Northwest African Air Forces
| Northwest African Air Forces (NWAAF, NAAF) | |
|---|---|
April 1943. NATAF commander Air Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham (left); Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) commander Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz (second left), Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) commander Air Marshal Arthur Tedder (second right) and staff officer Brigadier General Laurence S. Kuter (right).
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| Active | Formed February 18, 1943. |
| Allegiance | Allies of World War II |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces/Royal Air Force/South African Air Force/Royal Australian Air Force |
| Type | Major Command |
| Role | "Open the Mediterranean sea lanes and help drive the Axis from Tunisia and Africa" (David R. Mets) |
| Engagements |
1943-02-18 North African campaign |
1943-02-18 North African campaign
1943-02-18 Tunisia Campaign
Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) was a component of the Allied Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) during February–December 1943. It was responsible primarily for air operations during the Tunisian Campaign and bombing of Italy. Its commander was Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz of the United States Army Air Force. NAAF was created following a reorganization of the command structure of Allied air forces in the Mediterranean Theatre. The other components of MAC were Middle East Command (MEC), AHQ Malta, RAF Gibraltar and 216 Group.
When the first units of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) arrived in the Middle East in June 1942 and the 12th Air Force established a foothold in Algeria following Operation Torch in November 1942, cooperation between the Allied air forces became an important priority in the Mediterranean theatre. Such cooperation was a major concern of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and their staffs at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 when they established a new Allied air force organization known as the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder as Air Commander-in-Chief.
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