The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 Group RAF under RAF Middle East Command in North Africa in 1941 to provide close air support to the British Eighth Army against Axis forces. Throughout the Second World War, the DAF was made up of squadrons from the Royal Air Force (RAF), the South African Air Force (SAAF), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and other Allied air forces.
In October 1941, the Western Desert Air Forces had 16 squadrons of aircraft (nine fighter, six medium bomber and one tactical reconnaissance) and fielded approximately 1,000 combat aircraft by late 1941.Dear & Foot (2005), p. 992 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; Hurricane, Kittyhawk, Tomahawk, Warhawk and Spitfire fighters and fighter-bombers. There were over 1,500 combat aircraft, more than double the number of aircraft the Axis could field.
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). 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 in the four commands detailed above.
AHQ Egypt
On 10 June 1940, RAF bomber squadrons in AHQ Egypt—under the direction of No. 202 Group RAF—totalled five squadrons of Bristol Blenheims, one of Vickers Valentias and one of Bristol Bombays. The Valentia and Bombay could be used as troop transports or medium bombers. 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 had 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. 112 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". 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 single 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, reinforcement by sea was a 14,000-mile trip that required three months to complete, 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, from which new aircraft were received by sea, assembled, test flown, and ferried across Africa to Khartoum, a route first pioneered by Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham in 1925. By this and other means, by the end of November 1940 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."Rawlings et al., 1984, p.94
On 19 April 1941, RAF No. 204 Group was created under the command of Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw and consisted of: No. 73 Squadron (Hurricanes) at Tobruk No. 274 Squadron (Hurricanes) at Gerawla No. 14 Squadron (Blenheim IVs and Marauders) at Burg el Arab Detachment of No. 39 Squadron (Marylands) at Maaten Baggash Detachment of No. 24 Squadron SAAF (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.Vol.II of the Official History
On 30 July 1941, Collishaw handed over No. 204 Group to Coningham. Later that year, RAF 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 operated over the front line and 262 Wing defended the Nile Delta. On 20 January 1942, the command was renamed Air Headquarters Libya; however, on 3 February it reverted to its former name of the Air Headquarters Western Desert.
Western Desert Air Force A.H.Q. Western Desert organisation from 18 November 1941 to 19 May 1942.National Archive London AIR 23 / 6200 APPENDIX "C", R.A.F. Operations in the Western Desert and Eastern Mediterranean, 18th November 1941 to 19th May 1942 HPE
A.H.Q. Western Desert – Maaten Bagush No. 30 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 33 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 60 Squadron SAAF (Marylands) No. 80 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 113 Squadron (Blenheim Fighters) No. 223 Squadron (Marylands) No. 272 Squadron (Beaufighter) No. 805 Squadron FAA (Martlets) No. 815 Squadron FAA (Swordfish and Albacores) No. 826 Squadron FAA (Albacores)
253 Wing No. 208 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 451 Squadron RAAF (Hurricanes)
258 Wing No. 2 Squadron SAAF (Tomahawks) No. 3 Squadron RAAF (Tomahawks) No. 4 Squadron SAAF (Tomahawks) No. 112 Squadron (Tomahawks) No. 250 Squadron (Tomahawks) RN Squadron (Marine Tomahawks)
261 Wing No. 11 Squadron (Blenheims) No. 12 Squadron SAAF (Marylands) No. 21 Squadron SAAF (Marylands) No. 24 Squadron SAAF (Bostons)
262 Wing No. 1 Squadron SAAF (Hurricanes) No. 94 Squadron SAAF (Hurricanes) No. 229 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 238 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 260 Squadron (Hurricanes) No. 274 Squadron (Hurricanes)
270 Wing No. 8 Squadron (Blenheims) No. 14 Squadron (Blenheims) No. 45 Squadron (Blenheims) No. 55 Squadron (Blenheims) No. 84 Squadron (Blenheims) French Squadron Lorraine (Blenheims)
Western Desert Air Force (WDAF) was organised on 27 October 1942 as:Playfair, Vol. IV, Appendix 8 (a).
Subordinated to General Headquarters RAF Middle East (GHQ RAF Middle East) No. 3 South African Air Force (SAAF) Bomber Wing 12 Squadron SAAF (24 × Martin Marylands) 21 Squadron SAAF (24 × Martin Baltimores I, II & III) 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 Bombardment Squadron USAAF (12 × Mitchell B-25C) 83rd Bombardment Squadron USAAF (12 × Mitchell B-25C) 434th Bombardment Squadron USAAF (12 × Mitchell B-25C) No. 285 Reconnaissance Wing No. 2 PRU Squadron RAF (Photo Reconnaissance) (Spitfire VB) 40 Squadron SAAF (Tactical Reconnaissance) (18 × Hurricane I/II/A/B) 60 Squadron SAAF (Photo Reconnaissance) (12 × Marylands) No. 208 Squadron RAF (Tactical Reconnaissance) (18 × Hurricane IIA/B) No. 1437 Flight RAF (Strategic Reconnaissance) (8 × Baltimores I, II & III)
No. 211 Group 7 Squadron SAAF (anti-tank) (16 × Hurricane IID) No. 6 Squadron RAF (anti-tank) (16 × Hurricane IID) 64th Fighter Squadron USAAF (25 × P-40F Warhawks) 65th Fighter Squadron USAAF (25 × P-40F Warhawks) No. 233 Wing 2 Squadron SAAF (16 × Kittyhawks I, II & III) 4 Squadron SAAF (16 × Kittyhawks I, II & III) 5 Squadron SAAF (16 × Tomahawks) No. 260 Squadron RAF (16 × Kittyhawks I & IIb) No. 239 Wing No. 3 Squadron RAAF (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 1 Squadron SAAF (16 × Hurricane IIc) No. 33 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc) No. 213 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc) No. 238 Squadron RAF (16 × Hurricane IIc) No. 7 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) Early in 1943 that squadron was renamed No. 462 Squadron RAAF (note Australian) despite mainly British personnel. The squadron was disbanded in June 1943 but a new Australian 462 Squadron was formed late in 1943 with mainly Australian personnel.
US Desert Air Task Force (Part of United States Army 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 835th Aviation Engineer Battalion
Allied restructuring In January 1943, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and their staffs reorganised the Allied air forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) at the Casablanca Conference. The Western Desert Air Force became a sub-command of Coningham's Northwest African Tactical Air Force (part of Northwest African Air Forces) in February 1943 and Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst became its Air Officer Commanding.Playfair, Vol. IV, pp. 271 & 272. On 18 February 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).Molony, p. 72. When the Allied forces invaded Sicily (Operation Husky) on 10 July 1943, Desert Air Force (DAF) was created by simply renaming Western Desert Air Force. For Operation Husky, DAF contained Advanced and Rear elements.
Advanced Headquarters, Desert Air Force,No. 211 (Offensive Fighter) Group with Spitfires: