At the time of Operation Husky, the Allied air forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theaters were organized as the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC)
under Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder.

The major sub-command of MAC was the Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF)
under the command of Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz.

NAAF consisted primarily of units from the United States 12th Air Force (also under Spaatz),
the US 9th Air Force under Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton,
and the British Royal Air Force (RAF).

In addition to NAAF:

• Middle East Command,
• AHQ Malta,
• RAF Gibraltar,
• No. 216 (Transfer and Ferry) Group,

were major sub-commands of MAC under Tedder who reported to the Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower for the Allied NAAF operations, but to the British Chiefs of Staff for the RAF Command operations.

AHQ Malta under Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park provided key air support during Operation Husky.

A Desert Air Task Force consisting of B-25 Mitchell medium bombers (12th and 340th Bombardment Groups) and P40 Warhawk fighters (57th, 79th, and 324th Fighter Groups) from the U.S. 9th Air Force operated under Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham's Northwest African Tactical Air Force and these groups moved to airfields on Sicily soon after the invasion.

In the MAC organization established at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, the U.S. 9th Air Force was a sub-command of Middle East Command under Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas

Mediterranean Air Command (Allied)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Headquarters at Algiers, Algeria.

Northwest African Air Forces

Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz, Headquarters at Maison Carree, Algeria.

Northwest African Strategic Air Force

Major General James H. Doolittle,
Headquarters at Constantine, Algeria

• 5th Bombardment Wing (Heavy)

Northwest African Coastal Air Force

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd, Headquarters at Algiers, Algeria.

• No. 242 Group RAF[18] (Air Commodore Kenneth Cross)

  No. 323 Wing RAF

  • No. 73 Squadron, Spitfire
  • No. 255 Squadron, Beaufighter
  • No. II/5 Escadre (French), P-40
  • No. II/7 Escadre (French), Spitfire
  • No. 283 Squadron, Walrus (Air Sea Rescue)
  • No. 284 Squadron, Walrus (Air Sea Rescue)

  No. 328 Wing

  • No. 14 Squadron, B-26 Marauder
  • No. 39 Squadron, Beaufort
  • No. 47 Squadron, Beaufort
  • No. 144 Squadron, Beaufighter
  • No. 52 Squadron Baltimore
  • No. 221 Squadron (Det.), Wellington
  • No. 458 Squadron (RAAF), Wellington

Source
British Units	American Units
RAF Units No. 13 Squadron, Blenheim No. 614 Squadron, Blenheim No. 36 Squadron, Wellington No. 253 Squadron, Hurricane No. 274 Squadron Hurricane No. 313 Squadron, Hurricane No. 500 Squadron, Hudson No. 608 Squadron, Hudson No. 1575 Flight, Halifax, Ventura	52nd Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel James Coward 2nd Squadron, Spitfire 4th Squadron, Spitfire 5th Squadron, Spitfire 414th Nightfighter Squadron, Beaufighter 415th Nightfighter Squadron, Beaufighter
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Units Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance 813 NAS (Det.), Swordfish 820 NAS, Albacore c 821 NAS, Albacore n 826 NAS, Albacore r 828 NAS, Albacore r	81st Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel Michael Gordon Oran, Algeria Sector: 92nd Squadron, P-39 Airacobra 1st Air Defense Wing: 91st Squadron, P-39 Airacobra 93rd Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
Bone, Algeria Sector: No. 32 Squadron, Hurricane No. 87 Squadron, Hurricane No. 219 Squadron, Beaufighter	350th Fighter Group Lieutenant Colonel Marvin McNickle 345th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra 346th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra 347th Squadron, P-39 Airacobra
2nd Air Defense Wing: No. 153 Squadron, Beaufighter	480th Antisubmarine Group Colonel Jack Roberts 1st Squadron, B-24 Liberator 2nd Squadron, B-24 Liberator

Notes:

1. 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
2. Air Ministry was asked to provide two additional Wellington squadrons.

