MIMIC BATTLE ATTACK

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1929, Page 8

MIMIC BATTLE ATTACK

ARMY AND NAVY CO-OP HR ATI

“ENEMY” GAINS OBJECTIVE

AUCKLAND, Feb. II

A spectacular .mimic battle in which the Army, Navy, and Air Force combined for the first time in New Zealand, early this morning. The invaders were -IC'.hnen of the Frst Battalion of the Auckland Regiment from the camp at Narrow Neele. They Were supported by the New Zealand Naval division and a section of Engineers Yesterday they captured Kawau and advanced on Auckland City. As they landed in the grey dawn at Red Beach near Orewa, they were opposed by a party of artillery and engineers, <:i d a airplane scouting overhead helped the attackers to secure a sound theoretical victory. The assault was part of a scheme of training for senior officers. Theoretically, the. whole of the New Zealand Brigade took part and the attack was spread over a sea front of some ten miles, oil which four forces were cooperating. An enemy air force was represented by a single Bristol lighter piloted by .Major L. Al. Isitt, who had as his observer the Hon T. AI. Willord (.Minister of Defence). The attackers embarked last evening on four warships stationed at Devonport. In the darkness of the early hours of this morning a distinguished group stood on a small hillock overlooking the beach, including ALaior-Gencr.nl R Young,, G.0.C., Brigadier AY. L. If. Sinolair-Burgess, Chief of Staff, Brigadier H. -Potter, Lieutenant-Colonel J. Dtdgan and Captain Aforgan. AY :th straining eyes all peered into the darkness, but so well were all lights guarded that the presence of warships was not even suspected. The ships were miles from the shore and flights of bouts towed by naval launches bad no little difficulty in finding their way with* any degree of accuracy. Nothing was seen of them until they were with in a hundred yards of the shore. I lien one keen eye saw the leading fiiglitclose to a reef at the end of the beach. Rockets shot aloft showed not only the boats plainly with men tugging at the oars hut also gave a glimpse of the grey warships against a background of darker grey.

The sharp rattle of machine-gun liie broke out from a nearby bluff. A moment later a mine shook the beach. A battery of howitzers two miles inland began to boom, their objective being the ships at their anchorage. The attackers dashed into the undergrowth and silenced the machine-guns The boats on the left flank had"been waiting for a better light, but emboldened by this success they were pushed in. and the men landed and dashed across the beach. They encountered little insistence, and before a second detachment arrived they bad pushed well inland. There was little resistance and by 8 o’clock the defenders were in ietreat. The attacking army had pierced nearly three miles distant across broken country.