CAB80-25 — Page 510

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TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK & KEY:

It is requested that special care may be taken to

ensure the secrecy of this document.

Cu.

425

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

:

This do

was considered at

Meeting,

23

COPY NO.

SECRET.

C.O.S.(41) 92.

13TH FEBRUARY, 1941,

WAR CABINET.

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

PRODUCTION OF COAST DEFENCE EQUIPMENTS.

Copy of a letter to the Secretary, Port Defence Committee from the Director General of Munitions Production, Ministry of Supply.

x x

X

I would submit the following remarks on the paper* enclosed with your letter of 7th February.

Paragraph 23 (b).

The production of equipments larger than the 9.2" could only be on Naval capacity, i.e. at the expense of Naval requirements.

The 15" Mark II is the only Land Service equipment of this type for which designs exist. The production of one of these equipments, presuming capacity could be made available, would take under present conditions about two years.

Any other design or conversion, say of 13.5" Naval guns, would involve in addition design or re-design of mountings, etc. and probably could not be produced under three years.

Deliveries could be increased on the 9.2" programme starting in twenty months from now. The rate at which these can be produced must, however, be uncertain under present conditions, observing that it is unlikely that the programme of one per month can be maintained at Woolwich owing to enemy action and the creation of new capacity must be problematical in view of the situation as to machine tools, labour and material.

If sufficient orders for new manufacture were made available now, say 30 new equipments, it would be hoped to work up to a total output of conversions and new equipments of two per month in about twenty months' time, and in the meantime to maintain an output of about eight per year of conversions.

+C.0.§.(41)89.

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