BATTLE PRACTICE WITH ARTILLERY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 10

BATTLE PRACTICE WITH ARTILLERY

FIELD AND MACHINE GUNS

SOME PINE SHOOTING BY THE "SIXTEENTHS."

Yesterday was a big day for the Field Artillery aud machine-gun detachment in camp at Feathcrston, the big-gun firing being held at Morrison's Bush iu the forenoon, while the battle practice of the machine-guns was held at I'apawai. The troops engaged were the Sixteenth Artillery reinforcements, and the machine-gun section of tho same Reinforcements. Roth practices were witnessed by the Hon. Colonel James Allen (Minister of Defence), BriSir A. W. Robin (Commanding tho New Zealand Forces), Colonel C. -M. Gibbon (Chief of the General Staff), and Lieut.-Colonel X. P. Adams (Commandant of Feathcrston cam])). -Major }?qberts, Inspector of Artillery, was in charge of operations at the artillery "shoot," Captain Bradlev, Chief Artillery Instructor,. directing the firing. The machine-gun work was in charge of Major Neave, and was carried out under tho direction of Captain Fraser, machine-gun officer. The Sixteenth Artillery, with a battery of four guns, took up a position on a slope near some hush shortly before 11 o'clock, the targets being 011 a spur of Jury's Hills two miles away. Shortly after 11 tho firing began. Thofirst target was a four-gnu target, four black targets being set up in a row so that each gun had its own mark to aim at. Lieut. Enniss fired the first series of 17 rounds, over a range of 3350 yards, finding tho range with tho fourth shot. Ho then opened with time-slirnp-nel. Tho series wa« an effective one. Tho second series was also fired bv Lieut. Enniss at a surprise target. This consisted of a number of puffs of smoke sent up by the target party, and' 1 meant to represent a battery of guns suddenly coming into action. Owing to tho puffs of fmoko having a belt of trees behind them, it was difficult to get the range, as any sighting shots fell behind the trees and were difficult to observe. Once the range was found some pretty shooting was done. Fifteen rounds were fircdin this series.

Lieutenant Kirker fired 1 the third series, which consisted of- fourteen rounds. The target representee! a line of infantry, and it was found with the sixth shot, the aiming of the puns being by indirect laying, The shooting as a whole was considered to lie good' and to reflect great credit on the instructors. Telephone and flitg communication was maintained between the {argots and tho gsins;

« Maohina-suns in Action. Tho machine-gun battle practice was held behind l'apawai camp, oil the bank of the Rtiamahanga River. Resent floods in the river had destroyed alltho cmplaconi.cnls. which bad been (jiade on itlie same lines as those in use on the Western front. Hastilymade emplacements and redoubts were therefore ured, it being assumed, for training purposes, that the more permanent works had been destroyed by shell lire. The guns used were of the Viekers pattern except one, which was a Lewis gun. From brigade headquarters a telephone wire ran to regimental headquarters, and from there orders were carried by messengers to the guns. These messengers appeared to be running in foot races along flagged paths that- represented trenches, used in warfare', and along which tho messengers would have to hurry in actual fighting. Looking from regimental headquarters towards the river, tlicro was littla t.o indicate that fifty men and a number of, macliinc-guns were within fifty yards, only a little neiV earthwork showed. But tho men were' there, and so were the guns. A deep trench, parallel with the river,had little of interest to show. Running from it towards tho river, however, was a'ns.rrow tunnel, and at tho end of it were two men and a gun. . The gun's mimic pointed across the river, and a little curtain, made of sacking, had been "hauled up by a piece of string to give the gun clear shooting. At otTi'or tunes this curtain would be taken down to further hide any suggestion of a gun emplacement. Presently a messenger came running through the fiag3. He knelt down on the trench's edge, and said: "No. 2 gun, engage P." The order was passed to tho' gunner in the tunnel, and instantly tho Vickcrs' snapping roar was heard. D .was a position near a gully across the river, where a sheep track made a fiiir representation of an enemy trench. Dust began to rise, showing that tho gun was right on to tho target. "Cease fire" was the next order. At another emplacement, in addition to the Vickorsin the tunnel, t-hero was a Lewis gun, iu the hands of a young gunner. Its riflc'-lilce stock was hold to his shoulder, while two short logs supported iLs barrel on tho top of tho trench. "No. 3,. rapid fire," was tho order delivered b.y a breathless messenger. The deep, rapid notes of the Vicksrs began. Then the lighter, more rapid fire of tho Lewis joined in. The fortyseven cartridges held in the flab circular band were soon emptied, and another and anothor were used in succession. A willow clump across the river was being severely punished. As the result of the battle practice, it was held that the enemy's trenches had been thoroughly searched, and any attack prevented. Tt was a spectacular performance, too, and, like the big gun work. reHccte'l credit on the instructors.