AS IN WAR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 723, 24 January 1910, Page 7

AS IN WAR.

t ,VOLUNTEtR OUNNERS IN ACTION. < %' s ' SHELLING THE ENEMY i-r'.-. aw.tituo. „sof-. , v - ticed. for- thc. pflSdctity of- tho 'Now. Zea■3^:rtMgot,^tK^iu;big t W? VWjftre :'pf, it;,-hpd.'/coachHK6iiv6luhte6r; y o ispM.'shot, in(d,it from iff"??cribed.":'dis.tSttcfc' ;'- : If ithVy .acc6in- : Shshed --that '"sstisfaiitorily they ' ivdre «i' ab»- - ifv't,?hrd.'staridard^'-of'?3loieflcyi"has ; 'since been; ; iyb. Artiuovjri : they., ,'rnii'st^.rpropiiro.-theihse.lvc's : ; i : rV l cc ! oVdayipf. plaihj'siinpto war,; aiid: there ;-r^^is;riothli^;inore':diffi^tJthah';plaih.sini-. Modern^,gunnery"is.;iVh/ieiaof-Rot-'aVjjarto;:"of v potchoi^l;lt is ';a">Watt6ifc;of y'i'Svfe hitting ;'ahVehemy: who the; other, -sidci.' ofi. a ..hill,: •^s''-.f; ; ptisrqMsfilsiin. : '.Euclid,\'of"iehdii|S : ' ; «el^hqU^omming:;into;,the f bltaEieSs':of -f::v^.tne.''night;'and", knowing ■; that; the, . .. ot : a",, ant-ety,. will :be badly . sUing. All -- ' ; !: thcfiQ tlilngs', spall lonj. aiid. consiant 1 pre- ;;; jiaration ;!>nd ;trmnihg,:;for':tW'#ceks of • Me -long'long, '.^eeks,:'',the day at i'? strenuous, and-every-. , [i. Equine Rccruits. Consider, thon, the day of trial 4or .. -. . D battery;of;Ni>w : Zehlancl field:artillery : -volunteers.- . After .a: fortnight's • hard ' traiQiiig j at; the: 'Hutt fguhncrs ! : ™trainetV pn l -Friday:: evening last -for: eatherston, . .whoretheir-- final • .test > ?■:% Placf-- -"They' ; -encamped :'that 'night: : ab6ut a mile from the town, about 110 shong, and neit raornlnj were-un bnght and early for a mob. of .undicoiplmed horws, : law recruite. - so far>s pulling : 15 rpoundcouiitry acqs "concehVcd, . : : :/ had 'to bo• put:.through. their 'facings; ■The. had: ;abont.itwb. hours: in'"A*;-. *w<^Vjtos^et4B6mething; like".teiini "disci-" -'. pJ'M.fOut-yof: these: hiredi.; animals'/:;that '-CTedi'tably—' the .-chief; of - the general stair-. (Colonel ; Robin), was heard to hay that he had a ::battery.i'haifdled f betters-is' ,-x' a testinionial to-'tho, drivers." -' r: :; The Subtle Foo. ;.: ; ; Then ■ came. war.- . The Subtle - foe had -: . eoizetf aMinc of country from the WaiTa- -: '. rapa x Lake :.t0 ;the.-foothills -of the range, ■ ■V' iuto Kathcrston. It looked flb if tho whole of tho fertile ■• ' V?, lra W' I>lain w ? rc to lie reduced to ;' "- a: blackened waste;: iind.. 111. the frustration .. ; ®* 'h'» .schema everything depended upoii the successful - co-operation of., the :guns -'- ; infantry, of ' the - dcfending forcci, whioh n.as ordered out to driio in "-the : !'ne,., All ■: thw -: was,- of: .'course, noise , believe, but when :220 Grounds ;"of x--'-VT- !e^ammunitionara .to - be. ipnhipM: ' - .'- must M sorn e defi ni to lesson to be taughl.' xt Signalling the Orders, - Tho .;Batiery, tindGi- 'Major. Peth'eriok,' - drayii up. under cover, when 'orders i'W :,'J'e.re:'receiyed i ?'f-.-^vAW. --■ :.tery:-coitfn>an<ler, .with his trumpeter, and - • : : £omc Itag-\vaggers hard at his' hoels; gal»P e d;o%to a;suitable: observation point, - disiMUutcd under cover, and orawled to - ::"Vhere:lie oould get a clear'-vicw, spending . the next ...few; miiintss • Maimingthehill; face—about tivo miles away—for the tar- - .gets.': Thejr. wko-hard to seo, dnd when 'H-Jookeaflikemany: . khaki-coloured .