sufficient vehicles for demonstration and training purposes, so that the men will have some idea of what they will have to use in the event of an emergency. EXPENDITURE OF £13,500. The Government is spending £13,500 on mechanisation this year, and is obtaining two or three vehicles of each type. Where possible, the work of building the bodies and converting the vehicles to the requirements of the Army is being done at the Railway Workshops, the Post and Telegraph Workshops, and the Army Ordnance Workshops. ' Some of the big motor vans came in very handy for use bv the Post and Telegraph Department during the Christmas rush and the Defence Department, incidentally, got a bit of extra revenue in that way. The utmost co-operation now- exists between the Defence Department and the other Government Departments. With the Government it is not a question of just spending money, but of spending it wisely, and the Defence Department is able to borrow vehicles from other departments for training purposes, and also lends its own vehicles to other departments when they are required. The whole idea behind the present reorganisation scheme is to train a land defence force to the highest pitch of efficiency, and. in the event of an emergency arising, there will be .the means to train properly the men who are recruited.

An inspection of the modern mechanised war equipment that is being provided for the Territorial Force for training in peace and on mobilisation was made by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones), and the Chief of the General Staff of. the New Zealand Forces (Major-General J. ~E. Duigan) at Fort Dorset, Wellington. The display provided a sharp contrast between the old and the new artillery transport. An 18-pounder battery, with gyns and ammunition wagons drawn by six-horse teams and three mounted drivers, was lined up alongside an entirely mechanised battery with rubber-tyred guns, drawn by Bedford trucks. It was explained by Major R. S. Park, R.N.Z.A., that the greatest speed of the horse-drawn vehicles was five to seven miles an hour, and that they usually travelled only about fifteen miles a day on trek. With mechanisation and the guns and wagons fitted with pneumatic tyres a speed of 40 miles an hour could be obtained, and a distance of over a hundred miles a day could be covered easily. The mechanisation had replaced twelve horses for each gun—six for the limber and gun and six for the ammunition wagons.

Great interest was shown in the anti-aircraft gun and searchlight section, which has also been put on a properly mechanised basis. Sixwheeled Leyland vehicles are used for conveying the searchlights and the equipment and detachmen L and they have put up quite a good cross-coun-try performance. The guns are of 3in. bore and weigh 20cwt., and they are mounted on a four-wheeled platform, from which jacks can be lowered when the guns are In action so as to take the weight off the rubber-tyred wheels. They can fire a 161 b. shell to a height of 21,000 ft. at the rate of fifteen rounds a minute. x

The Leyland truck is fitted with a power take-off to allow for the working of the searchlight, which throws a beam up to 10,000 ft. and gives illumination up to about 30,000 ft. An ingenious device fitted to the truck enables the spare wheel, which is too heavy to be lifted in the ordinary way, to be lowered to the ground by means of an automatic pulley. The second part of the inspection; which dealt mainly with the new camouflaged vans, including those of the general service type, was explained by Major G. H.s Clifton, M.C., N.Z.S.C., who was in command of a mechanised convoy of eight Army trucks and vans which later left for Auckland. CAMOUFLAGED VANS. The camouflaged vans have steel bodies, with sliding side windows, locker seats running full length, and a trap door in the roof. They are primarily wireless vans, and are fitted to take a full-size

army aerial, and a wireless set in a cabinet. But in addition they are ideal reconnaissance vehicles, capable of seating nine officers very comfortably on loose “Dunlopillo" cushions These cushions make excellent beds for the two-day wireless operators, and also make the van a first rate emergency ambulance. The trap door In the roof allows an all-round view for spying out the land, very helpful on reconnaissance, It also gives a good fighting position for an anti-tank rifle or a light machine-gun, while the latter can be used for anti-aircraft action by putting a simple mounting on the roof. ■>,; Stripped of all the warlike additions, these Bedford and Ford vans are good general utility vehicles for normal army transport, both In peace and in war. They are modelled on the standard commercial vans which speed round our cities in hundreds, providing thrills at the pedestrian crossings. These commercial vans could be adapted to army purposes very quickly in an emergency. That is why the Army is sticking closely to commercial design for its training vehicles. .FOR CAMPING HOLIDAYS. ‘What a perfect job for a holiday” is the first comment on the van. With their lockers, sleeping accommodation, comfortable cab and carrying capacity, they are just the thing for motor camping. Similarly with the four , trucks, commonly known as covered wagons, because of the canvas canopy on the body. As with the vans, the truck chasses are standard commercial pattern, fitted with steel cabs. This added comfort for the driver is conspicuously absent from the British Army vehicles, which are fitted with an overhead canvas hood, small side curtains, and sometimes a miniature racing car type windscreen. Two of the trucks are standard flat top bodies with drop sides, but fitted in addition, with removable seats. They will carry 20 men or two tons of stores, or two Vickers machineguns, or two Stokes Mortars,, both complete with fighting crews. Under the body,' on top of the chassis members, there is stowage space for loading ramps, baulks, planks and other engineering gear. The other two trucks have bodies copied faithfully from the British 15cwt. truck, so called because it carries a fighting load of. 15cwt. cross-coun-try under any conditions which a wheeled vehicle can cope with. The body has. been designed to get the weight right down on the chassis members, so that the back wheels are enclosed in wells. As a result, the body plan is like a dumnell in shape, giving endless possibilities for the meticulous packer. GENERAL UTILITY TRUCKS. These trucks are the general utility fighting transport of the modern Army, replacing the limbered G.S. wagon of war days. ’ * Each infantry platoon has one to carry its Bren (or Lewis) guns, ammunition, picks and shovels, and other stores. With the machine-guns, a truck takes one Vickers with crew and ammunition. The gunners have them for battery staff vehicles and other duties, and the engineers use them for section tool wagons. By providing the various accessories, our New Zealand trucks can be all these things to all i units, changing as required. All have power take-off for working pneumatic tools, or power winches, both valuable equipment for modern army operations. The colour scheme of these modern army, vehicles has caused great interest. It has only recently been readopted in the British Army, although the principle is as old as that of self-protection by self-effacement. Three colours, green, grey and brown, are used indiscriminately in irregular patches, so that from whatever angle you look at the truck, all three colours are seen. The idea is that wherever these vehicles stand one colour at least will blend with the background and break or disrupt the square outline of the truck. After the inspection, there-was a short parade through streets adjoining the parade ground, the Minister of Defence taking the salute.