MILITARY TRAINING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 111, 10 April 1934, Page 6

MILITARY TRAINING

STRENGTH OF BATTERIES. MOUNTED RIFLES’ CAMP. Training is now commencing again this year for the 7th and Bth Batteries of the New Zealand Field Artillery which, under the command of Captains W. Philp and A. G. Buchanan respectively, have their headquarters at Palmerston North. Their full establishment is 128 men per unit, and these trainees are drawn from Palmerston North, but up to the present sufficient have not been available, the 7th Battery meanwhile having a strength of 100 men and the Bth Battery a complement of 80. This leaves ample vacancies to he filled. Under the coming year’s syllabus, provision is made for a wider variation in the nature of the training, and it is intended to hold more week-end parades, particularly in the Fitzherbert area, giving scope for detailed activities. There will be a considerable amount of mounted work, gunnery and gun-laying. The battery staff, including the signallers, will have' the use of instruments and wireless, and will co-operate with aircraft. The 7th Battery is equipped with four 18-pounder quick-firing guns and the Bth Battery with four 4.5 howitzers. At least 100 mounts are required for a fully-horsed battery. Nowadays artillery make considerable use of survey work for observed shooting and predicted shooting. In the latter, line, range and angle of sight from the guns to the target are predicted by survey methods. This makes necessary in the battery personnel men who have been trained as surveyors, and the Palmerston North units are fortunate in having men available with this knowledge. Shooting in the past in the area round Waipukurau, which has been mapped and surveyed, has been of a particularly high order by the units from this centre.

Horses used in the batteries are of the spring-cart type, and are obtained mainly from the Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu districts, but about 20 fresh horses annually are broken in at Palmerston North for artillery work. The mounts are bought and retained by the Defence Department, unsuitable ones being disposed of at the end of each training year. It is decidedly more economical to buy and maintain them, selling them afterwards, than to pay 6s per horse per day for hire for a period of use extending over four months, it is stated. This year 20 horses were sold at the completion of the camp in ■'Waipukurau.

The annual allowance of ammunition is 120 rounds per battery for 18pounders and 110 rounds per battery for 4.5 howitzers, which fire a heavier shell, of 351bs. Owing to the value of observation of results, blank ammunition is practically useless for training. CAMP INSTRUCTION. During the coming year, it is under, stood, courses of instruction in gunnery will be held at Trentham, probably in July or August. These will be attended by limited numbers from all batteries throughout New Zealand, and will be the first operation of their nature for at least six years. There will be a combined presentation parade at Palmerston North in May, when trophies won by the batteries during the past year will be presented. A senior staff officer will attend, and the brigade-commander will be present. Almost up to full recruiting strength, the Manawatu Mounted Rifles at present have a strength of 15 officers and 217 other ranks, in addition to the 31 members of the Palmerston North Garrison Band. They will enter camp at AVaipnkurau on Saturday next with a section of the AVellington-East Coast Mounted Rifles, the former being in charge of Colonel P. D. AA r . Strachan, and the latter under Colonel H. B. Maunsell. They will remain in camp for ten days, carrying out drill and tactical manoeuvres. Officers and n.c.o.’s will be in camp beforehand. The total camp strength is expected to be 400 men and 350 horses._ The Manawatu Mounted Rifles district extends from Raetihi to Wellington. The class of volunteer recruit offering is stated to be exceptionally good, and no difficulty is experienced in filling the ranks. THE CADET BATTALION.

Under the Central Command headquarters at Palmerston North is the Second Cadet Battalion with a strength of 600 drawn from the Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Palmerston North Technical School, Feilding Agricultural High School, and Levin. District High School. At present the Feilding High School cadets are undergoing a week’s continuous training in musketry, physical and infantry drill. The two Palmerston North secondary schools will hold similar courses at the end of the term.

Feilding at present supplies the one platoon from this area for the Wellington West Coast Infantry Regiment, but endeavours a.re shortly to be made to establish in Palmerston North another platoon, consisting of some 35 men.