Northwest African Strategic Air Force
The Northwest African Strategic Air Force was a sub-command of the Northwest African Air Forces which itself was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command. These new Allied air force organizations were created at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 to promote cooperation between the British Royal Air Force, the American United States Army Air Forces, and their respective ground and naval forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations.
Effective February 18, 1943, the NASAF and other MAC commands existed until December 10, 1943 when MAC was disbanded and the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces were established. Major General Jimmy Doolittle was the commander of NASAF. However, during at least one critical period of the Tunisia Campaign at the end of February, 1943, General Carl Spaatz, the commander of NAAF, placed most of the strategic bombers at the disposal of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, commander of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force.
Order of battle
The components of NASAF at the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943 are illustrated below.| 5th Bombardment Wing ---- Brigadier General Joseph Atkinson | 47th Bombardment Wing ---- Brigadier General Carlyle Ridenour | *2686th Bombardment Wing ---- Brigadier General Robert M. Webster | No. 205 Group ---- Air Commodore John Simpson |
| 2nd Bombardment Group Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Thomas ---- 340th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 341st Squadron, B-17 Fortress 342nd Squadron, B-17 Fortress 414th Squadron, B-17 Fortress | 310th Bombardment Group Colonel Anthony Hunter ---- 379th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 380th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 381st Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 428th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell | 17th Bombardment Group Lieutenant Colonel Charles Greening' ---- 34th Squadron, B-26 Marauder 37th Squadron, B-26 Marauder 95th Squadron, B-26 Marauder 432nd Squadron, B-26 Marauder | No. 231 Wing ---- No. 37 Squadron, Wellington No. 40 Squadron, Wellington No. 70 Squadron, Wellington - |
| 97th Bombardment Group Colonel Leroy Rainey ---- 20th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 49th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 96th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 429th Squadron, B-17 Fortress | 321st Bombardment Group Colonel Robert Knapp ---- 445th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 446th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 447th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 448th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell | 319th Bombardment Group Colonel Gordon Austin ---- 437th Squadron, B-26 Marauder 438th Squadron, B-26 Marauder 439th Squadron, B-26 Marauder 440th Squadron, B-26 Marauder | No. 236 Wing ---- No. 104 Squadron, Wellington No. 462 Squadron, Halifax - |
| 99th Bombardment Group Colonel Fay Upthegrove ---- 346th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 347th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 348th Squadron, B-17 Fortress 416th Squadron, B-17 Fortress | 82nd Fighter Group Colonel John Weltman ---- 95th Squadron, P-38 Lightning 96th Squadron, P-38 Lightning 97th Squadron, P-38 Lightning - | 320th Bombardment Group Colonel Karl Baumeister ---- 441st Squadron, B-26 Marauder 442nd Squadron, B-26 Marauder 443rd Squadron, B-26 Marauder 444th Squadron, B-26 Marauder | No. 330 Wing ---- No. 142 Squadron, Wellington No. 150 Squadron, Wellington - - |
| 301st Bombardment Group Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Gormly, Jr. ---- 32nd Squadron, B-17 Fortress 352nd Squadron, B-17 Fortress 353rd Squadron, B-17 Fortress 419th Squadron, B-17 Fortress | 325th Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel Robert Baseler ---- 317th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 318th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 319th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk - | No. 331 Wing ---- No. 420 Squadron, Wellington No. 424 Squadron, Wellington No. 425 Squadron, Wellington - | |
| 1st Fighter Group Major Joseph Peddie ---- 27th Squadron, P-38 Lightning 71st Squadron, P-38 Lightning 94th Squadron, P-38 Lightning - | |||
| 14th Fighter Group Colonel Oliver Taylor ---- 37th Squadron, P-38 Lightning 48th Squadron, P-38 Lightning 49th Squadron, P-38 Lightning - |
- The 2686th Medium Bombardment Wing was activated on June 6, 1943 at Sedrata, Algeria and disbanded on September 3, 1943 at Ariana, Tunisia. Although the 42nd Bombardment Wing is sometimes used to refer to the wing during this period, the 42nd Wing was actually the successor of the 2686th Wing.