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

NORTHWEST AFRICA
tegic Air Force would attack the airfield at Bari where most enemy supply
transport aircraft landed in Tunisia. The Northwest African Coastal Air
Force would conduct night intruder operations to intercept enemy transport
aircraft enroute to Tunisia. Phase two of the air plan would begin on
April 22 with the main Allied ground attack. The main objective of this air
effort would be “to assist the land forces.” Reconnaissance operations
would be undertaken to see if the enemy were attempting to withdraw from
Tunisia. At first light each day, Allied fighter bombers would conduct armed
reconnaissance flights with the objective of gaining information as well as
attacking targets of opportunity. “Continuous light bomber and low flying
fighter attacks were to be undertaken in the battle area to assist the progress
of land forces.” The Northwest African Strategic Air Force was to
attack airfields in Sicily and enemy supply lines both at sea and in the air,
while the Northwest African Coastal Air Force would continue night intruder
operations. The objective of the air plan for VULCAN was to use
every possible Allied aircraft to attack the enemy until the Axis forces in
Tunisia were destroyed.77
Between April 17 and 23, Allied aircraft flew more than 5,000 sorties
against enemy airfields, shipping, troops, supply dumps, and vehicles.
Enemy airfields were subjected to major attacks 24 times, during which
Allied aircraft dropped 727,168 pounds of bombs. The effort against airfields
was a little under half of the Allied air effort during the week April
17-23.78 The enemy, because of the great value of Allied air attacks, withdrew
a majority of their aircraft from Tunisia to Sicily and Italy. Those
Axis aircraft that remained in Africa were fighters deployed to defend
Tunis and Bi~erta.’~
On April 22, the main Allied ground attack began when the British V
Corps attacked enemy positions north of Medjez el Bab. On April 24 Allied
intelligence estimated that there were 157,900 Axis troops in Tunisia,80 supported
by approximately 140 aircraft.81 With the beginning of the last Allied
offensive in Tunisia, the Northwest African Tactical Air Force flew 716
sorties over Tunisia during daylight hours. Allied aircraft attacked enemy
ground positions in support of the Allied ground forces and conducted
offensive fighter sweeps, but these later operations were for the most part
unsuccessful for the “German Air Force was not conspicuous and was unwilling
and difficult to engage.”82 The offensive that would destroy the Axis
forces in North Africa began with the Allies having almost total air superiority
over Tunisia and the Sicilian Strait.
The British First Army and the U.S. I1 Corps slowly advanced towards
Bizerta and Tunis, meeting strong resistance from enemy ground forces.
Allied troops had to fight for each hill and ridge. During the last week in
April, the Northwest African Tactical Air Force attacked enemy airfields
and maritime targets, while fighters and fighter-bombers attacked enemy
frontline positions and vehicles again and again, meeting almost no resist-
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