FIGHTING BY NIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1934, Page 7

FIGHTING BY NIGHT

VALUE OF TRACER BULLETS. MACHINE-GUN DEMONSTRATION. A striking demonstration of the methods of night warfare was given on Saturday on the Waiwakaiho rifle range by the machine-gun platoons of the Ist Battalion Taranaki Regiment. The guns were in position close to the road at the foot of Mangaone hill and attracted considerable interest, many cars being parked along the road. ’ The night was perfect and conditions were ideal. The outstanding feature was the use of the tracer bullet. The bullet, which is placed in every tenth position in the Vickers gun cartridge belt, leaves a stream of light behind it, showing the line of fire, direction and elevation. The length of time the light can be seen varies. On Saturday the guns were firing at a range of 1000 yards, and on occasions the line could be followed to the bank under the target. Tracer bullets were a revelation to the public in that they showed the elevation a bullet reaches when fired at a target 1000 yards away. The bullet appeared to rise about thirty or forty feet at its maximum height. After a period of rapid bursts at the targets, the demonstration finished with a curtain of fire on the foremost defended post. The curtain has the effect of keeping the defenders under cover while the infantry move up close enough for the assault.

The use of Verey lights was interesting and instructive. They appear to be similar to the well-known fireworks rocket. The light shoots up to a height varying from 100 to 200 feet and bursts into a star, which lights up the ground below. This enables the defenders to observe any reconnoitring patrols or parties.