AIR CO-OPERATION.

HC Deb 12 June 1941 vol 372 cc357-9W

Mr. R. Morgan

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether it is now accepted by the Army Council that land

licity (or Press) Officers attached to each of the Government Departments are as follow:—

forces should have their own specially trained and specially equipped Army air service;

(2) whether the lessons of the war since 1939 have been studied with especial regard to the use of dive-bombers and close support aircraft in conjunction with Army operations; and what changes in existing methods are to be introduced?

Mr. Law

Certain squadrons of the Royal Air Force have for some time past been under the complete operational control of the Army. These squadrons are specially equipped and trained for Army needs. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House in his statement on 10th June, it is the intention to place a considerably larger number of aeroplanes under Army control for the purposes of everything that is a tactical operation. My hon. Friend will not expect me to divulge precise details of the machinery for handling these squadrons, but, I can assure him that the lessons of the war have been the subject of the closest study by both the General Staff and the Air Staff.