DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 19 June 1909, Page 14

DEFENCE NOTES.

(Bi Eohblob.)

; Tho Army Riflo Championship, to be fired for; this year by individuals, has been arranged under oonditions which will make this particular 1 jmpotitioa the nearest approach. .to ' ivies oonditions in shooting, that cani' be devised for individual marksmanship. ' Last year tho bull's-eye was practically b&nishod in this Army contest,, for 'the. first time, and this year it is wholly banned. In addition, the conipotition has ■been rearranged in the light of the experience gained laßt year, with the first drastic change. Snap shooting in attack and defence has given place to snap shooting at "unknown distances and observation practice. These alternations refer to the competition foi", all above the rank of corporal, which . embraces'iniiie-tenths of the skilled shots- in the Army, i; The new championship conditions are ■ as; under:—2oo to 800 yards.— Snap . shooting " at" unknown distance; fouT •head and. shoulder khaki targets ; 20 seconds exposure; '.eight rounds in the magazine. 600 to 200 yards.—Observation and appreciation of fire limits; three figure targets, standing, kneeling,, and prone; competitors advanco firing two rounds at 600, 600, 400, 300, and 200 yards; ' total, - ten rounds. 300 and 1000 yards.'—Sighting; first-class figure .target; five rounds; 20 seconds exposure. Judging distance.—Pour objects •will be. indicated at distances not exceeding 2000 ; yards. ; . The championship event for the men in the ranks follows the linos 'of last ' year, but with the 1000 yards range omitted and unknown distanoes introduced.

A' new standard of qfficiency , has been adopted for Army signallers at. Home! In future a trained signaller must pass the following tests:— . . .." Words Letters, perinin. Large flag message .!. 150 • 6 Small flag, helio, lamp, and sounder ..... ... 200-.- 8 : Semaphore ... . .200 '" '10 In addition, map reading, minor ropan ing, and focussing aro required ot' Cinuidatos.

Lieutenant Halsey Dunwoodie, G.A-C., U.S.A., reports tho results of a • serial of tests in February last of fire control-of K.F. gung at Fort -Caswell, N.C., in tho Journal of the U.S. Artillery. The objects of tlieso experiments were ,to teat fixed ammunition tor uniformity, to test a new system of fire control.of R.F. batteries, to test the latest model shell night tracer, and to develop a system v of'.'.sight for,all guns. \ The new system of fire control was a decided irihoVa j on * , were obtained, -both by day and night, conveyed to a disk operator by megaphone, and the information was posted by means of a system of dials located in rear of the traverse between the guns. There was no difficulty in getting the data m tune to. convey the. proper information to tho gtuis for , each round. Thi range thus posted ,wae discernible, readily. Tho guns were laid for range, before the.operation of loading was completed, and the gunpointer, relieved of the necessity of waterlinmgj was able to keep on the target, for direction, without • delay.: This does 'away with the error of watorlining, reduccaV the work.of tho gun-pointer, and increases tho rate of fire materially. ,; Lieutenant Dunwoodio's omnion is that night firing is one,of tho most, if not the most, important phases of.tho const artillery preparation for actual hostilities, and no effort should be spared to develop a system which will require regular night firing as a part of the work of the target practice .year. ; ' . ,

~ S'nco the; trial ; of travelling kitihens at' the imperial German Manoeuvres. Inst yeaf, their ■S S- by the army: has' been sanctioned. They consist: of'a'-large boiler covered by an oil jacket, containing 48 gallons, to be utilised in making stews, soups, etc. On tho_ right-hand side is a right-angled Coder, holding lfr gallons, used for making T tho loft aro box 4 • ' usually wood. , Grates are placed in tho centre, on tho right, and in the roar,, and are each connected with one chimin" uife, 8 j°iu 3oo , rn , Gn aro carried in the limber, and the whole arrangement is of a grey-green colour. ■

j 5 ' 0 !' 64 " 1 (N°- 28) of tho First New Zealand Mounted Kifles Association is a bright-and chatty budget of news, and racy In "A Successful FIX," I » of bow. the Dutchmen , did it, at Samas Post. "Uncle" s P' nß ,, a tale of barbed wire at "Waterval" a ? there is the usual two or three odd paces of personal notes, about "old chums"

