THE EMPIRE'S ARMY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 83, 24 January 1941, Page 2

THE EMPIRE'S ARMY

Reorganized And Ready For The Future

Army numbered just over 850,000 of all ranks. Of these over 200,000 had less than six months’ training. Moreover, despite optimistic statements made in the House of Commons, and to the Press, by responsible Ministers, it was woefully deficient in machines and arms. \ the outbreak of the war our We could fully equip only two Army Corps for the B.E.F. during the first month of the war, and this was done by taking from training and other units almost all they had in the way of essential arms. To-day we have an army of over 2,000,000, the greater part of which is fully equipped. Behind this first line National Army are over 1,500,000 men of the Home Guard. The Empire Standing shoulder to shoulder with their brothers of the Motherland are men from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many of the colonies. With thern are Frenchmen, Belgians, Dutchmen, Poles, Czechs and Norwegians, who know that their countries are not down and out. We have, too, a strong army in the Middle East, which has won outstanding victories against the Italian Armies. By something like a miracle of concentrated effort by armament factory workers the enormous mass of warlike stores lost in the great retreat from Flanders has been replaced. The arms drive is still increasing its velocity of output. Our Army learned many lessons of great importance during the retreat and break-through to the sea last May and June. Not the least of these is that the German method of infiltration by armoured units supported strongly from the air is not unbeatable, The Germans did their utmost to prevent the withdrawal of our corps. That so many got away was itself a defeat of German tactics. Value of Attack The answer to Nazi methods is aggressive attack. Even with the holding of Calais by that never-to-be-forgotten handful of heroes the triumph of the retreat to Dunkirk and the subsequent withdrawal would not have been possib!e without determined and continued attacking of the vastly outnumbering enemy forces during every step of the fight to the sea. Another lesson we have sconce’ is that despite light automatics, machine guns, mortars, and machinery generally, the rifle is still the most important weapon of the infantry soldier, The Norway adventure first showed the importance of the rifle, and that it was not the back number that it was supposed to be when the Army Council announced that the Bren was in future to be regarded as the major infantry weapon, :

In Norway there were very many incidents where a few determined marksmen were able to take heavy toll of the enemy. The work of members of Norwegian rifle clubs, hurriedly embodied for the defence of their country, provided many stories of the effectiveness of the skilled rifleman. There is no doubt that it was their work as snipers that inspired our Government to that stroke of genius, the formation of our Home Guard. What of the future? The Army believes that the final decision rests with it. That once again there will be a B.E.F. operating on the Continent. Behind the sure shield of the Royal Navy and the rapidly growing offensive power of the Royal Air Force it is piling up men and munitions to that sole end. The defensive power of the Army may yet be tested to the utmost by some terrific stroke across the narrow seas. It believes that it can faithfully deal with anything that the Navy and the Air Force have not already scuppered, burned, and destroyed. But it looks to the attack. Its whole education is moulded on aggression. It is only aggression that can win.