DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

(Br Echelon.)

WHAT WE MAY EXPECT. > Everything . (commented an Australian, press reporter just prior to tho Kitchener

manoeuvres in Victoria); now ..depends upon Lord Kitchener, and the : forces know what that; means.. An order'to repel an attack from a subterranean tunnel opening into; the middle of the town or from. a fleet or .'air-ships ' would not come as a surprise to theso sturdy, disciplined, mnchine-like defenders'of. the Heads. Lord' Kitchener, is expected to arrive here. to-morrow evening, but'even this is regarded as being subject to.tho delightful uncertainty of "XCitcheher's way." The one thing the men count on is that , from the time that : reveille sounds until Lord Kitchener leaves, they may not , sleep,. and : may not eat;: and may ,not do- anything ' but work, and, savo for a modification 1 of the "no meal" anticipation,: they. aro. not, likely, to/ue. disappointed. .... . ' ..;.' ■'; :.: . ':>.-."::. : "'■'

All the operations at- the' .various lueonsland. caiups have, been on' he,. assumption, that, .strained/- relations. ; ave. existed, for -some-.time : .between the Iritisli'.Empire) and', two;) foreign Powers Hied, 'by treaty, and ono of winch is? mown to have a cruiser: squadron in'.-the; 'acific, wrote one of the press representa-: ives at- ; the • Queensland-, camps/ to.', his iaper. In otherwords, that is the gen-. ral: idea on which the commanding offi«rs of; the fortress .and forces: are. rorking.: It-is not yeryAspecific, but for he present it serves as a' practical:: workng basis. ;'• It is- full- of "possibilities , , and nay mean, anything.. .'-.■'•, ~- ■.' : . ;,- While Lord.. Kitchener: • was inspecting ;ho Sydney .fortifications -he..-let-drop' a: •omark" that .revived—and probably :.. will discussion that has sngaged the attention- of ,'engineers andirtillerists since the I visit. 1 of .Sir Peter Scratchley,, somo': 30 years 'ago. l While at" South Head the Field-Marshal* turned his ittention,to the/heights,whicV form/the northern'-side lot .the /narrow- 1 entrance/ to Port-Jackson.,. He scanned the narrow ■ neck of land on- w ( hichvManly is situ- , ited, -glanced round -at. tho.gun positions on'-' South - and -Middle , Heads, ■: and ■. at. Qe'orge's' \ had -.'doubtless ■ been previously, supplied with'-.the fire .com-; mandinf s charts showing, acres'- of: fire. and.: "dead .water"—and/then .he', asked tho *question ; whiohi others, had.asked, before' him,, vizi: \hav.e ; you; no' guns up. there.?""- The reply, - so., tho'- story runs,. was that a fort in such a place/.would be too/isolated/to ,be'. safe^thatithvould'-be too.-likely to"be/..the object'/qf.va daring , , attack by an .enemy, ; ahd. that the. guns might,'.<nf ter .capture, .-be; turned - on.- the other ; uefences, i and, ..upon • Sydney-, itself.. Lord Kitchener is credited .with having, thereupon', remarked that; '.'fort: or/no fort,* a daring.enemy .might make,saorifices'-in order/to: get-possession! of /'North-Head;, aiid : .put'guns,;there 1 for ;'aggressive.:pur-: poses:. ■:.Artillery .Voxnerts, , .object,: to,".- nav-. ing a , fort in, a : position.-.wh/ereit niay be cut pff.without ready means of relief and' recapture, and opinion/, is divided '■■ as "■ to whether, .that- .condition':,'does. : exist: .-' at North Head, but under.- modern- meUiods of -artillery "it is claimed;/ that '■ two:: or three cjuick-firing.: long-range, field 'gans used, with hostile .intent -niight-be'worked, from -the ---.summit of:-the --/quarantine'ground/to the/imminent:, danger ; iof tho South ..-'Head . forts which would .■ bo onfiladed.by..the'fire. : 'But-on- the others hand /it.' is urged, that the 'guns , on George's heights and Middle Head could entirely , control, anything 1 that 'might be placed on: this" much-debated' ; .site.,•;•,The' crucial v point is,- .however,;:whether, i'or not an enemy 7 could 1 land-on .the/shores' of. North- -Head /or/ on 1 -'-the'•'-beach./.- at. Manly' and .■'capture.: ; .the quarantine grounds. "■ Lord 'Kitchener, 1 according to the :story as. it' is jnow -told.-'inclines /ta the. opinion- , that'- it, could.' There, is. certainly a stretch, of water-under' . North Head-which cannot .he'cdvored'i.by. the guns;: now :: position, ,, -but'■ any .seeking .to. reach 'that area wouldi- have to run .the, gauatlet' of. a - terrible firp: from the : shore 'batteries,before ; securing: immunity from -■ shells,,; and - even i after /get-. : ting', into, the'; dead water. 1 would' experi- : onbo 11 landing \ taeni hijitlranco' of .having alspiptorfputo'ashore ; armament -arid - am-' munition:' -;It vis,. in--fact,., part of ..'the theory-that a compariyi of infantry: with/ a- machine gun ' could ;make"' jtkings . 60 hot ,';as'/to .preclude- the, likelih'c'od .of.a considerable' force/.beihgj-able ": ti)/ ! /get ■ a • footing.'/ There/ is,'- however,' 1 tiiei long, strenuous story of the Japs; andHhe'Rus-' sians .at the '.so-called invulnerable-fort-ress of-Port Arthur, and:-.that must'mak'e' all: scientists and ■theorists of ;war. pause and:- think/.before., they ~como. to ''definite opinions as to : what might: or' might riot be in tho .case/of -Port ■ Jackson, being, beset ,by a vigorous enemy that 'wo&ld consider the. loss of-a few 1 : ship's and.many, .men'-.a". small 6acrifice, if 'it could be paid by the seizure' of -'a f covetild ■ nositioh;: v ' :,\:/::.;..--:;.: .: ■■:, .".i'-'-'.'-i::

