DEFENCE OF DUNEDIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 29

DEFENCE OF DUNEDIN.

THE ATTACK FROM THE SOUTH

FAILS.

Tuesday. The weather continued fine for the finisli of the Ep^ter manoeuvres, though Sunday night — the last in camp — proved very cold-Th-i manoeuvres concluded about 9.30 a.m. on Monday, the attack failing in its object, though it did some wonderfully good work in the earlier part of the campaign. Th© men returned to town during the course of t!-o clay, and many proceeded to their homea in tho country by the late trains. WITH THJiI DEFENDING FORCE.

Both siri-e= remained quiet during Sunday, but just at dark there was a slight brush between the patrols of the opposing forces. It was merely, however, an exchange' of challenges rather than anything oE import. The peacefulness of the night that followed, continued, up till an early hour in the morning. During the night the defencewas considerably strengthened at various points, and the bridge oveo- the Kaikorai Stream was blown up, the strengtheningbeing more particularly at a point in the railway and on the Main South road. Asday began to break it was discovered that the enemy had during the night moved hi» forces to a position on the right of th© defence, and had taken up a station at tb» foot of Abbot's Hill and towards the Blacic Gully. As the light- increased it became apparent that the artillery of the attack was. in the position it had gained on Sundaymorning, on 'he west side of Saddle Hill, and the enemy's mounted force was particularly active in various directions along: the line of attack. It soon after became obvious that the intention of the enemy was that the infantry should attack, in the hope of gaining ground that would enable him to make progress towards Abbot's Hill, probably with the ultimate hope of capturing" it. Unfortunately for him, thetre appeared^ to arise some misunderstanding among th-» commanders, as some rose in advance of the attack and became separated, and theattempt to carry the position, without any praparator covering fire. which cculd essily have been rendered by the guns thea within range, was ineffective. Either th» attempt to carry the position was wrongly timed, or theare must have been some misunderstanding, as the guns opened firepractically as the attack came to dosequarters, in place of creating a diversion: by opening earlier and covering the attack. Simultaneously an attempt was made to* force the central position of defence, but this was met with a strong and obstinate resistance, and as the enemy was approaching some confined ground a well-placed fongasse, or ground mine, was. fixed by theEngineers with the defence, and as this had the effect of partly blocking the bridge on - the Main road for the time being, th» attempt had to be abandoned. The positions here taken up by the defenders seemed to be well chosen, as any attempt by th» enemy to pass would have been met by a. fusillade from two quarters. The enemy r fii> cling his numbers somewhat split into detail, realised that his attack had come to> a standstill, and that ho could proceed no further with safety or with any reasonable^ prospect of success, and the time havingf arrived for a return to camp to pack kits, entrain horses, and generally make ready for the return journey to town, he withdrew. The enemy seemed to bo cf opinion that hadT there been another day before lum he -would have achieved, the object- he had in viewy but as it w*s the defence maintained its stand and Dunedin was saved—at all eventsuntil next Easter manoeuvres. As a defence force the batteries played their part well, and the city was thus protected from, the attack by both sea and land. WITH THE ATTACKING FORCE.

On Saturday afternoon while the maia camp was being transferred from Allantoi* to Riccarton the mounted troops were engaoed in patrolling in the vicinity of Saddl» Hill and Chain Hills, and from that time hostilities began to assume a more interesting aspect. During the afternoon several o? the enemy had been captured, and the remainder of the advance party compelled to yield ground, and when nighfc fell' a line of mounted infantry was established from Brighton road on the right flank over the northern spur of Saddle HiK^ along- the Chain Hills, to the Wingatur road on the left flank. . At 10.30 that night the first decided move was made towards forcing the enemy out of the position he had assumed, when Captain Wyatt, of the Mataura Rifles, made> an attempt to secure the bridge acres* the Kaikorai Stream on the Brighton road. The party was unsuccessful in so far as they were unable to cross the bridge, but they compelled the opposing patrols to retiro from the southern side of the swamp, thus clearing all the country of the enemy on that side of the Kaikorai Stream. Captain Wyatt bhen retired about a mile a.nd took up a safe position for the remainder of the night : but his troubles were not quite over, as unnecessary vigilance was called for owing to the presence of another body oF men who had been sent to reinforce. The two parties were extremely jealous of revealing their countersigns, with the resulfc that a localised civil war was waged? throughout the niaht. At 3.30 on Saturday afternoon the Blues* fleet, represented by a single vessel, appeared on the right flank in th© vicinity of Green Inland, and was signalled from the shore. On ascertaining the progress of the forces she was supposed to liavo landed, she pushed on to attack the fixed batteries, with what re-ult it is difficult to say. At? 3.30 on Sunday morning the buprle- call was heard, t.nd the 150 men still in camp

