DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 817, 14 May 1910, Page 13

DEFENCE NOTES.

GJr SssELozrJ

In a prefatory announcement the Executivo' Committee of tho sixth annual naval and military tournament, to bo held at Palmorston North on November 9, directs the attention of officers commanding companies to tho desirableness of encouraging teams and individual members of their command to enter for competition at tho tournament, which is an annual fixture of considerable importance, held in a convenient centre, a national event, in fact, in which all the leading corps take a prominent part. It is of high educational value, stimulates recruiting, and assists materially in smartenW g u p ,3 nd ffeldin S a corps together, it should be understood that the tournament is in no sense a carnival or sports gathering only; it is a fixture for tho purpose of encouraging skill with arms, _ discipline, and general efficiency, fostering esprit do corps and to act as an incentive for the individual territorial to improve his training. It holds the interest of the men. and affords them an interesting and instructive training, and enables them to see other corps at work. It has contributed m no small measure to the marked improvement seen in the drill and bearing of many corps in the Dominion. Ton or twelve men thoroughly trained and prepared as competitors help largely to improve tho general efficiency, and to sot an example to the remainder of a corps. Attention is specially directed to the following events:—N.Z. Physical Drill Championship (Challenge Cup, value 25 guineas). A route march undor snrvice conditions (over about seven miles of natural country, an innovation this-year), for which, in addition to cash prize, a gold medal for each member of winning team will bo presented. Also a handsome challenge shield, value £25,. is added as an aggregate points prize.

Garrison and field gunneis vriD note that this year (according to a training memorandum issued by Captain G. S. Richardson, Chief Instructor of Artillery) should bo divided into periods for individual and collective training as follows :— (a) Individual training period: May, June, July, August, September, and October. (b) Collective training period: November, December, January, February and March. During the individual training period very little fort manning or higher class of work should bo attempted, nothing but constant repetition and training in subjects laid down for this class of training During the collective training period tho training should be devoted to the following:— Garrison Artillery.—; Fort manning, fire control parades, sorvico practice, battle practice, combined operations. Field Artillery.—Fire discipline, practice, field work, tactical operations. Individual Training Period.—Company commanders should be allowed a free hand to .carry on "their training on tho lines laid down. Subaltern officers should bo given a section to train and command,, and likewise permitted to act on their own initiative, so long as thoy _ prove themselves capable leaders and instructors. Non-commissioned officers should at the commencement of the individual training period bo put through' an annual rodrilling course, and mado to pass as competent to instruct before being allowed to train their own detachments. In order to avoid attempting too much with Territorial N. 0.0.'5, or the possibility of some N.C.O.'s being unable to attend a special class on auy other night but the ordinary drill night, these classes can bo carried out on weekly drill nights, when all tho N.OiO.'s will fall out and form a separate squad, the officer instructing tho detachments. Tho redrilling class should be carried out under tho supervision of a specially good instructor, and all instruction carried out with a view to teaching N.C.O.'s how to impart instructions to their own detachments in a uniform and efficient mannor, after which N.C.O.'s of garrison artillery companios should bo expected to personally carry out tho instruction of their own men in tho ,samo way that N.C.O.'s of field artillery now do. Only such It.N.Z.A. N.C.O.'s need then bo detailed for duty with a company as aro requisitioned by company commanders from time to time. , ' For Garrison Artillery ■N.C.O.'s.— Gun drills (detailing drill, imparting instruction on tho gun and mechanism, sights, fuse-setting and material). Squad drill, riflo exercises, and musketry (sufficient to enablo a N.C.O. to drill his own section when required. To" embrace questions on tho parts and caro of rifle, etc.). Knotting and lashing (the essential knots only). Laying (to be able to instruct his detachment in gun-laying, as laid down in "Instructions for Practice"). . Semaphore signalling (to know how to form up a squad, teach semaphore and mako the instruction interesting). Lecturettes (to bo Bhown how to instruct squads in the lecture-room on gunnery, ammunition, etc.).

For Field Artillery N.C.O.'s.—Same as above, with tho addition of: 'Physical training, tho first 11 exorcises; fire discipline and ranging (lecture); harnessing (to be able to explain fitting o£ harness and instruct therein); horse "management (to give lecturotto on care of horses).

*This subject to be optional with tho battery comraandor. Men other than recruits should bo trained on progressive lines and an endeavour made to improvo on tho standard of smartness and efficiency of tho previous year. Some gunners should bo trained individually in .subjects they are most weak in, while others who aro likely to mako good N.C.O.'s should be occasionally fallen out and instructed in rodrilling, etc. The men should always be trained by their own officers and N.C.0., who alono know each man's capabilities. Tho sj'llabus should be as for N.C.O.'s, except that tho men aro not required to instruct. Recruits must be trained very thoroughly and on progressive lines. Whilo a man is a recruit ho is most susGOptiblo to tho influences of good or bad training, and to a very gr6at extent the future efficiency of a company will be regulated by tho manner in which its recruits are trained. «None but the very best instructors should bo permitted to train recruits, and the practice of drafting recruits into th'o ranks too early should bo discontinued. Officers commanding companies should frequently inspect their recruits, note their progress, and pass only'those into tho ranks who are lit. Tho training of tho recruit under the territorial system should bo moro thorough than under tho old system, if greater efficiency is to be obtained.

Efficiency Examinations.—During tho noxt season every N.C.O. and man will be examined as in previous years, in order that tho company may be graded for efficiency, but-all examinations aro to be carried out previous to tho training camp of the company in order to permit of tho camps being devoted entirely to collective training under company officors, instead of so much timo being taken up with individual instruction and examination.