CHAMPION RIFLE SHOT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 613, 15 March 1929, Page 11

CHAMPION RIFLE SHOT

STAFF OFFICER’S WIN

RIFLE MEETING CONCLUDES Press Association TRENTHAM. To-day. The Army Rifle Association meeting concluded to-day in nne weather, the only competition fired being for the King’s Medal for the hundred highest scores in the army championship series and open to members of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, Permanent Military Forces, Air Force, Territorials and Cadets over 18 years of age. The practices were 600yds slow, and 600 to 100yds lire with movement, 300yds rapid and 300yds snapshots, the possible being 200 points. The match was won by Staff-Sergeant-Major Kearney, of Haw'ke’s Bay. 1-lis scores were: First practice, 40; second. 40; third, 33; fourth, 42; total, 135. Commissioned-Gunner Pryce, Royal Navy, was second with the scores; First, 42; second, 35; third, 31; fourth, 45; total, 153. Artificer Jepson. Ordinance, third, made: First 41; second, 42: third, 37; fourth, 30; total, 150. Vickers gun challenge trophy and a silver spoon for each member of the first and seconds teams for the highest aggregate scores obtained in matches in this section. —First Battalion Hawke’s Bay Regiment, Sergeant Renouf, Corporals Burton, Crawford, Privates Rosenberg, Schroder, 189, 1; Ist Battalion Auckland Regiment, 187, 2. Lewis gun challenge trophy and a silver spoon for each member of the first and second teams.—First Battalion Nelson-Marlborough-West Coast Regiment. Sergeant Gascoigne, Corporal Glennie, Privates E. and R. Holdaway, 253, 1; Ist Battalion Hawke’s Bay Regiment, 252 i, 2.

Machine-gun competitions, direct fire, Vickers gun.—4o s, Sergeant Adams (Ist Battalion Auckland Regiment); 20s, Sergeant Smith (Ist Battalion Auckland Regiment). Lewis Gun. —40s, Corporal Green (Ist Battalion Canterbui-y Regiment); 20s, Sergeant Gascoigne (Ist Battalion West Coast Regiment). Hotchkiss Gun.—4os, Corporal Bee (Wellington-West Coast Mounted Rifles); 20s, Sergeant Bown (Nelson-Marlborough Mounted Rifles). Machine-gun competitions. stoppages and fire, Lewis gun.—4os, New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy; 20s, Ist Battalion Nelson-Marlborougli-West Coast Regiment. Vickers Gun. —40s, Ist Battalion Southland Regiment; 20s, Ist Battalion Well-ington-West Coast Regiment. Hotchkiss Gun.—3os each, WellingtonEast Coast Mounted Rifles and Manawatu Mounted Rifles, equal. The Stafford Shield awarded for the aggregate score of regimental teams in the rifle match and the machine-gun matches w r as won by the Ist Battalion Hawke’s Bay Regiment with I,IOIJ points.

GENERAL PLEASED

VALUE OF TRAINING Press Association TRENTHAM, To-day. In introducing the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, at the prize-giving. Major-General R. Young congratulated the competitors on the excellency of their behavious on and off the mounds and expressed the hope that, when their behaviour on and off the mounds ritorials going out would join the Rifle Clubs of their respective districts and become more efficient shots.

The Prime'TVEinister also emphasised the value of rifle shooting in times of peace. He said there were no clouds on the horizon, but preparedness was the means of keeping difficulties* further away. The meeting did much good and he would be pleased to see an even larger number of competitors in future.

BATTLE TRAINING

• MANOEUVRES IN HUTT VALLEY ARMY RIFLE MEETING Press Association TRENTHAM, To-day. Yesterday afternoon a battle practice competition was held. It was an excellent test of the fire* control and leadership of platoon sections. The ground covers a considerable area, the longest range being over 500 yards. The procedure follows active service lines. An advance is being made from Wellington through the Hutt Valley. The enemy is met and driven back into the hills. Expecting a counter-attack, the platoon commander details a section to deal with such an event. The enemy is seen advancing down a hill, men being represented by figures which appear at intervals, the figures being .worked by levers from two concrete control stations. The military essentails of the practice are order and fire control, quickness of sight, and judgment respecting distances. Teams representing the Northern, Central, and Southern Commands competed, the Central team winning on aggregate points. It is proposed to extend the practice next year, and to substitute moving for stationary aircraft. The prize-list is as follows; New Zealand Service Match, teams of eight men, open to all arms of the New Zealand Forces; 200yds moving target, 300yds snapshooting, 300yds rapid fire, find 500yds slow.—Challenge shield, £l2 find silver spoons, New Zealand Permanent Forces (Major Potter, leader, Captain Clifton, Lieutenant Denton, Sgt.Majors Green, Kearney, Sergeants Mackenzie, Ching, Hiscocks), 710 points; Central Command Territorials, 702 points, £8 and silver spoons; New Zealand Division Royal Navy, 646 points, £4. Five teams competed. Commands Cadet Teams Match, 200yds individual tile competition, 200yds moving target, 300yds snapshooting, 500yds slow.—C.A.C. Challenge Shield, £9 and silver spoons, Central Command No. 1 team (Corporal Smith, leader, Sergeant Jane, Corporal Prentice, Cadet Greenfield, Sgt.-Majors Collings, Dyer, Corporal Beatty, Cadets Tasker, Denby), 432 points; Northern Command, No. 1 team, 405 points, £4 10s and silver spoons; Southern Command No. 2 team, 372 points, £2 ss. Six teams competed. Lewis Gun Anti-aircraft Match, possible 80 points.—First Battalion Auckland Regiment (Sergeant Hewitt, leader), Corporals Housen, Weatherspoon, Private Willoughby), 34 points, £3; Northern Depot Engineers, 33 points, £2 10s; Northern Depot Army Service Corps and New Zealand Division Royal Navy, 27 points (equal). Fifteen teams competed. Hotchkiss Gun Anti-aircraft Match, possible 50 points.—Nelson-Marlborough Mounted Rifles (Sergeant Brown, leader, Corporal Hart, Troopers W. and R. Bown). 29 points, £3; East Coast Mounted Rifles, 27 points, £2; North Auckland Mounted Rifles and Canterbury Yeomanry, 24 points, tied for third place. Seven teams competed. Battle Practice Competition, points given for fire control, discipline, and target hits.—Central Command, Hawke’s Bay team, total 305 points, £9: Northern Command, 255, £4 10s: Southern Command, 169.