SOME IMPRESSIONS OF AN ARTILLERYMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3227, 19 January 1916, Page 53

SOME IMPRESSIONS OF AN ARTILLERYMAN.

Although this war has been called an artillery war we have not heard much of what the guns and gunners did in the recent campaign in Gallipoli. In modern warfare infantry is useless without artillery, and vice versa, and the following is an interesting account of artillery operations on the peninsula, supplied to us by an artilleryman who recently returned from that quarter : "Being a member of No. 3 Battery, which landed at Cape Hellcs, I have had the pleasure of seeing the regular soldier, and know what he is worth. In the fight he is brave, and it was an honour for a New Zealand battery to support such men as the South Wales Borderers, the Scottish Borderers, the Dublin Fusiliers, the Minister Fusiliers, and the Inniskillens, and these men had nothing but praise for our shooting. On the 25th April, a day that will never be forgotten in history, I was awakened by the boom of big guns, and, dressing quickly, was soon on deck to see for the first time the British navy in action. It seemed like a picture show. We were right in the midst of the excitement, being close inshore, and could feel the concussion of the guns on the warships as they poured their hail of lead into the Turkish trenches and big shells into the forts. Different to the picture show, however, it was the real thing—the vivid flash from the guns, the boom, and a cloud of smoke and dust as the Turkish parapets crumple in or as part of a concrete wall gave way. Our ships gave the shore euch a pounding that we were quite euro nothing could live through such an inferno. But something did, as we were soon to see. The landing party, the Lancashire Fusiliers, were the honoured regiment—a doubtful honour from a civilian's point of view—but a glorious honour for the regiment. A pinnace took in tow the pontoons, crammed with men, and towed them close inshore. None of these poor chaps were landed. The Turkish machine guns,' carefully concealed in a rave and in pits, poured in deadly volleys. The next lot fared even woi-oc, because when they jumped into the water they were caught in the barbwire entanglements and mowed down by the Turks. Now the big gun began to play. A warship came close inshore, and, with a few well-directed shots, soon silenced the machine guns. Meantime the engineers and the Lancashire boys were busy cutting the barb-wire and making good their landing, and, though still under a heavy fire, they carried all before them. They fought and died like heroes. Little praise has been given to these men, but they made a great name for themselves, and upheld the honour of their regiments. Later in tho morning we steamed up the coast, and saw batches of our infantry going ashore. The Howitzer Battery was landed, and, with its high angle lire,' did good work. Owing to the small front and hilly nature of the country there was no space for us, so we went back to Holies and landed at W Beach with the regulars. Qnciex cover of darkness we got our guns safely ashore, and slept that night, for the first time, actually under fire. '•Early in the morning we set out to tako up our first position, near the Y Beach, which was _ strongly held by the Turks. It was a typical New Zealand mornj n ,r—the birds were singing, the sun was shining brightly, and the fields were a mass of red poppies. After being cramped up on the troopship it was grand to stretch

