Desert Air Force

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Desert Air Force
Founded	21 October 1941
Country	United Kingdom South Africa Australia
Allegiance	Allies
Role	Tactical air force
Size	over 1,500 combat aircraft (late 1942)
Garrison/HQ	Cairo(?)
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	Arthur Coningham Harry Broadhurst William Dickson

The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, Air HQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No. 204 Group under the RAF Middle East Command in North Africa in 1941 to provide close air support to the British Eighth Army. Throughout World War II, DAF was made up of squadrons from the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the South African Air Force (SAAF), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), and other Allied air forces.

[edit] History

Prior to the establishment of the Desert Air Force, several RAF formations operated in North Africa. On 3 September 1939 RAF Middle East Command, under Air Chief Marshal Sir William Mitchell, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Middle East, comprised four separate commands: for Egypt (designated Middle East), RAF Iraq, Mediterranean at Malta, and RAF Aden (No. 8, No. 203, and No. 94 Squadrons).^[1] Mitchell handed over to Air Vice Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore in early May 1940. When Italy declared war in June 1940 Longmore had just 29 squadrons numbering less than 300 aircraft - dispersed across the four commands detailed above.

Hawker Hurricane in Desert camouflage paint scheme

[edit] AHQ Egypt

On 10 June 1940, RAF bomber squadrons in AHQ Egypt, under the direction of No. 202 Group RAF, totalled five squadrons of Blenheims, one of Valentias and one of Bombays:^[2]

• HQ 202 Group, Ma'aten Bagush
  • No. 250 Wing RAF, Ismailia
    • No. 30 Squadron RAF, Blenheim, Ismailia
    • No. 55 Squadron RAF, Blenheim, Fuka
    • No. 113 Squadron RAF, Blenheim, Ma'aten Bagush
  • No. 253 Wing RAF, Advanced HQ Ma'aten Bagush
    • No. 45 Squadron RAF, Blenheim, Fuka
    • No. 211 Squadron RAF, Blenheim, Daba
  • No. 70 (Bomber-Transport) Squadron RAF, Valentia, Helwan
  • No. 216 (Bomber-Transport) Squadron RAF, Bombay, Heliopolis

AHQ Sudan had 254 Wing with No. 14, No. 223, and No. 47 Squadrons, AHQ Aden No. 8, No. 11, and No. 39 Squadrons, and No. 84 Squadron RAF was at Shaibah in Iraq with Blenheims.

Prior to the Italian invasion of Egypt, under Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw, the RAF in Egypt, which comprised nine squadrons, focused its activities on ground support, reconnaissance, and only when necessary aerial combat with the Italian Regia Aeronautica. The force at Collishaw's disposal consisted of No. 33, No. 80, and No. 122 Squadrons with Gloster Gladiators, No. 208 Squadron RAF with Westland Lysanders, four Blenheim squadrons (No.s 30, 55, 113, and 211) and No. 216 Squadron RAF with Bombays. With this small force, the RAF had to 'equate its attempt to dominate the front line with avoidance of unnecessary losses.'^[3] Aggressive actions induced a 'defensive mentality among the Italians,' aided by expedients such as using the single Hawker Hurricane in the Middle East, rapidly switched between landing grounds, to provide an exaggerated picture of British strength in the eyes of Italian reconnaissance aircraft. There were occasional signal successes as well; on 17 August 1940, Gladiators covering the Mediterranean Fleet shot down eight Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers without loss.

The force in the Middle East was clearly too small, and reinforcement via the Western Mediterranean was hardly practical due to the ranges involved, which only bombers could achieve. Thus an alternate reinforcement route began to be pioneered via Takoradi in the Gold Coast. By this and other means, by the end of November 1941 the RAF in Egypt had been bolstered by No. 73 and No. 274 Squadrons with Hurricanes and No. 37 and No. 38 Squadrons with Vickers Wellingtons, as well as several South African Air Force squadrons, ready for the beginning of Operation Compass. During Compass, "the squadrons of Hurricanes, Lysanders, and Blenheims .. strove hard to keep pace [with the ground forces], often landing after a combat sortie at a more advanced strip than from which they had set out."^[4]

Based on the account in Vol.II of the Official History, on April 19, 1941, RAF No. 204 Group was created under the command of Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw and consisted of the following units:

• No. 73 Squadron (Hurricanes) at Tobruk
• No. 274 Squadron (Hurricanes) at Gerawla
• No. 14 Squadron (Blenheim IVs) at Burg el Arab
• Detachment of No. 39 Squadron (Marylands) at Maaten Baggash
• Detachment of No. 24 Squadron RAAF (Marylands) at Fuka
• No. 45 Squadron (Blenheim IVs) at Fuka
• No. 55 Squadron (Blenheim IVs) at Zimla
• No. 6 Squadron (Hurricanes and Lysanders) at Tobruk.

