A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940–1945: Volume Three: Tunisia and the End in Africa, November 1942–1943, Volume 3The third volume in the epic military aviation series focuses on the Allied invasion of North Africa during World War II. This work of WWII history takes us to November 1942 to explain the background of the first major Anglo-American venture: Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. Describing the fratricidal combat that followed the initial landings in Morocco and Algeria, it then considers the unsuccessful efforts to reach northern Tunisia before the Germans and Italians could get there to forestall the possibility of an attack from the west on the rear of the Afrika Korps forces, then beginning their retreat from El Alamein. The six months of hard fighting that followed, as the Allies built up the strength of their joint air forces and gradually wrested control of the skies from the Axis, are recounted in detail. The continuing story of the Western Desert Air Force is told, as it advanced from the east to join hands with the units in the west. Also covered are the arrivals over the front of American pilots and crew, the P-38 Lightning, the Spitfire IX, and the B-17 Flying Fortress—and of the much-feared Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The aerial activities over Tunisia became one of the focal turning points of World War II, yet are frequently overlooked by historians. Here, the air-sea activities, the reconnaissance flights, and the growing day and night bomber offensives are examined in detail. |
Common terms and phrases
1st Fighter Group 27th FS/1st FG 81 Squadron aircraft airfield Algiers Aouina attacked Axis baled Beaufighter VIf Béja Bf 109 Damaged Bf 109 Probable BG gunner S/Sgt Bizerta Bomb Group bombers Bône Bône area British Casualties British Claims Cap Bon commander convoy crash-landed crashed crew safe dived escorted failed to return FG Capt Fighter Group fire flown Flt Sgt force-landed FS/1st FG 2/Lt Gabes German Casualties German Claims Gruppo Gulf of Tunis hit by Flak Hptm Hurricane IIc III./ZG intercepted Italian Casualties Kairouan KGr zbV Kittyhawk La Fauconnerie landing lost Luftwaffe Malta Marettimo Mateur Medjez el Bab Messerschmitts Obfw Oblt Pantelleria patrol pilot safe Pont du Fahs raid S.Ten Sfax Sicily Souk Souk el Khemis Spitfire Vc Sqn Flt Lt Sqn Sgt Sqn Spitfire Sqn Sqn Ldr Squadriglia St CT strafing Thelepte Tunisia Uffz Wellington Wg Cdr