MIMIC WARFARE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2325, 19 October 1908, Page 2

MIMIC WARFARE.

EAST E R M A N.O EUV R E 5—1909.

SURPRISE TARGET SHOOT I.NG

live Shells and ball

CARTRIDGE

Colonel A. W. Robin, C. 8., Chief of: the General . Staff, lias com oisted the general scheme for the military manoeuvres to be held all over the “Dominion during Easter, 1909. Discussing the mam features of the •scheme with a "Dominion” 'representative, Colonel Robin said that the last manoeuvres revealed a number of weaknesses, visible only to expert iyes. It had, therefore, been decided that for the next year’s operation the instructional element would preponderate. DISTRICT OPERATIONS.

The manoeuvres ,in each district will he under tho direction of flic officer commanding that district. The officer will submit to headquarters a scheme of attack and defence. The first three days will be purely instructional, leading-up to -a surprise attack on the fourth day, when the whole force will be equipped on a war basis, and every detail of supply and transport faithfully adhered to. Surprise targets will be placed in'concealed position, to be fired at with live shells by the artillery and hall cartridge by the, riflemen. This will afford., opportunity for testing lire discipline, and effect. The battle practice by the artillery and riflemen will, of course, be conducted with every precaution for the safety of the general public. The operations to be carried out- on the fourth day will form the basis of the first three days’ instructional manoeuvres. The operations will be carefully rehearsed during these days, and wherever tactical errors are made, the units concerned wall be- stopped, the error explained, and the opertfions rehearsed. The result will be- that on the fourth' day the troops will manoeuvre in the surprise operations with the confidence gained by the lessons of their previous training. "There will be no running about higgledy-piggledy 7 , as was noticed in the last -manoeuvres ” said Colonel Robin. "There will be three phases of the fourth day’s manoeuvres—the advance, the attack, and the rearguard action.” PROGRAMME FOR 1910.

Following upon these instructional manoeuvres, the forces will carry 7 out their day-light parades more intelligently 7, and with greater profit to themselves. In 1910 there will be a repetition of the Red and Blue operations which formed the basis of the -1908 manoeuvres, when it is anticipated that the instructional operations of 1909 will bear'good fruit. Supply 7 and transport are to receive special attention next year, and the commissariat will be severely tested and criticised. "The man on m isolated post must be a definite item in the arrangements for supply—every detail "will be carefully 7 checked,” remarked the Colonel. ‘There were recently 7 received into Die Defence Stores Department, 10,000 waterproof sheetings, and a like number of mess-tins.” DEFENCE CADETS AND RIFiHCLUBS.

Last Easter there w 7 as weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth an eng the defence cadets, who had to s'ay at home, and read in the graphic accounts of the doings of their bigger brothers-in-arms of what tley should also have been doing. There was also deep mutterings among the Defence Rifle Clubs, who, rightly considering themselves as units of defence, wanted to know why they 7 had not been asked to assist fin the defence of their country 7. The Ccmrril of Defence has' decided that in ihe instructional camps of Easter, 1909, a place will be found for both cadets and rifle club men. Of course, the military operations Guch as the Rod and Blue manoeuvres of 1908 v.c-re, were hardly the place for delf nee cadets. At next year’s instruciio ml oamp the cadets will undergo four days’ training, under conditions which w r ill effectually safeguard not only 7 their physical, but their moral health.GARRISON ARTILLERY.

4 The Garrison Artillery will carry out big gun practice, lort-manniug, searchlight work, night firing, and battle practice. Tho basis of, operations will be mainly instructional, leading up to a surprise attack, in which the co-operation of a •warship wall, in all probability, be secured.