Case Studies in the Achievement of Air Superiority - Air Force ...

Maj. Gen. James Doolittle,
Commander of the lWelfth
Air Force in North Africa.
the Air-Officer-in-Charge (AOC), RAF Middle"East, found his own aircraft
of the Western Desert Air Force tied to Egyptian bases as the army
advanced beyond his operating radius. Yet, the British and Axis forces
were now passing once more over ground they had fought for during the
past two and one-half years. During this operation, the RAF and British
Army displayed superb army-air cooperation which became a model for
Anglo-American efforts in the winter campaign and beyond. RAF fighters
and fighter-bombers leap-frogged in the Eighth Army's train, while landing
sites were well known to the British from previous passage over the
ground. Rommel shepherded his forces out of direct contact with the British,
and the Luftwaffe and RAF engaged in few air superiority clashes,
most air activity being confined to operations against German and Italian
land forces. Attached to RAF Middle East Command was the U.S. Army
Middle East Air Force (the Ninth Air Force after November 12), which
conducted simultaneous operations against Axis ports and base facilities
both in Tunisia and Sicily-ltaly, as well as the first air strikes on oil fields in
central Europe. Eventually, Montgomery and the Eighth Army also were
stopped by the tightly constricted Axis ground and air defense perimeter in
Tunisia. Before both the eastern and western pincers of the Allies could
mount their final blow, fundamental command and organizational changes
became necessary that altered the complexion of air operations for the future.
These changes developed from the merging of the Middle East and
Northwest African theaters of operation. 14
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