TROOPS AND TACTICS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 8

TROOPS AND TACTICS

AT CHRISTCHURCH. 1 .LORD KITCHENER'S OPINION. "NOT FLATTERING." 'j-.r-.r, 'V; .tßy. -.Teleeraph.—Press; AssociaUon.i - Christchurch, February 23 D,wu had scarcelj broken thi<? morn- , v,and • became. a; niat- .»•..- "-asleep..TWe were emberant- yonths ,to • : .whom sleep apparently l]acl : no! 'nttraGfi.'snatched an/hour .or .two ; Vof;Jdumiber. ■ v whose,, duties : .kept: them -atr their, p6st(al.'nip?t,i .without;-int«rmission;;frpm (the>, • m.o ;: : i^QfcetTed.;^^inpv'intll ( ;they;.'went r ;bprdeHng,ttie 1 < - sttllj-. lo ot.e d, 1r ; gbjo id- | the-;- : dimnessV/bf ('the ; -/!awote,i and ; all, and- sundry began. to. make '-The WajorityVdic) not;require to'-drqss; '.as >badvUept^ : in :their ;;clptlito, .iibt:vknowings summbiied : ; :^; :i;y!frj?^Stheir!«::slum

•tocolistitute.theiat SM: : 'r x]iad;^ret]yy.Md v t■' ?j",::■;: camp/v./'fhG vdefisndersj -V consisting', .chiefly, : <£ ; Jnfantry,fell;,-in,|at ; 5 .o'clock,',■ and : lincved i.ont c " and ; , l tp^;Victqria.;Streets Vhere'/'two troopGroins{consisttng". of. steain loqomor .v/f^.'.tiy^^ajid. c-ttre)'\,wero .n between -"■ : ttie Street'. time'it was -ligh^and;.there ■ was I ! a7,fine'.day—a - prom r, >. Qaietly r and ; iin .-X;:, : an ? tobk'iheirplaces ; ; »oih;,tb6 -'cars, ;vi^"*'*.th|e_ i .^troipp ( ••• > :• rived at the terminus "at 5:55"' p.m. '" Here 1 V':;.";^vi- s .the'.'men were'- i detra!ined]'• and- fell in/and • -lv/_ > 6.5 : / o *cl ock .f* tii ey f ; -. boni m enoed -;j. tliei r-' ;A;i' r V^ '/ T -.y';; were made. : ,to; them v . by.. I , ■' >anorder, issued■ >outlinmg■ 'the: plan: -of T » ( The Tactical Problem, j 1 ; ,-TFM,;. supposed Vthat m P^tfe'*; : fprtie r'dfc infantryVvbav-; ' &unsj' : fi&d J n' j lip .'Jai r tio n; ; pf fand^ ■ foreign'! i;.*raa V-'Ci }.*; -"bTttfe. r as > matter 'o'f ; fact, 1 ",- it: '\fas vby; fßi-Cah^rbury^lYedmanfyl^C^ ■I>t?uii' J Gv'H.' - EHoy es ;',arid" oiie' ;the^E, i ;Baj^ty i ;.uiidef weavra^vhile.a'nUmwFof.flag's" marked. %v'' f•:-?the;/)ictoinal (its ;> assails j|y i-tasj'" werei' -'iiiotV' Tikedirto"'. > r ] liu t > r (Bill }rm eny' V-iii..;the :mafc.'; • :• Jnen-;who•> wete.,approaching. th6sespectre' : i:v -ti^• •* : • ffii!no ! ;time' migiit"beiUost\by' ; . - 'eneMy's. yi' -' 1 ;-; Lora'^Kitchener:V'"'h"iad •" ordered '* soon as gun' was in ' peii one-shot'.? ! As. X : t : irls -j j commanderof . the • v •• ;V':' B ttackets>; that. he ipickedi ;r ? :VvJ a ?.u#?. hfmeelf- ordered its'- ; firedt < ibri;. , -'"- r:: - A •>' - -J-A-V J 1 Dpployment. ) ' ' tuider\the .command 5* •>wl°nel ;(officPr • coinmahdiiiK' S; i'Cgtte district), .■ and wheii -the-' infantr? l were ordered,' - try. nim to : -pos'itibnj'' ' 'avaUing themselves of 'the coyer of trees '^, e enemas., position ;a ?.'.disclosed; Colonel Hawkins dis- ';, iPawhed his mounted.forces towards their W?g ;^?gW^flant,'i;theif: route "being- " salong Saheys Road until a point south "K!?' Sf?? infantrjjiwas reached and. then;-' K force >'cutc, agam* -. followed' ! is 0 ? ■'r.brought-'-thdin; south- Qf. the-, enemy's position;! jliteau;'aboht ; -a' IjJp i wifc .to 'flie fiouth-oast -of - the 1 quarry—a XTk'-Y ®??S?':Of,"vantage from^which'i-Ter/iflie 1 ! , -While .this movement .Was,..pro-, jtos; seat; on to: on the, extreme.left flanlc. and > V . Canterbury' • -Infajitry ordered-,^to^'go-forward; as : a 2 .Battalion is-its . .'OTpport.- 'Litat.-Colonel tlie .Hoii 6 "J' ~ battalions,;and J'ri-.cf Eifles'inithevvan;' ... : , t with-.the remauung,;corps of, No. 1 Batas_ ' .: v x < e 'Some Confusion.

