British West African Colonies: Scale of Attack on. Report by J.I.C.

Each of these routes is sufficiently good, so far as surface is concerned, to maintain at least a mechanised brigade with light artillery. Full water supplies would have to be taken by an invading force on route (a). On route (b) supplementary water supplies would be required. Whilst the passage of this number of troops over each of these routes is physically possible, the difficulties would be enormous. We do not believe the Germans, who have no experience of desert warfare, could undertake such an operation without French co-operation.