3
Page 105
(c) The British Chiefs of Staff will be aware of orders issued to the Commander- in-Chief Eastern Atlantic and can ensure, through their representation on the Standing Group, that these orders do not conflict with their views. 14. There is the further important point that, so far as N.A.T.O. is concerned, the Standing Group are the legitimate heirs and successors of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, whose extinction has been so much lamented. They differ from the Combined Chiefs of Staff only in that they include French representation.
15. Much has been made of the perfection of the war-time system of command in the Atlantic and of the undesirability of departing from it. It is therefore worth while recalling what actually happened during the war. In the early days Britain was the only Power fighting the German U-boats in the Atlantic and we had full control of operations in the whole of that Ocean. Later on, in 1941, the United States entered the war and the natural thing to do was to draw a line north and south down the middle and for them to take over responsibility for the western half. The arrangements for ensuring co-ordination of operations in the Atlantic were of a rudimentary character and there were many occasions when the need for something more speedy and effective was felt. It is precisely this speed and flexibility which it is hoped to gain by the appointment of a Supreme Commander. These advantages could not be secured by retaining separate commands for the Eastern and Western Atlantic co-ordinated by the Standing Group, a body which is not organised to exercise responsibility of that kind. Those who had high responsibility for anti-submarine operations in the last war have said that the existence of a Supreme Commander would certainly have reduced shipping losses. 16. The advantages which would accrue from the establishment of a Supreme Allied Command Organisation in a future war can be considered under the following headings:-
(a) Economy of Force.
(b) Unity of Operational Control.
(c) International Co-ordination.
Economy of Force
17. With a single command we achieve the ability to make use of the flexibility inherent in Naval and Air forces. Wherever a concentrated threat arises, a concen- trated defence can be moved to meet it. If the enemy spreads his attack thinly throughout the ocean so, too, can the defence be spread.
Unity of Operational Control
18. If the Atlantic Ocean were divided into a number of areas, each under independent national commanders, this would lead to lack of flexibility and divided control. There would, for instance, be no operational organisation for co-ordinating the forces in different national areas. Co-ordination could take place only at Standing Group level and procedure would of necessity be too slow to meet opera- tional requirements, particularly in emergency.
International Co-ordination
19. The control of the Atlantic is not only of vital importance to this country but it is also the life-line of Allied forces operating in Europe, to which the Americans plan to make a considerable contribution, and of our European Allies. In the last war there were only three nations involved, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. In future the countries which will contribute forces and/or bases for the defence of the Atlantic Ocean will be: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, France, Norway, Portugal, Denmark and Iceland. In view of the large number of nations concerned, it is considered that co-ordina- tion of operational matters by committee is quite out of the question and that an overall commander is necessary to co-ordinate their efforts.
20. It may be asked, however, why the Supreme Commander should neces- sarily be an American.
21. In the first place it is essential to be realistic and to recognise that the world situation in regard to naval power has changed a great deal in recent years. We are accustomed to think of ourselves as primarily a great naval Power with a long traditioefl favat supremacy. But it is only sensible to recognise that the7
99
4