"RAF Air power in North Africa in World War 2" Topic

"Following my last article on the importance of the independent air force, a number of posters claimed that CAS has still not been fully developed by D-Day. Furthermore, there was some dispute as to how the North Africa campaign showed the value of air power being independent. I hope that this short article will help explore some of these issues using air-land integration as the vehicle.

At the start of the North African Campaign, Operation COMPASS showed the first satisfactory British air-land enterprise by that stage of WW2. During the operation the Army advanced 500 miles with only 2 divisions, destroying an Italian army 5 times larger. The RAF established air superiority over the battlefield, enabling the armour of Major-General O'Conner's small force to outflank the enemy without interruption by air attack. Gen Wavell, CinC Middle East said the operation:…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

I generally agree, though the concept of cab-ranked fighter-bombers responding to calls from FACs didn't appear until very late 1942 (well after El Alamein) and didn't really become proficient until Tunisia. Until then, CAS consisted of 'pattern bombing' by single squadrons of light bombers. They would be responding to a call for support, but they were normally on the ground when they received that call, so it could be hours before that support arrived.

Fighter-bombers were being used, but they were generally doing their own sweeps of the battlefields, attacking targets of opportunity that they themselves had identified.

Agree also.

Amicalement
Armand

Airpower in Normandy can be researched here:
link

Thanks for the info my friend! (smile)

Amicalement
Armand