BATTLE OF PHILCRO

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 895, 12 February 1930, Page 7

BATTLE OF PHILCRO

NIGHT RAID PLANNED ON EAST COAST

ARMY AND NAVY UNITS Between midnight and daybreak tomorrow the “battle of Philcro” will be fought on a lonely East Coast beach. Men from two light “enemy” cruisers which are now anchored at Great Barrier will effect a landing to destroy a wireless station on Tirohanga Hill, some 10 miles north of Milford, and will be engaged by three companies of the Ist Battalion, the Auckland Regiment, which is in training at Narrow Neck Camp. That, at least, is the position as assumed for the purpose of battle training. The attacking “blue” army will actually be composed of marines and men from H.M.S. Philomel, strengthened by a detachment of 35 men from D Compny of the battalion in camp. The defenders will be their fellow trainees, and the wireless station will be purely theoretical. As blank ammunition alone is to be used, a bloodless battle should ensue. The general scheme is similar to the attack made on the radio transmitting plant at Cocos Island by the Emden during her raiding cruise in the early war years. It was essential tor her that the station be silenced before a message could be sent warning the Allied navies of her presence in the Pacific. Whether this landing party will meet a similar defeat as that which betel the enemy raider, which was wrecked during a running fight with H.M.A.S. Sydney, remains to he seen. The attackers, about 70 in number, will leave Devonport by launch at nine o’clock this evening. The defending force will be held in readiness at the Narrow Neck Camp and will proceed by bus up the coast as soon as the invaders land. The “blues” will dash for the radio plant and attempt to dismantle it. A party will be required to occupy the hill for at least a quarter of an hour before the apparatus will be considered out of action.

Watchers were sent out hastily to points along the coast as soon as warnings of the “enemy’s” plans were received. There is no support forthcoming from the sea, as the “red” defending navy has been defeated and has withdrawn to Wellington. Warnings may be received at the camp hither by the use of a, Morse lamp from Toroa Point or by telephone, or a theoretical message may come from the equally theoretical wireless station.

Practice has been continuing for several days at the North Shore and the battle of Philcro -promises to be as successful a training as was the battle of Woofit last year. However, it will not be oh so extensive a scale, as no warships are available and the air force is unable to co-operate.