became aware of the unpleasant fact that they must leave their warm blankets and

prepare for the march. In the darkness *he artillery horses were harnessed, a • matter of some difficulty, and general preparations were made, and at 4.30, after not coffee had been served, a start was snade along the Main South road towards jDunodin. Chi arriving at the cross roads on the top of Saddle Hill the infantry were *old off to support the existing outpost line, while the artillery, supported by a section of the Engineers and the Mttrihiku iMoxinted Rifles, proceeded along the road to the rlgiht, running along the Chain Hills. ?The road here, suoh as it is, isi eteep and Hifßoult to negotiate, and it required all the etrength of the horses and good driving to get the heavy guns into a suit-able position overlooking the plain in front and dominating the positions supposed to have been held by the enemy. After some considerable trouble Lieutenant Ritchie was enabled to assume an exoellent position, at a point which had been held throughout the night by Major Bowler and some of hia mounted troops. Here they waited for daylight. The first light revealed to them the fact that it -was possible for the artillery to command the whole of the country from Green Isalnd Beaoh on the right to Abbot's Hill on the left. On the officers going forward to reconnoitre it was seen that a mounted patrol- was* advancing along the Main road towards Fairfield and a detachment of infantry was bivouacked near the bridge on the Main South road across the K«ikoiai Stream. It -was inYmediately decided to open fire, and at a distance of 2500 yards three rounds of shrapnel to all intents and purposes completely annihilated the occupants of the camp. Just then the enemy's guns responded to the fire from Mount Grand, for the first time revealing the position of his artillery, and, in all probability, his main camp. As the distance between the forces wa« more than 5000 yards the fire was quite ineffectual, but to show that no damage was done Blues' gun replied to the challenge. After this harmless duel, I/ioutenant Ritchie retired his company to cover, and* here retained his position in order to support the infantry had an advance taken place before 9 a.m., the hour for the temporary cessation of hostilities. Mention should bemade of the good work done by the Engineers under Lieutenant Flynn. Through the nights, by means of the Begby lamps, and during daylight, by means of flags, full information was supplied to headquarters concerning the movements of patrols ; but owing to the lack of stores, in the shape of materials for signalling and electrical appliances, the Engineers were ponsiderably handicapped. Haying ascertained to some extent the position of the defenders, a very small outpost line was necessary during the Sunday armistice, and at 9 o'clock the main portion of the troops returned to camp, and to their well-earned breakfast.

Speaking subsequently of the morning's operations, the officer commanding (Colonel Hawkins) stated that he was extremely satisfied with the work carried out by the column that morning, and he was pleased to say that the Director of Manoeuvres had also intimated his appreciation of the manoeuvres up to that juncture. Save for a few necessary precautions, Sunday, until late in the afternoon, was observed as a, day of rest, and as the weather was a

sample of Otago's best a pleasant time was spent at the ideal "amping spot under the bluegum trees at Ricoarton. Most of the men made up for the sleep they had lost during the previous two days and nights, and everything assumed a most peaceful appearance for a few hours. During the afternoon visitors arrived from Mosgiel and the country round about, and a number of cyclists from the besieged town came to examine the besiegers' headquarters, while some of the force strolled into Mosgie} to sport their plumes and show their " drops of onset " to the admiring inhabitants. An early tea was ordered, and at half-past 4 the greater part of the infantry moved out. with" a supply of rations, to take up a

position on the road leading up to Abbot's

Sill, on the extreme left flank. Later a screen of mounted men was ordered out to hold the line below Saddle Hill, while Cossack posts were placed at the coal pits and near the Coach and Horses Hotel on the Main road. Meanwhile, the infantry, who had been at outpost work during the day, was ordered to withdraw to the cross roads and hold the Main road. Thus the position •was maintained throug-hout the night.

