EASTER MANOEUVRES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 480, 13 April 1909, Page 8

EASTER MANOEUVRES

WITH THE ORINGI FIELD FORCE. LIVE SHELL AND BALL CARTRIDGE. THE FINAL DAY. On Sunday morning tho clerk of tho ivoathor nnd tho brigadier at Oringi drew ots for a clay's lino weather. Tho brigadier Irotv a blank. It rained and rained and rained —"cats an' dorgs an' auld wives," is tho Scotch say. With tho skeleton moniy at tho very gate, so to speak, tho rigours of active campaigning should, theoretically, have been sustained, and the lay engaged in strenuous reprisals., Divine service and field firing were also on tho day's >rogramme, but to havo attempted to ciiorce tho conditions of war upon a dripping irigado would scarcely, under tho circumtances, havo been human, and tho rigours ■eforred to were relaxed accordingly. Nothng was done._ Kilties in Exceisis. Tho men busied themselves digging ranches round their tents, while the Higlianders heroically slaved at a long, deep rench, which was used as tho main conduit f a storm-water drainage system for tho amp. It was a groat sight. Kain was fallng in sheets, and to have worked out there ?ith clothes on simply meant' utter disomfort for tho men, and ruin ' for their lothes. So tho clothes camo off, and tyng their waterproof sheets round their midles, the petticoated company achieved what, r as perhaps the most arduous feat of the ampaign. So steady and persistent was he downpour, that all hope of fair weather n tho morrow was practically given up. 'o tho surprise of everybody, the grey dawn, truggling through tho ragged clouds, gave romise of better things. As tho-sun camo p, a patch of bluo here and there peeped brougli, and tbo mists drifted bank to the lountains, draping tho peaks with ileecy latitlea. Loss of tho Pontoons. Not content with thoroughly spoiling Sunay's work, tho elements mado vory sorious avoc with tho scheme arranged for Monday, ho schemo was a most interesting ono, em- ' odying certain features of servico campaignig which had not hitherto been attempted t peace manoeuvres in this district. A hort. distanco from tho encampment, on tho ght, and a little below its junction with tho ruakeretaki Stream, flowed the Manawatu iver, on the opposite bank of which tho enemy ere supposed to have concentrated in force, reparatory to an attack on 1 tho camp. During Iβ long dripping hours of that wot Sunday, ne little company of field engineers, handy ion of the' army, had toiled at pontoon rafts, ■hich, at tho strategical moment, were to bo jwed into position for tho transport of tho roops across tho river. Tho rafts wero implo affairs, constructed of staves and tarauliiis, with a buoyancy of thre'o tons, and ileulated to sustain anything short of heavy uns. Had it not been for tho ravages of the loments, tho experiment would no doubt ave afforded one of tho most instructive inidents of the manoeuvres.. The enemy would ' avo been attacked from tho camp side of | he river, and under covor of a heavy artil>ry fire, the advance lino of skirmishers and :io main attacking force would havo been ipidly transported over tho pontoon' bridge, nd tho enemy decisively beaten back. But, las and alack I Tho Manawatu River, ivollen with the heiavy rains, rose rapidly, iibmerged tho cablo ropes, to which were ttachod the rafts, and swept tho wholo lot own stream. With tho hapless rafts also •ont tho hopes of tho engineers, whoso am-' itious projects and strenuous endeavours r ero deserving of a better , reward, and also lioso of tho brigadier, who had of necessity a roviso his programme Shelling the Enemy. 'Tis an ill wind that blows nobody good, f the loss of the pontoons was a misfortune o the Oringi Brigade, it was a stroke of ;ood luck for the skeleton enemy, which, by omo ' mysterious moans, was discovered iu he morning of the following day (Monday) 6 havo crossed the riyer. Tho position, in , military seuso of course, was serious, and ho clforts of the cntiro brigade wero forthwith concentrated upon tho intruder, who' was cpresented by scrim targets disposed at ■arious ranges and irregular intervals. Tho lills b,ehind tho opposite bank of tho river vero also "alive with hostiles," and with a ■iow to 1 definitely settling tho "skeleton," ind frustrating his intentions, liyo shell for ho artillery, and ball ammunition for tho ither corps, wore served out, and tho brigade ook position for action. Tho weather by his timo had definitely settled "fair," and .ho snn shone out on a picturesque scene, as lattalion after battalion marched out on to ;he plain aoovo tho camp, wheeled, now to iho left and now to tho right, into their illotted positions. The general plan of at;ack' was as follows: —Tho four guns of tho 3 Battery wero posted on tbo right flank; inder a heavy covering fire, the main attackng force, consisting of three battalions, advanced in skirmishing order on tho right; vhilo a single battalion, in the centre, hold fho enemy, two other battalions, on tho cxiremo left, made a feint attack on tho memy's flank, .thereby creating a diversion md easing up tho conditions of the main stacking force; lastly, two battalions, which ncluded tho cadets, who had been served with >lank ammunition, wero posted to tho left, idmo distanco to tho rear. Tho battery ipened tho ball with a few rounds if percussion, which kicked up the dust on ,he distaut hills, and having found the ■ange sent shrapnel after" shfapnel into tho •auks of the "skeleton's" host. The firing ine of tho main attack then deployed in skirmishing order, and, still covered by the ihrapnel h'ro of the artillery, opened on the icrim targets with ball ammunition, c'onceu;rating a fairly effective fire on the targets. L'ho area of the skirmishing operations and jeneral attack was considerably exposed,, tho mly cover being practically tho folds of the ;round. The artillery,' though posted berand the, range of effective -riilo fire, were levertheless considerably exposed, it having jeen deemed expedient, more or loss as a jrecautionary measure, to bring tho guns orward over tho railway lino from tho cxicllent position originally selected. Tho skirmishing lines generally took advantage if whatever cover was afforded them, alihough moro than one company lost, if not its existence, certainly its reputation for efficiency in the field. Tho operations wero concluded shortly after.' midday, with tho iecisive defeat of tho enemy, and arrangements for tho demobilisation of tho troops 3ommenced immediately after. Tho horses if tho Wairarapa and Wellington sections jf the brigado wero got away by a special train at 3 o'clock, tho men from theso districts entraining an hour and a half later, ivhile tho entrainment of tho remainder by special trains proceeded throughout tho late afternoon and oarly evening, so bringing to an end tho Easter manoeuvres of 1909. ' An account of tho practices at the forts has been held over owing to pressuro on our space. MAN INJURED AT BIG GUN PRACTICE. INQUIRY PROCEEDING. (Br TELIOBA.PH.—SPICIAL COUtIESPONDENT.) Auckland, April 12. Tho Garrison Artillery manoeuvres, although carriod out on a more extensivo scalo than in tho past, havo fortunately been fairly frco from mishap, yet not completely so. Corporal Thompson, of No. 1 Company, was assisting in tho loading of ono of tho big guns (a six-inch breach loader) during tho blank firing on Saturday afternoon, when by somo means ho had tho top of his loft thumb blown off. Tho corporal was treated by SurgeonCaptain Murray, and in less than half an hour was calmly reading a newspaper. An official inquiry is being held into tho cause of tho accident.