Mountain Howitzers.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1923, Page 3

Mountain Howitzers.

FOR CHRISTCHURCH AND AUCKLAND. WELLINGTON, Feb. 6 Al the commencement of the Great War, New Zealand was the only Dominion that could arm its forces with the modern howitzer. It was owing to the foresight of Brigadier-General then Colonel Johnston. that New Zealand had been the pioneer in the iu I rod action overseas of this most useful and destructive weapon. The New Zealand howitzers were taken to Gallipoli and did good work there. They "ere just what was wanted in so far as Held artillery was concerned for a campaign in a rugged mountainous country like the Gallipoli Peninsula. The pity of it was that there were so tew of these guns at the start of the Gallipoli campaign. Had there been an adequate supply, the death roll of the Turkish Army, great as it was, would have been greater still, and 'here would have been a loner death rate in ihe British Army. And now New Zealand is to he equipped with another up-to-date weapon that can be effectively used in the Held. Artillerymen will recollect that in Colonel Johnston's’ time, Wellington was to have a mountain battery, and the territorials imi ually did soma training with mountain guns and the mules that were to carry tlieni. The new gun. however, is different. Ii is a .3.7 mountain liowituar, which will he issued to Christchurch and Auckland batteries. It is a setr- -or ie Ihe old "screw’’ gull that was uso.l in past years in India, but il b a gr< a I improvement on that weapon. Il can he divided into loads of about 27D!b to he carried on mule hack.

The Defence Department supplies details of the mechanism. Although the new gun is provided with wheels and shafts, it is not intended for draught, the normal method of transport being hv pack. Notlnvithslanding the severe conditions imposed by these requirements, il embodies the latest practice in gun and carriage design. The recuperator is on the same model as those in the latest gun-, and the sights are so eflieient that they can he adapted to several other Held equipment. The gun possesses several new features, all lypiral.nl the latest weapons. The splii trail. Hie large arc of traverse, the qu'ek acting breechblock, the high pressure hvdm-piiou-matie hlllfcr. are improvements. The new gun can be us, d as. an ordinary* howitzer in Hat emmiry. ,u can be carried into the trenches by hand. It is an ideal gun for dealing with any enemy that might land in a mountain counti’v like New Zealand.