THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 14

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

By Sentry. The results of the corr.ipetition for the Field Artillery efficiency shield will not be known for at least a month yet. A Battery will complete its shoot on May and the efficiency returns are promised as early as noseible thereafter. ' Record shooting was made by the local Permanent Artillery when carrying out their annual firing at the Otago Heads. Out of 52 rounds, spread over the four series, there was not a single miss. Captain Gard'ner is to be congratulated upon the efficiency of his command. The result of the shooting is a testimony to the careful training and the, keen'interest of the men during the year, a.iid also shows the wisdom of the hard preliminary training carried out during the fortnight prior to the actual firing. Excellent weathex conditions assisted towards the* attainment of such snlendid results, and the instructional practice of the previous week also helped good results being obtained at that practice. The details, which are subjet to approval by Lieut.-colonel Head, the chief umpire, are as follow :

a . % s• 9 S gC H ° £ o I£ s ws. a si 1 oprQF 20 20 41sec 29.27 875yds 2.533 , 2 6prQF 20 20 46seo 26.09 1050yds 2.4-3 3 6inßL 6 6 2min 58sec 2.02 4986yds 2.055 ; * 6inßL 6 6 2min 4-Osec 2.25 4840yds 2.28 j Average figure of merit for 6pr QF 2.507 , Average figure of merit for 6in BL 2.173 j Figure of merit for company 2.284 The musketry classes to he conducted' by j Captain Hiokey, A.A.G., in the Garrison j Hall, will commence on May 9. ! The importance of this branch of training cannot be overestimated. Some ; people have a vague idea that musketry j training is merely practising firing at j a bull's-eye. Without a thorough knowledge of musketry and ground in relation to fire, it is impossible for an officer commanding I a force of any size to adopt suitable formations for either attack or defence. Some remarks made recently by Lieut.-colonel Smyth on the subject of bulls-eye v. service ; target training are apropos. He laid' special stress, upon the need for mors training in fire discipline and judging distances. Judging distance, for example, required a tremendous amount of practice before skill ; was attained in it. Observation of fire and the control of fire—i.e., having all the rifles I trained on the object named by the fire ; commander, with the correct Slights—was not sufficiently practised. The section com- , mander had to make up his mind as to what object he intended the fire to be j directed at, to determine the range, and then to issue the instruction in such a manner that the rank and file would be able easily to pick up the objective. Time might" much more (profitably be spent in practising that than in firing at known ranges and fixed targets for marble clocks. The infantry needed that sort of training* almost as much as the field artillery required it. He had inspected sections supposed to be concentrating their fire on to one spot, and ; had repeatedly found the rifles directed to ' points altogether different from that intended by the fire commander. Such scattered fire would have scarcely any moral i effect upon an advancing force. The drop- j ping of a man here and there did not check the advance of troops, but it was when, ■ as the result of concentrated fire, numbers j of men were falling at one point that I attacking troops became demoralised, and j their advance was checked. Wednesday evening was harvest time ' for the members of B Battery. The sum j of £llO was handed out as personal pay- ' ments, besides which the trophies won ' during the year, most of tri'im accom- I .panied by money prizes, were distributed. .With 'respect to shooting prizes, Corporal- ' trumpeter Simpson made a scoop, gather- | ing in the company's valuable Champion- | • ship Belt (accompanied by Major Ritchie's ' trophy), Captain Roberts's Cup and trophy, j end ex-Driver De Lautour's Challenge Cup. The other winners of " shooting I prizes were: —A Class: Gunner Govan, | second in Belt, first in No. 7, second in ! No. 6, third in No. 4, and two range J prizes; Farrier-driver Kerr, third in ! Belt, first in No. 8, third in No. 2, and j four range prizes; Bomb. Jones, fourth in Belt, first in No. 5; Gunner Edwards, i fifth in Belt, first in No. 4, second in No. ; 7, third in No. 6, and one range prizo; Gunner Reid, first in No. 2, and first in I No. 1, B Class; Corporal Matheson, I second in No. 8, third in No. 1, and two ' range, prizes; Sergeant-major Miller,: second in No. 1, and one range prize; Sergeant Dr Smith, second in No. 3; Sergeant Milne, third in No. 8; Lieu- | tenant MTvenzie, onv range prize. B \ Class: Gunner Cowan, first in Nos. 4 and 1 fl, third in Nos. 1 and 2; Gunner Turn- j ■bull, first in No. 3, second in No. 4, third in Nos. 5 and,B; Gunner Jack, first'; in No. 2, second in No. 8, third in Noa. j 4 and 7; Gunner Jackson, second in No. 1; Gunner Paterson, to range prizes; I Gunner Taylor, first in No. 8, second in , Nos. 2 and 7; Gunner Johnson, one 1-ange j prize; Gunner Cairney, R.C., one range] ori/,e; Gunner Cairney, C.P., one rango prize; Gunner Hutton. one rang* prizj. | The Brown Shield, awarded for attend- j anoe appearance and dress on parade, and j gwnerd work and efficiency throughout the

