IN ENEMY COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 9

IN ENEMY COUNTRY

MOUNTED TROOPS IN TRAINING

MARTINBOROUGH'S STRATEGIC

POSITION

A small party of mounted rifles and a four-horse A.S.C. wagon clattered through llartinborough town and moved away into tho hills to tho south-west. They were tho 35th n.e.o. class, under Major Johnson, assistant mounted rifles instructor, and they wcro going out into country that was new to them to make a road reconnaissance. Twelve n.c.o. s wesro there, and two returned men, who had been sent back from tho front for commissions, and who would bo tho officers for tho Thirty-fifth Reinforcements of tho mounted rifles. The A.S.C. wagon was in charge of a corporal who had two men with him. Thoy were not an imposing body of troops; but they ivere going to carry out most important features of training, '-which all mounted troops do after threo months of training in camp. They had to find a road for themselves and for tho wagon, and map the road and the surrounding country, so that other troops would bo aUo to find their way with ease, if tho occasion arose.

Tho rotito was siniplo from Marfcinborougb to tho Xlautautara Bridge, whero tho first night was spont. .Cut even so. each man was busy with pencil and notebook of ruled p.iDer. Landmarks in the town, Biich as a church or a. clump of trees wero tho starting places of these maps. Tlion, in every niilo, tho riders ekotched in tlio detail of tlirce-auartcro of tbo milo, ns they traversed it, and ono quarter of a milo us- tlicy saw it before thorn, at the eanio timo roughing in any prominent object ahead of them, for guidance when they cauio to tako a. bearing. In this map-mnkinß, tho mind's eye must havo before it. always, somo units of measure, bo it a chain, a furlong, half a mile, or a quarter of a liiile, or even 100 yards. That unit, once correctly gauged, will carry tho map-maker through; without it or eomo equivalont he will bq all at sun. Having reached this Bridge over. the Haungarua Itiver, tho n.0.0.'s ceased to make their reconnaissance maps, for they, one and all, wero expected to draw up a plan lor the defence of tho bridge. To do this thoy mapped the situation out on paper, marking tho various defences, the objects affording cover or lack of natural defences. Here would bo shown a Cossack post, there a belt or bush where tho dismounted men might iiro from cover at tho uttaclcers. And when these things had been finished, there woto "stables" to be done, here tho hospitality of the station manager, in the shape- of tho usa of the old homestead building, could bo enjoyed. On the next day tho party travelled to Stony Creek. There were two ways that could bo followed, but they wero not really roads—just roughly levelled tracks all grown ovor Willi grass. The wagon took the hill-road and presently gut bogged, for all its four horses, 'it had rained and was still rainine, a fact that was fully realised by the mounted men who travelled down the creek past Lagoon Hill. These landmarks are all clearly shown in tho maps, that aro stained with wet from tho lain and froin the creek. The wagon rolled into camp three hours late, but there was a hot meal ready, supplied by a thoughtful station manager, and dry sleeping quarters.

Tho third day's trek took tlie party down Cooper's Creeb to tho out-station at Riversdale. Here the tent was pitched and men and horses had a good rest. Tho following day was occupied in sketching and outpost work, and somo of tho party carried their road reconnaissance right to the sea coast at "White ltock Homestead, ovor rough country. Their maps show that from camp to coast is 'Si miles by this route.

On tho return journoy, when StonyCreek was reached, a plan for the defence of the post was made by each mau. It was assumed that tho party was a flying squadron of independent cavalry in enemy country. Tha schemes had to provide for tho protection of tho flying squadron against any alarms or attacks which might arise. These rough soldiers' plans, made on tho spot, make most interesting reading and study, even to tho civiliau. They are a test of generalship in which opportunity is offered for men to show their skill in guerilla warfare. Those mouuteds who had sketched the creek route- on the outward trip, returned over tho hill road, while tlte wagon followed the road that had been mapped along tho creek bed. And all arrived at Hantautara Bridge in time to make a. scheme for holding that structure and making an advance on Martiiiborougli. Tho idea was that the country to the east of the river had suddenly declared war on the country to the west. The peaceful folk of Martinborough little dreamed, on that Friday evening, that the sacking of their city was planned in cold blood out at Hautautara Bridge. Yet it was, as the coloured war maps of tho 35th n.c.o.'s show. Everybody and everything play thoir parts in tho great war, and Martinboroiigh'B role has bceu as the awful example the doslrablo objective in field manoeuvres of nearly overy branch of the sorvice, whitom training at Peathorston Camp. Ine A.S.C. n.c.o.'s note in their fat notebooks what crops are available, where tho barns aro, and how many men could bo billeted in Martin borough; tho artillery at Morrison's Hush liiunmpj" tho enemy in tho hills, so that he will not captiiro Martinuorough; tho signallers , Hash messages from brigade to brigade that are moving out to encounter a 'on whose left or right flank rests on Martinborough. If all tho things which happen only in imagination really occurred to Martinboroiigh, the citizens would be aetonished, if they wore not dead. But tho most thrilling of all would bo the wild attack of tho (lying squadron or mounteds that leaped out of tho hills ; and laid Martinborough by the heels— ; on paper. ' . . ' At it was, on Saturday monunu, tho 35th n.c.o.'e class, hiding their warlike , intentions, rodo peacefully through the J