ARMY SHOOTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 23, 10 January 1912, Page 6

ARMY SHOOTING.

BRITISH SOLDIERS’ TRAINING

SOME COLONIAL IMPRESSIONS

Captain Whitney, of Auckland, was a passenger by the Arawa, which arrived at Wellington the other day from England, via South Africa, having spent two months in the latter country. Interviewed by a Times iepmter A Captain Whitney, asked what advance had been made in riflc-shoot ; ng in the army, stated that British soldiers at present were not trained to become efficient shots, as the rifleman had no means of learning. The British Government provided only a small amount of ammunition per soldier per annum, and many (Jiicers still held that shooting was quite a side issue in’ the training of a soldier and were quite pleased to squeeze the rifleman through his class-firing at fixed targets at known distances, holding that there really was not time for everything. Many riflemen in the autumn camps, lasting two or three weeks, * never fired a single shot during the whole time.

< '• Germany Ahead. Apropos of the inefficiency in the shooting of British soldiers, Captain Whitney pointed out that crack shots were cnosen from one of the Guards regiments to dislodge the two marauders of Sydney-strcet fame. Although oover a thousand rounds of ammunition was expended, not a single bullet hit those two men, who wore frequently seen at a window. The latter were armed with' revolvers only, and yet succeeded in hitting two or three of the attackers. “Germany is far ahead of ns in the training of her forces,” he added, “and not only are advancing targets used, but her naval officers are trained to stop a rush and attack with automatic pistols. The Whitney electric targets system (brought out in New Zealand) has been adopted by the Government and also for,- private ranges in England and on the Continent, In England the difficulty is want, of range pace. It is quite impossible to- train men on half the English ranges, so the only course open is to find seashore ranges, and of this fact the authorities are fully aware. The advance made by other nations in shooting by training at running targets must force us ■to do the same or better, or under in the next war. How Foreigners Shoot. “Foreigners can- shoot and hit with a rifle bullet dummy men as they sinuously run from cover to cover up to the firing point, and many of them cap, with the automatic pistol, make seven or eight hi~s in four or five seconds on the same fast-running targets. Lately the New Zealand Government has * cry wisely procured the services of the best rifle shot, Sergeant-Major Wallingford, in England, to train her soldiers, and no judoubUhe will- .bniig them up to the necessary efficiency which lie well knows no modern army can be successful without." 0P O T • Powder Supplies. ;: Captain Whitney says the time has come when Australasia must consider ““tffie'Tnahufacthrihg of-her own’powder, so that in case of any war emergency. , when British trade routes .cnav be | plpcMacl by ; a) fordigi- (Pswe|, sflajl be' able 'to' jiroenro 1 ocally and' be independent. At present New Zealand relies, for the production of ammunition on small stocks and regular supplies imported from England. The difficulty is that powder made in Australasia would cost considerably more, owing to-tho small quantities required, than when it is imported from England. ,