EVENTS IN N.Z.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2276, 9 October 1914, Page 6

EVENTS IN N.Z.

FIELD TRAINING FOR THE EXPEDITIONARY INFANTRY SKIRMISH DEFENDING THE WIRELESS STATION' Evidently the military authorities ■think that the Tinakori wireless station would be the main objective if any raiding party of the enemy was to land at Wellington. On Tuesday two infantry battalions, Wellington and Otago, acting on this assumption, engaged in battle on the Miramar golf links. Yesterday another raid was attempted! The idea was.that a force, 1000 strong, had landed at Ohariu Bay, beyond Makara, intent on destroying the wireless station. Another battalion, consisting of a British Force, was in bivouac at Park Vale Road, under instructions to repol the invaders. In pursuance .of orders they immediately guarded the Karori-Makara'Road, and took up a position over the Park Vale ridge. ' Tho enemy decided to make an attack on the defenders, and force a way-through. The Blue force, the attackers', was composed of the Cantorbury battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D. M. Stewart, and the defending force was the Otago battalion, commanded by LieutenantColonel T.. W; M'Donald, who was in charge of the battalion for Tuesdav's operations. . A Long Wait. It was thought that the two forces would meet on the Makara-Hills Road about 12.30 p.m. Expecting the. enemy to force a way straight up the valley, Colonel '-M'Donald. sent ahead an advance platoon of the Southland men, who took shelter on a ridgo about half a mile below the breakwind, and overlooking about three miles of the road which winds away down to. Makara. Had the enemy appeared where it was expected, this force would have been the first to come into action. As it was the 'invaders climbed all the steepest hills in the vicinity, and landed out from the valley miles . from the .expected point, and the Southland men only had a long and tiresome wait for their pains. Had the oiiginal 'directions been strictly observed,'the engagement should have commenced about 12.20 p.m. At that hour the defenders were well placed behind three ridges, with reserves held behind, and 6couts well out. A, long wait was then_ experienced, and this proved most trying to the men. It was not till 1.4.5 p.m. that the scouts of the -enemy could be seen creeping over a hill on. the opposite side of the Makara Valloy. Their presence was made known by tho sun's rays flashing from the regimental badges on the. men's shoulders, which have been kept well polished.

Battle; In,the Valley. , There was-a fair gathering of spectators on the hilltops beyond Karori, and the appearance of tho scouts was' welcomed, as the enemy was thought to be lest. It was not for some time; however, that the advance guard came into view, and then they wero almost at the head of the valley, making for the Parkvale ridge, with a deep valley intervening. This move, far to westward, gave the enemy a chance. to work round the defenders' right flank, as the forces were dispdsed then, but Colonel M'Donald quickly swung four platoons round to the ridge, and occupied. a front of half a mile. The first firing commenced at 2.45 p.m., an advance guard of the Reds, flung down the hills, opening at a range of about 800 yards. Their position soon became' untenable, and they.had to fall back on the main body. Tho. hottest engagement soon •began at tho head of the ridge, where the- Blue commander had succeeded in bringing a good strength into action". Noticing . that his ■ right wing was in danger of being turned, Colonel M'Donald sent all available men to this point, and soon both sides were engaged in abrisk' musketry battle. . The defending force stuck to a close formation on tho hill-tops, an action which was criticised by the Staff observers. This formation is a favourite German tactic, and has been the means of their losing incalculable numbers, but they, could hardly have got closer than some of tho Otago men yesterday. Red Gross interlude. While'the fight was in full progress the ambulance men got in a little practice with the "wounded." Two Red Cross soldiers went bravely out under fire to "bring in a wounded comrade, who was lying on the side of a cliff, almost as steep as the side of a house. They improvised a stretcher .out of a greatcoat and two rifles, and placed the wounded' soldier,: who at that stage was only obligingly wounded, upon it. The next difficulty was to carry him to i the rear. The front man raised the stretcher, and the back man took his place. The "wounded" his feet elevated at an angle of forty degrees. An advance of ten paces, and down came the rear man; the poor soldier found his bed give way; and he was precipitated on the hard cliff-side. He was quite accommodating, however, and allowed himself to be-placed back in the. stretcher. After about six tumbles he abandoned the Red Cross men, and took to his heels, to evade/capture by the enemy. Outflanked. In the meantime the action on the right flank bad assumed big proportions, and Colonel M'Donald hastened up supports from hi 3 centre, and left wmg. The consequent weakening of this front allowed a smart rearguard movement to be worked by the enemy, for in the closing stages of the fignt they rushed threo hundred men up a hill-top, and tho Reds were placed between two fires. It was a clever movement, and was quite successful. With the two forces in such close proximity tho order to "Cease fire" was given.

After their long mnrcli and against almost insuperable difficulties in the rough country' they had traversed, the Canterbury men deserved every credit for their performance. When they reached the heights they -were all hot and tired, but they took the last hills on the run, much to the admiration of Colonel W, G. Braithwaite, who, with Lieutenan(>Colonel Gibbon, was observing the manoeuvres. Lieutenant-Colonel F. E. Johnston, Infantry Brigade Commander, was the chief umpire, with Lieutenant-Colonel Malone acting for the Reds, and Major A. C. Temperley for tho Blues. Asked for an opinion at the conclusion of the operations, Colonel Braithwaite stated that the usual conference of umpires and commanders would take place to-day, when all the moves would be well considered. Until then no criticism could be made. The forces reached town headed by the regimental bands and the Otago Pipe band, shortly after 5 o'clock, after a long hard day in the open. There will be no manoeuvres to-day, but the infantrymen from the transports, less tho battalion which goes to Trentham, and the mounted men at the various camps, Will indulge in company work.' To-morrow's Concentration. To-morrow's march out to the Hull Park racecourse will be tho biggest concentration of tho Expeditionary F"™;a th*t has been held in IJew. Zoa..

land, as all branches, less the Auckland men, and one infantry battalion which will be- detailed to Trenthain, will take part. The troops from the Wellington camps and tho transports march via the Hutt Road and Petone, tho advance party leaving the Thorndon Esplanade Baths at 10 a.m. An inspection will be made by General Godley when the forco has paraded at Lower Hutt on arrival.