ITALIAN GUNS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 3

ITALIAN GUNS

M W Zi: ALANDERS PK ACTISE WITH THEM (From Official War Correspondent with 1 N.Z.E F. > Cairo, Aug. Ifi. I Ail interesting change from infantry routine was recently experienced by battalions of a New Zealand third echelon brigade when they engaged in a live shoot with captured Italian field guns. The weapons have an interesting history and can be used either as anti-personnel or anti-tank. I Firing from a mounting on a truck. » the infantry novices displayed remark- ! able skill. Some very good perform- j ances were put up with very little pro- ' liminary ranging. An amazing feature j of the performance was the fact, that ! most of the gun crews had never done artillery work, and had been given ; little more than one day's instruction j on the guns. Used as a mountain gun in the Great j War, the weapon can serve many pur- j poses, and undoubtedly the versatile j New Zealanders are capable of making i the best use of it. The practice was thoroughly enjoyed by the soldiers and they were jocularlybarracked by fellow soldiers when the guns jammed to apply the remedies so familiar to a Lewis gunner. All agreed they were willing to let the Italian sample a little of his own medicine.