The term Tactical Air Force was used by the air forces of the British Commonwealth during the later stages of World War II, for formations of more than one fighter group. A tactical air force was intended to achieve air supremacy and perform ground attack missions.
Unlike the numbered air forces of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), the Tactical Air Forces did not include strategic bombing/heavy bomber capability. The USAAF situation changed in late 1943 when the 12th Air Force transferred its heavy bombers to the newly formed 15th Air Force. Thus, the 12th Air Force became a tactical air force and the 15th Air Force became a strategic air force. Later, when the Allied air forces in the MTO were reorganized into the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF), the US 12th Air Force and the RAF Desert Air Force became part of the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force and the US 15th Air Force and No. 205 Group RAF became part of the Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force. A Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force was also part of MAAF.
The organization, implementation, and coordination of strategic, tactical, and coastal air forces throughout the latter stages of WWII was based on the successful practice of an original tri-force model pioneered primarily by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder and Air Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham during the Western Desert Campaign of WWII. This original tri-force consisted of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group, Air Headquarters Western Desert, and No. 201 (Naval Cooperation) Group as the strategic, tactical, and coastal components, respectively. Coningham commanded Air Headquarters Western Desert and in support of army ground forces, he and Tedder developed some of the key features of Close air support still practiced by modern air forces.
The first tactical air force to be so named was what we know today as the RAF Second Tactical Air Force, which was inaugurated within RAF Fighter Command on June 1, 1943, with the title "tactical air force" superseding the original title of "expeditionary air force".
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The four tactical air forces were:
- Australian First Tactical Air Force
- Desert Air Force (later known as the First Tactical Air Force) - North Africa and later Italy
- RAF Second Tactical Air Force - Northern Europe
- RAF Third Tactical Air Force - South Asia
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