The building up and maintenance of supplies in the forward area for operational purposes by this road would require such a large amount or mechanical transport and petrol as to be impracticable. The crux of the situation, therefore, is the ability of the Germans to land these Supplies by sea at the Cyrenaican ports. 5. The time-table set out below presupposes that the Germans are able to bring into the forward area, by the appropriate dates, sufficient M.T. for the distribution of supplies landed at ports in that area.