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4

7.P.(40) 419 also envisaged raising 3 new Fighter Squadrons in the near future, using certain flights and improvised units as cadres.

5。

All of these reinforcing plans have already received the highest priority and the ir Ministry have studied the maximum possibilities of further strengthening the air forces in the Middle East under existing circumstances and of still further expediting the existing reinforcement commitments.

66

12 out of the 18 Hurricanes of the October allotment have already been shipped and the remaining

The packing 6 are packed ready for despatch.

and shipment of the November quota of 24 is being accelerated. The monthly quotas of fighter and bomber aircraft for the Middle Cast have been raised to 24 Hurricanes and 40 Blenheims,

2,300 R.A,F. personnel are now at sea on the way to the Middle East and a further 1,500 are sailing on the 1st November. This reinforcement will bring the Middle Cast Cormand up to full numerical establishment for their oziating units, but with We also propose substitutes in certain trades.

other rank

There is, of course,

some

to despatch in the fovember convoy, personnel, ground equipment and H/T for 3 more squadrons but this will not be complete in every respect because the equipment simply is not available. We, however, send enough to enable the Air Officer Co manding-in-Chief, with the assistance of the large reinforcements already en route, to form his 3 additional squadrons from extemporised basis. difficulty as yet about the special ground equipment for American type aireraft. We are, however, sending one complete Hurricane pack-up as an interim measure. We have not yet received from America the special equipment for all the Mohawk Squadrons, although this is being expedited by every possible means. best we can do, therefore, is to send him the ground equipment for the two new Mohawk Squadrons, less the special Mohawk equipment which will follow as soon as we can lay our hands on it.

8.

The

The increase in the initial equipment of Bomber Squadrons will involve an increase in the establishment and personnel and ground equipment

We are aiming to send as well as in aircraft. out these personnel and the equipment in the November convoy, but there are two points which must be considered in this connection:-

(a) Shi ping priority would be required.

It will be necessary for the Chiefs of Staff to lay down an order of priority between air reinforcements and armoured roinforcements and to take steps to ensure that shipping programmes are not subsequently modified without reference to the Air inistry.

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