MECHANISED ARMY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 23, 28 January 1938, Page 6

MECHANISED ARMY

CONVOY ON TOUR VISIT TO WANGANUI DEMONSTRATION OF EQ (IPi MENT j A convoy of the latest mechanised I units of the New Zealand Defence i Force arrived in Wanganui yesterday afternoon during the course o: ; a tour ot a portion of the North Island. Last evening the units were open for inspection by the public at the Drill Hall when a short outline of the use of the different trucks was given by Major G. H. Clifton, M.C., N.Z.S.C., who is in charge of the convoy during its tour. The army has proceeded rapidly with its programme of mechanising the territorial forces and each military district is receiving a pool ot army type lorries, trucks, vans and motor-cycles for training purposes. As a beginning, four vans, four trucks, two six-wheel double-drive lorries and two motor-cycles have been purchased. The chassis of the lorries and vans have been constructed in New Zealand to British army designs with certain modifica tions to suit the services for which they will be required in the Dominion.

The vans have steel bodies with sliding side windows, locker seats running the full length and a trapdoor in the roof for reconnaissance work and for the mounting and operation of anti-aircraft guns. Primarily, they are wireless vans and sg have a large aerial mounted on their sides and so constructed that it can be raised with the minimum of delay. The vans have accommodation for nine officers and the sponge-rub-ber cushioned seats make excellent beds for the two duty operators or can be used for emergency ambulance work. Stripped of their war accessories, the vans also make good general utility vehicles for normal army transport work.

The trucks are fitted with steel cabs which provides an added comfort compared with the British trucks, ! which are fitted with an overheau i canvas hood, small side curtains ana : small windscreens of the racing-car ! type. These trucks are familiarly ■ known as covered wagons because or [ their canvas canopy. Two of the | trucks are standard flat-top bodies i with drop sides and removable seats. I They will carry 20 men or two tons of stores or two Vickers machineguns or two Stokes mortars, botn complete with fighting crews. Under the body, accommodation is provided for the stowage of loading ramps, baulks, planks and other engineering gear. The other two trucks have bodies faithfully copied from the British 15cwt. truck so called because it carries a fighting load of 15cwt. across country under any conditions which a wheeled vehicle can cope with. These trucks are the general utility fighting transport of the modern army and replace the limbered G.S. wagon of the war years. The Colour Scheme The strange colour scheme of the vehicles in the convoy attracted considerable interest. Three colours, green, grey and fawn, are used in irregular patches so that all three colours can be seen no matter what angle the truck is looked at. The paint has a dull finish in order to cut down light reflection. This camouflage has been carried out in order to cope with modern aerial photography by making the outline of the vehicles as indistinct as possible. On a clear day a good lens will register details like lorries from an altitude of from 15,000 to 20,000 feet.

The convoy comprises eight units and the necessary equipment of war for demonstration purposes is being carried. The convoy.left Wellington yesterday morning and, after giving a demonstration, left for Wanganui where it arrived a£>out 5 o’clock. This morning the convoy will leave for Taranaki centres. Considerable interest was taken in the mechanised units last evening and when they were open for inspection the Drill Hall was crowded to capacity. The vans and trucks were then filled with territorial volunteers and a parade made of the main streets of the business area. Following this a demonstration was made of the a.sembly of two Vickers guns, from one of which a few rounds of blank were fired.