COAST DEFENCE TRANING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 8

COAST DEFENCE TRANING.

| FIRING THE MM (SUNS. i THE LAS? DAY IN CAMP. Big gun practice wa« continued yerferday at site North Head, when the public were admitted to Fort Cautley to witness the firing of the new mark VII. 6in guns; The weather conditions in the morning, when *-,he firing took place, were very bad, and only a few of the public availed themselves of the invitation. Ten rounds **jira- each of th& two guns were.fired &i \,e, 6000 yds range, Captain Coles act ins. us battery commander. The ;; shot ting w*;;i very satisfactory,., and good , work was done by the men. .There wai- . no fault to. find, with the gu'is, which came fully ur to. expectations. ; '■_;, . iwwntj rounds were then fired from the 121b quick-firing guns, -at a much, shorter range. Hero again the results obtained gave every satisfaction. . Colonel Beard (director of miliary training) was present at the .loiing, with the other officer's who have "1< sen in attendance throughout the ;S3!sk. I later in the day Colonel Heard inspected ail ■ lorts and the coast defenca now v^der ■ canvas. / %'. The sports meeting, which r.-as to have been held ''j.yi tern doh, was cancellodj but' the clos:>., J 'cc;;i;«.vrf. around the camp fire on Cheltenham Betc'i took place. ' To-day the camps break up. {. ATTACK BY LAND AND SEA SUCCESSFUL BATTLE-PKACTICE. [by texjegeaph.—peess association."! Wiixukgtok, Friday. The Commandant of the New Zealand Forses (Major-General Godley) inspected the garrison artillery .-. companies this morning and witnessed battle-practice ' carried out at the forts as 'a finale to the > annual training camp work. The idea was i, that two* hostile cruisers wer* attacking , Wellington Harbour. Good work' was done by the guns in the forts. The general | expressed himself well pleased with tho ' manner in which all ranks carried out " j their duties. ' * Simultaneously with the forts battle--5 practice, the sth (Wellington) Regiment, 1 which had beon in camp at Tretithani for * the last week, carried out defensive opera- - tious against troops supposed to be approaching Hntt Valley from Paekakariki, 1 where a landing had been effected from a the two cruisers already mentioned. Major--1 General Godley was present at the coni elusion of these operations, which resulted in the enemy's advance being checked. s General Godley afterwards addressed - the men on the subject of manoeuvres, and expressed pleasure at the . intelligentmethods displayed by those taking part in the day's operations- "'■ The training camps conclude to-morrow. ■ It is reported that a section of one company engaged in the operations in the Hutt Valley found the trekking rather rough, and that they refused to ford the river when ordered to do so, because they were footsore, and unwilling to tackle the '• stony bed of the Hutt River. They were 3 sent back to camp, and will be called upon . to answer for their actions to-morfow. 1 ;rrv.. '