Egypt–Libya Campaign facts for kids

The Egypt–Libya Campaign was a part of World War II where the United States military helped the Allied forces. Starting in 1942, American soldiers and airmen joined the British Empire to fight against the Axis in Egypt and Libya. This campaign was part of a larger war effort called the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

American Air Power Joins the Fight

In June 1942, the United States Army Forces in the Middle East (USAFIME) was formed. Its job was to organize American military efforts in the region. General Russell L. Maxwell became its first leader. At first, people thought many American ground troops would join the fight.

Early Air Missions

To get ready for American air groups, Major General Lewis H Brereton came to Cairo, Egypt. He was the commander of the U.S. Tenth Air Force in India. He arrived on June 25 with nine B-17 Flying Fortresses, which are large bomber planes.

Soon after, these B-17s moved their operations to Palestine. Other planes, the B-24s from the Halverson Detachment, joined them there. These planes flew bombing missions day and night. Their main target was the port of Tobruk, which was important for Axis supplies.

More Air Groups Arrive

The American bomber groups, like the 1st Provisional Group, had already been flying with the British Commonwealth air forces. This experience helped new groups, such as the 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), join the action quickly when they arrived in August. The 1st Provisional Group later became the core of the 376th Bomb Group in October 1942.

When the 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 57th Fighter Group arrived, they had to learn how to fight in the desert. They worked closely with the British Royal Air Force (RAF). This helped them learn how to coordinate air attacks with ground forces.

Organizing the Air Force

To manage the growing number of American planes, the US Army Middle East Air Force created two main commands:

• The IX Bomber Command for bomber planes.
• The IX Fighter Command for fighter planes.

In November, Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews took over command of USAFIME. He was an experienced air leader. One of his first actions was to create the Ninth Air Force. This new organization included the IX Bomber Command and the IX Fighter Command. The 376th Bombardment Group, which was originally meant to help Soviet forces, became part of the IX Bomber Command and began flying missions over North Africa.

The U.S. Army's Egypt–Libya Campaign ended on February 12, 1943. By this time, the Allied forces had successfully pushed all Axis forces out of Libya.

Even though the U.S. Army didn't send ground troops to the Egypt-Libya Campaign, the close teamwork between American and British teams was very important. It set the example for how America and Britain would work together for the rest of the war in Europe and the Mediterranean. American leaders agreed that the Middle East was mainly Britain's responsibility, but American help was needed to keep it in Allied hands. Both sides understood they had to work together to defeat their common enemy in a very important part of the world.