On 30 July 1941, Collishaw handed over No. 204 Group to Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham. Later that year, the RAF's whole Middle East Command came under the command of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder. On 21 October 1941 Air Headquarters Western Desert was created by upgrading 204 Group to command status.

Three wings operated in North Africa at first, 258 and 269 Wings operating over the front line and 262 Wing defending the Nile Delta.^[5] On 20 January 1942 the command was renamed Air Headquarters Libya however less than two weeks later on 3 February it reverted to its former name of the Air Headquarters Western Desert.

[edit] Western Desert Air Force

On 27 October 1942 the Western Desert Air Force (WDAF) was organized as shown below:^[6]

Subordinated to General Headquarters RAF Middle East (GHQ RAF Middle East)

• No. 3 South African Air Force (SAAF) Bomber Wing
  • No. 12 Squadron SAAF (24 × Martin Marylands)
  • No. 21 Squadron SAAF (24 × Martin Baltimores I,II & III)
  • No. 24 Squadron SAAF (24 × Douglas Boston III)

• No. 232 Bomber Wing
  • No. 55 Squadron RAF (24 × Baltimores I,II & III)
  • No. 223 Squadron RAF (24 × Baltimores I,II & III)
  • 82nd Bomber Squadron USAAF (12 × Mitchell B-25C)
  • 83rd Bomber Squadron USAAF (12 × Mitchell B-25C)
  • 434th Bomber Squadron USAAF (12 × Mitchell B-25C)

• No. 285 Reconnaissance Wing
  • No. 2 PRU Squadron RAF (Photo Reconnaissance) (Spitfire VB)
  • No. 40 Squadron SAAF (Tactical Reconnaissance) (18 × Hurricane I/II/A/B)
  • No. 60 Survey Squadron SAAF (Photo Reconnaissance) (12 × Marylands)
  • No. 208 Squadron RAF (Tactical Reconnaissance) (18 × Hurricane IIA/B)
  • No. 1437 Flight Squadron RAF (Strategic Reconnaissance) (8 × Baltimores I/II/III)

• No. 211 Group
  • No. 7 Squadron SAAF (Tank destroyer) (16 × Hurricane IID)
  • No. 6 Squadron RAF (Tank destroyer) (16 × Hurricane IID)
  • 64th Fighter Squadron USAAF (25 × P-40F Warhawks)
  • 65th Fighter Squadron USAAF (25 × P-40F Warhawks)
  • No. 233 Wing
    • No. 2 Squadron SAAF (16 × Kittyhawks I, II & III)
    • No. 4 Squadron SAAF (16 × Kittyhawks I, II & III)
    • No. 5 Squadron SAAF (16 × Tomahawks)
    • No. 260 Squadron RAF (16 × Kittyhawks I & IIb)
  • No. 239 Wing
    • No. 3 Squadron SAAF ((16 × Kittyhawk I/II/III)
    • No. 112 Squadron RAF (16 × Kittyhawk IA)
    • No. 250 Squadron RAF (16 × Kittyhawk IIA)
    • No. 450 Squadron RAAF (16 × Kittyhawk)
    • 66th Fighter Squadron USAAF (25 × P-40F Warhawks)
  • No. 244 Wing
    • No. 145 Squadron RAF (16 × Spitfires Vb)
    • No. 601 Squadron RAF (16 × Spitfires Vb)
    • No. 73 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc)
    • No. 92 Squadron RAF (16 × Spitfires Vb/c)
• No. 212 Group
  • No. 243 Wing:
    • No. 1 Squadron SAAF (16 × Hurricane IIc)
    • No. 35 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc)
    • No. 213 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc)
    • No. 238 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc)
  • No. 7 SAAF Wing:
    • No. 80 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc)
    • No. 127 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIb)
    • No. 335 (Greek) Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIb)
    • No. 274 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIb)

