VOLUNTEER & DEFENCE NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1905, Page 6

VOLUNTEER & DEFENCE NOTES

(BY ItIFLJBMAN.) Mr H. O. MaJr is Gazetted a lieutenant •yDS the Scddou Horse. i ""■""""*" A new song called "The Cadets' Marching Song" has been approved for school use in New Zealand, Mr W. S. King, jndge at the Auckland fcmd contest, Is a crack shot, iind has je-gw-esenfed New Zealand at JALsiry. Captain C. E. Archibald, of the Petone KiivaJa, has been transferred to AnekJand. iie is In tlie l**ad iiud Survey Office. The Auckland Company of New Zealand Bearer Corp* will in future be known us txie No. 1 field Hospital and Bearer Corps. An Avondale dirrlsion of the ".V' Squadron oS Auckland Mounted Uifles'is being They nil] drill under SergeantMajor Potter and Sergeant Atkinson. The Buchanan Cup match, for teams of 2o mi tin froni ttio Anc Jduucl infantry Coin•panlea, will be fired on Saturday, March IS. IThe Ranfnrly Cup contest will probably take place in April. An examination for prizes and badges for auembers of the "A" ilattery will be held to-morrow evening. Successful competitors receive a personal payment of £1 as well bs a certiiicate and badge. The camp of the No. 3 Ohinemuri and the Wnilil Rifles hns been very successful. The camp was in command of Major Kenrick, -with Sergeaiit-M.ijor McDonald as instructor. Colonel Davles, Cβ., visited tlie eamn. The annual shooting meeting of the Otngo Rifle Association at Duuedin w;is nuifihed on Saturday, when the Ladii-s' Challpupe Shield for tennis of five men was TT-tn by the Duuodin Navuls xviUi 431 points, the Port Chalmers team being one poiut behind. The smokf coTioiTt tcndfred by tlie col-li-gi? Rides to the "A" Battery last Thursday evening was one of the most succes-ful that has yet been held. Private R. Sellers made a short sp.-ech, in which he referred to the good feeling that has always t'isted between the two compsnies. and exj/ressed a wish that it will a!w:iys continue. Musical items were rendered by Privates Steele, Brasspy, and Sellers, Driver McMillan and many cithers. Mr Whtttnker gave a clever Imitations of different sounds. The camp of the First Battalion of Auckland Infantry, held last week in fche Domain, is said to have been the mo<=t orde-rly one that has ever Lt,.» n held. TSia reveille this year was sounded at 5 o'clock instead of 4.4;". a.m., and the men paraded from 5.30 to 0.30. instead of till 7 o'clock as iv former yeais. The new arrangement was very much favourni. The men dd their work be-tter during t'hr; shorter parsule, and were not so fajrxed when tne time arrived to roll up for the evening work. The evening operations were thpri--fore continued later than was possible ruder the oid plan, generally lasting for two hours. Colonel Davies has not yet declared his plans for the coining Easter manoeuvres, bat from iufornxatiou su far available it la concluded that the operations will be on a wore extensive' scale than last year. The theatre of war will probably extend for a cmsiiieiable distance away from Auckland, and as a feature of the manoenvres will be transport work, it is likely that liie attacking party will keep up a running tight, and will not encamp two nights on i.tiy one spot. Possibly the same applies to the defenders. This will be service «-i»ndiiions to perfection, s\nd 1 am convinced that the. men will appreciate it accordingly. It is believed that a much larger tiody of men will be engaged, the more iHstant parts ol the Colon-el's command Douig brought ia, and a hope lias been exjMPSsed that the Government will give facilities for at least the officers of all the country corps to attend. Major Johnston, colonial artillery staff officer, lectured at Dunedln recently on "Coast Defence." Speaking of the "lives" of various classes of ordnance, the lecturer suid the latest lUin guns fell off a great deal ia accuracy after 120 rounds had been fired, and as 12in ammunition was also costly and took up much magazine room, the danger of bombardment on the New Zealand toast by this class of gnu was very small. A 9.2 breech-loading gun had a life of about li> rounds, and the British 6in breechloader one of t>oo rounds. The main point was that provided a coast was armed with guns of a range equal to that of a ship's armament, It was pretty well safe from attack from any individual ship. Of course, if the hostile vessel knew that the coastal defence was obsolete, it c&uld take liberties; but, to hLs mind, the Otago Harbour Mas one of the most easily defended harbours in New Zealand. The lecturer couirudicted the popular fallacy that ships '■aii ineel forts hi a prolonged duel with any hope of success. A ship was not built lur sucli work, but was built primarily to meet other ships of a class or type not superior to her own. i-T h( ' , Xe K llnt '''t. Auckland Mounted Itlfleas, holds its luitlal rite meeting on Fri- •'«>'. _4th inst., in Penrose range. Firing roauneuces at 9.30 a.m. The programme .;oi>.sisrs o!' three events:—Snap shooting at -noyds, rapid fire :,t .TOnydH, Ulld iJtSlev match, boo, sou. and uooyds. For each event mere are 10 money prizes and a trophy ft,,- highest score. Iv addition, there are medals awarded for the throe htehret aggregate scores compiled during the inoetl»R, as follows:—lst, champion gold medal; :.'':d, champion silver medal; 3rd. champion' bronze medal. There is every prospect of heavy entries and n very kocn contest. On the following day (iSaturdav, .. jL h) the barker shield will be ifred for by teams "in J Pt>r , S(lU ?^°r U ' TW * W3S WOU J fl ear . '« D ] ren (Franklin Mounted Rifles) after a veiT keen competition uud l» -J rop ,n y J 3 anneSL> " >>y them again this year it will become their property "D" Squadron naturally intends trying v,-v bard to ensure the retention of this handsome shield, but as the other squadrons of the llefrimeut are each detrem!u.?d in s-enro the shreld for themselves, there will doubtless be a really keen contest. .JuuJTi 0, the ", A " nattPr 5- of field artillery did some shell in--ir-ri, ( . at a floatSR tai ?, Ot '° Ra last Saturfh % ts -< The sbooti '"J v '« watted hv the Engineers m camp at Port Tata puna. who declare that the accuracy of the shooting was brilliant, the- shelte expiodinj? in a unbroken series either on flic target or jnst over it. Much, waste or time was caused by yat-hlsmen cruLslue in the cliannol. it is urged that yachtsmen -•-iould glvt a little raor>? consideration to ihf> Claims of artillerymen when gun practice ;< t taifc'PLs is prtH.-peding-. :r .;d ienv* » up r-h:u:nel clear. Much of Saturrtav after" noon was lost to the Battery men Wc.iuse of the po.rf?istpncy with n-hich yaehtsmfn • rrrtse obont the targets. If rhte cootlnm-s some steps to protect the volunteer.? will aave t.> bo takcu. Ainoug iiifaiitrj- officers -vb-o had the misfortmio to command mm n-tu> neglected to take proper cover durin" sitam lights it used to be said that the issih; of one ball carUidgo with every ten blasJ: would have a marvellous effect *i> Dxafcaue the men stick to cover 'What is wantetl is for somebody to decide how much notice a ship must be given before betas nriHl on when handling a target. The Auckland Engineers are under canvas at Port Takapuua, beins instructed by officers of the Permanent Force in slgnallin? with heliograpih, lamps, and flags. Spt<c?a attention is being devoted to lamp signalling. Electrical woik is nlso Included in the course, and comprises the erection of telegrap-h wires and the firing of land _ mines. For a bit of optical demonstration several niinos were exploded on >r.ti!i-day. The mines, which were very :i>;,i"?i subdued in power, were laid bonentii ■:i artificial mound created with sods du«- ---! :\>tu the trencihes. The mines contained : i ;-.s of fcTin cotton each, and they blew up ■:t!i hlg force, sending the lump of soil through the air for a-distance of 50 or co ■. :i;-i\s. The soft pieces of earth whistled ■!(•!- ihf> heads of the company, and-it was ]s---':;hnble to see the men duck. The field engjueerlug, embra(;lug the digging of f'hi'ltera for puna, .md practice at aifferpnt ;;:pH!nds of removing heavy weights, regood attention. Captain Tapper, -.evits. Hcwitson ana Robertson, and a J.£e muster of men comprise the camping ?"? they c °as«tute a very smart spect them to-morrow. To-cUy they were to be eatalned by Captain PilSon ta slsnalltng and electrical woik. Sunday was mOlrenea wit-H Riterooon tea, provided for the men and their friends, of whom many vlalted Uio camp. The camp will ue broken np nest Saturday. \

