OUR COASTAL ARTILLERY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 466, 26 March 1909, Page 7

OUR COASTAL ARTILLERY

THE YEAR'S WORK

"With one exception," states Captain G. S. Richardson, Chief Instructor of Artillery, in a circular to officers commanding garrison artillery corps, "companies liavo cither improved in efficiency or practically maintained their last year's standard. With Q.E, guns, tho averago percentage of hits for tho Dominion- was, Inst year, 48.3, but this year it has reached G6.9, with a much higher rate of lire. A few years ago tho average hits' per gun per minuto did not exceed 9, whereas it is jiow 13, and in those companies which paid special attention to tho traiuing of Q,l<\ details, a very high figure of olfect was obtained. The best Q.F. record for this year was obtained by No. 1 Company, Auckland Division (Captain Kliyvett, G.G.C.), 17.45 hits por gun; No. 3 Company, Auckland Division (Lieutenant Colledge, G.0.C.), and No. 1 Company, Wollington Division (Sergeant Johnson, G.G.0.) also' had individual dotachmclits which l'eaohed ft standard of nearly 14 hits per gun per minute. "The class firing from B.L. guns shows also a general improvement, not. so much in percentage of hits, as in rate 'of lire. There is a remarkablo improvement in some companies in the rate of lire—tho highest rate for Gin. B.L. being obtained by No. 1 Company, Wellington Division; Nos.'l and 3 1 Companys. Auckland Division; No. 2 Company, Wellington Division; and No. 1 Company, Otago Division; all of which have particularly smart gun detachments, and put up excellent results at the class firing. A conspicuous feature of the class firing is the low figure of merit obtained from Sin. B.L. guns. It is obvious that it is almost impossible to compare tho efficiency of companies by their figure of merit, when some t units fire only from Gin. B.L. guns, while others fire from Sin. B.L. in addition."

On the results obtained, No. 1 Company, Auckland G.A.V T ., has been awarded tlie Hudson Cup for shooting from 6 and 12pouuder quick-firing guns, and Auckland No. 3 Company, the Coast Artillery Cup for big gun (Bin. 8.L.) shooting. The Coast Artillery Efficiency Challenge Shield has been again won by tho Pctono Navals, who Were awarded 97 per cent, of marks, aii increase of 1.02 on their last yoars' record.

Much interesting detail concerning tho work of the Garrison Artillery is unavoidably held over. Concerning tho general efficiency. of tho various companies, Captain Kichardson observes:

"There has been, in nearly all cases, an improvement on last year's results. A satisfactory featufo of tho return is tho comparative evenness of marks gained by tho different companies. A few years ago tho difference between the marks gained by the first and last companies being ris much as 50 per cent., whereas this vear tho difference is only 17 per cent, the examination is n very searching one, and whilo it is supervised by different officers throughOut tho Dominion, every possible caro is taken to ensure uniformity and caro in awarding mirks. The differenco ill marks for the first three companies in order of merit is very slight."