one's legs, even on a foreign soil. If 't had not been for the bursting of shells, soldiers' gear, and half-buried Turks lying about one could almost have imagined he was walking over Flagstaff on a summer's morn. While digging in the Turks started bursting shrapnel over us. At first it was a case of ' duck,' but we soon realised that their shooting was not of the host. Tho water was very bad in this position and very scarce, so you can quite imagine we had many visitors —the kind that sticketh closer than a brother. Our first meal of bully beef and biscuits was eaten by hungry men with great gusto. This is a good emergency ration, but it should not be the chief item on the menu, as it has been in this campaign. After the big advance on May 8, in which the New Zealanders participated, we moved forward, and took up a position on the cliff side, and at the rear of Ghurka Bluff. We harassed the Turks from this position for quite a long time without being spotted, and when we were their shooting was very erratic. Sometimes, however, they would land shells veryclose, and then, just when it looked as though wo were in for a hot time, their shooting would go to pieces. In one bombardment they sent us 170 shells without doing a particle of damage. Tho spell was broken one morning, however, when we started a bombardment. A Turkish battery opened up on us and gave us a very warm time. Sand bags wore torn down and limber wheels smashed to splinters, < and then we realised that the Turks had either been superseded by German gunners or had had new guns supplied to them. After that there was a marked improvement in the Turkish shooting, and we could never open fire without getting a heavy shelling. Although our casualty list was comparatively small we all had some miraculous escapes. Artillery is playing a big part in this war, and in many ways takes away the glamour from even an infantry charge. For instance, there is to be a general attack right along the line. Each battery has its own set work. One battery will be used for cutting barb-wire entanglements by either low shrapnel bursts or percussion shell. The howitzers are either pouring shrapnel into the trenches or assisting the heavier guns to 6inash down the Turkish parapets. After a bombardment of two hours or so of the Turkish first line trenches there is a lull, and the infantry dash forward to hold or take the Turkish trenches. The field guns open up again, shells over our own men and into tho Turkish trenches. This is a very ticklish job, for a few yards may mean the killing of our own men, so every gunner is out to do his best. The major and observing officer, of course, have the most trying and difficult jobs, watching the elect and correcting any errors in our fire. An attack is always welcomed. It breaks tho monotony of this dull trench warfare, and although you may be getting a heavy shelling you never notice the shells bursting, so interested are you in your work. It is when you arc ordered to stop firing and arc waiting for the next order that you have time to think, and as the shells burst near by you wonder whether they will get a direct hit on to your gun or who is to bo the next on the casualty list. Once we had just had a scramble for some tea in the gun pit when the order came down to stand by as the Turks were about to make a counterattack, and as they swarmed over their parapets we mowed thorn down and drove them back. Any who escaped the shrapnel were cut down by our infantry's machine gun and rifle fire. These trenches are now held, and the rifle fire quietens down to a bit of desultory sniping. A guard is set and the remainder of the gun team roll themselves in their blankets and lie down round the gun as though they had been living this kind of life always. This is an artilleryman's life from clay to day. MAT AURA BOY AT ANZAC. Writing to his father, Mr James Mitchell, "Burnbrae," Mataura, from Anzao Cove, Sergeant Frank Mitchell says: "For the last two weeks we have been engaged in heavy fighting, and there has been no chance ot getting letters posted. We are now back from the firing line for a few days' well-earned rest. We have been going steadily, and I have come through it all. Davie (a brother) received a slight wound in tho knee, but he is quite cheerful, and will soon be. better. His battalion had a hard task, so he was very lucky. As for myself, on the first night of the charge our colonel ordered me to take the corner of a hill with a machine gun on it with 20 men. I did not like to tackle it at first, but the colonel told me to get into it quick and livelv and I had nothing else to do but go. We got the hill and the gun, and after, that you could not hold me back; my fighting blood was up. Before we stopped we took four distinct trenches with the bayonet, never a shot being fired on our side. A bayonet is the most effective in close quarters. I believe I did some mad tilings that night, but 'go' was the word, and now when I think it over I would not have missed it for wor Is. I had a rough time again when the Otago men took a hill that was held by tho Turks. Wo held it for two nights and_ a day under heavy artillery fire and snipers on three sides. I had charge of the right flank, and the Turks attacked us four times, but we managed to drive them buck. I believe I am 10 years older looking row, but still have a whole skin, and am as proud as a prince, and ready for another 'go-'" MASTERTON AVIATOR. Writing to his partner (Mr Harry Turner, of Master ton), Mr L. Pitcher, who is now in the Aviation Flying Corps camp at Busra, Mesopotamia, says that ho is 'sick" of Mesopotamia, and would be glad if ho could get to France or any European country. He hoped, however, that they would soon be moving up to higher country, which would be more congenial. Mr Pitcher was air mechanic for Mr Scotland, tho aviator who visited New Zealand some time ago. Mr Scotland has been sent back to India, suffering with a bad throat. The trouble is an old one, and Mr Pitcher says ho will not be surprised if Mr Scotland returns to New Zealand. The climate of Mesopotamia did not agree with him at all. Mr Pitcher says that Mr Stan Brewster, of Wellington, who is in the same aviation camp, is in good health. LIFE IN SAMOA. "The finest country in the world, and the most beautiful," said Colonel Logan (Administrate- of Samoa) to a reporter yesterday, referring to the island. Colonel Logan' is in Dunedin on private business, and will leave for the north on Friday, returning to Samoa next month. Most of the men of tho present garrison, he said,

are the "reliefs" who are over 40 year* of age. There are about four hundred Germans still on the island, but the administrative positions are, of course, In the hands of Britishers. Tho health of the men has been excellent, and the fact that no man has died of any ailment contrac_ted_ on the island speaks well for the hygienic conditions that obtain. There has been an absolutely clean sheet as far as venereal diseases are concerned. ''Have you had any excitement since the. German fleet had its southern tentacles nut?" the Colonel was asked. "Well, we have a lot of excitement with centipedes sometimes," he said laughingly. "Human enemies, however, are a minus quantity." One gathered that life on the island i 3 uneventful. A few line;? of the principal war news are obtained and posted up every day, but the affairs of (he busy world do not intrude themselves much. Tho men are happy and contented, and if they have no excitement to speak of they are also free from worries,