MIDDLE EAST NO 3 c 3 Jffl 2Z V >/ ^£t ijlj EADQUARTERS ROYAL AIR FORCE MIDDLE EAST APRIL-JUNE MIDDLE EAST REVIEW IMO3 HEADQUARTERS ROYAL AIR FORCE MIDDLE EAST Contents Tunisian Finale ... Page 5 Prelude to Invasion ... • )t 41 Tables Showing Scale of Effort „ 59 Tables of Operations in the Mediterranean „ 63 Malta Prepares „ 69 Air/Sea Rescue '... „ 75 The Axis Air Forces in the Middle East, 1940-1943 ;, 88 Flying Control ti 98 The Fight for the Mediterranean „ 107 S.A.A.F. in the Western Desert „ 125 Maintenance and,Supply „ 138 From the 540s „ 145 Acknowledgment M 151 Maps :- The Battle Area—1st April to 14th May, 1943 ..... „ 4 Strategic Bombing „ 40 German Air Force Arrival in Mediterranean Area, 1941 „ 90 Axis Air Force Range—June to November, 1941 ... „ 93 „ „ „ „ July to October, 1942 „ 95 „ „ „ „ at evacuation of Tripolitania, February, 1943 „ 96 The Eastern Mediterranean „ 108 WFrw.^ liddle East Review is Secret (•= American Confidential). It isTHI/Kh'ded for the information of all officers and flying crews, under conditions of security approved by the Commanding Officer, who is to ensure that within those limits it has as wide a circulation as possible. No quotation may be made from it without the authority of S.A.S.O., H.Q., R.A.F., M.E.; neither are any of its contents to be communicated to anyone out­ side the Services. All persons are hereby warned that the unauthorised retention or destruc­ tion of this document is an offence against the Official Secrets Act, 1911-1920. Any unauthorised person obtaining possession of a copy should immediately forward it in a closed unstamped envelope to H.Q., R.A.F., M.E. Foreword T>he events reported in this number of the R.A.F. Middle East Review were not only the most favourable, but also the most important for,,the Allied cause which had so far materialised in the Mediterranean area. The complete clearance of all Axis forces from North Africa finally removed any threat to the Middle East, opened the. Mediterranean Sea once more to Allied shipping from Gibraltar to Haifa, and restored the short sea route via the Suez Canal to India and the Far East. The period reviewed, the second quarter of 1943, is thus a conclusive one, and advantage has been taken of the fact to include articles which begin with Italy's entry into the war,, and to end them as preparations are made to divorce her from the Axis partnership. In view of the movement of operations westward and northward from the Middle East theatre {using that term in its narrowest sense), it lias been decided to clxange the name of the R.A.F. Middle East Review to the R.A.F. Mediterranean Review commencing with the next issue, No. 4. Thus all Mediterranean operations, including those in Italy and southern Europe, will be legitimately covered in the historical narratives, although the Review will continue to include domestic aspects of the Middle East opera­ tions from which so many valuable lessons have been learned in the last three years. PRINCIPAL ROADS SECONDARY ROADS AND MOTOR TRACKS R Al LWAY 5 SALT LAKES AND MARSHES &? NAME OF PLACE UNDERLINED INDICATES EXISTENCE OF AIRFIELD OR LANDING GROUND THE BATTLE AREA 1ST APRIL TO 14TH MAY 1043 Tunisian Finale 1st APRIL TO 14th MAY, 1943 BY THE END of March, 1943, as recounted in about 210 were JU.88/HE.III bombers and tor­ the previous issue of the R.A.F. Middle East pedo-bombers. The Italian air forces in Sardinia, Review, the Allied armies, supported by the Corsica, Sicily and Pantellaria totalled approxi­ North-west African and Western Desert Air mately 545 aircraft; of these the majority of the Forces, were closing in on the enemy's Tunisian fighters was based in* Sicily and torpedo bombers forces. Meanwhile, Allied bombers based in in Sardinia. Serviceability was estimated at 50 North-west Africa and Cyrenaica continued their to 55% for German and 50% for Italian air­ attacks on the enemy's ports, airfields and con­ craft. voys, and naval co-operation and defence'•squa­ The Allied air forces were now immeasurably drons controlled the Mediterranean sea-ways. stronger than those of the Axis. The Western The following account treats of tRe air activity Desert Air Force squadjpns under the>operational during the last six weeks of the Tunisian cam­ control of the North-west African Air Forces) paign, which ended in the enemy's relinquishment were located in the Gabes area, as near the of his remaining foothold in Africa. enemy's Akarit positions as possible. In Continuing the practice previously adopted, the this forward area the Force consisted of eight Kittyhawk and five U.S. Warhawk fighter-bom­ operations of ilfaZta-based aircraft during this ber squadrons; four Spitfire squadrons (including period are considered separately elsewhere in