The:first prosecution under the Territorial Forces Act was heard at Wrexham (England) Kml felh e V S^r members of the Sa 1 1' usiliers were summoned for failing to make themselves efficient bv attending, musketry Only one of the defendants was fined 10s. Tho remainder were discharged on. picas of ill-health. Ihere are signs (states the "Military Mail") of thr^rr Pr - oVem^ t I u - tho or S an 'sation. °° r P3 sinoe its formation, nearly a yoar ago. This is especially so with regard: sen i or -or, university• division, 'and Cambridge is by far. the most enthusiastic contingent, of mat division, Favoured bv the. special attention- of Mr., Haldane, this' contingent has mado creat gtrides : in efficiH tho artillery unit, composed SL men ' has earned the good opinion of the general staff at Salisbury li U l lng r reosnt ..training at the Artilt A P ' Through .the , influence of the Secretory, of State. for : War, .they were supphed. in March , last with four 18pr quick-firing: field guns arid. limbers, complete in every respect, and similar to thoso in ;use by the. regular . Field; Artillery. Under -the guidance of capable instructors; .the university gunners.-have become wonderfully pro-, ncient m the Handling of these modern l guns, ! made'ex c ellenfc 'practice with livo she!] |at Salisbury Plain, The Oxford University, contingent-is- also-making, excellent progress. Tho General: Staff'at the War Officc is ;re.sponsible for the' training of :the Offiters'..1 raining Corps, and with the aid of a 6pecial grant Jof money, called "the .Training Grant;" a carefully arranged training schome has been drawn'tip.'. The authorities have seleo--ted specially qualified regular officers to assist in the trainifig of contingents. Small .■regimenijal tours for the instruction' of officers! of both senior and junior divisions of the corps have been held during, the holiday season. Special attention is also , being paid to the musketry training of, j a scheme'suitable' to' tbo : conditions of'every .'contingent has' beon drawn: np by tho War Office, assisted by the Hytho School ,of Musketiy. Shooting on _a; miniature range ie freely encouraged in' of the difficulty, of obtaining facilities for loiig-range .shooting, except in the case 'of schools • like Harrow, Eton; Charterhouse, etc. The training is a modified form of musketry similar to that used by the Territorial Foroe.'

Further explanatory details ..are publlfbed concerning the correct arming of the Gormai! cavalry _(reports the "Military Mail"), me old methods are at the.parting of the ways. One thing_is predominant in the eyes of the berman Headquarters Staff, and in this respect it is a compliment to the past judgment of Lordßoberts, whatever function cavalry may bo called upon to perform.- in future warfare, they must be equipped' with an.effective rifle. Hence ; the. German cavalrymen are now . completely ' armed with a riflo -six inches longer than their old carbine, weighing ono pound heavier, holding uji Jf lt3 . olip, and sighted from 300 up' to 2000 yards; Tho sw !® r( * ,P lns } 8°- In Herrero Land, it is ssud, the bayonet proved itself the. moro effective weapon, although, the reptfrts of Ciorman tactira during: that protracted caintins difficulty of effectively meotmg their black enemies to use it. Tho lance will , remain a • cavalry -weapon of .'at-' tacK. Ihe only questions satisfactorily solye.aro the methods of; carrying the rifle and - ammunition.- The present', big -cartouche box, with its broad whito shoulder strap, is merely ornamoutal. It, 'too, must ,j", ni .®J ce wa y for the leather bandolier studded with magazine clips.' Tlie rifle must be slung across tho shoulder. Tho Germans in -W.. improvised ouokat, oa tha British yeomanry do.