Desert Air Force
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The Desert Air Force (DAF), later known as the First Tactical Air Force, was an Allied tactical air force formed during World War II, and was made up of squadrons from the Royal Air Force, the South African Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force.
The DAF was formed in North Africa to provide close air support to the Eighth Army in its campaigns during World War II. The DAF were always under- equipped numerically compared to UK based RAF units, and had to make do with obsolete or inadequate aircraft types throughout its early existence. Initially equipped with the likes of the Hawker Hurricane and Bristol Blenheim, other newer types were introduced in 1941. Through 1941 and 1942 the DAF revolutionised the concept of tactical air support and Army co-operation by using fighter-bombers controlled via RT by "Forward Air Controllers" (trained RAF officer observers attached to advancing Eighth Army units) and "cab ranks" of fighter-bombers awaiting the call-in to attack specific tactical targets. In this way the DAF provided vital and decisive air support to the Eighth Army until the end of the war, fighting through Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily and mainland Italy. The concepts proved in the North African campaign were to be adopted with even greater success during the invasion of Europe in 1944.
The mainstay of the DAF, the P-40 Tomahawk and Kittyhawk was originally the DAF's only adequate air superiority fighter, but was soon modified to become a highly successful ground attack aircraft. The Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf-109s could inflict severe losses on the P-40s, who were often caught at a disadvantage, flying slowly at low level as they carried out their primary ground-attack operations. Although the DAF fighters did have successes in air-to-air combat when conditions were right, Spitfires were finally allocated for the pure air superiority role to the DAF, becoming operational in August 1942.
The South African Air Force provided over a dozen squadrons to the DAF. This was their main theatre of operations, as the South African government had decided their military should not operate outside Africa.
The Australian contribution included No. 3 Squadron RAAF which arrived in North Africa on August 23, 1940 and served with the DAF until the closing stages of the war in Europe, when it was transferred to the Australian First Tactical Air Force in the Pacific. By that time 3 Sqn had the most substantial service record of any DAF squadron, including the greatest number of kills (217 claims).
Personnel who served with the Desert Air Force were awarded the Africa Star campaign medal with a bronze rosette in the "bar" position on the ribbon.
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