• shlrta hanging, on a lino: ..." . '™y-were invisible'fo the naked eye. iw:J:r^ben : ;tho'flag-waggersHexMllehtly. trained. by oergt Peterteo) signalled from covcr for the guns, which oarne up m 1 fine ißg : for,-'action from a:conpeal«d position :3;;-'»:.-Mhindithe„jonib':wlth' : smartness^^ahd-pre- • •'«!s*bn.-':.-It was "now: .the, iutekometer's turn A length of wiM, at each end a raiall boS, apd an artilleryman—that is «^v't. : apiX!ttrs'to the'public.:>rTechnically, :< 5 it ■is -;a;taribl«m.-rrtboVeolutibn". ofi.if right::;s:?.:ahgied:;triang^the^ahswflr;lfo:'wmiih "is • Sv&^'- wa - tißo'tobservatibn point—moro orders. \ * 1 ' In Action. ~-!Tha range | was'.given, ivitli Ja'."slight ■ '•■: gnn-layerat .- iyo., lvhoidjup;:bw hand—oll r-eady: P rire A"o"-1 gun l " S'<j:'^^!«^a6:--2?s^:.6haU'»/sang... : toi . ; , the far fhill-jide, and anxious eves awaited The ground heaved and a :- of ,-dust:. and : btones' Ehot.- into the' . , .• air. -•.TVvb,or...three moro shots,, and-then -; ~ setters:-woro ,'giventhe■'■ time—so •": mahy- : eaoonds—the ! ihcll'-: slid into: tho -breech, ■ '.and the gnn filed. Bang l the death--3; dealer, screamed through' tho air,' then a ■ , , eloud, of bluish-white :smoke- burst into •:::'^fP®:a^> y ,and; a2distMt''boom:cojhe;tovthe ' iP. ?5 r --;T'ie. shrapnel had' but sf < and -rained • : iw .diabolical, contents -upon the targets : beneath.;" There 'are-:few? Wsirse : places : ih' S;;';'S''yar'«? l ß::thanl theTarea?immediatelyAbi-' neath .a bursting'shrapnel.- . , :• > , Rout of the Enemy. . -.';'. ,:Meanwhile -. tho ■ game of - make; by|evo : ■ S 3 ?, • SJ'.ni? £• on.w: Mojor; i was' : : ; .' : ,:,badly;.hHj:and- the.en£my 'wa3'-'doing well. tftDuuii','ulondinning took charge of the ; - . battery, --and took ; up.' another: concealed '• gvj^ipositipni'i-frohil ivhiqh he maintaihej'-an: . -v accorata vifiro: until the, encroachment 'of ' the.enemy, upon his"right- flank made hia " position. untenable, when -he retired; •He i-was.-: also iwounded, -.and 'the: Battery;..in", r:-/,? .'tha'.cdmV'! SliiXly and .Jilßcksnv - - enph of whom handled his 'cotornand : 3fl:v'';Wth'-;Crepit.-. t;.The^:euemy::by.'this time' •j; '. f/s •in Ja,ibad : -;'iya'y, : - J ahd :in:: full retreat, w . Major.- Petherick and Captain Glendin-:.nmg^.-baving. been 1 sufficiently - to their ijcqmmands,/engaged the'fiiy. : . tiye.-foo at a distance' of 4000 yards' with .; ... disconoerting elTeot. ; ' ' Night-Firing. 1 / -•'•ii'- was,safe.' Befojie leav-. % !:, ■ tne battlefield,, certain .sticks were left ; ill tb* ground where, the«guns had sfcod, . :aad, at night,, the battery ivos - brought back j.. previous.brder,of:,{action, wheh : a ; hV. ; directed upoii - tbe .enemy scamp. .This is the' iirst : ' -occasion-.-that- Zealand .'- gunners -.have fired at night,.- The deporabsing :effeot:' of: artillery: flrb at: night'' )uid:ih;future nights ,: . uring bo' included ;in itho &chenie for- .. . . ; Afterwords,.-a ;cainp-fire. smoke concert jolly evehing 'was 'ft:: B | e manoeuvres ocoupied, part. i,,'-'-: . ior€nooh» /.and.' j the ' Battery. 'i: ■ at 4.30 : p.m. for' their '' journey ■ P.:/-:: arriving in Wellington shortly .- after, 8 p.m. >; fiemarkably':-. quick . work ~:n; ■ .Tras ; : accomphahed by the entraining oSi-Winning;-who;uii; spite; t--;■' .l¥? 0 -^^ a3 -'oitly ohe'laad-' : bank available, : got everything on ; board. in;4o minutes.. '. •}. '