CAB80-32 — Page 90

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(ii) At the most important aerodromes a section of light tanks is provided by the Army to support the mobile reserve and for counter-attack and hunting purposes. It is understood that these units are on a loan and immediate recall basis.

(iii) At the majority of aerodromes armoured and protected vehicles. (Beaverettes and Armadillos) and mobile mortars (Smith guns) are provided and manned by the R.A.F.

(iv) A force of several hundreds of "backers-up," which will ultimately include all airmen free to bear arms, is provided by the R.A.F. These are deployed in small parties widely dispersed in buildings, at aircraft dispersal points and around the aerodrome perimeter. At a large aerodrome there may be nearly 2,000 of such part-time defence personnel.

(v) A.A. artillery weapons, provided by the Army, are sited to assist in the

land defence.

(vi) A.A. light automatics (perhaps a score or more of machine-guns, and a few 20-mm. cannon, normally employed for defence against low- flying attack) are also used to support the defended localities, and the dispersed pockets of "backers-up.' These weapons are manned by the R.A.F. Defence Force.

5. Under this improvised system, aerodrome garrisons consist of assorted bodies of men drawn from two different Services with no common standard of training or efficiency. The Table at Appendix "A" shows the position at a typical Class "A" Station in Priority I. Divided responsibility is an outstanding and inevitable feature of the whole arrangement. In addition to the difficulties and weaknesses which arise in connection with training and the provision of personnel, divided responsibility has other serious drawbacks.

6. Successful defence of an aerodrome is likely to turn at least as much upon the manner in which the plan is put into effect as upon the soundness of the principles on which it was originally based. But whereas the Army, being generally responsible for land defence, lays down the policy and supervises the preparation of the tactical plan, the task of implementing that plan devolves to a very great extent upon the Royal Air Force, which provides the works, labour and supply services, communications, the bulk of the arms and ammunition and a very high proportion of the total personnel of the garrison.

These very important functions are necessarily controlled through the R.A.F. chain of command. The Army's supervisory activities, on the other hand, are conducted through entirely different channels. The fact that R.A.F. Commands are organised on a functional" basis, whereas Army Commands are geographical, prevents effective co-operation on the higher command levels, and precludes any satisfactory method of joint supervision and control.

Consideration of Possible Alternatives.

7. As the system of divided responsibility is unsound in theory, and in practice is unsatisfactory to all concerned, it is clear that one or the other of the two Services ought to undertake the whole commitment. At first sight it would appear that, as the Army is generally responsible for defence on land, the simplest and most effective solution would be to transfer the airmen of the R.A.F. Defence Force to the Army, who would then undertake full responsibility for every aspect of aerodrome defence. On examination, however, it is clear that this would not, in fact, achieve the desired end.

8. In the first place, the organisation of an aerodrome and its occupants both for the conduct of air operations and also for defence are inseparable tasks which require co-ordination by a single authority. Moreover, these two requirements can and should be met as fully as possible from the same resources in personnel and material. Indeed this must be an essential feature of the arrangements if waste, particularly of man-power, is to be avoided. The numbers of permanent defence troops required as the "core" of the garrison should be kept as low as possible, and the maximum use should be made of the less highly trained R.A.F. Station personnel. Thus, even if all the whole-time defence troops were in khaki and under Army control, the full garrison would still consist of a mixed force of soldiers and airmen, about 80 per cent. being airmen.

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