GUARDIANS OF THE COAST

Southland Times, Issue 24234, 18 September 1940, Page 2

GUARDIANS OF THE COAST

BIG GUNS PROTECT \ WELLINGTON;. . CEASELESS WATCH OVER COOK STRAIT Night and day, wet weather or fine, men of 'the Royal New Zealand Artillery keep ceaseless watch over vital points of the New Zealand coast. No sea raider, no hostile or suspicious vessel, can enter or attack the port of Wellington or threaten the Dominion’s capital city with impunity. The great guns which poke sleek muzzles seaward from many secret emplacements would be more than a match for any battleship afloat. . ~ r From one of these guns, within a few hours of the outbreak of war, were fired perhaps the first British shots of the conflict—to bring-to a merchantman, entering the port without observing .the requirements of the examination service. By these guns their crews stand by, watch and watch, constantly ready for any alarm. Within a minute or two of that alarm, should it ever be given, the guns would be in action. The keenness and smartness of the crews is such that they think nothing of turning but for gun drill at any hour of the day or night; there is little they would like better than to try in action the weapons with which they have practised so frequently. While those on duty stand by through the night, those who will take the second night watch sleep a yard or two from the guns, in special quarters, ready also to turn out at need. By day single sentries, by night pairs, keep guard against any unauthorized person who may manage to enter the fortified area, or to effect an approach from the sea. Such a one would have no chance of getting near the guns or searchlights.

SCANNING COOK STRAIT From the narrow windows of subterranean control-rooms watchers look out over the ocean. Powerful telescopes enable them to identify any funnel that comes into sight over the horizon. Modern range-finding equipment is used for laying the guns. The control-room communicates by telephone with the guns of the battery, and from’ it, too, the officer in ’ charge can personally manipulate the powerful searchlights located perhaps a considerable distance away. These lights are located in special emplacements, screened and camouflaged, and are powered by the most modem diesel machinery. Their powerful beams will pick out a ship several miles away. It would be quite impossible for any vessel to sneak through the harbour mouth, even in thick weather or fog, or under cover of a smoke-screen, without the guns being able to locate her exactly.Besides the big guns which are to ward off attack from the sea, light quick-firers and Lewis guns are ready to bring down reconnaissance aircraft, deal with fast-moving motor-vessels, or assist in the control of shipping. For instance, a few bursts from a Lewis gun were used recently to warn a fisherman that he was operating in forbidden waters.

The forts on the shore co-operate, of course, with the naval examination service controlling the port. Communication with the examination vessel is ordinarily by morse or by semaphore signalling. AN INTERESTING JOB Life in a coastal battery is by no means uninteresting. The varied traffic of the coast flows beneath the grim muzzles of the guns. No ship, even the most familiar, passes without most careful scrutiny.. The work of the modern gunner is highly technical and requires intensive training. There is a great deal of upkeep and maintenance work to' be done in the daytime. Physical training, small arms drill and gun drill, ‘ occasional manoeuvres in conjunction with vessels, practice shoots, shifts on watch or standing-by, and of course, leave from time to time, make up the artilleryman’s routine. His is a healthy outdoor life, and his job is more specialized and skilled, and less monotonous, than almost any in the service.

He is a student of the weather, be ; - cause the weather makes a great deal of difference to the pleasure and the difficulty of his work. Though in wet weather the lookouts can peer through glass panes, the searchlight crews must shiver in at best only partial shelter from wind and rain, while if it is necessary to man the guns this must be carried out in the teeth of the elements. All the gales of Cook Strait howl and whistle round the cliffs and headlands where the guns are placed. On the other hand, there are compensations; and in fine weather, off duty, the gunners can fish and bathe in the pleasant bays, or take part in the social activities of the fort. There is an outstanding camp band at Fort Dorset, a camp which in the past year has changed and grown almost beyond recognition.

FORT VERSUS SHIP The question is often asked, how would the . Wellington forts get on against a modern warship? The gunners are confident they would get on very well. Their range-finding and spotting, based on cross-bearings from points miles apart along the coast, would be infinitely more accurate than that of a warship, and for the matter of that, the practice of a land battery compares more than favourably with that of a ship afloat. Though some mod--em warships might carry guns of heavier calibre, or slightly greater range, this would be more than neutralized by the natural advantages of a shore battery. And compared with a ship, land batteries form only minute targets, requiring a direct hit to incapacitate them. As they are practically invisible from seaward, camouflaged and concealed, it® would be almost entirely a matter of luck if the warship scored a hit.