Volunteer Notes.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 238, 5 August 1902, Page 3

Volunteer Notes.

(by advancb guaed.)

The long-expected infantry drill book has bees issued by the War Office, and we may hope to have it in the colony at no distant date. The book is issued under the title of »Infantry Training," the ohange in title (says a Home writer) indicating the ohange in the instruction of the soldier.

In the drill book the necessity for decentralisation is emphasised. The company is now made the taotioal and the battalion the administrative unit. The company is stated to be the b.it school of instruction in field duties, its training is to be carried out by the officers without undue interference of superiors, and on the suocess of the company commander his advancement in the service is intendsd to depend. Infantry in attack are divided into three bodies supports to develop the attack ; (2) reserves to reinforce and conip'ete the attack ; (3) general reserve to confirm suocess or meet unforeseen contingencies As a rule a portion of the force ia to bo told off to hold the enemy, a seoond portion to deliver the deoisive att«ok, and somstimes a third portion to distract attention by feints; and attacks are usually to ba delivered simultaneously against the hosti'e front and flank. Individuality is to be encouraged, not suppressed, and a 1 irge amount of re. sponsibility delegated right down to the rawest recruit. A large number of purely drill and ceremonial exercises are still retained, and the reforms might well have been made still more radical. Th» private will not have many alterations to learn. The turnings are to be performed in the gymnastio method. " Bhoulder arms" has disappeared, and the '• Slope" is used for all purposes except skirmishing, when arms are «« trailed." Physical drill, manual and bayonet exercises »ra no longer carried out by bodies larger than a squad. " Artificial front " has been abolished. Henceforward no movements are to be executed with reference toa "fixed front,' for the soldier's front is in future to be the direction in which he happeus to be facing. General instruc ions are also given as to how to make the beet use of cover.

TABLE A. Fob Recruits of all Corps Abmid with RmiE or Cabbinb. Before commencing Table A, reornils will be thoroughly instructed in the o«e and description of arma and ammunition, firing exercise, aiming drill, and theoretical principles. Recruits will not fire Table B the same year that they fire Table A.

.u2u.Practices<9 M 12;«Eimo allow- «iv 45secs from coi»mand " Commence." Previous to .giving command " Commence," should b* ch«rged. men to bo in position, targets point • > but, sights adjusted, &a. Men armed with carbine will pace th.'seventh round; in breech bef- re co - mencingBecruits should be carefully insirucit and practised without and with blat.k cartridge, both in barracks and on th« range, before carrying out practices 9 to 12. Boukds Alloxtbd, 150. Table A.. .. •• 84 Previous practice .. ~ 16 Further training of 3rd class shot 50

I i * 1 § Description of £ -2 | p OB j t i on . £ Pruotioe. ** 5 m X 5 .2 o £ 5 5 fc |W^P— WIl^^^^^^^B^^^BE^J^j^^^^i^Ba llndependeat. 2nd 200 7 Kneehog 2 r jf 2007 Standing 3 " 8rd 200 7 Ljing 4 ■ „ 2007 Sitting 5 „ 2nd 3007 Lying 6 ,,3007 Kneeling 7 .. ,,4007 Lying 8 9 g35flB 10 11 12 .. » 2007 Kneeling M 4007 Lying J, ,,4007 Sitting i l Classification. Points required for. Men Armed 1st claw 2nd;elaB8 3rd class with Shot. Shot. Shot. Below Below Rifle ..200 200 160 Carbine .. 180 180 ' 140. Notes. 1. Any kind of natural or artificial rest may be used by a racrutt if found necoMnry.