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This document was considered at Co.$.(41) (。= Meeting.

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT).

TORE KETT UNDER OOK & KEY,

12 its maquastech that special care may be taken to

ensure the secrecy of this document.

37

SECRET.

C.O.S.(41) 12.

2ND JANUARY, 1941.

COFY NO. 29

WAR CABINET.

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

1.

SMOKE PROTECTION.

Memorandum by the Ministry of Home Security.

I.

INTRODUCTION.

న

At their meeting on 28th October, 1940 the Chiefs af Staff Committee decided that smoke protection operations should continue until the end of the year and that a report should then be made by the Ministry of Home Security. The following report, which covers the period July - December, 1940, is accordingly submitted.

2.

II.

ORIGIN OF SMOKE PROTECTION WORK

AND INITIAL MEASURES

The Prime Minister directed on the 28th May, 1940 (see Appendix A) that a Committee should be set up to review the question :f smoke screens to hide factories. The problem was examined forthwith by a Committee referred to as the Smoke Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Adviser on Research and Experiments to the Ministry of Home Security and several experiments were conducted. A report by the Committee was considered on the 15th June by the Deputy Chiefs of Staff Sub-Committee, who agreed

"(a) that the results which had so far been obtained

from the experiments justified the development of smoke-making equipment as part of the A.A. defences of vital factories and industrial targets;

(b) that a stage had consequently been reached where

it was desirable that the future work should be transferred from the Smoke Committee to an executive authority;

(c) accordingly to invite the Ministry of Home

Security to set up the necessary organisation tɔ take executive control forthwith of all measures for providing smoke for purposes of protecting vital industrial establishments, and to request that the Ministry of Home Security should press forward with these measures as a matter of great urgency.

C.0.S. (40)363rd Mtg. Min. 1.

S.M.0. (40)1 (Also reproduced in Appendix A). D.C.O.Š.(40)25th Mg, Min. 1

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