US Desert Air Task Force (Part of US Middle East Air Force but, with exception of 81st Bombardment Squadron, under WDAF operational control):

• 57th Fighter Group USAAF
  • 64th, 65th, and 66th Fighter Squadrons with P-40F Warhawks detached to RAF (see above).
• 12th Bombardment Group USAAF
  • 82nd, 83rd, and 434th Bombardment Squadrons with B-25C Mitchells detached to RAF (see above).
  • 81st Bombardment Squadron not detached to RAF.
• Air Ambulance Squadron

[edit] Allied restructuring

On February 18, 1943 the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) was established with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder in charge of all Allied air forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). Sub-commands of MAC included Middle East Air Command (RAFME) under Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, Malta Air Command (RAFM) under Air Vice Marshal Sir Keith Park, and the Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) under Major General Carl Spaatz.^[7]

The principal elements of NAAF consisted of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) under former 12th Air Force commander Major General James Doolittle, Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) under Group Captain G.G. Barrett until relieved by Air Vice Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd, and Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) under Acting Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham. Under this new organization, decided upon by Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and their staffs at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, Western Desert Air Force was assigned to Coningham's NATAF with Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst as commanding officer. Also assigned to NATAF was the Northwest African Tactical Bomber Force under Air Commodore Laurence Sinclair, US XII Air Support Command under Major General Edwin House, and RAF No. 242 Group under Air Commodore Kenneth Cross.^[8]

On 10 July 1943, Desert Air Force (DAF) was created by simply renaming Air Headquarters Western Desert. When the Allied forces invaded Sicily (Operation Husky), DAF consisted of both Advanced and Rear invasion forces.

Advanced Headquarters, Desert Air Force,
No. 211 Fighter Group with Spitfires:

Other Advanced units included:

• No. 40 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Spitfires)
• 1/2 No. 600 Squadron (TEF/N) operating on Malta under A.O.C. Malta (Beaufighters)
• No. 325 Wing RAF (Beaufighters)
  • 1/2 No. 600 Squadron
  • No. 153 Squadron (TEF/N) operating from North Africa.
    
    

Rear Headquarters, Desert Air Force,
Operating from Tripoli Area:

DAF continued to provide close tactical support to the British 8th Army as a subordinate element of NATAF. MAC was disbanded in December of 1943 and reorganized into the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) which absorbed NAAF, RAFM, and possibly some units of RAFME. DAF, still under Broadhurst, became a component of the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF) under Major General John K. Cannon. The successful tactical air support of ground forces in Egypt and Libya pioneered by Tedder and Coningham was the model for the establishment of NAAF at the Casablanca Conference and the tri-force (strategic, coastal, tactical) elements of this air interdiction model were retained in the new MAAF structure which generally persisted until the end of the World War II. DAF existed until June 30, 1946 when it was renamed the Advanced AHQ Italy.

[edit] Aircraft

1943: A P-40 Kittyhawk from No. 112 Squadron RAF, taxiing through scrub at Medenine, Tunisia. The squadron was the first unit in any air force to use the "shark mouth" logo on P-40s.

The air defence of the UK always received priority, so the DAF was generally equipped with older aircraft types. Initially equipped with obsolete types like the Gloster Gladiator biplane fighter and the Bristol Blenheim light bomber, the DAF made a good showing against the equally obsolete Italian Air Force. After the direct threat to Great Britain receded, newer types were assigned to the DAF, such as the Hawker Hurricane and Douglas Boston medium bomber in 1941.

US built P-40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk also went to the DAF as it was unsuited to European operations which were generally fought at much higher altitudes and against more formidable opposition. The P40 was used initially as an air superiority fighter but it was also adapted (and found to be ideally suited) to ground attack missions.

The DAF always outnumbered its Axis opponents and concentrated on long-range interdiction and direct tactical Eighth Army support. Unfortunately these tactics meant that the faster Messerschmitt Bf 109s of Jagdgeschwader 27 usually had the advantage of height and surprise over the low-level, slow-flying DAF fighters and losses were correspondingly heavy.

