OUR NEW GUNS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1528, 26 August 1912, Page 4

OUR NEW GUNS.

PARADED FOR THE GOVERNOR.

On Saturday an interesting dli> play was given at Jlirauw by a bAttery from tho 1 loyal Now Hcafaml Artillery, whom tho now 18-poander Q.F. field guns were paraded for inspection by his Excellency the Govorno-i' (Lord Islington), members of (he GovmrniPiil', members o£ Parliament, and those of the general public—and there were quite a number—who cared to bs present.' Tho battery was in command of Major Maidlow, R.A., Assistant Director of Ordnance, and wero excellently horsed, No. 1 gun team especially bein" splendidly equipped in that rospect. Tliere was 110 firing, but dospita (ho absence of that spectacular element of field battery work, the march past of tho guns, followed by a "gallop past," and tho various drill movements carried out, furnished an interesting exhibition of tho work of this important branch of tho torvice.

Hi? Excellency, who woro tlio uniform of the Wiltshire Yeomanry, was attended by o'iio of liis aides, /iiui thero lrcro also pix-sonfc the Hon. .Inme-j Allen. (Minictwf lor Defence), tho Hoik A. L, Herdmnii (Minister for Justice), and (ho lion. U: H. Rhodes (Postmaster-General), MaiorGener.nl A. J. Godley, C.H. (GefioW.l Officer Go3l man _liiip tho Foicds), nnd Colonel 10. S. Heard (Director of Staff Dalies). _ Tho Parliamentary party were takenout in a special car, nnd great interest displayed in t.lio drill by tho visitor?, who were also Riven an opportunity of in* si«cUiiff the jfuns al eloio quarters. Six batteries of New Zo.il.ind Wold Artillery ftrft now being rearmed with, (ho 18-pounder 0.1-\, which is the gun in ujo by tho refnilar batteries of tli© Imperial iVruiy. It; is a groat. advance on all pi'ovi)Uß iield guns, and is superior to tkftt of my Continental nation, with the possible jxcept.ioil of the French gun. Tho guii lives fixed ammunition, i.e., shell and cartlidgo ouo, lil;o a rillo cartridge. Tlio recoil is cheeked by nil oil burner and spring, niul is returned to the tiring position by the expansion of the springs. The earriago itstif is so fteady during: firing (although tho gun recoils A inches) that men of tho detachment are ablo to sit on the seats attached to tho braka arms and to continue layinp. Tho rato : of firo is about 12 aimed rounds per minute per gun. Kach shell contains 315 bullets, so that n J-grun battery can put into the air shell containing 18,000 billlets in a minute, with an oifectivo ranga of 0500 yards, and a total range of 10,000 yards. Tlio ammunition is carried in Iho ' gun-limbers and in wagons, of which Micro aro two por giin, but as this could all ba oxponded in loss than 15 minulies, cconomy. in expenditure of ammunition lias ahvavi to bo carefully considered. Other now features of tlw IS-poundor arc f-.h-d addition of a shiold, the provision of pernis. - ston firing inochnnism and tomo improvo-m-ents iu methods of laying,