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craft will carry some medium or light tanks and possibly flame throwers the latter to deal with beach posts. That the attack would be supported by fire from warships and intense air action, From the foregoing consideration the following conclusions emerge,

(A) We must stop as many of the landing craft as

possible from reaching the beach to do this we need guns, since S.A. A. is useless against their

armour.

(B) In an attack of such intensity and so widely

dispersed enemy may well get a footing at a number of points. Immediate counter-attacks will be essential and these must be assisted by the greatest possible supporting gun or mortar fire to give them the best chance for success.

(c) Deliberate counter-attacks supported by strong artillery fire may be necessary in more than one area at once. These attacks must be made

by forces strong enough to ensure success.

LAST PART.

I do not visualise using less than a battalion for any such attack. As regards (A) above we need over twenty more guns to supplement the existing 18 pdrs. I request that the two pounder A. T. troop of the beach defence battery of the 26th A.T. Regt, be sent out (men and guns) and that a second similar troop accompany it. This will give 32 guns any which can be spared from beach defence would be used for A/T work. As regards (B) we will have seven battalions infantry (I am not including 2nd and 3rd battalions K.O.M.R. which are not fit for normal infantry role but are fully employed on other important duties). Of these each brigade will have three battalions to guard beaches and aerodromes and one battalion will be in fortress reserve. The brigades have quite insufficient local reserves even with recent reinforcements. Each must have one additional battalion if they are to be able to produce the all important immediate counter-attacks. Further the available mobile artillery is still inadequate to give the weight of supporting fire needed for the various counter- attacks. I will have only eight six inch howitzers, four three point seven howitzers and twelve twenty-five pounders to cover the very extensive front. I consider that in view of the weakness of the infantry another battery of twelve twenty-five pounders is essential. Battalions must also be made up to their establishments of mortars. As regards the fortress reserve one battalion is really insufficient in view of need of dealing with enemy decisively before he gets established and of meeting unforeseen emergencies, such as civil unrest. To sum up if we have to meet a full dress attack in the circumstances I have envisaged, we require the following additional troops and equipment three battalions complete with mortars, one field battery, two A/T troops R.A. one or two sections of field company R.E. or equivalent, fifty Lyon lights and ten beach defence lights (no personnel needed), sixty two inch mortars. One hundred A/T rifles, besides other weapons already asked for. I suggest that these troops if sent here should be regarded as a reserve available to be sent elsewhere in near east should the naval situation change so that a full scale attack on Malta is deemed likely. But meanwhile some such force is needed if fleet is to be freed from undue preoccupation for safety of Malta.

C.4.

Richmond Terrace, S.W.1.,

H OCTOBER, 1940.

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