DEFENCE NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 16 December 1907, Page 2

DEFENCE NOTES.

ine Jicauijiiariwij volunteer cuinpaiiha vicic oil Jiiut.-aay uiLv-iiiuon uy Loiunci iniucnop, omu.-r me ui!?ii'jL'i, al aio jJniiluul, Uio L'uinpaiijis Vv'L-ij iiuuuieu Lu JMI/.i'uy. xuoio wan jiul a u-j v iar"c nutter, owing lu Uie puradc iiui having uetn oinciaiiy noulieu m Uic t ordinary way. iiic manoeuvre;. luuk the j.urm ui held operation*. liio general idea was mat a small lorce iiaa landed athe mouth ul 'ilie V\ aiu akaiho, and had taken up a position about the 'irig SLation liili, piccumaijiy with a view ul covering Uiu landing ul a larger budy of men, uiio were lu march on l\ev i ; Jyniuulii. lilt; raiding lurce, which was liul numerically sLrung, was placed under Liie command of Laptain Jiills. , Laplain i->cUringer was ordered to attach. them, and, il possible, Lu cut them oii Jruiii tiioir boats at Waiwakaiho. riie attack wao developed i'jom the vicinity 01 t|ic iienui river, and the force advanced ovlt the hills Llirougli t i thick growth ol lupines, The attack consisted of a feint oil the left or sea front, and the main aLlack on the iryjit oi' 'the position taken up by the raider*. A small force under Lieutenant Lever made a flunk attack on the

rigid, with au idea, of working rouir to die rear ui Uie raiders, aud cuttiji": them oil iruui the W'aiwakaiho. Lieutenant Humphries \\H6 in charge of tilt scouts, Lieutenant Loon of tlie frontal attack, it nd Colour-Sergeant llartneil in charge of the reserve. Captain Alills nas posted in a strong pooition in front oi the trig station. .Lieutenant-Colonel iieauchop, Jjieuieiiaiu-Culonei Okey, -Major Jtalone, and Captain lirown, of .the Instructional Stall', aeted as umpires. Alter the cessation of operations, Colonel Leaucliop addressed the men on the afternoons work, expressing his satisiaction with the manner in which the manoeuvres hatl been carried out, particularly in regard J,o taking advan-

tage ol cover. lie said that it was a general instruction that a frontal attack should not be made, except under special circling Unices. Those cjreuni-

j stances, in the nature of Uie grwiiwl ami the cover afforded, obtained there that alternoon, and he compliniented tJn! officers upon having acted as they did. ilje reports aiid orders exchanged bcLweou tiie ditierent ollicfirs commanding the dillercnt dotaclnn#uts jvere collected by (Julonel Uauehop, ami were more tlian iavourably commented j;i l»\him. KeiVrring to the clofoj h'' said that the, Uefending force &• ' l«ca a small one, and the ground was mot" lavourable to the attiickers, yet Captain •Mills Jiad made the most of his opportunities. '' I

I he ready obedience and alacrity of tin' men were commented on. 'i'licy Mimicd to have a good grip of the idea "I' liic operations, mill worked under sen ice con (I it ion s. Colonel Itmichop warniiv commended them for their proficiency in taking cover, ami particul.irly IMC'II 1 ii»)c.l the scoiit mi the exli'i'ini' loft .if III;, attack.

i Siime idea ol the careful mtlurc of tile advance may be gathered from the (act that two hours were occupied in gaining lillll yards of ground. No ammunition \v;is served out. anil (he operation- were carried out in deadly silence. At nighl Colonel Uiuehop addressed Ihe c.i iiip.-i nies on "Attack and Defence," the afternoon's manoeuvres, and evincing by his criticism that he had closely follow etl every detail of the action. Die I ilticer-Conimanding has made a very favorable impression locally, j and there will lie a good muster of \oliiiitecr- when he lectures here again, lie ha- promised to attend the January -ocial meeting of the company.