The Taranaki Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1900. DRILL v. MARKSMANSHIP.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9947, 24 January 1900, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1900. DRILL v. MARKSMANSHIP.

The present war in South Africa has clearly demonstrated that good marksmanship ought to come first, and not be subordinated to drill, which latter has always been held in the British Army at a higher value than the former. So long M "Tommy Atkins" could be taught to pei form certain evolutions with precision and steadiness either on the palado ground or under fire and to keep his kit neat and his accoutrements clean, it was thought that his military education had been completed, and that when it came to fighting ho might be depended on to defend himself and to inflict sufficient injury on his foes to ensuro him the victoiy by sheer dogged coinage, backed by the bayonet. The dependence placed on this weapon is proof in itself that the officers do not look upon their men as good markbmen, and picfer getting to close quarteis to indulging in long-range rifle shooting, aud recent events in South Africa have amply wai ranted tins method of fighting, as the Imperial forces have suffered terribly when exposed to the Boer fire, without being able to adequately retaliate Tilth the rifle. A noticeable instance of the poor lnarkmanship of the Imperial forces was contained in the telegram which appeared in our last issue, stating a party of British soldiers, under Lord Dundonald, at Acton Homes had suipriscd 3GO Boers, who were allowed to appioach within short range of them before the British force opened fire, which they did by pouring in a volley on tho unsuspecting Boers. The effect of such a volley ought to have been terribly disastrous to tho enemy, but the telegram states that only six of the Boers were killed and that the rest fled. This shows clearly that the British soldiers killed 'ess than 2 per cent of their adversaries under circumstances winch ought to ha\o cost the Boeis dearly in killed and wounded, and led to the capture of the lest. So long as tho Biitish soldier is a mcro machino and drilled into an automaton he will never be a match for the Boer marksman, who is a splendid judge of distance, .i deadly shot, and a selfdependant combatant, who does not requue an unwieldy commissariat to pio\ido him with provisions when on the move. Tho colonial forces aie better marksmen than the Imperial, and have dono good work already, as they aie mote at home m a country like South Afuca and depend, like the Boeis, more on their mobility and good markmanslup than do their Impel ial brothers in arms. Had one hundred fairly good colonial marksmen fired at 3GO unsuspecting Boers at short range we do not think it would be saying too much to assert that the result would have been very different, and that at least 20 per rent of the latter would have beon killed in tho first volley, and the rest' either compelled to em render or been picked off as they fled. With the bayonet "Tommy Atkins" is now, as ever, invincible, and has in this war shown that for close quarters cold steel is the most convincing argument that can be used, as it is far deadlier than the bullet, fleeing that few of those who aro wounded with tho bayonet about the trunk recover, whereas men with several bullet nounds aie quickly convalescent, and ready for actne eeivice again in a few weeks, not only that, but many of them during action when stiuck by Mauser bullets go on fighting for somo tune, a thing no ono could do after leceiving a- thiust in tho body with a bayonet, the wound from which, if not fatal, would take mouths perhaps to heal sufficiently to allow of tho lecciver returning to active duty again.