Eagles over Husky by Alexander Fitzgerald-Black

Author:Alexander Fitzgerald-Black [Fitzgerald-Black, Alexander]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Military, Aviation, European General, World War II
ISBN: 9781912866984
Publisher: Helion and Company
Published: 2018-04-19T04:00:00+00:00

American GIs look on as a pair of British Spitfires prepare to take off from Comiso Aerodrome, Sicily to fly cover for bombers on a mission over enemy territory, 24 July 1943. (US Air Force photo 80324 AC)

American A-36 Apache fighter-bombers warm up before take off from an airfield near Licata, Sicily on 17 July 1943. A P-40 Warhawk is in the foreground. (US Air Force photo 79528 AC)

Pilots of No. 43 Squadron RAF inspect an abandoned Messerschmitt Bf 109G of VI/JG53 at Comiso, Sicily. (IWM CNA 1045)

Three Spitfire squadrons from No. 324 Wing began operating from Comiso on 14 July and were followed by the remainder of the wing the next day. Licata’s airfield, captured by the US 3rd Infantry Division, was fully operational by 14 July when the 33rd Fighter Group from Pantelleria was installed. The 307th Fighter Squadron arrived at Licata the next day while the remainder of the 31st Fighter Group from Gozo moved into the Ponte Olivo landing ground secured by the US 1st Infantry Division north of Gela. Bomb damage prevented an early occupation of Biscari, which was captured by US 45th Division on 14 July.112

Once ashore, AHQ Malta relinquished control of these units to Air Vice-Marshal Broadhurst’s Desert Air Force headquarters. American squadrons reverted to Major General Edwin House’s XII Air Support Command once it established its headquarters ashore. The critical part of its role in Operation HUSKY complete, the AOC Malta, Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park, received the following signal from General Eisenhower:

It is obvious to every individual in the Allied Command that, except for the Malta air force and for the constructive accomplishments of the whole Malta Command during the past year, the current attack could scarcely be classified as a feasible one. In spite of the fact that these things cannot now be published, I should like the officers and men of your command to know of my profound obligation to them and to be assured that as soon as considerations of security permit, these will be accorded public as well as official credit for their outstanding services.113

The irony is that this story has yet to be written into the mainstream campaign literature.114

Those Axis air forces left on the island were now limited by the few airfields that remained tenable. As Italian and German forces abandoned western Sicily so too did the aerial formations. At 1000 hours on 13 July Lieutenant-Colonel Steinhoff of JG 77 received a telephone call from General Adolf Galland: “Western Sicily will be given up from the point of view of operations. JG 77 will move all serviceable aircraft to the mainland … Ground personnel will be dispatched along the north coast of Sicily to Milazzo as quickly as possible.” The JG 77 war diary goes on to note that, “The Geschwader transferred on the same day. Owing to the inadequate transport situation, equipment which could not be carried was blown up or destroyed.”115 Steinhoff’s memoir notes the frantic efforts of some personnel to destroy rations,

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