When operations began on Monday morning, it was fairly evident that the most important position to secure with a view to entering Dunedin was Abbot's Hill on the left. If the infantry and mounted men •could have taken this with the support of the artillery firing from Chain Hills, in a very short time the guns might have arrived on the same vantage ground, and from there dislodged the enemy's guns on Mount Grand, also driving back his main hody of men, completing- an excellent Banking' movement by the triumphant entrance Into Dunedin. Alas ! it was not to be. On the other hand, a general advance from the centre towards Green Island would

lave been covered by the hills on either side, and an attack on the Brighton road Ibridee could have been repulsed by a very small force, and, as subsequent events

proved.

every preparation bad been made

In anticipation of such an attempt. Consequently, the only feasible move was that of Abbot's Hill. At 3 o'clock in the morning all the available mounted men started for the crucial point to support the infantry, who had spent the niorht there, and before day dawned the battle had begun in real earnest. Meanwhile the artillery liad resumed the position of thei previous morning, and all the remaining forces were in^the vicinity of the Coach and Horses and cross roads. At 6.45 a.m. the guns opened fire on the enemy's infantry on Abbot's Hill, and kept up a deadly shrapnel attack

for some time ; but evidently it was of little use. as the most important part of the> .Abbot's Hill eng&gremenfc was over some 10 aninutes before. Certainly the Blues did •attain the- summit of Ih© hill, but had the cartridges been ball, or, as one officer «u£gested. onei out of every 20 been a ball cartridge, not on© man would have got more than haH-wav up the hill. Thus, although there are differences of opinion, the great attempt failed ; and as the enemy _ was firmly entrenched at that point, it is evident that any attempt with a much larger attaekine party and with the same conditions and eleveJoDiriP-nts of thp attack must have inevitably proved futile. The last hope was not yet gone, however, for the artillery turned its attention to the Qreen Island movements. A body of men first repulsed from the bridge on the

Main road across the Kaikorai Stream, and then an. attempt was made by Major Bowlot to take and cross the bridge. On each side a low ridge runs obliquely to the road, but the two spurs are parallel to one another, and between them lies the bridge. Major Bowler ordered a handful of mounted troops to advance under cover straight towards the bridge and draw the fire in their direction, and in the meantime the whole of the infantry force available was sent out to work round to the right and take the enemy on the flnak. The movoment was successful, but the number of the enemy had been considerably underestimated, for what at first appeared to be merely & handful of men turned out to be quite a large body when firing commenced in earnest. Reinforcements came run.ning down the hill from thei direction of Abbotsford, tnd on their way they exposed themselves to such an extent that numbers could have been picked off. Only on the enemy's left were the men well protected, so that, had it been actual warfare, there is no doubt that the greater loss would have been with the defenders. A fierce engagement ensued, lasting half an hour, and it is difficult to tell which side suffered most, but certain it is that the attacking party held the more sheltered position. Suddenly there was a loud explosion and a huge column of smoke, which represented the blowing up of the bridge, and then, the chance of crossing the "stream being entirely withdrawn, the exchange of fire ceased and hostilities were ended. On viewing the bridge afterwards it was found that a representation of wire entanglements had been erected, and -even had the bridge not been blown up when the attackers arrived there, ample time would have been provided while they were negotiating- the obstacles to exterminate every man.

Thus the manoeuvres ended, and the Southland men immediately returned to strike camp and catch the train from Mosgiel for Invercargill, while the Dunedin men attached to the Blue forces set out for home the nearest way.

GENERAL REMARKS.

