Thus. the Germans can do in days what takes us weeks. or even more. "This reflection has bearing upon a possible German movement back from east to west. which could be ecuted very swirlly if they resolved upon an assault on this country, We have done. are doing. and will do our utmost to build up the largest possible air force in the Middle East. It is not a matter of aircraft but solely of} transportation—no: in the sense of shipping tonnage but of the time it takes to transfer under conditions of the present war.
"As to the disposition of our air force in the Middle East, it is primarily a matter for the CommandersimChlief in the Middle Ecst, though the Government share to the full the responsibility for whatever is done. Ca-ordination between the Services is carried to a very high p: tch.
"The Chief Air Officer lives in the same house in Cairo, as the Commander-in-Chief, The Naval Commander-in-Chief has to be at sea very often. He has to be at Alexandria, but the closest association exists between these branches, The idea that any one of these problems would be studied by one of these commanders without the closest a5- "ation with the other two is quite "Who has the final say?"
"No Disagreement"
Mr: Churchill declared: "It is not 0 much a question of the final say. No disagreement that I know of has arisen. Obviously. the "Army ig the main factor in the business and the Fleet is preserving command of the. seas, and the Air Force Is assisting the" Army and Fleet in all their functions, But in the event of any differences they can be settled in a few hours by reference here. These commanders have to settle it amor themselves although we share to the full the responsibility for whatever done, "Apart from the effort we were making in Greece, which was very costly in' aircraft. the situation in Iraq, Palestine and, potentially, in Syria, as well as the winding up of the Abyssinian story, has all made very heavy demands upon our air-trait. and the situation in the Western Desert had also to be considered.
"Before any rational judgment could -be formed on the disposition of our air force and the consequent failure to supply an adequate air force for Crete, it would be necessary. og in the case.of the antiaircraft guns. to know not only what what is the situation in these other Theatres which were all intimately inter-related. It is no use trying 10 fudge these matters without full knowledge. Full. knowledge cannot be made public, Next Stage come to the next stage of my argument. I have shown the founda tions upon which we started, and 1 now goa step forward. In "March, wwe decided to go to the ald of Greece accordance with our treaty obligations. This, of course, exposed us to the danger' of being attacked in the Western Desert and also to defeat by overwhelming numbers in Greece un~ Jess Yugoslavia, played her part oF unless the Greek Army could be ex-tricoted to hold some narrower line than was eventually. chosen. If Greece was overrun by the enemy, it seemed probable that Crete would be the next object of attack. 'The with his vast local superiority alr-power, was able to drive our airfields in Greece, to his enormously superior anti-aircraft batteries, he was able to make those airfields' rapidly able for his own use.
"Moreover, many more airfields became available to him as the ther Improved. Tt was evident. therefore, that an attack on Crete. if it were made, would be primarily an air borne attack for which a vastly superior hostile air force would be available. The question arose when ther we should try to defend Crete of yield it without ght, Nobody who bears the responsibility for the Geeision to defend. Crete was, Ignorant of the fact that condltions permitted only a most meagre British air support to be provided for our troops in the island or for our Fleet operating round the island. It was not a fact that dawned upon the military and other authorities ater the decision had been taken. It was the foundation of a diMieult, harsh heloe whether Crete should' be fended without effective alr support whether the Germans should be permitted {0 occupy it without opposition.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.