§ LORD BEAVERBROOKMy Lords, I rise to make a personal statement. It will take only a very short time. My noble friend Lord Hankey said in this House last Thursday that the 88 mm. weapon may have been adapted by the enemy as an anti-tank gun on account of the speech which I made on February 12 last. I gave his Lordship an intimation of my intention to raise that issue here to-day. The suggestion which he made has no foundation in fact—none at all. Lord Hankey knew that the 88 mm. gun was used in an anti-tank role in the campaign of 1941. He was at that time a member of the Government with access to the information. He is a student of war; he speaks often and also writes on military subjects. He would not have overlooked the use of this anti-aircraft gun for anti-tank purposes at that time. On February 9, three days before I spoke, the War Office made a note on the use of the 88 mm. gun as an anti-tank gun—that is the use of the anti-aircraft gun for anti-tank purposes. I quote from that document with permission:
The 88 mm. anti-aircraft gun used in an anti-tank role has also inflicted grievous casualties.Copies of that document were issued at that time by the Defence Committee to Lord Hankey and to me. His Lordship had probably forgotten these events when he spoke on Thursday.