ARTILLERY FIELD DAY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2920, 4 November 1916, Page 11

ARTILLERY FIELD DAY

f HOWITZER-SHELLS TRENCHES yyi MACHINE GUN BATTLE ■WJ rilALiilUi rr.- ' Number One Battory of the Now Zealand Field Artillery, under Captain iNorcncrott, at present in training, at ifeatnorston Damp, engaged in praotico with live shell at luonson.'Ss liusn yesterday. A feature ol : tho.snoot was that m addition to tho four lts'-pound-ors, ouo of the ,now howitzers was in action, and attracted a good deal of attention from both military and civilian onlookers. The chief artillery instructor, Captain Bradley', was in ohargo of- the operations, under tho direction of Major Roberts, inspeotor of artillery. Colonel 0. 11. Gibbon, Chief of ,tho General Staff, Lioutonant-Col-onel N. I*. Adams, Gamp Commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel C.. R. Macdonald, Chief Infantry.lnstructor, witnessed the shooting, while'other officors of tho instructional staff and officors and men of the artillery were present. Fifty-two rounds of live shell were fired in all.

Tho weather was gloriously fino and clear, with brilliant sunshine. The number of civilians who motored out to the scene was much in excess of the attendance at previous shoote. The green slopes behind tho gun positions were gay with many colours of summer'dresses, and tho roads in the vicinity wero crowded with motor-cars which had carried the" onlookers out to Morison's Bush.

The eighteen-pounders opened fire first, at targets representing a battery. of guns.in Jury's Hills across the river. The first series fired by Lieut. Chirnside was over a range of 3350 yards, and after the target had been found, the succeeding shots were well on to it. Lieut. Cotter tired the second series, at a range of 3250 yards, with satisfactory results. For the third series the range was increased to 3725 yards, and the target represented a body of infantry. Captain Northcroft fired the series, and the result was considered to be very good. Enter the Howitzer.

Tbere was a stir of interest when tho howitzer was unlimbered and pointed its short ■ thick ' barrel towards the heavens. Tlus was the first time a howitzer had been\used with live shell by troops from Featberston. Captain Bradley directed tbe laying of the gun. Tho target was a trench immediately behiiids a spur of the hills. After the sharp, whiffing bang of the 18-pound-ers, the voice of tbe howitzer was deep and heavy. The 351b.' shell of. the 4.5 howitzer takes a high line of flight ere it 'drops at a sharp angle upon tho target. Some of the spectators declared that they could see the shells as they reached their highest lino of flight and began to fall. But Buch a tiling was stated by artillery men to be most unlikely and probably the onlookers were confusing the gun with a trench mortar when they expected to be able to see the shells. Twelve rounds were fired from the howitzer; tho_ shots being signalled as finding their mark most effectively. On the whole, the day's shooting was pronounced to be very good. An interesting display of machinegun work was given at a battle practice hold later in the day at Papawai, when , the _ 19th_ Machine-gun Section, under Major Neave, machine-gun instructor. The guns were in emplacements and redoubts on tho banks of the Ruamabanga Iliver and the enemy's line of trenches across that stream were well by machine-gun fire. Vickers, Maxim, and Lewis guns were used.' The 19tli Specialists 'Company maintained telephone and visual communication' between the guns and battalion and brigade . headquarters. This praetico wa,s also witnessed by Colonel Gibbon, Lient.-Colonel Adams, and Lieut.-Colonel Macdonald.

The system'of communication maintained during tho day between the big guns, machine-guns, targets and camn was the most elaborate yet attempted, and it worked smoothly throughout. Lines from the two gun positions, and from the targets, met at a central station. and from there connected with headquarters at the main canip. The 19th and 20£K Divisional Signallers' were engaged in tho telephonic and telegraphic work, and the artillery signallers on tho visnal work with flags. Tho result of every round wn's flashed info camp with great dispatch. In all over 100 messages were put through without error or delay.

The day's wort showed that the,officers and men conccrned lmd mad© the best use of the instruction- given them by the instructors and reflected credit on the instructional staffs.