As far as the attacking forces are concerned there is no doubt that excellent work has been done from start to finish. Everyman has been "kept hard at work, and although but little sleep has been obtained, and men have been out all night in the cold and wet, no complaints have be-en made, and there is no doubt all have thoroughly appreciated the part they took in the various manoeuvres. With regard to the rations, no one grumbled, and when the " bully beef " was not enough to satisfy the enormous appetites of those on outpost and patrol work the unsolicited generosity of the settlers amply compensated for the deficiency. More-over, no one carpingly criticised the movements, as is too often the case with regard to Volunteer manoeuvres, thus showing the confidence the men have in their officers, and the vast improvement this undertaking has been on any that has preceded it. From what could be seen, two of the branches of military training seem to have much improved, and those are the making of artificial protection and the signalling by day and night as a means of communication. - The prepared defences commanding the Black Bridge on the right of the defence were very well constructed, and the Maxims in commanding positions were well protected by strong sangars, or coverings of tussocks and broom, and were rendered invisible until an enemy was practically right up to them. The work of the North Dunedin Rifles and Hussars was particularly good in this respect. Volunteer officers of senior rank seldom have the opportunity of handling mixed branches of the service as columns, or small brigades, and it is worthy of notice that the disposition and method of carrying out the defence by Colonel Smith, and the movements and working out to a finish of the attack by Colonel Hawkins, showed that they had put their study of these matters to good use. Both officers will no doubt approach such work another time with much* greater confidence as a result of their recent experienf*es. They and those connected with them are deserving of every credit for oarying out what were certainly arduous duties. The earlier movements of the attack were .assuredly well conceived, whatever may be said concerning those of a later stage of the manoeuvres. JLieufce-nant Hiekey, D.5.0., who was in charge of the supply department, deserves a word of commendation for the manner in which he discharged the duties of supply and transport with the limited facilities at his command

Colonel Robin, whose name should properly have been mentioned first, did not spare himself in his position of Director of the Manoeuvres. He allowed himself but little time for rest, spending the greater part of both night and day on the hills that overlooked the fieM of operations. He had with him as aide-de-camp Major Hislop, who seldom left his side, and included in his staff was Serjeant-major Cardale. A motor bike with the colonel's party proved invaluable in savine the horses.

Colonel Smith's staff consisted of Captain IMcrris, Lieutenant Moncrieff, and Sergeantmajor Taylor ; and attached to Colonel Hawkins's staff were Captain J. C. Watson. Captain Hawkins, Captain Pearce, and Lieutenant Hall. The umpires for the attack were Major Beal, Captain M'Nab, and Lieutenant Baron : and for the defence Lieutenant-oolonel Headland (senior umpire), Major Chalmer, and Lieutenant Brydone. The work done by these officers was of the greatest value to the Director of Manoeuvres and the forces they acted with. The re-ports that these' officers will furnish Concerning the manoeuvres will form the groundwork for -evenings of instruction to follow the encampment. The duties of acting A.S.C were performed by Sergeant-majors Towler and Kibblewhite (defence) and Sergeantmajors Neo and Grant (attack).

Farmers as a whole were extremely kind in giving all the assistance they could, and the names of Messrs Donald Reid, Nimmo, Ewinfir, Blackwood, Kirkland. and Sonntap: may bo specially mentioned, the last-named coming to the rescue at a trying time and providing horses for transport purposes.

- *■ Hanks of Volunteers are due to the Harbour Board for the use of one of its tugs, and to Mr Sullivan, who placed the Napier and his fishing fleet at their disposal.

After the work was completed the defending party lost no time in cutting back to town. The coastal camp forces left a,t midday, and caught the Abhotsford train, at 2.30 p.m. Those camped on the hills arrived in town at 2.15 p.m., after a march of one hour and ten minutes. All the men, though no doubt glad that their hard days and nights are over, are w ell pleased

with the four days' oufcLng, and express great satisfaction with the general manoeuvres and camp life.

