BIG GUNS IN ACTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1764, 31 May 1913, Page 6

BIG GUNS IN ACTION.

A VIVID DESCRIPTION.

BATTLE PRACTICE ON THE NEW ZEALAND.

(By Tcleeraph — Special Correspondent.) Christhurch, May 30. The battleship New Zealand was cleared for action off the coast near Akaroa n fewdays ago. It was the first time that the 12-inch guns had been called into play, and last night a ".Press" reporter obtained a description of the proceedings from n gentleman who was 011 board the ship during the gun practice. "At tho outset," remarked the "Press's" informant, "I must say that tho shooting was excellent. The men at the guns carried out their work exceedingly smartly, the hitting was very good, and, although wo were a good distance from the target, I think that every shot was practically a hit. There is 110 doubt that it was lino firing. "\Vhat was my experience on the NewZealand? Well, "that is interesting. Tho New Zealand presented a very different appearance from that shown while in Lvttelton, for she was generally dismantled, and was really 'ready for action.' The gun-tiring was started over tho starboard side, and almost directly underneath is the gun-room. After the firing took place it was found that in tho gunroom the piano was overturned, and in all directions chaos reigned, and books and crockery were littered all over tho floor. In all parts of tho vessel electric lamps were broken, while on deck tho flames fromeach gun scorched an area of about 12 feet by 20 feet, and licked the deck black in that space. Strips of .metal, a fireplug for instance, were torn up, although they wore securely screwed down and the. pitch needed replacing. I suppose tho concussion was.'somewhat severe, suggested the reporter. | "No, the concussion on board the Now Zealand was slight. Very little noise was heard on board for the greater portion of tho noise went out to sea. No doubt they heard'more on tho Pyramus than we did. You know the vibration of a 12-inch gun is not as strong as fhat of a small gun, for the smaller the gun the sharper is tho vibration. Of course, you saw tho words 'Aotea aroa' displayed on one of the superstructures? Well the band containing thdse words was broken completely, in half. "At one period there were four 12-inch guns firing at practically the same minute and the shooting was excellent. The process of loading was in itself an indication of the briskness of the gunners, for the loading of every shot only occupied about fifteen seconds. This meant that some four rounds were fired in a minute. It really meant that during warfare, while oite shell was exploding 011 the enemy's, ship another shell was in the air following a similar course. There wore no accidents on the New Zealand while the gun practice wns being carried out, and the firing was done without any hitch."

A military officer from the Old Country on board the New Zealand described itlie work as excellentKand he had never seen -better.