(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/65/18/18
Image Reference:0001
T H I S D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y OF H I S B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T
Printed
for the War Cabinet.
April
1941.
Copy No.
SECRET.
W . M . (44)
39th Conclusions.
TO B E K E P T
UNDER
LOCK
A N D KEY.
It is requested that special care may be taken to
ensure the secrecy of this document.
W A R C A B I N E T 39 (41).
CONCLUSIONS
of a Meeting of the War,Cabinet held at 10 Downing
S.W.1, on Friday, April 11, 1941, at 11-30 A.M.
Street,
Present: The Right Hon. C. R. A T T L E E , M.P., Lord Privy Seal (in the Chair). The Right Hon. Sir J O H N ANDERSON.
M.P., Lord President of the Council.
The Right Hon. A . GREENWOOD, M.P.,
Minister without Portfolio.
The Right Hon. Sir K I N G S L E Y W O O D ,
M.P., Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Right Hon. A N T H O N Y E D E N , M.P.,
Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs.
The Right Hon. L O R D BEAVERBROOK,
Minister of Aircraft Production.
The Right Hon. E R N E S T B E V I N , M.P.,
Minister of Labour and Minister of
National Service.
The following were also present:
The Right Hon. R. G. M E N Z I E S ,
K.C., M.P., Prime Minister of the
Commonwealth of Australia.
The Right Hon. V I S C O U N T CRANBORNE,
Secretary of State for Dominion
Affairs.
The Right Hon. A . V . A L E X A N D E R ,
M.P., First Lord of the Admiralty.
The Right Hon. A . D U F F COOPER, M.P.,
Minister of Information.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir D U D L E Y
POUND, First Sea Lord and Chief of
Naval Staff.
A i r Chief -Marshal Sir CHARLES F. A .
PORTAL, Chief of the A i r Staff.
The Right Hon. L O R D M O Y N E , Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The Right Hon. H . D . MARGESSON,
M . P . , Secretary of State for War.
The Right Hon. R . A . B U T L E R , M . P . ,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of
State for Foroign Affairs.
General Sir J O H N D I L L , Chief of the
Imperial General Staff.
Lieut.-General Sir ROBERT H A I N I N G ,
Vice-Chief of the Imperial General
Staff.
Secretariat.
Sir E D W A R D BRIDGES. Colonel L . C . H O L L I S . Mr. L. F. B U R G I S .
[22417] W A R C A B I N E T 30 ( M ) . CONTENTS.
Minute
No.
. 1.
Subject.
Naval, Military and Air Operations
,.
Page
205
Air Operations.
Naval Operations:
Shipping losses.
Military Operations:
Libya.
2.
The Balkans and the Middle East
Visit of the Foreign Secretary and the Chief of the Imperial
General Staff.
205
Nasal, Military
and Air
Operations. (Previous
Eef erence:
W . M . (41) 38th
Conclusions,
Minute 1.)
Air Operations.
1. The Chiefs of Staff made the following reports in amplifi­
eation of Cabinet W a r Room Record No. 586. Aircraft losses in Libya during the previous two or three days
had been:—
Enemy—
16 destroyed in the air.
9 destroyed oh the ground.
Our Own—
3 destroyed in the air.
6 destroyed on the ground.
I n the Home theatre during the previous 24 hours the enemy
losses had been :—
By day^-*
4 destroyed.
1 probable.
2 damaged.
By
night—
10 destroyed (2 by A . A . fire).
3 probable.
3 damaged.
I n the same period we had lost 2 Fighters and 7 Bombers.
Naval
Operations.
Shipping Losses.
One merchant ship had been torpedoed 3 1 west, which
indicated that the enemy was making his U-boat attacks farther out
in the Atlantic.
0
The destruction of a U-boat by a trawler on the 23rd March had
now been confirmed. Since the 1st March probably 7 U-boats had
been destroyed.
Military
Operations.
Libya.
The Chief of the Imperial General Staff read to the Cabinet an
appreciation of the situation in the Western Desert which had been
received from General Wavell. Particulars were given of the
number of our forces in Tobruk.
The W a r Cabinet took note of these statements.
The Balkans
and the
Middle Bast.
Visit of the
Foreign
2. The Foreign Secretary and the Chief of the Imperial
General Staff gave reports of their visit to the Balkans and the
Middle East.
^
d of these reports, and of the discussion, is contained in
the Secretary's Standard File of W a r Cabinet Conclusions.
r e c o r
Secretary and
the Chief of the
Imperial
General Staff.
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (41) 32nd
Conclusions,
Minute 2.)
Great George Street, S.W. 1,
April 11, 1941.
.