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Star (Christchurch), Issue 12244, 16 February 1918, Page 11

The extraordinary efficiency of the Lewis gun, winch lias come into such great, use in the operations of the Allies in France, is demonstrated by a story told by Captain Carmichael, M.0., ot the Australian Imperial Forces, who is at present in Auckland. On one occasion he was with one of his gunners in an advanced post of the Australian lines, which were about seventy yards separated from ilritz's pill-boxes- In the early hours of the morning, wiien there was a heavy fog, the gunner was standing alongside his quick-firer, ever on the alert, but for the moment put out of action by the darkness and fog. He waa talking t 0 Captain Carmichael when there came a sudden lift in the fog, and at the same moment the moon shone out, showing up a mass ot Germans going into the trenches, probably to relieve these already holding the line- The target was a splendid one, but what counted most was the amazing swiftness with which the Lewis gunner got to work. In a fraction of a second he had seen the target and was pouring in a stream of lead. Other gunners , picked the target up almost immediately after, and the result was shown in the morning, when, under cover of a Red Cross flag, the Germans came ffut to pick up their dead and wounded, and continued to pick them up until noon that day. Later, Onntain Carmichael recommended the Lewis gunner for the Military Medal winch was duly awarded, and shortly afterwards the clever marksman gained a bar/to his decoration. Incidentally, Captain Carmichael said that it took at least six months to make a soldier efficient in the use of the Lewis gun. . ■