DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 688, 13 December 1909, Page 3

DEFENCE NOTES.

.'■..;• : (By. Echelon.) •. .. In a letter to Mr. T. Miller Maguire, special corresDondent to 'the ' Aldbrshot "Military Mail,"' Mr. E. H. Courthope, M.P., a wellknown authority on musketry, freely criticises the service rifle. - Without going-into technical details-ballistics and so forth-tho writer contrives to sum up fairly comprehensively what ho considers to fie the shortcomings of tho Enfield. He.says:— ... " '.-. , . "Although 1 the Enfield barrel is probably as good as any barrel at present in use, it'is hopelessly handicapped by tho: weakness of the brush action and the inefficiency of tho service sights. It is universally recognised'by all experts that to secure the maximum'of fighting efficiency in a rifle, the objects to.bo aimed at aTe flatness of trajectory, length of range, a high 'remaining' velocity,' stopping power on tho part of the bullet, the complete consumption of gases within the barrel, etc., in addition, of course, to mechanical efficiency in the rifle■ itself* In the present state- of ballistic knowledge, these objects can only be, efficiently obtained by using an ogival bullet and a heavy propelling charge. The first Power to adopt an ogival bullet was Germany with the Spitzer, tho United States use an improved type with.thc Springfield rifle, other countries liayo adopted' similar types, while a variety of ammunition'with ogival bullets isinuEo among rille shots. AH these patterns of ammunition have a heavy charge exerting a brush pressure of at least 20 tons, in some "cases the fignre being considerably higher. Tho. brush, action of tho British riflo is not strong enough to withstand'Unese:-pressures with any..margin .of safety; In a hot climate it would certainly ;bc impossible.• to. use any.:up-to-date; ammunition with soldior auTOrtmost certain damage, to .the weapon. Wo>aro consequently;using an antiquated form of ammunition, with a brush' pressure, in o temperate climate,:of some 17 tons, and there, fore safe,- but hopelessly inferior in. all th( essentials of efficiency which the modern type; possess.- Some idea.of tlio superiority, posscssec by other powers may be formed by tho nmaz. inV scores made -with , the :.-U.S. America* Springfield rifle at long-ranges, scores whicl cannot be approached with our, rifle and am munition. When urged to adopt a' -strongei brush action, the' invariable, answer; oi the Wai Office is that no further alteration m tho, ser vico rifle' is proposed 'until wo adopt an aivto matic ritle. ■It may boy many years before an automatic rifle is discovered. suitable foi military 'requirements, and even- so,: it; wouk bo absurd to supply the whole army- with.it Although automatic! rifles' will doubtless be invaluable in entrenched positions, accessible to wheeled transport, tho difficulty-of. ammunition supply would render,them useless-as the general type of small arm. It is therefore imperative that the- servico, rifle should 'be fitted with a brush action capable of use witt safety ■ with . the powerful modern amniuni- • "In the matter.of sights, tab,. wo-, aro' fai behind in the race. Most of tho great niihtarj powers, and several of our own colonics are using sights vastly superior to ours.' Tho latesl innovation is the aperture, foresight recentlj adopted in Italy. 3 A foresight' of • a sinulai naturo\is being, tried on pur maxim guns, tine ono must hope that this.innovation is a- belated, readiness of tho War. Office to improve matters. It is now becoming''generally rccog nised that aperture sights, particularly; in the case of backsights placed near the sighter's eye are conducive both to rapidity and accuracj of aim. The N.R.A. havo for somo years beei making every effort both, to ■;secure official recognition of this fhpt, and to arrive at the best form of sight for use with the Enfield. II is to be hoped that the remarkable result! obtained with aperture sights; both by foreigi countries, particularly tho United States o\ America', and by competitors at recent Bislcj meetings,' will, induco tho War- Office to gc promptly and thoroughly into this question. The adoption of the aperture sight, fixei in the place of tho extreme; rango dial sight such as is the now well-known, B.S.A. sighi and others, would enable tho present /bad sight-to bo retained as a battle sight in case of-damage to the, more elaborate sight, ant would undoubtedly increase the value of oui oervice arm." . - -'.-.:• AV' the conclusion- of the fortnight's route march upon service rations and under service conditions performed by twenty men of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, at the suggestion of the Army Medical Advisory Board, the men were weighed and inspected. They were in excellent condition—hard and. wiry, with faces tanned by wind and ram. The physiological results, of tho march are approximately as follow:— . .. Average loss in weight, 51b. . • , ; Average loss in chest measurement, lin. ■'.■'■ This is the first time that, a test has been held in which men have marched- for any length of timo on bare servico rations without being allowed to supplement them in any way. No one. fell out; with the exception of one man who, fooling sick ■ after eating some nightshade taries, was carried in the ambulance wap;on for the last half of one day's march; There were three appointed meal times —breakfast, toa, and late dinner. The men could apportion'" their rations as they liked between these, mnals., They, were supposed ■to save sometliiuK from : breakfast as a "haversack ration," to bo eaten on the march. The men themselves are very cheerful after their strenuous fortnight'. "I have lost Sin. in chest measurement; but I foci as fit as possible, said one of them, a tall, fresh-faced youth. During the fortnight tho column marched between ICO and 170 miles,on bare active service rations, which consist of the following daily allowance for oach officer and •' man :- One and a miarter pound of fresh meat, or lib. of preserved moat; lill). of bread, or ,11b. of biscuit or flour; foi.' tea.-'ilb.- jam, 2oji. sugar, Jo?., salt,' 1-5G07.. popticr, Alb. fresh or 41b. preserved vegetables. The men rose and breakfasted at G. 30, marched from 0.30 to 4.30, and vrnt to bed at nine o'clock. : The report, so far as the condition of tho men generally is concorneel, may bo broadly summarised as follows:— ;..'•■ - - 1. Undue loss of weight caused by'absence of butler, cheese, milk,: and of sufficient fatty foods. ■■'■■■■■.■■ ,:.,'','■ 2. Neuralgia, rause-d by .•"run down systems improperly nourished. ■'„'."', ~, , 3. Heartaches, indigestion, and allied ills, due principally to absence of green vegetables. : .