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Desert Air Force
Ensign of the Royal Air Force
Founded
21 October 1941
Country
United Kingdom South Africa Australia
Role
Tactical air force
Size
over 1,500 combat aircraft (late 1942)
Part of
Air Ministry
Engagements
Second World War
Commanders
Notable commanders
Arthur Coningham Harry Broadhurst William Dickson
Military unit
v
t
e
Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre
Adriatic
North Africa
East Africa
Mediterranean Sea
Gibraltar
Malta
Bahrain
Balkans
Yugoslavia
Iraq
Syria–Lebanon
Palestine
Iran
Sicily
Italian mainland
Dodecanese
Corsica
Dragoon
Alpes-Maritimes
v
t
e
East African campaign of World War II
Sudan
British Somaliland (1940)
Tug Argan
French Somaliland
Convoy BN 7
Agordat
British Somaliland (1941)
Keren
Saïo
Amba Alagi
Culqualber
Gondar
Guerrilla war
Associated articles
Gideon Force
Arbegnoch
Red Sea Flotilla
Desert Air Force
East Indies Station
East Africa Force
Order of battle
The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 Group RAF under RAF Middle East Command in North Africa in 1941 to provide close air support to the British Eighth Army against Axis forces. Throughout the Second World War, the DAF was made up of squadrons from the Royal Air Force (RAF), the South African Air Force (SAAF), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and other Allied air forces.
In October 1941, the Western Desert Air Forces had 16 squadrons of aircraft (nine fighter, six medium bomber and one tactical reconnaissance) and fielded approximately 1,000 combat aircraft by late 1941.[1] By the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein, the DAF fielded 29 squadrons (including nine South African and three USAAF units) flying Boston, Baltimore and Mitchell medium bombers; Hurricane, Kittyhawk, Tomahawk, Warhawk and Spitfire fighters and fighter-bombers.[1] There were over 1,500 combat aircraft, more than double the number of aircraft the Axis could field.[citation needed]
The DesertAirForce (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western DesertAirForce, and the...
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operations in the desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea. In 2023 the IISS estimated the total active manpower of the Egyptian AirForce at approximately...
Balkans, i.e. across the Adriatic and in the Aegean and Ionian seas. The DesertAirForce had been responsible for those operations, but its prime job was the...
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intended target and not friendly troops, was first used by the British DesertAirForce in North Africa, but not by the USAAF until operations in Salerno....
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Global Information
United Kingdom
South Africa
Australia