AIR COMMANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 April 1943, Page 4

AIR COMMANDS

IN MEDITERRANEAN- area UNDER CHIEF MARSHAL TEDDER. AS SUBORDINATE TO GENERAL EISENHOWER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, April 15. The Air Ministry news Service has announced that the reorganisation of all the Allied air forces in the Mediterranean area has been completed and a Mediterranean Air Command formed under Air Chief Marshall Tedder. This new command is subdivided into three divisions —the Middle East Command, the North-West African Air Forces and the R.A.F. in Malta, each of whose commanders is responsible to Air Chief Marshal Tedder, whose deputy com-mander-in-chief is Air Vice-Marshal 11. E. P. Wigglesworth. Air Chief Marshal Tedder is subordinate to General Eisenhower for all air operations in the North-West African theatre. The Middle East command is commanded by Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, with Air Marshal F. J. Linnell as his deputy. The NorthWest African Air Forces, which include British, American and French units, are under Major-General Carl Spaatz, with Air Vice-Marshal J. M. Robb as his deputy. General Spaatz’s command is subdivided into five subordinate formations, three of which are operational —a tactical air force under Air Marshal Sir A. Conyngham, a strategical air force under General Doolittle and a coastal air force under Air Vice-Marshal Sir H. P. Lloyd. The principal duties of the tactical air force are to support the armies operating in Tunisia. The R.A.F. in Malta is commanded by Air Vice-Marshal,Sir Keith Park.