TRAINING TROOPS AT TRENTHAM

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 91, 26 September 1941, Page 3

TRAINING TROOPS AT TRENTHAM

Modern War Methods

WORK WITH TOMMY GUNS AND BREN CARRIERS •

Instructors armed with tommy guns advanced through a smoke screen put up by smoke bombs, and Bren carriers manoeuvred smartly across a wide open stretch of country at Trentham yesterday when troops were seen in routine training. Trench mortars, and hand and rifle grenades were also used and the general effect was to demonstrate the training through which troops in mobilization camps pass to lit themselves for the serious tasks overseas. Home Guard officers who are .undergoing a course at the Army School were present, as part of their training, at some of the demonstrations carried out by instructors. Though ihere were moving picture cameramen, journalists and photographers present, the show was not a special one but a fair sample of the everyday training.

The greates. interest attached to the tommy-gun (Thompson sub-ma-chine gun), which New -Zealand troops first contacted in Greece and Crete where they used to great advantage weapons of this type captured from the enemy. From .what was seen at Trent ham yesterday, New Zealand troops will now be able to use this weapon as effectively as it is possible The tommy gun weighs luilb., against 81b. for the .303 service rifle. A great advantage is that it gives in dividual soldiers great tire power without reducing their mobility. This is most valuable in close fighting, -where the gun can be fired from the waist position by instinctive sighting. This was demonstrated by instructors yesterday.

It ig most effective at 25 to 30 yards and, with skill. great accuracy can be obtained up io 50 yards. The gun is fitted with an aperture sight for longrange use and, fired by sight aim, is effective up to 600 yards. It still has great shocking power at this range. It files the .450 calibre bullet, which is short and stubby compared with the .303. The. rate of fire is 700 to 900 rounds a minute, a tremendous - im provement on Ihe rapid fire rate of the .303 rifle.

The great manoeuvrability of the Bren carrier was shown when a number of these fighting vehicles combined id movements over a stretch of wide, open country.

The grenade is still.an important as sault weapon of warfare and the ac curacy necessary to wield it to the greatest effect was splendidly demonstrated. The Home Guard trainees were associated with this as part* of their instruction.

The use of smoke bombs showed how attacking troops can move toward an enemy behind smoke cover and be almost invisible till they emerge from the edge of the smoke pall. This is usually timed to be at a point which will bring the attacking troops almost on top of the enemy. This was where the tommy gun-revealed its advantage over the rifle in this class of attack for a small number of men can not only bring considerable fire power to bear on an enemy but actually, by the rapid rate of firing, create the impression of much greater fire power than actually exists.

The salient impression gained from watching these sections of training yesterday was that all who receive instruction at Trentham, whether at the A Any School or in the mobilization camp, are being capably handled and coached to fit themselves for what lies ahead of them.