No. 242 Group RAF
No. 242 Group | |
---|---|
No. 242 Group was a
History
Air Commodore
The Casablanca planners saw merit in Tedder's plan and established the
- Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) under Major General Jimmy Doolittle
- Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) under Air Vice Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd and
- Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) under Acting Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham.
The new unified tri-force command structure was implemented and practiced during the
While the subordinate commands of NASAF, NACAF, and NATAF were fixed and permanent throughout most of 1943, No. 242 Group was a major exception to this rigidity. It was the largest air force unit that was assigned to two different tri-forces: NATAF and NACAF. This unique history imparts a certain degree of flexibility, versatility, and importance to the group. During the same critical period of the Tunisian campaign mentioned above, No. 242 Group flew over 1,000 offensive sorties in just five days against ground targets as part of Coningham's NATAF.[3]
Prior to the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky), No. 242 Group was transferred from NATAF to NACAF. At this time, the group consisted of the units indicated in the table below.[4]
Order of Battle, 10 July 1943
No. 242 Group
Air Commodore Kenneth Cross,
Headquarters at La Marsa, Tunisia.
No. 323 Wing | No. 328 Wing |
---|---|
No. 73 Squadron, Spitfire | No. 14 Squadron, B-26 Marauder |
No. 255 Squadron, Beaufighter | No. 39 Squadron, Beaufort |
No. II/5 Escadre (French), P-40 | No. 47 Squadron, Beaufort |
No. II/7 Escadre (French), Spitfire | No. 52 Squadron, Baltimore |
No. 283 Squadron (ASR), Walrus | No. 144 Squadron, Beaufighter |
No. 284 Squadron (ASR), Walrus | No. 221 Squadron (Det.), Wellington |
No. 458 Squadron RAAF, Wellington |
Notes:
ASR=Air Sea Rescue; RAAF=Royal Australian Air Force.
MACAF
When MAC was disbanded on 10 December 1943 and the Allied air forces in the MTO were again reorganized, No. 242 Group was assigned to the
References
- ^ a b Barrass, M. B. (2015). "Groups 200–333". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ ISBN 0-912799-03-X.
- ^ HMSO.
- ^ Participation of the Ninth & Twelfth Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, Army Air Forces Historical Study No. 37. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Army Air Forces Historical Office Headquarters. 1945.