.: One of the .most interesting functions in .connection with; the Kitchener ceremonies in Melbourne. was : the parade of members of South'African,contingents. The gath-ering.-was .fixed.for J. 45 p.m. at-Federal Parliament ..House, and , long ■ before that hour men.. in • civilian attire,' wearing either,a medal—to-which were .attached ■in some.instances.several-.clasps, \showing the number of.engngcmentajn which'they had. taken part—or the colours;only; began to ■ They-camo from, the east and - from the west, from, the north and .from ,tho, south; They came/ ( 6ingly,, and 'u twos " and .'threes,. until : there," wore between- COO '.and ,700/: present :, :: If it ; had not been ; for : the fact-that military camps were, being held: at. 'Seymour ; and -'at Queenscliff..there would -hayo been ,hun- : dreds L more., Most .of theinwero men etill in, .the prime , of: life.' -' A : few, ■ while still ■ of , .comparatively,-. youthful; appearance, bore, .evidence of the " strenuousness ■ of. the campaign ■' they ■ had gone -.'through -on South African fields.-Here a man bad a crutch-to; supply, a'missing'.leg.'. There another leaned wearily on sticks. 'A little further oristood a man -who;' being blind, was led to.his place in the ranks; ■ There were - men: of all grades/an" life. .-The tradesman the mechanio: stood side S y i J^f 3 :th^, h J ld ■ a ° no . °n. ;tll e battlenold, with men filling distinguished places in professional ranks., Occupying-a prom'inpnt'position, were veterans '■' who- had fought .in': the. Indian , 'mutiny;.'-in- the iCrimea; men who had gone to the Sudan in 1876.and in 1900.'- They were not all -white either. There was' amongst them at least one black man.,-The.Field-Marshal drove- , up. in ; a motor, and as he , was. in' muftr he; was unrecognised. He had really staited his inspection before the, majority'.of the onlookers' \yas' : aware .thatyhe,, had .-arrived. , ;. Ho -passed vin- front of every rank, stopping to. speak to .someone by-whom, his attention had- been Especially -attracted,." or whose,clasps showed lengthened and 6pcoiul, \,-. ; > : .. .;'. ; ./. ;■,:'■'.■'■,.-■ .:' ;, - ■:■■■

i ..An,interesting;revival/of, an: ancient weapon is : promised-: by ttw \ reintroduc- . tion ;of. : the.; hand .grenade ! as; a ; regular: part of the-army, equipment (states.' the' .•Mihtaty.Mail"),: Although the'- hand grenade: went- generally,. out of .fashion many years ago.-.its use .was; revived, by the ■ Japanese :in their war with'. Russia,, and it is understood that the Japanese authorities attached a' good deal: of: iniportaiico. to it: . Charged, with *.modern high /explosives, the. hand 'grenade .would bo a sufficiently terrible weapon at short, range. It would bo light enough, lo.'allow, of its being thrown quite: ft considerable distance,>:and powerfiil/enouirh . to: , create havoc in the immediate vicinity.'of the. explosion. Add to all this its demoralising effect,' and ,it can ; be understood that the grenade . may 'yet develop' into.; n weapon by rib nicahs'to , bo despised. .T.'ie ; Moors.used miniature bombs.of this.kind ■ngninst. tho' Spaninnls during, they.. Riff, campaign, but they'were: probably rough, and-rcady.affairs, hardly capable of doing any ..very, considerable 'Tlic Turks used them,in the last conflict:\vith Russia, and it is perhaps a curious, circumstance that it should be another, con-' flict with the.Colossus.of the: North that, has'.-.brought the hand greiiado into, prominence.again. The.Martin/Halo grenade isalrcady/in service in.the.Indian. Army," and a specinl carrier/has been invented i 'by Sir. James Willcocks, who commands tho Eoshawa'i , : Division. ■ As the uso-.0l ! the grenade, becomes general'in the Army, the question of marksmanship will havi' , to be developed along quite new .lines;: Jlcaviiig.': half-bricks at disappearing targets .at unknown ranges ought to pro-, vide.; our :comic; ..papers with ample material for the. exercise, of'their wit. It , remains to bo .seen 'how. .the; British soldier will express ,his opinion of such oxorcises. Throwing the,cricket ball will probably develop into, an extremely:important branch 1 of Army, sport. ■'•..'; .General Sir John French,' JuspectprGcn'eral of tKo Imperial Forces, has re-

