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Out

for its present stren th an establishment which will, of

course, increase as the B. E. F. itself increases in size.

The Advanced Air Striking Force, which should have 48

light A... guns for its protection, had none at all. of the total of approximately 1,860 guns authorised for the

Air Defence of Great Britain, no more than 108 were

deployed, all of which have perforce to be concentrated

round the naval bases and the R.D.F. stations, leaving our

industries and other vital points unprotected against the

very form of attack which is most likely to fall upon them

if unrestricted air warfare should open.

3.

This, then, is the situation with which we are

confronted. On the one side there are our own aircraft

industry and most of our vital points with at present no

guns at all to protect them against low-flying attack.

On the other side we find the vital targets in Gerinany,

which might be profitably attacked by our own low-flying

aircraft, so heavily defended by guns that this form of

The net attack must probably be ruled out altogether.

result can only be to accentuate still further the

comparative numerical superiority of the German Air Force.

4.

The Military Co-ordination Committee is well aware that

there are many serious deficiencies in our equipment, But whereas many

of these deficiencies would only preclude or delay the

adoption of the offensive against the enemy, the lack of

light anti-aircraft artillery is a weakness which might

vell lead to a disaster of the first magnitude.

shortage of light anti-aircraft guns causes us such grave

The

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