Northwest African Tactical Air Force

Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, Headquarters at Hammamet, Tunisia

Desert Air Force Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst	XII Air Support Command Major General Edwin House
No. 7 Wing (SAAF) No. 2 Squadron, Spitfire No. 4 Squadron, Spitfire No. 5 Squadron, Kittyhawk	27th Fighter-Bomber Group (USAAF) Lieutenant Colonel John Stevenson 522nd Squadron, A-36 Mustang 523rd Squadron, A-36 Mustang 524th Squadron, A-36 Mustang
No. 239 Wing No. 3 Squadron (RAAF), Kittyhawk No. 112 Squadron (RAF), Kittyhawk No. 250 Squadron (RAF), Kittyhawk No. 260 Squadron (RAF), Kittyhawk No. 450 Squadron (RAAF), Kittyhawk	86th Fighter-Bomber Group (USAAF) Major Clinton True 525th Squadron, A-36 Mustang 526th Squadron, A-36 Mustang 527th Squadron, A-36 Mustang
No. 244 Wing No. 1 Squadron (SAAF), Spitfire No. 92 Squadron (RAF), Spitfire No. 145 Squadron (RCAF), Spitfire No. 417 Squadron (RCAF), Spitfire No. 601 Squadron (RAF), Spitfire	33d Fighter Group (USAAF) Colonel William Momyer 58th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 59th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 60th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk - 99th Squadron, P-40, Detached
No. 322 Wing (RAF) Colin Falkland Gray (RNZAF) No. 81 Squadron, Spitfire No. 152 Squadron, Spitfire No. 154 Squadron, Spitfire No. 232 Squadron, Spitfire No. 242 Squadron, Spitfire	324th Fighter Group (USAAF) Colonel William McNown 314th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 315th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 316th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk
No. 324 Wing (RAF) No. 43 Squadron, Spitfire No. 72 Squadron, Spitfire No. 93 Squadron, Spitfire No. 111 Squadron, Spitfire No. 243 Squadron, Spitfire	31st Fighter Group (USAAF) Lieutenant Colonel Frank Hill 307th Squadron, Spitfire 308th Squadron, Spitfire 309th Squadron, Spitfire
57th Fighter Group (USAAF) Colonel Arthur Salisbury 64th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 65th Squadron,[4] P-40 Warhawk 66th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk	111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Mustang
79th Fighter Group (USAAF) Colonel Earl Bates 85th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 86th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk 87th Squadron, P-40 Warhawk	Information in table taken from: 1) Participation of the Ninth & Twelfth Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, Army Air Forces Historical Study No. 37, Army Air Forces Historical Office Headquarters, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1945.
No. 285 Wing (Reconnaissance) No. 40 Squadron (SAAF), Det., Spitfire No. 60 Squadron (SAAF), Mosquito No. 1437 Flight (RAF), Mustang	2) Maurer, Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1983.
No. 6 Squadron (RAF), Hurricane

 

Tactical Bomber Force Air Commodore Laurence Sinclair
No. 3 Wing (SAAF) No. 12 Squadron, Boston No. 21 Squadron, Baltimore No. 24 Squadron, Boston
No. 232 Wing (RAF) No. 55 Squadron, Baltimore No. 223 Squadron, Baltimore
No. 326 Wing (RAF) No. 18 Squadron, Boston No. 114 Squadron, Boston
47th Bombardment Group (USAAF) Colonel Malcolm Green, Jr. 84th Squadron, A-20 Havoc 85th Squadron, A-20 Havoc 86th Squadron, A-20 Havoc 97th Squadron, A-20 Havoc
12th Bombardment Group (USAAF) Colonel Edward Backus 81st Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 82nd Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 83rd Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 434th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell
340th Bombardment Group (USAAF) Lieutenant Colonel Adolph Tokaz 486th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 487th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 488th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell 489th Squadron, B-25 Mitchell
No. 225 Squadron (RAF), Spitfire
No. 241 Squadron (RAF), Hurricane

For Operation Husky, No. 242 Group, originally a component of NATAF in February 1943, was assigned to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF). At the same time, Air Headquarters, Western Desert became known as the Desert Air Force. All of the fighter units of Desert Air Force formed No. 211 (Offensive Fighter) Group commanded by Air Commodore Richard Atcherley on April 11, 1943 in Tripoli. The 99th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the XII Air Support Command on May 28, 1943 and subsequently attached to the 33rd Fighter Group.