In 1942, the DAF reorganized its tactics and upgraded its inventory. Spitfires were eventually assigned in the air superiority role, becoming operational in August 1942, which allowed the DAF to finally turn the tide.

The DAF adapted the Luftwaffe concept of tactical air support and Army co-operation by using fighter-bombers controlled via radio by "Forward Air Controllers"; trained air force observers attached to forward Army units.

The DAF improved the concept by introducing "cab ranks" of fighter-bombers in the air waiting to be called in to attack specific tactical targets. In this way the DAF provided vital and decisive air support to the Eighth Army until the end of the war, fighting through Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily and mainland Italy. The tactical concepts which had proven so successful in the latter part of the North African campaign were subsequently adopted with even greater success during the Invasion of Europe in 1944.

[edit] Personnel

March/April 1942, Landing Ground 121, Egypt. Lieutenant Robin Pare (left), Major John "Jack" Frost (centre) and Captain Andrew Duncan (right) of 5 Squadron SAAF, Desert Air Force. All three had been killed or were missing in action by the end of June. Frost, the squadron commander, was the highest scoring ace in an SAAF unit during World War II.

The SAAF provided over a dozen squadrons to the DAF. This was their main theatre of operations, as the South African government had decided their military should not operate outside Africa. Between April 1941 and May 1943 the eleven squadrons of the SAAF flew almost 34,000 sorties and claimed 342 enemy aircraft destroyed.

The Australian contribution included fighter and bomber squadrons, perhaps most notably No. 3 Squadron RAAF which arrived in North Africa in late 1940 and served with the DAF until the closing stages of the war in Europe. By that time 3 Sqn had the most substantial service record of any DAF squadron, including the greatest number of kills (217 claims). Many Australian pilots also flew with RAF or SAAF squadrons in the DAF.

Many exiles from Occupied Europe, especially Polish airmen, also flew in DAF squadrons. No. 112 Squadron RAF was largely made up of Poles and in 1943, the Polish Fighting Team ("Skalski's Circus") was attached to No. 145 Squadron RAF.

From July 1942, the U.S. Army Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF) commander, Major General Lewis H. Brereton, attached USAAF personnel from the 57th Fighter Group and 12th Bombardment Group to DAF fighter and bomber units, as "observers".^[9] This was technically a violation of the Arnold-Portal-Towers agreement, which included a stipulation that American personnel should serve only in US units.^[10] From mid-September, the P-40 Warhawk squadrons of the 57th FG and the B-25 squadrons of the 12th BG were officially attached to DAF units.^[11] On 12 November 1942, USAMEAF was dissolved and replaced by Ninth Air Force, although some US units remained with Commonwealth formations for some time afterwards.

Commonwealth personnel who served with the Desert Air Force were awarded the Africa Star campaign medal with a bronze rosette in the "bar" position on the ribbon.

[edit] Strength

In October 1941 The Western Desert Air Forces had sixteen squadrons of aircraft (nine fighter, six medium bomber and one tactical reconnaissance)^[12] and fielded approximately 1,000 combat aircraft by late 1941. By the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein, the DAF fielded 29 squadrons (including nine South African and three USAAF units) flying Boston, Baltimore and Mitchell medium bombers and Hurrican, Kittyhawk, Tomahawk, Warhawk and Spitfire fighters and fighter-bombers.^[12] There were over 1,500 combat aircraft, more than double the number of aircraft the Axis could field.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Commanders

Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff, in conversation with Air Vice-Marshal William Dickson, AOC Desert Air Force, 28 August 1944

The following were the air officers commanding either the Air Headquarters Western Desert or the Desert Air Force:^[13]

AHQ Western Desert

• 21 October 1941 Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham (also AOC AHQ Libya)
• 31 January 1943 Air Vice-Marshal Harry Broadhurst

Desert Air Force

• 10 July 1943 AV-M Broadhurst
• 6 April 1944 Air Vice-Marshal W F Dickson
• 3 December 1944 Air Vice-Marshal R M Foster
• 30 August 1945 Air Commodore C L Falconer

[edit] See also

• Balkan Air Force
• Second Tactical Air Force
• Third Tactical Air Force

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

[edit] Bilbilography