the the Polish Flight) and four U.S. Warhawk squa­ "Revidw." drons; one night-flying and one "tank-busting" The Enemy's Unenviable Position Hurricane squadrons; five R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. light bomber and two U.S. Mitchell squadrons; By the beginning of April, 1943/the enemy's and tactical, strategical and photographic recon­ position in Tunisia was unenviable. naissance squadrons. Following the Vinth Army's outflanking of the Mareth Dine in the last week of March, Rom­ Further east four Wellington squadrons were mel's battered remnants withdrew to their next located at Bir el Gardabia. Two Liberator Groups delaying point — the Oued Akarit; our pursuing of the Ninth U.S. Air Force had bases at Berka land forces immediately established contact with and Solluch and the R.A.F. Liberator and Halifax the enemy at this new position. squadrons, under the operational control of the Meanwhile, north of the Gafsa - Gabes road Ninth U.S. Air Force, operated from airfields American forces, operating east of Guettar, near Solluch and Bir el Gardabia, respectively. maintained pressure on the enemy's perimeter, No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group continu­ although for the moment their advance was ed to control the sea-ways of the Eastern Medi­ checked by enemy armoured units in that area. terranean and A.H.Q., Air Defences Eastern Me­ In the central sector the Allied forces which diterranean, controlling four groups of fighters had advanced north-east from Sbeitla on 26th based in the Tripoli, Benina, Alexandria and March, and had occupied Fondouk] were now Haifa areas, was responsible for the safety of threatening Kairouan, the focal point of the road our land and sea communications from Tunisia system of the central Tunisian pj^in. to the Levant. In the north, our land forces had captured To the west of the enemy's Tunisian perimeter Sedjenane on 30th March and occupied Cap Ser­ squadrons of the North-west African Tactical Air rat two days later. The advance along the Sed- Force were disposed in order to give full support jenane-Mateur road, however, was rendered dif­ to our land forces. In particular, six U.S. Spit­ ficult not only by the enemy's mining of the rold fire squadrons, three Hurricane-bomber squa­ and blowing-up of bridges but by the exceedingly drons, and seven squadrons of U.S. Warhawks heavy going and bad weather. and Airacobras, located in the Thelepte-Sbeitla area, were ready to give close support in the The Opposing Air Forces central sector and to the south. Ten R.A.F. Spitfire squadrons were available for operations At this stage the German Air Force strength in in the central and northern sectors and a total Tunisia was estimated at 325 aircraft, including of thirteen squadrons of U.S. Bostons U.S. 180 single-engined fighters and 55 fighter-bom­ Mitchells, and R.A.F. Bisleys were located at berg. The Italian Tunisian force comprised ap­ Canrobert, Berteaux and Oulmene, respectively. proximately 100 MC.200/MC.202S. In Southern Italy, Sardinia and Sicily the German Air Force The Strategic Air Force included three groups comprised approximately 405 aircraft, of which of U.S. Fortresses, two of U.S. Mitchells, and one of U.S. Marauders; night bombing was carried southern battlefield, and "softened", to some ex­ out by two Wellington squadrons. The American tent, the enemy's Akarit defences. bombers operated principally from the Constan­ On 1st April attacks were renewed on Sfax el tine area and the Wellingtons from Blida. Bom­ Maou airfield, the enemy's most southerly Tuni­ ber escort and fighter-bomber commitments were sian landing ground, in order to limit the opera­ met by six squadrons of U.S. Lightnings. tions of ME.109s and MC.202s over the Akarit The Coastal Air'Force was responsible for the area. At this time, also, Sicilian-based JU.88s safe passage of our Central Mediterranean con­ and ME.210s were probably using Sfax as an voys, coastal protection and night shipping stri­ advanced landing ground when operating in the kes. A total of five Albacore, Hudson and southern sector. Our attack was carried out by Slwordfish squadrons operated from Tafaroui and eighteen iS.A.A.F. Bostons, 54 R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. Blida and a Marauder squadron was also based Baltimores and fourteen U.S. Mitchells, flying in in the last named area; three Beaufighter squa­ three formations; escort was provided by Spit­ drons operated from Maison Blanche and Setif; fires, Kittyhawks and U.S. Warhawks. Bombs and four fighter squadrons1* of Hurricanes and hurst across the landing and dispersal areas, Spitfires had operational bases at Maison Blan­ causing fires, and near misses were scored on che, Jemmapes and Taher.