: '•^be.'ra'nguard-.pressed forward to pes. ;7- subsequent; operations were' another is ; •'... -peculiar'":changes that 'ar ' >to/take place'in^aiiy 1 actioru-.Tli ' - Mead' tHeVattack '"changed : .... -. nank,.an<i 'vfobk ,eo: 'Leading . part -. in th< :. • • jJUteequeiit. .The- supportins ir;?:;•:• -'IS l of • the Linwood and : 4h< ; < .•nißhla'cd.ltiflcsi-now '.'smelt powder,"'aw • :: onward. iad upward, toOEeinyfs'guE6 ( which''are : gerier ally : thD.,most.' v temptii!g prizo;; in-aotua. . . ;®iis v portionVof ;;the . attackon ■S'S ■■:'s**& rthereafter vin-the-forefronti of 'attack' .'.'... and practically formed the line: of-battle', I'.VS^ he-monnted; the 'right' flank to abandon., their'horses- oiriag to'the I ' ) mountainous" cjatnre of-'the country)''aiid •: .. takrng, the enemy .in the. rear .from the •L-M.:;V-i*!estorn/,ade,^-®tt;.theViesnlt ; ;iliat^they $;|Highlandand Linwood ■y ; :;ititles-.;, 1 he;-consequence:of-this - j!aiv,juiwticm ; ••waai.vthat'i'.tlife:--66mbinW' ;3" v 'JgPP?? C ; , ; and lili'e: enemas' v forces" then -v<: :•? <*?»; fed"• to'v the./poMtibn- oocipi«d' : -by:-.their skeleton aitillOTy. ■v.;.; _■ 'Kitcheners -.watchod ■ engagement from' the:quarrv, ;but ■at 'this pdsitioii.' 'Sin-jthV;'.how-.'ordered the attackers'' to f • /.they were .within.'; 500 yds. .of the enemy's •• . ' f.uns, they, we're .ordered by Colonel Eobin • 'a;. r 6hort:^distoc& ,; where, thej : £i~A remained; until Colonel - Smith: toot, steps' the .greaterl'portioiijof •■has : force in' :>tpuoli : .with;theyranguar3: ■',In' about'half in ;^S::'^«Um : the ' vanguard fpro-'-1 perly,'; and the assault wasresumed.'When Another ' two hundred ' yards: htwl' been ,V co'veredA the.'order^.wks,l given'ito. fix bayV&L ■■"... . tion rwasoharged;andoaptured. : Finale. ,• While this was going on; 'the South v. •:■ Canterbury Infantry,' under '.Majorl Bock;ivsv:jngham,' had .been detailed as a--reserve,• '; ind VtXsy'-wei'e 'ordered: to .well, on; 'k."■■■ : ' tte left flank; asisuppoyte >to; the imairi; at; : ;.V slow,; ;'i;' : and they^got : very.' far. to the riieritoripuaV, ■ They: had, therefore,; no. chance . to, take ';V'.;s- : ';-j'par't'w.' , the'actMl i en^g&'«n£'!' , :'With'' his eustomary'' scrupulous punctuality,- Lord "M Eitchener; in-.a "dashed ,up .'.to' ::;v:;;tlie:,beadqn^#:'base; : at; 8.30,'-- and, pre-: : '.;:at: ; the , .fMt'bf: i th'e';QuMry Hill, and 'had' '/■.i.cbmjnenced'''-bis. ■ horseback. . He . was followed by Sir ' . Joseph -Ward - and '- Colonel Collins in: .a motor-car. ; : v..'' ;, -i.'-^The'.:'l!ieM-Mai^hal : ;flrst took, up his •position on the ridge above the quarry, .-.where he' was 'able'to wat<;h''tjio operations . sf both .the niounted' and the infantry at;.;i' tecke'rs. .Whon the.enemy' was'forced to v£ • vacate the position, rliprcl iKitchener..-gal-. ; ' ' loped round' the slope' of th'o enemy's . ' ' -fJateau,, and.•took;, a. .position .'to .the . ; nPrth L east' of that. eminGnce, wh'ci'e he rer' .V mained- until'tlie termination of the.:ehgigement. Here; he ordered operations ( to. and rgallopcd -.down the hills, rc(■tune'd his anil reitdrried. to. the city. . -

- .Would- Havo Been Wiped Out. - • ■ ; (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ,1 ■■ , Christchurch, February 23. jp Lord Kitchener Us reported to have said (that ,'tho first~ attacking:.; force': •• on". the :enemyV ; ontrenchcd'posmph at the quarry swpuld^hayjaj'been; wiped' out in. actual war-. ;being' a'ccbrdcdth'edrty, send-offi •.'.'n, , ; It is' rumoured,; with -what ■; truth can;not .yet be' learned,that..Borne of -Lord |Kitpnener's v ~ co'nimOnte 'on' -'tho'' 'volunteer 'manoeuvres' to-day- were not' .very flatteringly Any shdrtdominßs i 'on ; 'tho:part- , 'troops may.'.perhaps be attributed in somedegree' to .the, great ? he&t. of '■ the -'day ■ and* tlje;fact' that: iew: : bf them 'had had any: ;sleep;in.: the:' night':"