TRENCH MORTARS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9620, 28 March 1917, Page 6

TRENCH MORTARS

THEIR HFi’ECTIVENESS DEMONSTRATED. Beyond tho artillery parade ground at Featherston yesterday a demonstration of trench mortar firing was given. There wore two classes of mortal’s in nso, the 2-inch and tho Vickers’ 1.,575-inch. Tho weight of the bombs thrown by the former was 601 b, while tho latter discharged 181 b and 331 b bombs. The mortars wore mounted on emplacements within trenches which were deep enough to completely screen tho gun crows, and tho target Used was a shallow' trench 350 yards away. "When firing ono of these Imortars the precaution is taken to secure tho protection of a traverse in tho trench. Altogether nine shots wore fired, four 601 b bombs, three 181 b, and two 331 b.

In order to roach, its objective tha mortar is pointed at an angle, and the bomb is sent on its journey by the explosion of a charge in tho weapon at tho base of tho tail of tho bomb, which fits into the barrel. When fired the bomb mounts into tho air to a. height of 2.50 to 300 feet, and when it arrives at its culminating point turns gracefully over, and drops straight down. Tho detonation of tho bOlb bomb is very severe, and persons standing 500 yards away foel the concussion when it explodes. Tho bombs can bo seen travelling through the air, and tho destruction caused by one of tho larger ones that fell into a trench was considerable.

Captain Bradley (chief artillery instructor) supervised tho work, and among those who witnessed tho demonstration were Lieutenant-Colonel Adams (Camp Commandant), Lieuten-ant-Colonel Roberts (artillery inspector), hlajor Beattie (recently returned from tho front), and Lieutenant Farriday, an officer who has gone through a course of instruction in trench morta.rs in England.