SERIOUS WAR STUDY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1971, 30 January 1914, Page 8

SERIOUS WAR STUDY.

BY DEFENCE OFFICERS.

OPERATING AT CAMBRIDGE, A grpt number of officers connected the defence stall: r tout an* now assembled for a staff ride—i.e., A *r4 ~°P ei ' at '9 n . without troops— l at Cambridge, tho composition of the lorccs bc-iiw as under:—Director in Chief, General A J, (Jodlev, 0.13., ctimiftanding Acw Zealand Forces; Assistant Milltary Secretary, Captiiiii T. E. liistraurtln<i Dragoons (Boyal..Beote . Greys); Aide-de-camp, 2nd Lieut. A. .T. G. Rhodes, Grenadier Guardi (Shetual Re> fnf)- / S , tnfl ' : , Coloiicl E - B. Heard, 1.G.5.; Colonel J. 11. I'urdv, N.Z.M.G., Licut-.-Colonei .1 K. Cochrane, t.G.S;: Cnptaifi F. Hudson, N.Z.S.C. I'h© forces aro divided, the rod ones, being the'sup. posed enemy, and the blue tho defending forces. , The. eric-my are commanded by Colonel A. Bauehop. C.M.G.,- and tho > defenders aro under tho'command of Coloiiel Hogatt, A.D.C. Colonel A. VS\ Robin,O.B., C.M.G., is tho director of tho red force; and Colonel E. Ai. 0.• CKaytor;directs the blue.'; Both of them have four assistant officers to help them,- ....

In t.iiis case til ere arc two opponents, jwl tho invader of New Zealand, and Blue tho defender v The various formations of the forces* on either side is represented by anofficer./ The commander of either side in ..tiro •information supplied to him ..by t : ho. Directing -Staff— which _ is considered to .be approximate to what he'would know of lis opponent in war—decides on -a 'certain course i<f-, action. Arid - mores . his troops a'ccordifagly. ; Tho operations aro allowed :to rim their coiirso without iflt'erruption,. -and the various problems to.ariso naturally from tlio. dovelopmcnt -of. the scheme. Commanders' and ''Staff >t»ko -all -action they would take in war;- witiiout any instruction -from .tho-.Directing' Staff.- Administrative • problem's, sydli as "how ..tho troops arc supplied, are duly considered. Each day ; tile officm goout,-.'sit 8/30 a.m. to. ; tlie ground; over. wlifcli .the troops they .command would ihav-o-to actually ntid,tlierp:doal with the problems that confront them from tinio to time, ■ . '

Mooting, a poscent on Now Zealand. The following will'give a general idea of what is supposed to have taken place and caused the invasion of -. New. Zea-■ land:—Tho opposition of Great Britain to the partition of Turkey, subsequent to the Iklka l War, led to strained relations amongst ttoe : of Eurdpe 4 which finally brought about a declaration of war. against Great Britain, by one of .tho leading Powers' (Grfcen). • In this war Great Britain .has tlio 'support of another Power (White). The results of the first.nayal collision wore negative; and Green, in order to takfe full advantage of Great Britain's embarrassed position, encouraged, an Eastern' Power (Red) to-embark on a policy of .expansion. at tho expense of tho British possessions.in' the Southern,. Pacific.. With tho active support of Green, Hed defeated tlio British' fleet on .the China station. Hed then fitted out an overseas expeditionary force, consisting of about one diHsion; this, force left Redland on Janilir'y 6. Australia and.New Zealand, fearing ail attack, ordered tho mobilisation of their land' forces on January 4. )f tho Blow Fell at Auckland. The expeditionary force of lied is supposed to liava arrived in tlio F.irth of Thames on tlio 22nd of this month, .it consisting of about thirty transports, and it commenced to disembark troops. At that, .time .the troops of the Auckland district «'cr<? penctfrttrated' at' Hamilton,' aricltlioso of the' Wellington district at-.Palmerstori, North. On the receipt of the news that the oiifemy was disembarking the-troops at PalnSerston were ordered north to Camt>ridge« as tt-cro, also tlio. Auckland troops. The Mounted Rifle Brigade of the latter were supported by a brigade of infantry mid a brigade of artillery, and they tvere sent forward to MorrinivtHo to Ret in touch, with'the enemy and covcf tii© concentration of the troops at Cambridge. Between the 22nd and 26th of the month, the Auckland* Mounted Rifle Brigade came into contact with tho enemv.in the neighbourhood of Parron, but- tho homo forces. were gradually fore-' rd back, and .on the evening of tho 26th both sides were. in contact -»t Waihoii, on the banks of.tlio stream.there; arid that is where, and when tho biioposed war. commenced. It is provable that aeroplanes' will 1)6 'introduced in this Staff . Ride, and due consideration will be given to the Amount- of information they would bo likely to obtain. .