The Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) was a sub-command of the Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) which itself was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC). These new Allied air force organizations were created at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 to promote cooperation between the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the American United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), and their respective ground and naval forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO).
Effective February 18, 1943, the NASAF and other MAC commands existed until December 10, 1943 when MAC was disbanded and the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were established. Major General Jimmy Doolittle was the commander of NASAF. However, during at least one critical period of the Tunisia Campaign at the end of February, 1943, General Carl Spaatz, the commander of NAAF, placed most of the strategic bombers at the disposal of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, commander of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force.
Order of battle The components of NASAF at the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) on July 10, 1943 are illustrated below.
+Northwest African Strategic Air Force Major General James H. Doolittle 5th Bombardment Wing (USAAF)
Brigadier General Joseph Atkinson 47th Bombardment Wing (USAAF)
Brigadier General Carlyle Ridenour *2686th Bombardment Wing(USAAF)
Brigadier General Robert M. Webster No. 205 Group
Air Commodore John Simpson 2nd Bombardment Group (USAAF)Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Thomas
340th Squadron, B-17 Fortress341st Squadron, B-17 Fortress342nd Squadron, B-17 Fortress414th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 310th Bombardment Group (USAAF)Colonel Anthony Hunter
379th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell380th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell381st Squadron, B-25 Mitchell428th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 17th Bombardment Group (USAAF)Lieutenant Colonel Charles Greening'
34th Squadron, B-26 Marauder37th Squadron, B-26 Marauder95th Squadron, B-26 Marauder432nd Squadron, B-26 Marauder No. 231 Wing (RAF)
No. 37 Squadron, WellingtonNo. 40 Squadron, WellingtonNo. 70 Squadron, Wellington- 97th Bombardment Group (USAAF)Colonel Leroy Rainey
20th Squadron, B-17 Fortress49th Squadron, B-17 Fortress96th Squadron, B-17 Fortress429th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 321st Bombardment Group (USAAF)Colonel Robert Knapp
445th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell446th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell447th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell448th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 319th Bombardment Group (USAAF)Colonel Gordon Austin
437th Squadron, B-26 Marauder438th Squadron, B-26 Marauder439th Squadron, B-26 Marauder440th Squadron, B-26 Marauder No. 236 Wing (RAF)
No. 104 Squadron, WellingtonNo. 462 Squadron, Halifax- 99th Bombardment Group (USAAF)Colonel Fay Upthegrove
346th Squadron, B-17 Fortress347th Squadron, B-17 Fortress348th Squadron, B-17 Fortress416th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 82nd Fighter Group (USAAF)Colonel John Weltman
95th Squadron, P-38 Lightning96th Squadron, P-38 Lightning97th Squadron, P-38 Lightning- 320th Bombardment Group (USAAF)Colonel Karl Baumeister
441st Squadron, B-26 Marauder442nd Squadron, B-26 Marauder443rd Squadron, B-26 Marauder444th Squadron, B-26 Marauder No. 330 Wing (RAF)
No. 142 Squadron, WellingtonNo. 150 Squadron, Wellington-- 301st Bombardment Group (USAAF)Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Gormly, Jr.
32nd Squadron, B-17 Fortress352nd Squadron, B-17 Fortress353rd Squadron, B-17 Fortress419th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 325th Fighter Group (USAAF)Lieutenant Colonel Robert Baseler
317th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk318th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk319th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk- No. 331 Wing (RCAF)
No. 420 Squadron, WellingtonNo. 424 Squadron, WellingtonNo. 425 Squadron, Wellington- 1st Fighter Group (USAAF)Major Joseph Peddie
27th Squadron, P-38 Lightning71st Squadron, P-38 Lightning94th Squadron, P-38 Lightning- 14th Fighter Group (USAAF)Colonel Oliver Taylor
37th Squadron, P-38 Lightning48th Squadron, P-38 Lightning49th Squadron, P-38 Lightning-
The 2686th Medium Bombardment Wing (Provisional) was activated on June 6, 1943 at Sedrata, Algeria and disbanded on September 3, 1943 at Ariana, Tunisia. Although the 42nd Bombardment Wing (Medium) is sometimes used to refer to the wing during this period, the 42nd Wing was actually the successor of the 2686th Wing.
See also List of Royal Air Force commands
References Citations
Bibliography
External links 310th Bombardment Group 321st Bombardment Group