year, was won by Sergeant Milne's detachment (B gun). The Garrison Hall Trustees' Sub-section Shield, awarded to the detachment showing the best work throughout the encampment, was won by Sergeant Guthrie's detachment (D gun.). In the competition for best-kept tents the four best could not be separated. Prizes were therefore awarded for Corporal Matheson's, Corporal Simpson's, Sergeant Gardner's, and Bomb'. Jefi'ery's tents. Many employers :ind paa-ents have a very imperfect knowledge of the advantages to be derived by young manhood from military training. In order to make clear the nature of the work done by his corps, Captain Ross (of the Dunedin Engineers) has addressed copies of the following letter to various employers: "Dear Sir, —In view of the general in- ' terest at present being taken in the dej fence movement, I would draw ycur attention to the advantages to be gained by ] your employees, eligible for the Terrij torials, to join my company. The com- | pa.ny is divided into two half-com panics, as I under : —Field Engineers, two section® ; Field Communication, two sections. In the Field Engineer sections, instruction is given in the use of bridging expedients, erection of guns, sheers, and derricks, use of blocks and tackles, preparation for plans, laying out and construction of earthworks, including roads and trenches. The care and use of explosives of all kinds form part of the syllabus, while it is proposed to give instruction in topographical and elementary surveying, mechanical draught- | inrg, _ a,nd other technical subjects in con- • nection _ with engineering work. Tie 1 officers in connection with the field engi- ; neering sections are Lieut. F. J. Williams, C,E. and licensed survevor, and Lieut. F iW. Furkert, A.M.Inst.C.E., and district I engineer to the Public "Works Department 1 at Dunedin."

"The instruction in the Field Communication Sections includes repairs, maintenance internal construction, and wiring of telephones, bells, telegraph instruments, care, maintenance, and construction of batteries. The. laying of cables, and lines a.nd the use of measuring and testing instruments. Signalling both with the Semaphore and Morse signalling in all its branches is also carried out. The officers connected with the Field Communication sections are Lieut, A. Dig-by Smith and Lieut. J. H. Scott, electrical engineer to the City Corporation Tramway Converter Station. You will see by the above that the work of the ' company covers a wide field, and the officers being professional gentlemen is a sufficient guarantee of the excellence of the instruction. In taking in new members it is proposed to place them in the sections for which they are most suited by their private employment. I would therefore suggest that you use your endeavours to encourage employees of your firm to enrol in the Feild Engineers." "Battery" writes as follows from Oamaru on April 27:—"8 Company (Oamaru Rifles) had a good muster at the parade of headquarters companies of No. 3 Battalion last Tuesday evening. From the manner in, wnich the men went about their work it looked as though the enthusiasm in Volunteering was even greater now tihair formerly. There was a period when the company seem to be at a standstill, but latterly, with the infusion of new blood, it is beginning to pull itself together again. The company is making splendid headway with the new drill. At present this company can boast of a large number of really first-class shots amongst the members. There is no reason why the officers and N.C.O.s should not be able to bring it to a high state of efficiency, so as to class it amongst the crack infantry corps of the Dominion."

In these days, whan all officers are required to have some knowledge of field engineering, s handbook on the textbooks has been much sought after. Messrs Gale and Fulden have come to the rescue with Lieut.-general Hutchinson's work on Field Fortifications, specially designed for the use of officers preparing for promotion examinations. It is a most excellent work in every way, thoroughly practical, and is an important addition to the firm's " Military Series." This, the sixth edition, has been revised by Colonel Mac Donnell, R.E., and brought thoroughly up to date. The chapter on "Arms and Projectiles" is most helpful, enabling officers other than artillerymen to more clearly understand the different armaments. At the conclusion of each chapter a few examples cf calculating worksi are given, and by this method many doubts are cleared. The last chapter is devoted to sample questions, so that the student may judge of his own. fitness for examination. "Plates are numerous, and assist materially m elucidating the many problems of the field engineer.

The effects of the Customs Department's attitude in .refusing to pass free of duty imported equipment are being felt elsewhere besides in Dunedin. The First Battalion Auckland 0.R.V., says a northern writer, can't get their clothes. Several hundred new uniforms were ordered from Home. Those duly arrived, and, according to the usual custom, the certificate of exemption from paying'duty was handed to the people who sit at the receipt, of custom in Auckland. Them the red tape began to obtrude. It was discoveTJ>d by some lynxeyed official that the Volmteers ceased to exist on the last day of February, and this was held to render the certificate invalid. The battalion was allowed to remove half the shipment, and the other two cases still remain impounded down the wharf to satisfy

the requirements of the Customs people—the duty on this class of goods being somewhene in the region of 40 per cent. Commenting upon the appointment of Colonel Kirkpatrick as Inspector-general of the Commonwealth Defence Forces at a salary of £ISOO, the Weekly Press mentions that it is not generally known that about three years ago, when Colonel Kirkpatrick visited this country, he was offered an appointment as Commandant of the New Zealand Forces at the salary usually paid—viz., about £750. This caused some amusement at the War Office, as Colonel Kirkpatrick was already in receipt of £IOOO per annum from the Indian Army. Reporting officially upon the cavalry division training of last year, Lieutenantcolonel Sir Douglas Haig remarks a decadence in British horsemanship. "At present," he says, " we do not compare favourably in this respect with the French or the German cavalry. Unless a cavalry officer is a good horseman he is useless; cavalry officers must therefore be constantly in the saddle, and should be encouraged to ride at least several hours a day throughout the year." General Haig places great store upon the hunting field and polo ground as training places for war, and deprecates the tendency of rich young officers to buy motor cars instead of horses. "I attribute great importance," he says, "to young officers being encouraged to hunt and play polo, and would urge that they be helped to do so in every possible way. These pursuits have a very real value in. training for war, and it is particularly desirable that officers with private means should be encouraged to spend their money in this way rather than in buying expensive motor cars and similar luxuries, which have a precisely opposite tendency."