THE SPECIALISTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17249, 17 August 1916, Page 4

THE SPECIALISTS.

j MAOHINE-GUN battery

LAST WORD IN MODERN WAR. J

NOW TAUGHT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Apart from the big gnn the weapon which has gained the greatest reputation in tho present war is tho machine g Un . The Germans first recognised its importance, and hostilities had not long been in -progress before, in this ‘' invention of tho devil,” to nso Sir lan Hamilton’s phrase, they had established ft marked superiority over the Allied arras. Tho Allies, naturally, had to tako a leaf out of tho German hook; they gradually caught up and went one further, and since then both groups of combatants have been going steps further until the use of tho machino gun has now been developed to such a stage of perfection that it must dominate, if not decide, all main actions. Machine guns are everywhere—attached to various units and formed in to special macliine-gun batteries of -heir own; hut in modern warfare these wicked-looking engines of death are so well concealed that they arc nowhere to be seen, and are thus rendered more deadly still. THE NEW ZEALAND COURSE. That being so, says the “ Post,” Now Zealanders will he gratified to learn that specially-trained machine-gun sections are now' accompanying the New Zealand Reinforcements to tho front, having been fully instructed in tlio latest lessons from France and h landers, including the art of concealment-, direction and control of fire. I} ICSO men arc known as the Specialist Company, which is split into two sections, comprising machine-gun and signalling sections, which work in co-operation. They go to reinforce the New Zealand machine-gun batteries and sections at the front, and requiring special instruction for this purpose, nro -given five months’ training before they leave New Zealand, or a month more, than the reinforcements for the majority of the other arms receive. Being lovers of the gun, and realising the important results they must'achieve with it, the Specialists, who are trained at Featherston, are as keen as. the artillerymen, aud although theirs is the later arm, they are capablo of showing equally good results. Formerly they were trained on the old cumbersome Maxim gun, but now they are provided with tho newly-invented Lewes gun, and the still more remarkable "Vickers Light,'” the last word in machine guns, their enthusiasm has been still further feed, and they handle-them so well that few people would care to take oven the longest odds against their coming out alive or ‘‘imperforated if thev constituted themselves the tar-o-ot for the space of more than a couple of seconds. That at any rate was the impression given on Friday, when the 16th Specialist Company gave a demonstration with the new "Vickers and Lewes guns at Papnwai. The cxhibition was given under tho direction of Major Neavo, Chief Musketry Instructor, Featherston Camp, who recently came out- from Homo, and Captain Fraser, Machine Gun Instructor. Tho spectators present included the Hon James Allen (Minister of Defence), Brigadier-General Sir A. M. Rohm (General Officer Commanding tho Forces), Colonel C. M. Gibbon (Chief of the General Staff). LieutenantColonel N. P. Adams (Commandant ot Featherston Camp), and a fair number of Featherston residents.

INFORMATION BY AEROPLANE. The visitors were conducted across the musketry range down to tlio bank of the Ruamahunga River, where tho machine guns were manned and in position, but could not be seen. The only unusual sign that struck the eye was the appearanco of disturbed earth hero and there, marking the line of a trench, perhaps, or some gun emplacements, which were impossible to distinguish except at close quarters, and which, given, sufficient length oi time in trench warfare, particularly in the case of tho emplacements, would have been concealed wholly from overhead detection by being completely covered over. But it was only when they inspected tho emplacements and saw and heard the deadly machines at work, that the visitors derived their most vivid impressions. On information received at "Brigade Headquarters” (a trench dug-out '4ooyds away from the river bank) from an imaginary aeroplane, it was decided to open machine fire on the enemy at a certain front oi er on tho hills across tho Ruamahvnga. The order was given by Bngado Headquarters to Regimental Headquarters, some distance in front, and transmitted from thero to the machine-gun officer, also in front, who, in turn, instructed the machine-gun sections concealed in emplacements on the river bank to open fire. Ilus older was given by means of telephone, Which was where portion of tho Signallers came in, and was promptly acted upon by the gunners, who opened a deadly fire, concentrating the whole of their five machine guns upon the point given. FIENDISHNESS OF MODERN WAR.