Northwest African Troop Carrier Command

Brigadier General Paul Williams, Tunisia
See also: Northwest African Troop Carrier Command

51st Troop Carrier Wing Brig. Gen. Ray Dunn	52nd Troop Carrier Wing Colonel Harold Clark
60th Troop Carrier Group Lt. Col. Frederick Sherwood 10th Squadron, C-47 11th Squadron, C-47 12th Squadron, C-47 28th Squadron, C-47	61st Troop Carrier Group Colonel Willis Mitchell 14th Squadron, C-47 15th Squadron, C-47 53rd Squadron, C-47 59th Squadron, C-47
62nd Troop Carrier Group Lt. Col. Aubrey Hurren 4th Squadron, C-47 7th Squadron, C-47 8th Squadron, C-47 51st Squadron, C-47	313th Troop Carrier Group Colonel James Roberts Jr. 29th Squadron, C-47 47th Squadron, C-47 48th Squadron, C-47 49th Squadron, C-47
64th Troop Carrier Group Colonel John Cerny 16th Squadron, C-47 17th Squadron, C-47 18th Squadron, C-47 35th Squadron, C-47	314th Troop Carrier Group Colonel Clayton Stiles 32nd Squadron, C-47 50th Squadron, C-47 61st Squadron, C-47 62nd Squadron, C-47
Information in table taken from: 1) Participation of the Ninth & Twelfth Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, Army Air Forces Historical Study No. 37, Army Air Forces Historical Office Headquarters, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1945.	316th Troop Carrier Group Colonel Jerome McCauley 36th Squadron,[25] C-47 44th Squadron, C-47 45th Squadron, C-47

 

RAF Detachment

No. 38 Wing Air Commodore William Primrose  No. 295 Squadron RAF (Det.), Halifax No. 296 Squadron RAF, Albemarle

Albemarle towing a Horsa glider.

NATCC - No. 38 Wing - Horsa Glider (1943).

Information in table taken from: 2) Maurer, Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 1983.

 

In mid-1943, to facilitate transport and supply operations for Operation Husky, the USAAF 315th Troop Carrier Group (34th & 43rd Squadrons) had been sent from England to Tunisia and assigned to the Mediterranean Air Transport Service which along with NATCC, was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command.

Northwest African Photographic Reconnaissance Wing

Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, Headquarters at La Marsa, Tunisia

• Northwest African Photographic Reconnaissance Wing
• 3rd Photographic Group, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Dunn
• 5th Combat Mapping Squadron, P-38 Lightning
• 12th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, P-38 Lightning
• 12th Weather Detachment
• 15th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, B-17 Fortress
• 13th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron Photo Intelligence
• No. 60 Squadron SAAF Det., Mosquito PR
• No. 540 Squadron RAF Det., Mosquito PR
• No. 680 Squadron RAF, Spitfire PR
• 2/33 Groupe (French), P-38 Lightning

Northwest African Air Service Command

Brigadier General Delmar Dunton, Algiers, Algeria
See also: Northwest African Air Service Command

Northwest African Training Command

Brigadier General John K. Cannon,
U.S. APO 525
See also: Northwest African Training Command

Air Headquarters Malta

Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, Headquarters at Valletta, Malta
See also: AHQ Malta

No. 248 Wing RAF	Spitfire units
No. 69 Squadron RAF Martin Baltimore	No. 40 Squadron SAAF[9]
No. 108 Squadron RAF, Bristol Beaufighter	No. 126 Squadron RAF
No. 221 Squadron RAF, Vickers Wellington	No. 185 Squadron RAF
No. 272 Squadron RAF, Beaufighter	No. 229 Squadron RAF
No. 683 Squadron RAF, Spitfire	No. 249 Squadron RAF
	No. 1435 Flight RAF

 

Other units
No. 23 Squadron RAF, de Havilland Mosquito
No. 73 Squadron RAF Det., Hurricane
No. 256 Squadron RAF Det., Mosquito
No. 600 Squadron RAF, Beaufighter
815 Naval Air Squadron Det. (FAA), Fairey Albacore

Notes: SAAF=South African Air Force; Det.=Detachment.

No. 216 (Transport and Ferry) Group

Air Commodore Whitney Straight, Headquarters at Heliopolis, Egypt
See also: No. 216 Group RAF

• No. 17 Squadron SAAF, Junkers 52
• No. 28 Squadron SAAF, Anson
• No. 117 Squadron RAF, Hudson
• No. 173 Squadron RAF, Lodestar, Proctor, Hurricane
• No. 216 Squadron RAF, Douglas Dakota
• No. 230 Squadron RAF, Short Sunderland
• No. 267 Squadron RAF, Hudson

RAF Gibraltar

Air Vice Marshal Sturley Simpson, Headquarters at Gibraltar
See also: RAF Gibraltar

