CAB80-20 — Page 73

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the Air Council has decided that, in the event of invasion fighter operations will be controlled locally by you as Air Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force in Northern Ireland, on behalf of the Aar Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Fighter Commande In order that you shall be in a position to discharge these duties, it will be necessary for you to make plans beforehand which will enable a smooth transition to be made from air fighting in local defence of Northern Ireland to air fighting in support of land forces. The closest liaison should therefore be established between your Head- quarters and Headquarters, Fighter Command, and No. 13 Group with this transition in view.

7.

The principle by which you should be guided in your employment of the fighters is that the first duty of all fighter squadrons that can be made available to operate in or over Ireland or over the sea communications between Ireland and England, will be the defeat of the invader. Other considerations, such as the routine defence of Belfast and of the sea-borne trade areas, may therefore temporarily have to take second place. In this connection, the Coastal Command Fighter squadrons already in Northern Ireland will also be available to co-operate to the same end should the situation render it essential. The decision to use the Coastal Command fighters for this purpose must, however, rest with the Air Ministry,

Control of Bomber squadrons.

ņ

8

In the event of invasion, or earlier if circumstances render it essential, two additional Medium Bomber squadrons will be sent to Northern Ireland to reinforce the two already under the commend of the Officer Commanding, No. 75 Wing. The four bomber squadrons, together with No: 231 Army Co- operation squadron, will be under the operational control of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, British forces in Ireland. The role of these bombers will be either close support of direct support of land operations according to the situation at the time and as directed by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief. To supplement the work of these squadrons, bomber units may be allotted (on instructions from the Air Ministry to Headquarters, Bomber Command) for direct support operations in Ireland. These units will remain under the operational control of Headquarters, Bomber Command, (or a Bomber Group Headquarters) but will be employed to attack objectives indicated other on your initiative or at the request of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, British forces in Ireland, through Headquarters, No. 75 Wing. It is not intended that these Squadrons shall be operated from an advanced landing ground in Ireland, and it will be necessary therefore, that bombing tasks in sufficient detail shall be communicated to Headquarters, Bomber Command (or the Bomber Group Headquarters concerned) either by your Headquarters or by Headquarters, No. 75 Wing. While the responsibility of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for the defence of Ireland extends bely to the coast,bombing activities under your direction may be extended to targets beyond the coast. It is for this reason that Headquarters, British forces in Ireland, will not be the sole authority for initiating tasks for Bomber Command squadrons.

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These instructions, as they stand, are somewhat

ambiguous, It is desirable, so long as communications remain satisfactory, that there should be only one shannel for demands for direct support by bomber squadrons based in England, and that this channel should be through the A.0.C., R.A.F. in Northern Ireland and Bomber Command. This point is to be clarified by further instructions to the A.0.C., conform- ing to paragraph 10 in the G.0.C. Directive.

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