OUR DEFENCE FORCES.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12477, 2 March 1909, Page 4

OUR DEFENCE FORCES.

THE H.' BATTERY, N.z'.F.A. ANNUAL FIELdTsERVICE PRACTICE. ■- In tho Dominion there are five field batteries including the H Battery stationed at Nelson, and their training throughout the year is different from other branches of the service, and has to be proved by an annual test, which consists of the examination of j evory man at 'the end of the annual j training camp in the various special- j ist subjects in which he has been < trained, including signalling, range- > finding, gun laying, driving, etc. Then '■ the Battery as- a whole is taken out J for field work and tested by carrying '■ out service practice at targets which are as near as possible to tho targets they would have to deal | with in active service and not the us- i ual service targets customary to the ] riflemen. The targets used \by the j Battery are pieces of kharki- which at ! this time of year are practically indistinguishable, except by3he aid of powerful telescopes or binoculars, owing to the burnt up appearance of the hills due to the long, spell of dry weather. The officer commanding the Battery is not told where the targets are. or anything about them he is merely told he has to take - his' Battery to a certain place/ and engage the enemy under a certain scheme. -Tbe scheme last Saturday when the H Battery "held their annuals service practice, was as follows:— An enemy had landed at the "Western Entrance, and had advanced as far as Redwood's Valley, and was attempting a turning movement round the defenders' left flank, and were then in occupation of the hills to the west." In or-, der to carry out the scheme, the H Battery le^ft the camp at the Botani-" cal Reserve on Saturday afternoon, route marching to the foot of the Moutere hills, which were reached at seven'o' clock in the eveniiig. Here the Batterj camped for the night and -nere up early on Sundaj' nioining, and on the road before eight o'clock. Six series were nred, four of which were for the purpose. of clas-, sifying the Battery, "and the other two instructional, in the first series Captain Madigan opened fire at targets, which the onlookers .could not locate at a range of 3300 yards. The third shot poured effective shrapnel on to the position,after which everjy round, riddled the hill with ; bullets; making the series a very., pretty one * to watch. Captain Madigan was then - "casualted,"- and Lieut Grace was. ordered to engage a' new. target at* 3,350 yards. ; He found the range at the fourth shot, and likewise produced most effective results at a difficult target. The Battery was" then ordered to retire as the enemy were advancing, and occupied a commanding position further back. The Battery was taken up one of the spurs and from there engaged another target at 3150 yards-. This series was also fired by Lieut Grace and was equally effective. After this the battery was ordered to J occupy a "concealed position." The occupation of concealed positions is a very necessary thing in the early stages of _ a battle where the - officer commanding wishes to conceal from the enemy the exact position of his pieces, but at the same time is anxious if possible to engage the opposing pieces.- Nowadays the.guns are fitted with appb'ances by which fhis- can be carried out. In fact in most of the battles during the 'Russo-Japanese war the gunners occupied positions to the rear of. the hills all-day . long, firing at what they could not see, yet producing effective fire which was controlled by an officer, on a commanding ■ position some distance from the Battery. In the French and "German armies this is considered the normal method of shooting. This series on Sunday was fired by Lieut Brough, and it was the first time it has .been attempted in. the Nelson district.^ He . acted as Battery commander from a position from which he could see the targets, while his Battery was in a gully below, firing over a crest-about. 150 feet high. This series, although not as effective as the previous ones, was most satisfactory, and speaks well for the training of the' corps. The chief umpire (Captain Richardson) in awarding the marks, stated that the fire effect of the battery was better than it had "been for a number of years, as shown by the hits on the ■ targets, but the rate of firing was slow', due no doubt- to the fact that the ; men shot, for the first time with, to them, a new type of gun. Captain Richardson expressed • the hope that . this would be remedied in the future. The results of the shooting are as ; follows, a comparison being, made with the E Battery, Christchurch,:as that . is the only other corps. that has the. •

same make of 15pr B.L. guns as supplied to H Battery. Possible marks for each heading, 10. Detail of marks for "B" Subject. H Battery E Battery (2 guns) (4 guns) Accuracy 8 8 Percentage of effective time shell 8.5 3.5 Percentage of target 7 6 Distribution 8 6 Time occupied 2 3 « - Percentage of shell in rectanale 8 5 Total marks for fire effect B 41.5 31.5 Marks for fire discipline, rate of fife - fire targets, etc. 25 34 ; 66.5 " 65.5 Class awarded in subject "A" 2nd Ist Ditto "B" Ist 2nd Classification for / ■ .- - 1908 2nd . 2nd The A. Battery, Auckland, therefore wins the.Rhodes Cup'for Field Artillery shooting. ; Between 70 and 80 men took part. ! and Lieuts Glendinning and Skelly, of the D. Battery, Wellington, were present for observation purposes. The ! weather, although very warm, was on the whole favourable, the smoke haze j not interfering with the manoeuvres to any appreciable extent. The officers and men returned to town' shortly before 9 p.m. on Sunday evening. The . camp breaks up this morning.