The she days' cams erf Qxe Auckland BattaHon of infantry in the Domain last week was a most satisfactory camp In many ways. Except on the Monday the weather was very farocrable. Tae evenings were devoted to battattoo dim and active exercises in attack. TOie mornings vrere devoted to range finding, and kindred matters, which come in the course prescribed for capitation, marks being awarded. Q'hp mode of procedure was for the Ser-gesnt-Major to approximately ascertain the distance beforehand with the trigonometrical Instruments, and then compare with the estimates made independently by the men. One mark was earned by gnesses wrfhk-h csjne within 50 yards of the correct distance, and the marks If within ten yards. The men also Judged distance at ulghl. by sound and flash. The flash and sound were provided by three or four men ■who fired rifles at a distance known to the officer In charge. Guided by the flash of the rifle and the time occupied by the sound Iv travelling, the men had to ca'cnlate the distance of the enemy. The resnlts were not satisfactory, because the cordite used did not give a sufficiently bold flash. In actual warfare the tire of a wliole company of men would give a much better opportunity of judging. The teats were can led out mainly for the purpose of Initiating the office-rs Into tlie methods of judging distance by this means, and when those officers' repeat the tests -with their respective companies later on, they will no doubt provide tlie-mselves with the more showy black powdor. Col. Davies, C.8.. inspected the battalion on Friday nlgflit, and in the course of some remarks to the men and officers said it was the best master he had seen of the battalion since he had been In the distiict T-he Co'-onel referred to the coming Easter manoeuvres, and said he Jioped ail the men of the battalion would attend.