Northwest African Coastal Air Force

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) with the responsibility for air defense of North Africa, sea/air reconnaissance, antisubmarine air operations, air protection of Allied shipping, and air interdiction of enemy shipping. 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.

Northwest African Coastal Air ForceAir Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh LloydOrder of Battle, July 10, 1943

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.