File 6499/1920 Pt 1 'KOWEIT AFFAIRS: KOWEIT-NEJD BOUNDARY DISPUTE; LOCAL UNPOPULARITY OF SHEIKH' [‎39v] (72/294)

CONFIDENTIAL.
AIR STAFF MEMORANDUM ON THE POLICY W#,,
SHOULD GOVERN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ii
FORCES AND SOME CONSIDERATIONS AS T
HOW THEY SHOULD BE EMPLOYED.
1 ] n order that deinands for aircraft assistance may be l
on a true appreciation of the principles involved, it is desirai
that a knowledge of the policy which governs their employe
should be widely circulated.
2. There are two main considerations :
(a) The principles which govern the dispersal or grouping
aerial units.
(b) The role which these units may be fairly asked to play,
It will be shown that these subjects are interconnected.
3. In every case of military force the evil of small detadunet
is recognised, but the material assistance that can be affordeil:
small aerial units, together with the moral support that they a
render, is apt to obscure the fact that in the Air Service the inej
ciency’of small detachments is out of all proportion to their deem
in size.
The Air Force is a highly technical service, and to an even great
degree that other technical corps is dependent on adequate wol
shop facilities, good provision of spare parts and other teclmit
supplies, and efficient supervision by the higher ranks. Tla
three necessities are productive of considerable “overhead”a
penditure, hence it is an obvious advantage to group air forces:
the largest possible units rather than disperse them in sen
detachments.
An example of this was seen in the recent operations in Somalilat
where a single self-contained flight, for a specific and limited a«
operation, equalled in strength a normal squadron. The smal
unit which can be economically administered for considerai
periods on detached duties is thus a squadron of 12 aeroplanes, ai
even this cannot continue to operate indefinitely at a distance fra
bases of technical supply.
An appreciation of this fact is an essential foundation to a km
ledge of the use of aircraft.
4. The question of mobility is the next point to require ca
sideration. An aeroplane squadron on land is a self-contv
mobile unit, provided that its moves do not take it outside t!
efficient ra<
to travel t
which aircr
for the opei
An avera
accommoda
of all kinds
12 largest t
weighing _ 2 :
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ioad. Furt
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the labour i
difficulties, :
machines or
that in the
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vill not be
despatch is c
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:aken, and 1
die opening
mobility wil
intil that ti
s an immob
w such me
5. Great s
ground of ei
to the inadv
stances may
reconnaissan
tages incurre
of aircraft t
measure of f
power of air<
6. The me
infliction of ]
population ■?
danger of rr
Their power
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