RAF Second Tactical Air Force


The RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, the air forces of the British Commonwealth and exiles from German-occupied Europe. Renamed as British Air Forces of Occupation in 1945, 2TAF was recreated in 1951 and became Royal Air Force Germany in 1959.

Formation

2TAF was formed on 1 June 1943 as HQ Tactical Air Force from Army Co-operation Command, in connection with preparations then in train to invade Europe a year later. It took units from both Fighter Command and Bomber Command in order to form a force capable of supporting the Army in the field. Bomber Command provided No. 2 Group with light bombers; Fighter Command was split into the Air Defence of Great Britain, retaining fighter units for home defence, and No. 83 Group and No. 84 Group operating aircraft, and No. 85 Group controlling ground-based units, for the Second Tactical Air Force. In addition, No. 38 Group for towing assault gliders and No. 140 Squadron, providing strategic photo-reconnaissance, were also part of the tactical air force at its inception.

Second World War

2TAF's first commander was Air Marshal Sir John d'Albiac, who, on 21 January 1944, was succeeded by the man most associated with Second TAF, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham. Coningham had great experience of the type of operations required for supporting fast moving ground warfare due to his command of the Desert Air Force in North Africa and Italy. He honed Second TAF into a command up to the challenges presented to it, and incorporated many of the lessons from Italy, including the use of the "cab rank" system for aircraft for close air support, into the doctrine of Second TAF.
, commander of 125 Wing of the Second TAF, about to take off on a sortie from Longues-sur-Mer, Normandy, in a Spitfire IX,
The 34th Reconnaissance Wing, commanded by Royal Navy Commodore E.C. Thornton, served as the air spotting pool for naval gunfire support throughout Operation Overlord. The wing included No. 2 Squadron RAF, No. 26 Squadron RAF, No. 63 Squadron RAF, No. 268 Squadron RAF, No. 414 Squadron RCAF, 808 Naval Air Squadron, 885 Naval Air Squadron, 886 Naval Air Squadron, 897 Naval Air Squadron, and United States Navy VOS-7.
By this late stage in the war, the Luftwaffe was but a pale shadow of the organisation it had once been. Mostly Second TAF spent its time supporting the British and Canadian forces on the left flank of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force's command. One notable exception was the last great attack of the Luftwaffe, Operation Bodenplatte, mounted on New Year's Day 1945, when the Second TAF suffered serious losses on the ground.
On 20 January 1945, four Gloster Meteors jets from 616 Squadron were moved to Melsbroek in Belgium and attached to the Second Tactical Air Force.
In February 1945 No. 87 Group RAF was established, a transport formation. It became part of 2nd TAF/BAFO, but was reduced to No. 87 Wing RAF on 15 July 1946.

Post Second World War

The Second TAF was renamed as the British Air Forces of Occupation on 15 July 1945. It began as a large force of four groups but No. 2 Group disbanded on 1 May 1947.
By the end of 1947, the forces had shrunk to ten squadrons at three airfields, all directly under control of the Air Headquarters at Bad Eilsen. In 1951, the British Air Forces of Occupation reverted to their former name with the re-creation of the Second Tactical Air Force on 1 September 1951.
No. 2 Group was transferred again to Second Tactical Air Force on 1 September 1951, but was disbanded on 15 November 1958. No. 83 Group RAF controlled 2TAF's southern area from 1952 to 1958. On 1 July 1956, No. 2 Group appeared to encompass wings at Ahlhorn, RAF Fassberg, Gutersloh, Jever, Laarbruch, RAF Oldenburg, and RAF Wunstorf, while No. 83 Group directed wings at RAF Bruggen, Celle, RAF Geilenkichen, RAF Wahn, and RAF Wildenrath.
The Second Tactical Air Force was redesignated Royal Air Force Germany on 1 January 1959, at which point C.-in-C. RAF Germany became commander of the NATO Second Allied Tactical Air Force.

Commanders

Second Tactical Air Force