FURTHER DETAILS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22985, 12 March 1938, Page 13

FURTHER DETAILS

MECHANISED FORCES ESSENTIALS CONSIDERED FIRE POWER AND MOBILITY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 11, 7.21 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, March 10 In the course of his speech on the Army Estimates in the House of Commons Mr. Hore-Belisha said the proportion of heavy machine-gun battalions to be kept as corps troops was one per division. The rest were being converted to light machine-gun battalions to form the nucleus of motorised divisions. The anti-tank gun formerly handled by heavy machine-gun battalions in future would be manned by the divisional artillery. The Minister announced the reorI ganisation of the field artillery of the ! Regular Army on a basis of 12-gun fire units instead of six—implying an organisation comprising Brigade headquarters and two fire units each of three-four-gun batteries. The total number of guns normally supporting a division would not be affected but with fewer personnel and more centralised control fire power would be better concentrated. Tactors in Army's Strength The principles underlying the proposed reorganisation were summed up by the Minister in a striking passage. He said: "The strength of the Navy is assessed in* ships and not in personnel, and that of the Air Force iu squadrons and not in ground staff. Following this line of thought the strength of a modern army is based not only on the individual but rather on the fire units which combine fire power and mobility. "Why alone in the Army should heads be counted and fire power and mobility he discounted? Every man in a unit above the number needed to man and serve weapons is an additional target and strain on the service which has to feed and maintain him, including diversions of naval and air forces which have to protect his passage." Advantage to Industry The Minister called attention to the suitability and advantages of a mechanised standard to a great industrial country like Britain, since employment in the Army was closely related with men's normal avocations and interests and since rapid and effective expansion was accordingly made easier. The speed with which the Army was being mechauised and supplied with modern fire-producing weapons was best revealed, the Minister thought, by the fact that the provision of more than £43,000.000 for this purpose in the present Estimates was greater than the whole Army Estimates, including pay and pensions, in 1934. More Human Side of Proposals Coming to what he called the more human side in his description of the changes proposed or contemplated in the conditions of the Army itself, the Minister announced the progressive elimination from soldiers' drill of all superfluous postures requiring rehearsal and from his kit of all superfluous gadgets requiring polish. The most important change announced was the introduction of the rank of a warrant officers' class 3 which would increase the prospects of other ranks and effect a reduction in the number of subaltern officers. Also it would aid toward more rapid promotion for all officers. Mr. Hore-Belisha touched briefly on the success of the experimental physical development depot established to bring applicants for enlistment who were* below the high standards of the Army medical boards to a better state of health by diet and exercise. He mentioned that 92 per cent of those attending the depot subsequently passed into the Army as fully fit.