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TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY,
It is requeslau thai spe iar care may be cuben tá ensure the secrecy of tins document.
Cz277
(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT).
SCRT.
C.0.5.(41)64.
30TH JANUARY, 1941.
COPY NO.
33
64
This document was considered at Co. £.(+1) 38*Meeting.
WAR CABINET.
CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITT E.
REINFORCEMENT OF BRITISH TROOPS IN
NORTHERN IRELAND.
Memorandum by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff,
10
The 5th Division and a Corps Headquarters (3rd) now in the United Kingdom are earmarked as reinforcements for Ireland should the necessity arise (see C.0.S.(40)806, paragraph 7(b)). 5th Division could not be disembarked in Ulster in less than 11 days.
On th November, 1940, the Prime Minister signified his approval (see C.0.S.(40)917) to the Chiefs of Staff's recommendation for the provision of hutted accommodation for 5th Division in Northern Ireland, to be ready by February, 1941.
26 One of the outstanding lessons to be drawn from the Home Forces Invasion Exercise (VICTOR) is that it would be dangerous to delay the despatch of reinforcements to Northern Ireland until operations had commenced. If Ireland were invaded without warning, as is quite likely, the General Officer Commanding would have to conduct the early and vital stages of his campaign against the Germans with such troops as were actually in Northern Ireland at the time.
The move of a division and corps headquarters overseas would entail heavy demands on railway, dock and shipping facilities, at a time when all these may be expected to be working at high pressure and subjected to heavy enemy attacks.
3。
The probable maximum scale of sea-borne attack which could be developed in Eire is estimated to be of the order of 2 to 3 divisions, a portion of which might be armoured. It is also considered possible for the Germans to deploy in Ireland from 8,000 to 12,000 air-borne troops (see C.0.S.(40)806, Annex 2, paragraph 24).
At the present time the total striking force available for immediate despatch south of the border is one infantry division, one infantry brigade group, and one L. of C. brigade.
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