CAB80-25 — Page 454

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TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.

It is reque

sere may be taken to

ensure the secrecy of this document.

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

This docent was considered at ..(& Meeting.

SECRE T.

C.0.S.(41)82.

10TH FEBRUARY, 1941.

WAR CABINET,

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

376

33

COPY NO.

•

ASSISTANCE TO GRE CE.

Memorandum by chic?mperial General Staff.

With reference to the Greek Minister's letter of the 7th February to the Prime Minister forwarding a despatch from the Greek Prime Minister on the immediate supply of ammunition, weapons and aircraft for the Greek forces, I have analysed the items show in the schedule attached to the Greek Minister's letter as shown in the attached table.

34

1. Broadly speaking these tables will show that whilst we are doing and can do a great deal to meet demands for raw materials, we have only been able to supply a proportion of the ammunition requirements. The only possibility of obtaining the ammunition of the particular calibres mentioned would be to arrange for manufacture in the United States and ammunition so manufactured could hardly reach Greece in less than 6 to 8 months at the earliest.

2.

The artillery weapon situation is still more difficult, especially as the Greeks require 350 pack artillery weapons which we do not make in the United Kingdom, and which the Americans could not make in less than six months.

The anti-aircraft demand if met would mean depriving ourselves of about one half a month's production of Heavy A.A. guns, and one and a half month's production of Bofors guns.

3.

As has already been reported by General Wavell, quite an appreciable quantity of weapons and ammunition captured from the Italians has been, or will be shortly, despatched to Greece. This is shown in the attached table against the appropriate items.

4.

The Greek Prime Minister's despatch does not by any means cover all the equipment and stores which we have already sent to Greece or which we are proposing to send. For example, we have already sent 120 Anti-Tank Rifles, 100 Vickers Machine Guns, 3,500 Rifles, 1,000 Hotchkiss, 50 2" Mortars, 100 American 3" Mortars, 24 75 m.m. Field Guns, all with ammunition; besides this we have sent large quantities of clothing and food.

* Appendix A.

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