DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

■■ ;■>, ■■■■■■■■ ■'■■ ■;■/'"; (BT:.E<nnftOH;);vVv ' ' ■■■;■ (WFAn'tRY: TRAINiNC. ■ ■ ■. '■' ,'■,' How to'- make. tie-Training bfan, Infantry'Com'pany,: : .. : mqr6 ,, intejjsstihg'-and' effeotiife- in, the Time ,at:, its' ':Dispc>sal, during. Evening ..and;' Dayliglit iParados/'r-rßy ; . ■JiCa-p-. tam-'Gr.ij'S. ,, \RichtirdEon,-'Chief ■.mstructorV'of, 'ArtQlery;-."'! , . , '-. , -;- , ■"...'..■,.... i; -'-.'. : ,- ; 'i,».>-. ' ■ ' ; iv;■■■*';..VV ■/ : ,/.4.''^;':^(Co<Miu^ek)'v ,: ':^Mi-^'r : :X -. The' auiihor .concludes ~with a 'reference , .'to the'traintng.'of,,the. Borne,inter-, esting romairkß.'on;'company.'training, v^3.. Tho Recrujt.vvVV--. >■■'"'■■■■■?' '■•■ ■c'-'i:;::'v: : - ! i:- ; - "The first thing to'-teach'a-'volunteer-re-.; aruit ie disciplino on -tie lines oil which jit is taught in the Japanese army—i.e.,.by appealing to the man's honour, sonso of duty, and. higher nature: by instructing him in •patriotism and the oTjjecte of defence. A pamphlet on discipline should bo compiled for uso in tilio.toa,ching : of our soldaers, divided into four ~' Dkciplinofor the Recruit. ,, (2J ' DiscipMno for ilhe Rank 3nd File.' (3) 'DiscipKne for Offioors.' (4) Examples of what Discipline hae dono for tlie ■■ . ;■ ; . . ';.. . " The traiindng of the recruit shonld always bo carefully carried, out by'the simariieet and best staff rion-oommissioned officer, available, as faulty methods due to carelees training become habtbs whinh are difficult to eradicate in later stages of instruction.. R«;ruit-training should consist of—(1) Squad drill, with and without arms; (2) physical drill; (3) pliore sagnaffing; (4) ; mroiature-rifle-rango shootiing; (5) rifle-range shooting; (6) lectures or outposts, protection, guards, entrenchments, etc. Every recruit-drill parade should include a short'lecturette.on some military subject, with viya voco questions on private work.' A recruit on joining should nave -issued to him a small drill-book supplied bjrthe Defence Department, the' book to containt—(l) Discipline and duties; (2) questions and answers oil (3) questions and answers on, shooting; (4) questions and "answers on outposts; (£0 questione and answers on protection 1 and scouting (6). signalling; (7) caro of horses!* The questions and answers should-be of a very practical nature, purely theoretical matter being avoided. The recruit should be. encouraged to mak'o. himself thoroughly acquainted wrfih the contents of the book; and company officers, when: examining their men, as they frequently should, ought'to confine their questions to the subjects dealt with in this ' Handbook for vtfoe- Rank and File, New Zealand Forces.' ■:'-■.'! , '■'■•■.':'

*Incihided bo as to make the book suitable for. Mounted.Rifles. .; . '''■'. "''-.' Company Training! ■ -V ■ - , "The training of the officers and 'N,C.O.'s', having received special attention .with a view, to fitting,them to'personally trainitheir own commands, all that is.now required is to formulate a good practical 'syllabus'; for the training of'the company. This syllabus should bo by officers commanding battalions to officers commanding companies, _; and left to tho : latter to carry oufy, provision being made for 1 —(a) Training ;in drill-halls at Weekly parades;' (b) musketry training on the rifle range; (c) field firing or,tactical musketry exercises; (d) manoeuvre parades, :In addition to this syllabus, However, provision must be made for an annual battalion, com-., pany'efficiency competition to be carried out. by companies as convenient during summer, as undefi—''' . '; : '".' ' '' ' ['•■'" ' '.■"■■ ' . ■■...■■"■•' ' " ,; ■ Marks.' (I). March of twelve miles, , 100 grounds / of ammunition to bo carried by each ■ ' man,- and. attack ,a position (field.' ■ • , ; !■" firing) ... ' ..; : : . ..V' ' ... -.- v",.;'.':'.2Ckl (2) Scouting and outpost duty by night ! 100 (3) Attendance ... ..: ...;.'"••',.•.'■■ 100' (4) Signalling ... . .., "..:• .„ 100 (5) Theoretical knowledge of rank and . .-■• file ... ■■ ... ■ ! ... ■.;. 100 (6) Elementary musketry (i.e.; Tesults of ; firing at bull's-eye target). ■■ ... 100 'r'-'■■"'■" :: ... : -'}■■: ':r:X^M. "Notes on the foregoing:—(l). To be carried out. on Saturday afternoons. (2) Conducted on country outsjde. tho town on drill-nights. ' (3) Easter rind; all daylight to: count, only: (4) Everyman in'company, to read and' send simple semaphore 'messages. (5) Examined from handbook supplied to each man. (6) Marks awarded according to number'of first and second-class' shots: ;'•. ':;' '';''.- ';

