MORTARS IN MODERN WAR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 8

MORTARS IN MODERN WAR.

NEW ZEALAND BATTERIES

RECORDS IN FAST SHOOTING,

(New Zealand Correspondent's Message

February 10.

When the New Zealanders arrived m France and) went into the trenches m the" sector at Armentieres, we found the Germans ahead of us m the gentle art ot trench mortaring. Theyhaa a heavy mortar that, m action, weighed ll^cwt. This threw a high explosive bomb of 2071 b. to a range of between 219 yds. and 601 yds., and a lighter bomb of 1341 b. to a range of between 492 yds. and 897 yds. They had a medium mortar for a high explosive shell of 1091 b. or a gas shell of 921 b., and also a light mortar for high, explosive- or gas shells weighing a little over 91b. This machine had an effective range up to over 1000 yds. In the meantime the British Army had bestirred itself, and a few: mortars Began to arrive at the front. The New Zealanders commenced the formation, of trench mortar batteries^ — two from the infantry, and one from the artillery. Volunteers were called for, and readily they responded) to the call. The C.R.A. picked) his men, and they -were a fine type. They started to train m April, 1916, with -2m.' and 9.45in. mortars. Pits for the later were -dug, but the mortars did not come to hand m time, and they were never used m that sector by the New Zealanders. The batteries, however, went into the line with the smaller mortars, though for three weeks they did not fire a^ shot. In the early part of June we had our first shoot, cutting wire for a raid , that was to follow. Later there was another shoot m connection with the discharge of gas. It /was then that the batteries had their first casualties — four men wounded.

Some little time before this 'a mildmannered' gentleman of the name of Stores, l'esiding m a peaceful county m England, invented the famous Stokes &*■s•■ ■■■■■■ FINE SHOOTING. At the_ second phasa of the Somme battle', iii which he had* <a part, -the New Zealand trench mortars were iiot used. The artillery did,; all that hadi- to be 'done. Afterward.3 we came to the old locality, though, we occupied different trenches, and there our batteries used the 9.45 as well: afe the Stokes/ They did) some remarkably fine shooting with the 2in. mortars, getting off 402 rounds j m two shoots of half an hour each. The heavies were also m action and treraen? dous bursts of earth- were seen. Saps were blown m, and the wir© was cut to pieces. Our men also did a great deal of shooting before the Messines battle m the "Plug Street" and La Beise sectors. One of our emplacements was blown out with a 9.45, but, fortunately, no serious damage was done. The New Zealanderc simply moved back a couple of hundred yards and calmly resumed their shooting. On one occasion the enqjny ( bombarded a New Zealand battery with 5.9's for wo hours and a half, getting seven direot hits on to the emplacement, yet failed to destroy it. Next day our men opened up from the same place. The • Germans returned to the charge, and after our third" shot they landed a shell right m the mouth of the emplacement, and blew the gun up. The crew happened to be just round the comer, working with the ammunition, at the critical moment, which was a great bit of luck for them. After that came Messines. The New Zealanders decided once more to get m their mortars for the cutting of the wire m connection with the attack of June, 1917. Some time was spent m making the emplacements right under the' nose of the enemy, and about a fortnight before the- battle our mortars commenced operations. All the <~uns,. medium and heavies, m the trench mortar batteries opened! simultaneously m broad daylight. The enemy could be seen flying from Mb trenches shortly after the bombardment commenced, and our machine guns got on to him with deadly effect. ANOTHER GOOD RECORD. On June 3 the New Zealanders put up another record of 1950 rounds from 12 of the lighter guns and 227 rounds from four. of. the heavies. , This they did m three shots, at 9, at 11, and at 1 o'clock. It was a very hot day, and the men, discarding their tunics and phirts, worked m their singlets. The wire w&s blown away with their hurricane fire. Twelve Germans were seen running . from one dug-out, and before they had! gone very far a bomb was exploded m their rtiidst with disastrous results.. " That day we had one man slightly wounded, m the arm. It was indeed a good: day's work. The night before the attack a patrol went out and reported that the great belt of. rusty wire, a familiar sight on the slope, was no longer an obstacle to the attack The infantry lent valuable assistance m piffiying ammunition from the Petit Douye Farm. Many of the men carried, •up, ' 'slung m sand-bags, each- two bombs' weighing 1041 b. Men who were not strong had to be content with carrying #ne bomb of. half that weight. „'