2 MARCH 1945, Page 14

TASK FORCE

SIR,—Mr. Mackinnon considers that the expression "task force" is meaningless I suggest that it is, on the contrary, a perfectly accurate one. In peace-time and probably in war-time also, the larger navies are permanently organised into squadrons and flotillas each consisting of ships of the same general type. This makes for uniformity in training and ease in administration. But when ships of many -classes are brought together into a temporary organisation designed for some particular service, that organisation is properly called a "task force."—Yours