AT THE BIG GUNS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 726, 27 January 1910, Page 6

AT THE BIG GUNS.

■■■'.■:■■ AN. EXCELLENT. "SHOOT." .' ,-Yesterday morning the .: first of .. the 'series of service company' shooting was .carried . out by > the Wellington Iv avals, when the Port ..Ballance gunners, -under Captain Soinmerville, manned the two. 6in. .b.1.. guns, aid got off ten rounds in' the remarkably quick time of 3min: 38sec, scoring seven hits at 5000 yards, range,' the. shots being Very'well centred. Each would, in actual war, have struck over the , vitals of a hostile.ship, and in the 'case.of any cruiser likely to. visit these waters would probably have penetrated..: "Afterwards an instructional series of three rounds was fired from the big Bin. gun at Fort Gordon, all' three being hits. The series'was under the supervision of Lieut. Meredith. In the,evening instructional practice in night-firing irom (j.f; guns was continued, the practice being witnessed by Colonel A.W. Eobin, C.8., Chief of tho General Staff; Colonel Purdy, Lieut.-Colonel E. r W...C. Chay.tor, Lieut.Coloriel A. Bauohop, C.M.G., officer commanding the district, ■ arid Lieut.-Colonol G. I'. (5. Campbell, 'commanding the Gar-, rison Artillery Divisiun. ■, '. ■ . Every .precaution is taken to ensure that the practice at' night is conducted, with absolute, safety, the;.ohief. umpire,' Captain G.-S. Richardson, having made elaborate preparafione . for. the. picketing, of prescribed areas of the harbour, while the powerful rays of the searchlights, manned by the Electrio Light Corps, under Captain A- G. Hume,.make the vicinity, of the target as.bright as day. MajorCourtney and Captain Monzies are. in charge of the arrangements for: watching the danger, area. . A , further series in night-firing will be carried out this evening.. ■ '