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ANNEX I.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS TO ENABLE US TO LAND A FORCE OF ABOUT TWO DIVISIONS AGAINST OPPOSITION.

Proposals in Paper No. İC.O.S. (40), 18 (0) (J.P.).

Comments by the Chiefs of Staff.

Further considerations.

Decisions invited.

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ARMY REQUIREMENTS.

1. We proposed that two invasion Corps should be formed, one in the Middle East, one in the United Kingdom.

2. We considered that the maximum armoured force which it would be possible to land in the first flight after a long sea voyage would be either one armoured brigade on a broad front from Ocean- going tank landing craft or one tank battalion on a narrow front from Ocean- going ships with the use of landing craft. We felt that Naval shipping and shipbuilding considera- tions limited the size of this assaulting force.

3. We indicated that we thought that special types of tanks would be required for the assault, the types dependent on the shipping and landing craft available.

We sug- gested that it might be necessary to use floating or submersible tanks.

4. We suggested that light tanks or other A.F.Vs should be included in the aerodrome capture group if glider experiments are successful.

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C.I.G.S. does anticipate any insuperable difficulty in forming these two Corps, but has some comments on the detailed composition proposed. (Paper No. C.O.S." (40), 928.)

The C.I.G.S. considers that we should not rest content with the ability to land in the first flight only one armoured brigade, while to land only a single bat- lion from Ocean-going ships would be to restrict operations very seriously indeed. He suggests that the aim should be two armoured brigades, and one armoured brigade from Ocean-going ships, as a minimum. He feels that further investigation should be made and suggests that the required shipping might be found from America.

C.I.G.S. suggests that the Director of Combined Operations should be authorised to examine the possibility of employing tanks of this nature in the light of the decision reached on Item 2 above.

The C.I.G.S. is not entirely convinced that we should confine ourselves to glider- borne A.F.Vs. Since the tank-carrying gliders are likely to be large ones and will require very large bombers to pull them, it will be the quickest and soundest solution to carry the tanks themselves in suitable aircraft (Paper No. C.O.S. (40) 928).

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In view of shipbuilding difficulties, we suggest a compromise on the C.I.G.S.'s requirements. We, therefore, propose that we should aim at being able to land one armoured brigade and two infantry brigades in assault after a long or short sea voyage, all from In ocean-going ships. addition, we propose that, in the case of a short sea voyage only, we should be able to land a second armoured brigade from Tank Landing Craft as immediate reinforce- ments.

We recommend that the Chiefs of Staff should approve the formation of these two Corps, the detailed composition of each being decided by the War Office.

We have made recom- mendations below under Royal Naval Require- ments (paragraph 8) for the construction of Tank Assault Ships. If these recommendations approved, it will be pos- sible to land an armoured brigade in an assault from ocean-going ships.

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We recommend that the Director of Combined Operations should be invited to report on this matter as soon as possible.

We understand that the Air Staff propose to deal with the provision of an airborne force as a separate issue. No deci-

sion is therefore required at the moment.

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