Tho rapidity with which tho target was picked up, as shown by the dust raised through the striking of the steady streams of bullets, was enougu to excite wonderment, but that gave place to quite a different feeling when it was explained that- tho exact range for every gun was known beforehand. “No wonder it was good shooting!” it might be sarcastically exclaimed, but there is no room for that reproach in regard to machine-gun instruction as given at Papawai. This will be realised when it is explained that on the western front the exact distances of all objects within machine-gun range are known, .either through reconnaissance or observation, and each has been given a definite letter or number. 1 he result is that tho order has only to be given for any number of machine guns within range to concentrate their fire on, sav, "E” target for them all instantly to find it. It is surely the invention of tlio devil, turned tnt-o tne uttermost fiendishness, for no living target caught by such a fire, as it must have been caught once it exposed itself above the ground, could possibly havo survived! For tho shooting to be only good is not good enough for present-day warfare ; it must be certain, and no steps aro neglected to make it so. Being directed to fire on “ E,” the machino gunners fired on "E,” of which (through reconnaissance and observation. such as they would employ at tho front), they knew the exact range. Splutter—splutter—splut -r-r-r t_t-t—went the guns; steady streams of load sang their way across tho broad riverbed and found their mark, stirring up the dust. Tfi,e order was given to fire on another target, then another, and still another, all of them known and ranged, and the result in each case was tho same. They were proud men those Specialists as the civilian visitors walked over to inspect their emplacements. GUNNERS CUNNINGLY CONCEALED. They were cunningly concealed. Im-

agino a river bank, imagine a trench dug parallel with it, about six feot back, and imagine a tunnel just wide enough for a man to creep into being driven through from this trench so as to open out on to the face of the river bank itself, presenting a hole about a foot square. This is what constitutes one machine-gun emplacement at Papawai. Tho machine-gun is placed in the end of tho tunnel, looking out <jn to the river, and when tho weapon is not in use tho opening is covered by a sack (operated by a string), so that it cannot ho seen. This, it was explained, represented an emplacement hastily constructed after bombardment. Further along was seen n similar emplacement, with a machine gun worked from the tunnel opening, and another, a Lewes machine, fired like a musket from tho shoulder over the parapet. Other emplacements resembled those dug on level ground, as so often requires to he. done in modern warfare. T'lieso comprised pits about six feet deep constructed octagonal fashion, with sods set up in front, so as to conceal the position, and yet with sufficient openings left r-o as to give tho required linos of fire. Behind wore • the trenches from which tho men in these emplacements were fed.

PREVIOUS MODEL EMPLACEMENTS. The ingenuity with which these emplacements had" been constructed, of course, came in for general commendation, but the staff officers and men only had regrets for the model emplacements that had gone. These, constructed in the same neighbourhood, bad only been completed last week, when they were washed away by the flood. The 'emplacements scon on Friday, therefore, were but in an unfinished state, but it is proposed to go on with them, and make them even better than their predecessors, in which both officers and men took no small prido. THE LATEST MACHINE GUNS.

Keen interest was naturally displayed in the new machine guns, which arc now the two principal patterns used by the British Army. Tlio Vickers light gun resembles the old one in make, the main difference being that it is very much lighter. It is cooled by a, waterjacket, uSes the belt, and is worked by the recoil. Tho Ixswes gun resembles the old blunderbuss, being fired from the shoulder aud resting on n tripod. The cartridges are contained in a revolving horizontal drum, containing 48 cartridges, which fall into placo as the weapon is used. The gun, which fires slower than the Vickers, is worked by the gas produced by the exploding cartridge, and is cooled by an air current which is kept constantly circulating along the barrel. OTHER LESSONS TAUGHT.

As an illustration of the efficiency of the machine gun instruction being given in New Zealand, the demonstration spoke ip eloquent tribute. Tt represented, however, only one phase of an extensive course, wliicli includes teachjng indirect firing at targets obscured from tho view of tho gunners, _ and firing by night with luminous sights. Everything possible, in fact, is. taught the New Zealand machine gunners to render them efficient when they reach the firing line. The signallers, also, are not neglected, being supplied 'With valuable instruments, and instructed fully how to use them.