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(b).
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Certain new factors have arisen since 1918. The targets travel about three times as fast and the rate of fire of the individual gun is only about two thirds that of the 1918 equipments. As against this the range of the modern equipments has increased, but not to a material extent.
It follows that the period during which a given target can be engaged is less and the number of rounds fired during that period is smaller.
The above factors in themselves would suggest a reduction of ammunition expenditure per gun to about a third of that of 1918.
(c). The strength of our fighter organisation bears on the
problem. This is especially so when it is considered that modern methods of detection should enable a large number of interceptions to be made in the forward areas or even in advance of them. Thus in the calculations for A.D.G.B. it was assumed that the guns engaged 35,000 targets and the fighters 20,000.
As the fighter strength of the B.E.F. per sector is to be approximately the same as in A.D.G.B. the number of aircraft engaged by the fighters as opposed to the guns must be very considerablo.
5.
(d). Unless therefore there are far more A.A. gun targets for
the B.E.F. than there were in 1918 - and the above arguments suggest this will not be so - it seems that the wastage rates can be drastically reduced, perhaps even to 4 R.P.G. per day. This reduction will, however, be subject to further qualification later on in this paper.
It is considered, however, that the problem of expenditure of A.A. ammunition differs from that of land artillery. A solution in terms of rounds per gun per day cannot be a complete or an economic one, It is suggested therefore that the logical line of approach is to consider what reduction in enemy air effort should be attempted by our A.A. heavy and light guns, which are, it must be realized, only a part of air defence as a whole. Broadly speaking the defence of the higher strata of the atmosphere rests on the fighter and the A. A. gun, that of the lower altitudes on light A.A. artillery, supported in some cases by balloons. A strong defence in the higher strata will drive the enemy to attack at lower altitudes.
That reduction in enemy air effort should be aimed at ?
Presumably the loss of 2,000 aircraft a month would have a shattering effect on the enemy. (The monthly casualties in aircraft in the intensive period of operations in 1918 was about 500).
Of the above it would be reasonable to suggest that not more than one third would fall to the heavy guns. This is probably an overestimate. However, a figure of 700 will be taken for purposes of argument.
Similarly as regards low flying attack/...
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