DEFENCE "OE ' ROTORUA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 82, 27 November 1931, Page 5

DEFENCE "OE ' ROTORUA

artillery in action BATTERY PIJTS UP BARRAGE FROM SIXTY-PQUNDER LONG RANGE GUNS ; AEROPLANE DIRECTS FIRE Only the absence of an enemy able and willing to hit back differentiated the operations yesterday of the 18th (Medium) Battery, New Zealahd Artillery, from actual warfare, when the battery carried out gunnery practice with live shell, usiug the sixtvnounder long range guns with which it was recently eauipped. The scene of operations was" area of unoccupied country situated between the Atiamuri and TaUno Roads, about seven miles from Rptorua. The battery. which is in bivouac'at Arawa Park, Rotorua, went out this morning on horsehack and by lorry to the "battle-field," while the guns (wh'ch are each several tons in weight) , and limbers were towed out by a caterpillar ti'actor, giving a mmiature representation of a tank. The traVelling was extremely heavy up the grade through the Hemo Gorge and on the soft and rough track to the scene of operations, ahd several times the tractor had to be' assisted by the gunners pulling on ropes. * By the time the two guns were in ^osition, tbe ob^grvation posts, the nersonnel of which had been sent Out ahead, were ready to commence operations, and it was not long bef ore No. 1 gun .shook the hills with a resounding boom which eehoed and reeehoed through the gullies. NeaUy a full m'nute after the rer>oH tbe listant exrloH on was b«?»rd of the bpp-e pbeb. which fell miles awav out of sight behind the .h'Hs. Tbe observ?Uon post recorded the landing of the shell and signaBed hy means of flags the neces^ary order$ to correct elevat'on and direction. * ,As soon as No. 1 gun had found "z&ro point, the same operation was car■fied out with No. 2 gun. From then on the fire of the guns was directed from the observation post. K Although this was the first territorial camp under the new volunteer system of enlistment, and many. of the men and some of the officers were working guns of this type for the first time they set about their tasks in soldierly fashion. The guns were operated swiftly and precisely and orders were obeyed as smartly as though the battery was seriously in acUon on the battle-field. The work of the signal and observ:ng staff was highly commended by the visiting staff officers. who watched the practice, and had it not been for the lack of a telephone, owing to.inadeouate supplies of wire, more firing would have been got through thap was possible under the circumstanqes. This fault, however, will be rectified when practiees commence again today. With the guns already in place, action will commence earlier, and. he mrri-ed out more rapidly. 1

Aiter an adjournment lor the midday meal, firing was continued, this time being eontrolled by directions given from an aeroplane, from which an observer watched the effect at' the target. The 'plane was piloted by Squadron-Leader L. M. Isitt, and car"ied a wireless operator to transmit orders to the receiving station behind the guns. This form of practice was carried out for about an hour, 'the gunners carefully following instructions and working swiftly to get the projectile away while 'the aeroplane was in a suitable position to qbserve the hit. The last practice of the day was done with shrapnel shells which sprayed the target with pieces of metal. This form of shell is timed to explode in the air short of the target, so that when its contents scatter it covers a large area. thus giving the maximum destructive effect in the vieinity of the target. The battery was directed by Lieutenant Stewart, battery commander, assisted hy his section commanders, Lieutenants Rawle and Row. Among the senior staff officers present were Colonel F. Syman, C.M.G., D.S.O., R.N.Z.A., director of artillery, New Zealand Military Forces; Colonel J. E. Duigan, D.S.O., N.Z.S.C., • officer commanding the Northern Command, and Major R. . Miles, D.S.O., M.C., R.N.Z.A., camp eommandant.