WORK OF THE GUNS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue XLIX, 6 January 1916, Page 5

WORK OF THE GUNS

NEW ZEALAND ARTILLERY. SPLENDID SERVICE. MEN CALM AND BRAVEComparatively little information , been published regarding the service w the New Zealand Artillery, illthe Aliasac campaign. A lengthy description of its' work has been received by the Minister iof P«fence, Hon. James Allen, from am officer o'f hijjli rank, and in givinig soma ext-racts from ,Ae letter for publication, Mr Allen remarked , that the artillery had performed, splendid service and l -was entitled to recognition for it, < It _is noteworthy that the artillery. remained on tiho peninsula until the evacuation, and. therefore did not have the respite of six weeks which the other arms of tlie service were riven, when they \vexra withdrawn to Lemnos.

"The work of the .artillery has w beeii ostentatiously carried out, but it" lias been most useful," the, officer, wrote, "Wo have gradually built up bur number of guns, and they did the,bulk of the work during the heavy fighting; in. August, when we attacked tho Ghunhk Bair ridge. The artillery backed up the attack, and they did nobly, backed up also by v several ships' _W'e could see everything yery plainly as > our people were attacking up a steep, hill,' course,, it was necessary for the to follow, theni up and shelter them. -We did, great execution. ..'"'. ',.', . "Somo of the Turkish giinrieiy,is distinctly good, but nqj. so £6bd' as 'wds. A good deal of'it, "fortunately'for iis', is bad; Our difficulty it. to locate.; fcfyeir guns holding the long Sari. Bair ridgfeAll.tOieir. guhs: aire hidden behind ..this crest, and we cannot see them. Occasionally -when we 'are atttickihjr j they: oome a bit forward, £rid th&n wfe give •them beans, and, very soon. .'. ailencd them'."-" , ■.'''.■"■• ,:'■„ '£'- v <" : £. Writing of the d'emeahbuir of" the Sn> tilleiy, the officer, says:— calm, and biyavb'in action.}V.ftilr; '<j£ .W-,' source and initiative, and juio young Ne\y.'Zeaiander, with'. Bis intelli-" gence, forms excellent material,-iot';'ar-tillery. : You may take as stripped of all clothing exctspjfc &'p&-., ers and boot's, and) in' "some ;cases';'ttSC .even the latter; they Serye 1 theif/&»$»'•' Sometimes the othSr arAis > I scioUs of the quiet" work'''done I by the' gun Is as theyV search the cbiaiiry I far and wide and prevent undue activity i on the part of tlie Turks.'- I*-nbtic©' fnafc bur men seldom write sensational lettpi&. to the ;papers. ~;JSe h vei'ttl-'timeA;' , r-:'.' i bKii3tf-/ they ' have done"dashing?work/ lipbably'i'■ when the Australians ;"■ attacked > , Lonfe Pine. In this attack th'b fii'sfc ; Battery:"' cut away th'e wire 'entangVemetiits'thAfc prevented' /the Australians' and also covered and prot-ectediiKem ,. ing the attack. 1 -.- Again during the | tack an SaH Bair, \yheh w©'borrowlea 8 I 18-pounders, iri,additi'onrto aU' which for Kitchener's brigade I R:S , . 1 A , .V 5 fought them for JsfeveraT days inidbpttrfc of our ihfaritrv attack" with 1 'gir&at effect; In the attack on Hill 60,.whichIwka'carJ ried but by •■''our ' 'division j ■ wb d«liver£a j the .preliminary bombardment.'; ' ' ~ '■'■' ' j ''l suppose theCh'-unuk Bair tiff air was i the bloodiest battle fought on this PfninJ sula, and oneof the most lmpbrtanit," the letter proceeds. ; 'fit was altogether ''carried out by -.the- 'Nevf .Zealand" Artillery' and the'guns ;v ferring to 'another. ; ■-''. tH6 writer remark^":, 1 -:'IJjyal rathd^f gunners were getting tQb to cover theinfahtiy. • ;Hbw6ver'/ it' ?s r th<? gunner's duty to in"every wayshieldliis , infantry.". ';■; .1 . : <.,;',.; v ; v "c,,;,| -,^ ;.■ y ., ' "I have just, been;attending: he wrote, on. a Sunday. pleasant - li ttie /peaceful: .inter.val-, a| ter;* ijn©;, noise arid strain of the" week,;: during the service you ! hear the K boom/of guins, as,, they fire at r ,one Jr Jh|S| is a duel which:; never ceases ."ana wherever■ yoji go, at all tiniest ; .*.' may fall sab- your ,feeti It is hafd^.to...git down and '■ ,\vi\ie a, letter. H6 t )y ti i w;e in the' artilieiy are!; nieriy an,d bright, and t : hope, -dp pur. shiire, and although unilik«; the;, ihfantryi -. '■' unable to: ; be • re_,WeJhayobeen longe.rhere; than .any obher unit/ ' v ; ;•»>;■■'. ; A brief reiference to Sir, , ."Alexander Godloy is,-contained in the; tetter.'|,THe officer thus 'estimates- his soldierly. .qtiali r • ties.-—!'The.G:.o-C. is a and .never hesitates expose.' mm»elf when necessary. , Ail tho strain >never affects his eoo}ness and judgment or determination, "