"Companies to be classified us first, 'second, or-third, according to'results of this competition, arid battalions to'be graded 'A,' 'B, 1 or 'o,' 'according to; the 'average percentage, of marks gained by their coihpariies:; —80' ■per'- dent., ■'A Grade ,- ; '70 per cent.',' 'B Grade!; and 60 per cent, 'C'Gradei , , ' "Drills carried out in a drill-hair should be made more interesting, ; and' aim at pre-' paring the recruit for work in the..'field—e.g.; musketry training ehould'include ifire control' and fire discipline, small-targets being arranged in different parts of the hall: and ; the company controlled . as' in • action—fire ' being switched quickly from one objective ."to an-, other, different tactical/situations .being-as-' sumed and explained to the men, : casualties made, and every possible' contingency 'provided for ; Firing-from :behirid cover ean also be rehearsed by stretching a rope across' , the hall at tho height of cover it represents or by_ the use of sandbags. In the summer' months weekly drills should be held : outside : the-town on suitable , country for rehearsing outpost and other field work." - ; • "When the company parades on Saturday afternoons, and at special "daylight"parades, jrovision should be, made tor' a short lecture ; to the whole company on the previous drillnight, explanatory of the work to be done and the men should be'invited to ask ques- 1 tiona and; discuss any /points they do not , clearly understand. The class of. work earned out at these daylight parades should all ead up to the goal and object of all in-' ■^Ify*^™ ,^— yiz.,-.-'All movements on the battioneld have but one end in view—i.e.. tho development of fire in greater volume and effectively directed, than that of the opposing force. It is superiority of fire. that decides the conflict.'—(C/T.) •l'i? :a i !t 'J5 a I • obmpin y zeroises: combined with field-firing, which can.be so easily arranged, and-which.;pßn. be so safely carried out m tho hilly country surrounding any of he New Zealand cities, should be frequently held, as by this means only will officers learn nre control or soldiers learn to accurately estimate ranges, to realise the value of ground, and how.to utilise it- so as to m . m , lmlSo tne effect of the enemy's firo, and at time to , securo the best effect from their own,; also to extemporiso cover and entrench themselves against the varying natures of fire. . The , officors themselves may be excel ent nfiV shots, but if they do not frequently take part in these exorcises they will bo incapable of directing the fire of their commands effectively. "In the foregoing I have attempted toouthno_a scheme: which, while improving tho efficiency of our' infantry, .will not involve additional sacrifice of time on tho part of olncers, non-commissioned officers, and men; but in order to carry it out olHectively all ranks, must work earnestly, and realise the important responsibility resting upon them as a result of having volunteered to share the burden of dofqneo of "this fair country. Ihe present ago is ono of rapid progression, and-to rest on one's oars is to drift rapidly down stream: we cannot remain sta-tionary-and a. very big effort is required of_us if Wo aro to reach tho standard, of efficiency now demanded from us, which'is far higher than was expected of the'volunteers a few years ago. There is, however, "? n ™ ■■nutcnaUn .the world for ah army than the young New Zealandor: AH lie requires is discipliuo- and proper training, which must necessarily, tinder our voluntwr system, be given by company officers and non-comimssioncd '■ officers, who are not professional instructors. It is therefore most important that they should ' endeavour to first qualify themselves for their, difficult task. Secondly, they must bo capable of ini spiring their men, by example and'by precopt, withonergy, enthuEiasm, and patriot--16 . m . , f °r .without those qualities a' high '■ standard of efficiency can never be attained • but, given these qualities/there is no rea- | son why our volunteer infantry should not , bo equal to tho best in the Empire." ' ■■■-.