|
Northwest African Coastal Air Force The Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) was a specialized functional command of the combined Northwest African Air Forces. The Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) oversaw the combined air forces until superseded by the MAAF.
The NACAF had responsibility for air defense of North Africa, sea/air reconnaissance, antisubmarine air operations, air protection of Allied shipping, and air interdiction of enemy shipping. The components of NACAF at the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) on July 10, 1943 are illustrated below.[1][2]
Order of Battle
Northwest African Coastal Air Force
Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd
Order of Battle, July 10, 1943
^No. 242 Group
Air Commodore Kenneth Cross
|
British Units
|
American Units
|
No. 323 Wing
No. 73 Squadron, Spitfire
No. 255 Squadron, Beaufighter
No. II/5 Escadre (French), P-40
No. II/7 Escadre (French), Spitfire
Air Sea Rescue Units:
No. 283 Squadron, Walrus
No. 284 Squadron, Walrus
|
RAF Units
No. 13 Squadron, Blenheim
No. 614 Squadron, Blenheim
No. 36 Squadron, Wellington
No. 253 Squadron, Hurricane
No. 274 Squadron Hurricane
No. 313 Squadron, Hurricane
No. 500 Squadron, Hudson
No. 608 Squadron, Hudson
No. 1575 Flight, Halifax, Ventura
|
52nd Fighter Group
Lieutenant Colonel James Coward
2nd Squadron, Spitfire
4th Squadron, Spitfire
5th Squadron, Spitfire
414th Night Fighter Squadron, Beaufighter
Major Arden Cowgill
415th Night Fighter Squadron, Beaufighter
Captain Gordon Timmons
|
No. 328 Wing
No. 14 Squadron, B-26 Marauder
No. 39 Squadron, Beaufort
No. 47 Squadron, Beaufort
No. 144 Squadron, Beaufighter
No. 52 Squadron Baltimore
No. 221 Squadron (Det.), Wellington
No. 458 Squadron (RAAF), Wellington
|
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Units
Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance
No. 813 Squadron (Det.), Swordfish
No. 820 Squadron, Albacore c
No. 821 Squadron, Albacore n
No. 826 Squadron, Albacore r
No. 828 Squadron, Albacore r
|
81st Fighter Group
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Gordon
Oran, Algeria Sector:
92nd Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
1st Air Defense Wing:
91st Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
93rd Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
|
Information in table taken from:
1) Participation of the Ninth &
Twelfth Air Forces in the Sicilian
Campaign, Army Air Forces Historical
Study No. 37, Army Air Forces
Historical Office Headquarters,
Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1945.
|
Bone, Algeria Sector:
No. 32 Squadron, Hurricane
No. 87 Squadron, Hurricane
No. 219 Squadron, Beaufighter
|
350th Fighter Group
Lieutenant Colonel Marvin McNickle
345th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
346th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
347th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
|
2) Maurer, Maurer, Air Force
Combat Units Of World War II,
Office of Air Force History,
Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1983.
|
2nd Air Defense Wing:
No. 153 Squadron, Beaufighter
|
480th Antisubmarine Group
Colonel Jack Roberts
1st Squadron, B-24 Liberator
2nd Squadron, B-24 Liberator
|
Notes:
^No. 242 Group was originally a part of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) but later transferred to NACAF.
The 1st and 2nd Antisubmarine Squadrons were assigned to NACAF for administration and placed under the operational control of United States Navy Fleet Air Wing 15 of the Moroccan Sea Frontier commanded by Rear Admiral Frank J. Lowry.
No. 144 Squadron was attached from the United Kingdom.
Air Ministry was asked to provide two additional Wellington squadrons.
An Africa-based RAF Hudson of No. 608 Squadron was the first aircraft to sink a U-boat using rockets.
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Craven, Wesley F. and James L. Cate. The Army Air Forces in World War II, Volume 2, Chicago, Illinois: Chicago University Press, 1949 (Reprinted 1983, ISBN 0-912799-03-X).
- ^ Richards, D. and H. Saunders, The Royal Air Force 1939-1945 (Volume 2, HMSO, 1953).
Bibliography
- Howe, George F., Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative in the West, Center of Military History, Washington, DC., 1991.
|
