DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 592, 21 August 1909, Page 14

DEFENCE NOTES.

■ . ■ (Br Eokiunr.) ' , : •■~ - : V ■■"—"~~-"-. •;' ■"./'" L'AISSEZ ALLERI With the approach of His Majesty's Birth-, day .(November 9), something by way of preface should be said concerning the great naval and military-tournament and assault-at-»rms which is to be held' in. the Show Grounds, Palmerston North, on that date.. The 'writer has to thank tlio hon. secretary (Staff Sergeant Major Dovey) /for an advance copy of the official programme of the various events, and a glance through that somewhat bulky booklet serves to show that the committee, on the forthcoming occasion, means to eclipse all previous efforts. Volunteers will remember with feelings of pleasure that the tournament of 1908 was a signal success, and-the entries for tho various competitions should be vory large, if they are to-be in proportion to the number of attractions offered. Entries close "with Sergeant-Major Dovey on October 30 next, and late entries,with double fees, on Npyember 3. • Free railway passes will be issued to' bona fide compotitors by November 6, by tho' hon. secretary, but competitors are cautioned that , any man attending the tournament and failing: to .compete, in ono or more,-, events he may, have. entered for, will be required, to refund tho. cost-of railway fare, .together.with one shilling'entrance ; money to ground; Endeavour will be made to: obtain concessions fo,r : competitors, travelling by [steamer (U.S.S. -C 0.),. notice of which will appear later. Horses, to be; ridden at- the tournament,' conveyed by.'-jail on the , outward journey, will -be returned from .Palmerston North to their original station freo of , charge, (application for certificate to be,'made 1 by owner to hon. secretary before ; leaving ground.) Tents pitched, or use of buildings: with straw will be found, free of charge, for .those desiring same for the nights .of: Saturday,: Sunday, , , and-Monday, November 6, 7,' and 8, ,by. giving' proper notice to the hori. secretary ■ rfot, later _than ■ October -.. 30, •, care being taken to specify the exact number accommodation will be required for.-, Com r petitors must bring,, own rugs, etc*; 'and are warned that compliance with this' , notice' is to seciire the above Meals will, be obtainable oh the ground or. in close .vicinity'to ;,same J "'at 'Is. i l -per' , ;head. Leaders, :or in charge of teams will" be! held responsible for the good behaviourof their men, going to [ and returning, from the tournament. An orderly• officer; yilj. be. appointed to whom all complaints aridvirro-' gularities should, be immediately reported. .The. competitions will be based on the 'following' manuals as far as they : apply:— Mounted-Rifles 1908, Infantry. Training 1905,. Training. Manuals'. Appendix 1905,' Signalling Regulations \1907,-' ; Trumpet' and Bugle Sounds for the Army. 1903,. Manual for Royal/Army -Medical. Corps. 1908, vMifilary. Engineering 1908, Handbook Maxim Machine Gun 1907. ■-,- : ■-■".'■ :.'■-■■ .v. : - : ' ; '--;

;;The following Js , ; a list, of the ,competi-\ tiona :—l, Field artillery driving 'and; sub-, section alarm; 2, gundnll or repository com-petition;-8, tent-pegging by sections; 4, sword v. sword; 5, cockade fight; G,' wrestling on horseback'; .7, heads and • posts; ■8, .lemon'. cutting; 9; costume race;■ 10,' ■tentpegging (singly);: 11, Lloyd Lindsay; '12, phyejcal drill (New Zealand championship); 13, bayonet fighting;; 14, rifle and firing.ex- , ercise; 15, route marchiag; "16, bayonet!v.. bayonet; 17, tent-pitching and Btriking;.lß," Morse signalling ;'l9,tent 7 pitching and striking, (cadets);.2o, physical drill.(cadets); 21,' St. John ambulance; 22, stretcher drill for bandsmen; M 23, :.■ • semapßore' ' signalling. Class A; 24 r 'Semaphdre^'sisnallihg,''Classr'B;' 25, trumpet; 26, .bugle; .27, bugle 28, Maxim gun; 29, tug-of-war;;:,3oy.( field' sketching; 31,'; building field observatory. , ' In-addition , 'to;.increased, prize-money.;- a very fine challenge shield, valuo £25,: has been added this year sis a "points" prize, for' infantry, to; be( won three.- times •successively or five times collectively ' before-' becoming the property of the winners.- .••/;.■. The following■ displays:llave,also beenjar-. ranged :for:—Exhibition- by representatives of the Royal Navy and,the Royal.NeW,,Zea-/ land Artillery, double 'musical ride;., lance,, sword, and .bayonet ■exerases;"tent-pegging'! with' swords,' march' , past'o'f all armsj cadet displays,: music by. massed., bauds;, ■.and;, an imposing display by electric light entitled ''Modern Warfare. , ', . , .. '" ~ ~ i/, ' '■. .The annual military ball takee ; place .in the , Palmerston Hall on Tuesday evening, 'November 9. .:';. . ' ; v^ - ■';•■_':.

