CAB80-25 — Page 462

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APPENDIX C.

384

ARTILLERY SITUATION IN RELATION TO POSSIBLE ISSUES TO GREECE.

A Field Guns

(2) Middle East.

The figures below exclude 18 pdrs. and 4.5" Howitzers. The requirements of static defence India, Australian

and training, leave only a small’number of these equipments available and therefore they are excluded from consideration.

25 pars. and 25/18 pārs, now in Middle East Required to equip regiments now in Middle East=

Deficiency (excl. reserves)

280

568

288

% of these, 252 are in the battle areas in Libya or Eritrea.

Anticipated receipts by Middle East:-

Month

Mid-Feb.

March

April

May

June

July

August.

Number

64

24

24

64

64

64

64

Deficiency reduced to.

244

220

196

132

68

4

+ 60

If 72 X 25 pdrs. are taken this deficiency will not be made good until September.

If 144 X 25 pars, are taken this deficency will not be made good until October.

64 equipments are due to arrive February. If these are taken Middle East will have to accept a reduced strength of 12 guns for 5 regiments and 20 for 1 regiment until May, without reducing the bulk doficiency of guns.

Six Australian field regiments in Palestine have only 24 18 pdrs and 4.5" Howitzers between them for training. If the 64 X 25 pars. are taken this deficiency will persist until May.

(ii) United Kingdom,

Field equipments of sorts required to complete establishment of existing regiments = 351.

Home Forces allocation from production including

mobilization of untis for overseas:

February March April

G

132 140 144

Therefore the deficiency will be made good by April.

There are however thirty-one additional field

Equipments required

regiments which are to be raised.

744.

9.

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