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TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY
It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document.
сё
13
(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANN C MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)
SECRET.
C.0.S. (41)683.
14TH NOVEMBER. 1941.
Anis document was considerou at
bench 11.
Cod41) 389
683
33
COPY NO.
WAR CABINET.
CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.
1.
CHEMICAL WARFARE.
Note by the Chief of the Air Staff.
In a recent minute* to the Prime Minister the Chiefs of Staff have stated their operational requirements in gas.
These figures have been passed to the Ministry of Supply who are preparing a detailed report to the Prime Minister on their implications.
2.
So far as the requirements of the Royal Air Force are concerned, sufficient information is already available to show that the supply implications are very great, The cost in labour and material will be in the order of £80 millions, and a number of new factories will be required at a time when the utmost economy in building projects has been impressed upon us.
The effect of adhering to the full Army and Air Force requirements may be to impair not only our general war effort but also to restrict the development of our aircraft output, which is itself one of the objects of the pressure for economy.
3.
The Air Staff requirements in gas have been calculated on the assumption that we may have to exert 40 50% of our total bomber effort in the form of gas attack with gas bombs. This assessment is a purely arbitrary figure since we cannot be certain as to the extent which we may desire to use gas if gas warfare becomes general,
4.
In view of the serious nature of the supply implications I suggest, for consideration of the Chiefs of Staff that the arbitrary assessment of the scale of effort referred to above should be reviewed. It is the opinion of the Air Staff that after the period following the initiation of gas warfare high explosive may have a greater effectiveness than gas, and that our main effort will return to this form of attack,
Annex III to the Minutes of C.0.S. (41)367th Meeting.
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