The Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) was a sub-command of the Northwest African Air Forces 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 Force (USAAF), and their respective ground and naval forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). Effective February 18, 1943, the NACAF and other MAC commands existed until December 10, 1943 when MAC was disbanded and the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were established. Initially, Group Captain G. G. Barrett was Officer Commanding (Acting) of NACAF but he was soon relieved by Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh Pughe Lloyd. The components of NACAF at the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) on July 10, 1943 are illustrated below.[1][2]
Northwest African Coastal Air Force
Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd
Order of Battle, July 10, 1943
| ^No. 242 Group
Air Commodore Kenneth Cross |
British Units | American Units |
|---|---|---|
| No. 323 Wing
No. 73 Squadron, Spitfire |
RAF Units
No. 13 Squadron, Blenheim |
52nd Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel James Coward 2nd Squadron, Spitfire 414th Nightfighter Squadron, Beaufighter |
| No. 328 Wing
No. 14 Squadron, B-26 Marauder |
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Units Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance No. 813 Squadron (Det.), Swordfish |
81st Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel Michael Gordon Oran, Algeria Sector: |
| Information in table taken from: 1) Participation of the Ninth & |
Bone, Algeria Sector:
No. 32 Squadron, Hurricane |
350th Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel Marvin McNickle 345th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra |
| 2) Maurer, Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, |
2nd Air Defense Wing:
No. 153 Squadron, Beaufighter |
480th Antisubmarine Group Colonel Jack Roberts 1st Squadron, B-24 Liberator |
Notes:
^No. 242 Group was originally a part of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) but later transferred to NACAF.
The 1st and 2nd Antisubmarine Squadrons were assigned to NACAF for administration and placed under the operational control of United States Navy Fleet Air Wing 15 of the Moroccan Sea Frontier commanded by Rear Admiral Frank J. Lowry.
No. 144 Squadron was attached from the United Kingdom.
Air Ministry was asked to provide two additional Wellington squadrons.
An Africa-based RAF Hudson of No. 608 Squadron was the first aircraft to sink a U-boat using rockets.