contly issued -Ilia roport ■ on'squadron. ;': battery,: and company trailing carriea', out during tho 1909 training season. In/ several respects, his. comments ■; have :' a; ■;, local application, as, for ' example;"'. the''.":, '.'• following observations:— . • .•■; . ..: ■.';.': "Both in the training and inspection . ■' ' of;, squadrons/attention is apt ito; be do-;: \; voted too exclusively to the squadron 1 '.'•':.. . as a ; single';; unit, and in. consequence,' ita ■'..."" training as v .a part of tiieregimen^with.: ..': . tho resulting practice in co-operation, ■ is- : ■' somewhat neglected.' /The systematic-' :v training of a 'marked enemy? has not■ yet;'.'.:; received sufficient attention.•-.' Every regi-;.- : -, : ment should be.ordered to keep trained/' . a skeleton;, regiment•• as under:—'.-• : .; ,■ ■. :■::■■: \ ; 1. captain-^^Regimental : commander. 7 j".' ;' •:" .'3'subalterns—Squadron, leaders. , . . ; , >■ ' officer with, flag and 1 - uvo men—to represent "each, troop. :.: ; . ■ ,-';■;( ■ .."The strength of/companies at train-'v-y\ ing, in proportion to total numbers, ehowe ■'.■,.■ '■■'■■■ an improvement,' although some cases .. /■■ there, seems '; tions; and in.'.others; it has been found ;-' i"! that scouts and:signallers have not been;..:' v ■ training ; "with.; their: ■-~.companies. .. The,: .. training of signallers'- un'doubtedlr'pro-■ '■'"■'.- J coniider: the:?::::: : training'.with, their."companies. .is essen-'; !: V ■■'.' tiai efficiency. In the scouts -V : - there is .uo sound reason.,for withdrair- v" ing them- from training.vrith : theirsowa'' v, companies; -it' would' seem'.'rather 'that','; • !:: company training:affords an bpportunitj-' for instruction of a most: valuable kind;: '■'•' ; '■ . iho instruction appears to be thoroughly ':• r- : Srogressive, the only exception notedis'ui.' ;'■ ie practice of entrenching. More attention'' ' seems to have been .given to' the:employ- ■ ■.■'' ment of covering :fireVftq which,'l dreir v '.'■• attention last year):'andi'tb:night opera-' , ■ ' • tionswith admirable, results; ;Thfl traini': 1 '.■ ing- , .in" outpost work, ,, however/ is not ; so' ■•' satisfactory..;' A 'failing 'which' 'is •Terr':' : - prevalent; is ,tbe;;"neglect'. : tt;;TOtch ; the 7 . 1 .' : . flanks-when engagi-;d.;in-:operations.:i:Thi» :; '-':-v, precaution is. especially.; necessary when ' "■ a, force' so. small .aa ; .a company is man-', : '~' oeuyring independently. »■ IVequently; Uμ scouts, are - recalled: , to: the company < when ■> ' contact with■'■,the lonemy; is obtained,':a".'•'' : ' procedure .which isapparently, caused bj : - . misapprehension of tno instructions "con-''' '■■' tained in .Infantry Training,';Section 132,."v •'■ ' paragraph;:.l,.:v;hich;.dirccte:;tiiat; Bcouta:'.!?: - : who: are. checked^when : .preceding !an ad- Jv • vance rejoin: , their-, companies." - - -- Scouts, ; : as' , a , 'inle, r ;appear : .':'to' :;bo :.Trell<,: .'.V' trained, but officers seldom make' Bufacientt i . use' of • them;" .; ?■;■;; ;■ ,-:;■■/,'; '■:,■ ';;;■;; ; :;:v;;.: .-■:'>:";';' •'•■':