':At a lecture.at the Junior Institution<of Engineers, Lieutenant: A. Trevor Dawsonj ■R.Ni, remarkedd he did not wish to overrate the potentialities of: the aeroplane or dirigible balloon as 'a weapon for warfare. ''They must not ignore the fact that a new instrument'. of warfare was being evolved rapidly. ' -Tho ; Zeppelin airshig/ by 'its ' re-; cent , voyage,'offered , striking testimony;; ; to the practicability of: aerial- navigation..' -The voyage represented ,a; radius .of aotion from London—as far south as Gibraltar, or as far east-as the Russian frontier, or as. far; north as- Norway. The 'evidences justified a careful, consideration of the problems ot defence- .by. ordnance, .against attack by aerial, ships. The Zeppelin" ship attained a height of s.B72'feet, .about 1J '.inile,'i so. that 1 a high velocity, gun was required. ' The velocity of translation was nearly '20 yards-per second, and thus it; was necessary to arrange to train a gunfor defence against airship attack at: the rate ■of ■ Jdeg. per second at , a range , of.- about '6000 yards. The -angle :of elevation required was at least: 60deg.,. but this ■ condition was also easily mot. The balloon or aeroplane was vulnerable, but it must first bo hit, and this would requirevery accurate marksmanship. In view ', of the success of'our gunners, however, we.need by no means. despair. For defending dockyards,-' forts, etc., ■; suitable, batteries ;bf balloon, attacking guns; should; be'provided,' and could easily be built underground. with' suitable gun ports. The guns would .'engage the airship at about 10,000 yardst'range, end the airship .would -be in : the'danger' zone for' a considerable time., r Such - attack would disconcert the;crew, .and would:affect'.• the' accuracy of their aim indrppping-explosiyes.-He dealt fully.,with "proposals ; by..Krupp and, others- in gnns.for attacking ' airships. : and said the type of. projectile required callea lor. careful' consideration. A : shrapnel shell ■normally -showered 'destruction,' • .but - '''it' re- • mained te be - seen; whether the .perforation ;of. gold: beater's skin by . the bullets, would cause, serious.damage to.the.balloon; They .would -seriously, alfect the JUght'propelling mechanism and ■ the crew; eyen.- were .no poisonous '.gases, used. A'; percussion,; fuse would be ineffectual, and a, time ,fuse- inivolved possibilities of great' inaceuracies. A promising :suggestion%as' to;'fit'the ''"pro-, ■jectile 'w.ith' what the /Americans- "call; a ;'!traoer"--;,at :the .base of;, tho 'shell. ' When the projectile gun a hot-flame was lighted, burning - ; like a bright' star during flight, :and igniting' the' hydrogen or 'other gases .-.in the. balloon.' '; ..','.■;,...!. ;

"What is claimed to bo a leo'ord night shoot with 12-pounders has just been placed to the credit of two detachments of the 37th Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery, stationed at Portsmouth. Firing from' Port Albert, Islo of Wight, at two floating targets towed at a speed of from 25 to 27 knots, at varying distances of about 1800 yards, the detachments achieved the remarkable result of 21 hits in 21 rounds. v '

A writer in the "Novoe Vremya" draws tention to the development of Japanese military power since tho war in Manchuria. 'Whereas Japan was then able to place 1,000,000 men in .the field, she could now raiso three times that number. Including the troops'in Formosa, seven. divisions tiavo been added, making a total of 20 divisions. The infantry has been rearmed with a rifle of great muzzle velocity, and oach regiment has been provided with a battery of machine guns of improved type. The field artillery has rocoived a superior class of quick-firing gun, fitted with steel shields, which was mado in the Osaka arsenal on modified Krupp specifications. Two brigades'of'heavy field artillery have been formed, armod with 10.5 cm. (4.13 in.), guns,, designed by General Arisaka from a modol by Krupp. These havo an-elfective rangeof nearly six miles.'-