THREE-INCH MORTAR TO BE ISSUED

Southland Times, Issue 23888, 5 August 1939, Page 8

THREE-INCH MORTAR TO BE ISSUED

NEW GUN FOR TRAINING TERRITORIALS

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 4. Arrangements for the issue of the new Stokes-Brandt three-inch . mortar for the training of territorial infantry regiments was announced by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) in an interview This type of mortar is being issued as new equipment to the British Army. At the first opportunity a demonstration is to be given near Wellington of the mortars in action firing high explosive and smoke bombs of the latest type The Minister explained that the new mortar had a range of 1500 yards compared with 900 to 1000 yards for the 1918 pattern Stokes. It is also easily manipulated. The new equipment would help greatly with the training of the platoons directly concerned, he added. TESTING WELLINGTON’S DEFENCES EXERCISES TODAY AND TONIGHT (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 4. The armaments of the forts at Dorset Point and Palmer Head will be manned continuously from noon tomorrow till noon on Sunday for exercises to be carried out to test the defences of Wellington against the entry into the harbour of an enemy vessel. The exercises tomorrow afternoon and night will be watched from Fort Dorset by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones), the Chief of the General Staff (Major-General J. E. Duigan), the Chief of the Naval Staff (Commodore H. E. Horan) and the Chief of the Air Staff (Group Captain H. W. L. Saunders). The Deputy-Leader of the Government (the Hon. P. Fraser) may be present in the afternoon also.