• No. 48 Squadron RAF, Hudson
• No. 179 Squadron RAF, Wellington
• No. 202 Squadron RAF Catalina
• No. 210 Squadron RAF Catalina
• No. 233 Squadron RAF| Hudson
• No. 248 Squadron RAF Detachment Beaufighter
• No. 544 Squadron RAF Detachment Spitfire
• 813 Naval Air Squadron (Fleet Air Arm), Swordfish
• No. 1403 (Meteorological) Flight Hampden, Gloster Gladiator

Middle East Command

Air Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas Headquarters at Cairo, Egypt
See also: RAF Middle East Command

No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group

Air Vice Marshal Thomas Langsford-Sainsbury, Headquarters at Alexandria, Egypt
See also: No. 201 Group RAF

No. 235 Wing	No. 238 Wing
No. 13 Squadron (Hellenic), Bristol Blenheim	No. 16 Squadron SAAF, Bristol Beaufort
No. 227 Squadron RAF Det., Bristol Beaufighter	No. 227 Squadron RAF Det., Bristol Beaufighter
No. 454 Squadron RAAF, Martin Baltimore	No. 603 Squadron RAF, Bristol Beaufighter
No. 459 Squadron RAAF, Lockheed Hudson	No. 815 Squadron (FAA) Det., Fairey Swordfish
No. 815 Squadron (FAA), Fairey Swordfish

 

No. 245 Wing	No. 247 Wing
No. 15 Squadron SAAF, Bristol Blenheim/Martin Baltimore	No. 38 Squadron RAF, Vickers Wellington
No. 38 Squadron RAF Det., Vickers Wellington	No. 203 Squadron RAF, Martin Baltimore
No. 1 General Reconnaissance Unit Vickers Wellington	No. 227 Squadron RAF, Bristol Beaufighter
	No. 252 Squadron RAF, Bristol Beaufighter
No Wing Assignment: No. 701 Squadron (FAA), Supermarine Walrus

 

No Wing assignment: 701 Naval Air Squadron (FAA), Supermarine Walrus
Note: RAF=Royal Air Force; RAAF=Royal Australian Air Force; SAAF=South African Air Force; FAA=Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy); Det.=Detachment

Air Headquarters Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean

Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul
See also: Air H.Q. Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean

No. 209 (Fighter) Group Group Captain R.C.F. Lister	No. 210 (Fighter) Group Group Captain John Grandy
No. 46 Squadron RAF Det., Beaufighter	No. 3 Squadron SAAF, Hurricane
No. 127 Squadron RAF, Hurricane/Spitfire	No. 33 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
	No. 89 Squadron RAF, Beaufighter
	No. 213 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
	No. 274 Squadron RAF, Hurricane

 

No. 212 (Fighter) Group Air Commodore Archibald Wann	No. 219 (Fighter) Group Group Captain Hon. Max Aitken
No. 7 Squadron SAAF , Hurricane	No. 46 Squadron RAF, Beaufighter
No. 41 Squadron SAAF, Hurricane	No. 74 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
No. 80 Squadron RAF, Spitfire	No. 238 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
No. 94 Squadron RAF, Hurricane	No. 335 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
No. 108 Squadron RAF Det., Beaufighter	No. 336 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
No. 123 Squadron RAF, Hurricane	No. 451 Squadron RAAF, Hurricane
No. 134 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
No. 237 Squadron RAF, Hurricane
No. 1563 Met. Flight, Gladiator
No. 1654 Met. Flight, Gladiator

 

Notes:
SAAF=South African Air Force; RAAF=Royal Australian Air Forces; Det.=Detachment; Met.=Meteorological.

U.S. 9th Air Force

See also: 9th Air Force
Major General Lewis H. Brereton, Headquarters at Cairo, Egypt

• IX Advanced Headquarters at Tripoli, Libya

• IX Fighter Command Headquarters at Tripoli, Libya

• IX Bomber Command Headquarters at Benghazi, Libya
• 98th Bombardment Group, B-24D Liberator II
• 343rd Squadron, Lete Airfield
• 344th Squadron, Lete Airfield, Libya
• 345th Squadron, Benina Airfield
• 415th Squadron, Benina Airfield, Libya
• 376th Bombardment Group, B-24D Liberator II, Berka, Libya
• 512th Squadron
• 513th Squadron
• 514th Squadron
• 515th Squadron