The AAF In The Invasion Of Southern France [Illustrated Edition]

By Anon Anon

Illustrated with 6 maps and 11 Illustrations.
The AAF in the Invasion of Southern France tells how the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, under the command of Lt. Gen. Ira Eaker, supported the Allied airborne and amphibious assault designed to undercut German defenses in Occupied France. In this invasion-the fourth major one in three months-American air power overwhelmed the meager enemy forces and diverted attention from the north, helping to topple German control in Vichy. Air operations persistently found, fixed, and fought occupying German forces, preventing their orderly withdrawal, greatly easing the way for Allied invasion forces.
Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America’s World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces’ aviators and details from the official histories enliven the story behind each of six important AAF operations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucknow Books
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781782894650

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Text originally published in 1945 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

Wings at War Series, No. 1

THE AAF IN THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE

An Interim Report

Published by Headquarters, Army Air Forces Washington, D. C.

Office of Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence From Reports Prepared by MAAF

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

FOREWORD 7

PRE-INVASION SITUATION 9

INTENTION 10

PLANNING 10

BUILD-UP 12

Supplies—Corsica 12

Airdrome construction—Corsica 13

Signals 13

OPERATIONS 16

COAST DEFENSE POSITION. 17

OPERATIONS DURING THE SECOND WEEK 21

AIR OPERATIONS 21

German Air Force 22

Interdiction 22

Movement to France 22

Anti-radar attacks 23

Troop carrier 23

THE AIRBORNE OPERATION 24

ORGANIZATION 24

Airborne elements 24

Troop carrier elements 25

Concentration of units 25

PLANNING 26

PREOPERATION TRAINING 28

THE OPERATION 29

GROUND ACTIVITIES 32

STATISTICS 34

SUMMARY 34

MAPPING AND RECONNAISSANCE 35

ATTACK ON TOULON HARBOR. 37

THE AIR COMMAND POST AFLOAT 40

Control of Tac/R and fighter-bomber missions 40

Furnishing information on movements and status of aircraft 42

Air raid warning and alerting the Fleet 42

Stand-by for fighter direction 43

FILTER 43

Naval Radar Guard net 44

Ground Control Intercept Reporting 45

Track Broadcast 45

CONTROL OF DEFENSIVE PATROLS 45

SUMMARY OF MASAF OPERATIONS 46

COMMUNICATIONS 48

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 49

FOREWORD

Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America's World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces' aviators and details from the official histories enliven the story behind each of six important AAF operations. In cooperation with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Center for Air Force History has reprinted the entire series to honor the airmen who fought so valiantly fifty years ago.

The AAF in the Invasion of Southern France tells how the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, under the command of Lt. Gen. Ira Eaker, supported the Allied airborne and amphibious assault designed to undercut German defenses in Occupied France. In this invasion—the fourth major one in three months—American air power overwhelmed the meager enemy forces and diverted attention from the north, helping to topple German control in Vichy. Air operations persistently found, fixed, and fought occupying German forces, preventing their orderly withdrawal, greatly easing the way for Allied invasion forces.

The Invasion of Southern France

PRE-INVASION SITUATION

WHEN Allied airborne and amphibious troops invaded southern France in the early morning of 15 August 1944, they set in motion the fourth major onslaught against the occupied Continent in 3 months. First blow had been struck in Italy with the Allied offensive which began on the night of 11-12 May and had carried forward some 200 miles to the Pisa-Rimini line, liberating Rome and liquidating at least a dozen German divisions. Second blow had been the cross-channel invasion of Normandy which began on 6 June and had broken the German 7th Army, surrounded most of it, and was on the verge of capturing Paris. Third blow had been the massive Soviet attack across the Pripet Marshes which began on 22 June and had split the Baltic States at Riga, reached Warsaw in Poland, and was poised on the boundaries of East Prussia itself.

This was the picture on 15 August, the date set for invasion.

Thus the new Allied uppercut against southern France found the Germans in a situation which was already desperate. Though the Allied threat to the Riviera had been obvious for months, the hard-pressed Germans had been obliged to pull away a sizable proportion of the forces they had allocated to defend it. Only 10 Nazi divisions remained south of the River Loire and but 7 were actually deployed along the Mediterranean coast. Even more depleted, after a year of strategic bombing by the Allies, was the German Air Force. It was estimated to have in southern France the puny total of 200 operational aircraft, of which 130 were bombers designed for antishipping attacks. It was believed that the Hun might be able to scrape together from Italy and northern France another 50 bombers and 80 single-engine fighters. As for German naval defenses, these consisted of a