Tho following order was issued before the camp of the defenders was broken up: — The Camp, Mount Grand, April 24, 1905. Camp Order No. 4, by Lieutenant-colonel Smith, V.D., Commanding Red Forces. Before breaking camp the officer commanding Red Forces desires to express his satisfaction at the excellent work done by all ranks under his command. It is doubtful whether a purely Volunteer force has ever worked under mor« trying conditions than obtained during the earlier period of the camp, and a special v.-ord of praise is due to those infantry corps who were on outpost duty on Friday night under conditions which required the greatest fortitude and devotion to duty.

The outpost work of the Mounted Rifles was frequently urder view of binocular of the O.C, and was perfectly executed. The information obtained was of great assistance, and enabled tho movements of the enemy to be speedily known at headquarters. The blockhouses constructed and held by the detached posts on the right (Waitaki Mounted Rifles) enabled our right flank to be securely held with a minimum of men, and a special -word of praise is also duo to Xiiexi-*ena-nt Jack and his command in connection therewith. The work of the Field Artillery was intelligently and well carried out. ■ One cf the features of the camp was the good work done by all sections of the Engineers, and Captain Boss has reason to be proud of his corps. Long and important messages' were coriectTy and rapidly transmitted, especially at night time, enabling the O.C. to have constant touch and full information from both flanks

The laying of mines and construction of vm-e entanglements were efficiently carried out, and assisted very much in the defence.

The outpost work of the infantry was all that could be desired, officers and men showing by their work that they possess an efficient knowledge of this part of their duties, and the patrolling done by the cyclists enabled useful information to be frequently obtained.

Tils Garrison Artillery, who manned the forts at Central Battery and the Heads, acted m conjunction with the other branches of the service, and carried out their duties with eminent success.

The Field Hospital and Bearer Corps, assisted by tho Garrison Band, who acted as bearers, efficiently treated those who required their services, and it must be a satisfaction to all ranks to know that in case of sickness or accident, while in camp skilful treatment is always available.

Owing to bad roads and difficulty of transport, the quartermasters and their assistants had a trying time, but duly overcame all obstacles as they presented themselves.

Tho good behaviour of tho men was very noticeable, and must have been specially pleasing to all officers. The O.C. wishes to heartily thank the settlers in the vicinity of the manoeuvres for the facilities that were so freely extended and for permitting their farms to be used. Special thanks are due to Messrs Ewing, Blackwood, and Kirkland, on whose properties the various camps were held. By order.

Ck.os.bx Morhis, Captain, Staff Officer

AUCKLAND, April 24.

The Volunteer manoeuvres at Takapuna were concluded to-day, and some useful work was put in by the men. MASTERTON, April 25.

The wet weather practically spoiled the Volunteer manoeuvres on Friday and Saturday. The northern force arrived from Carterton on Saturday and the southern came on the following day. The rearguard action which was to have been fought between the towns was abandoned. To-day the infantry force, under Colonels Kettle and Collins, took up a position at Lansdowne, and a body of mounteds, comprising -the Wairarapa, Eketahuna, and Heretaunga M.R.S., under Adjutant Bolton, strongly attacked them, with the object of taking Masterton. The onslaught was repulsed after a long fight. The Wellington battalions left for home by a special train in the afternoon.

NELSON", April 22.

Nearly 700 Volunteers are undor canvas near Motupiko, including West Coast, Marlborough, and Nelson Volunteers 0 , divided into two camps — one the attackers, from the West Coast, and the others the defenders. There has been a snowfall on tho mountains, and there was a sharp frost this morning, but the day has been perfect, and the Volunteers have done hard work.

April 24

The weather conditions have greatly favoured tho holidays. The Volunteer manoeuvres terminated to-day with a grand review. The work done is highly spoken of, and the men were engaged long hours, some having covered about 40 miles in a day. The Marlborough and West Coast Volunteers are leaving by steameio about midnieht. CHRISTCHURCH, April 22. The Volunteer Easter manoeuvres wero continued to-day, the attackevg from the West Coast meeting the defenders from Chrisfcc-hurch at Sheffield about 2 p.m., when a hot battle raged.