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367:(BATS) was formed by the BAF to improve the supply of materiel to the Partisans. Teams of the BATS parachuted into Yugoslavia to meet up with the Partisans. Together they then set up a number of landing strips which transport aircraft could land at. Through these concealed airstrips, more supplies could be delivered to the Partisans and wounded Partisans could be flown out for treatment, as well as the delivery and removal of British
492:
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said that, as the Balkan Air Force was also responsible for the "planning and co-ordination of all supply dropping" to the
Partisans, it "gave me a single authority with whom I could deal direct and was of incalculable advantage in obtaining quick results". This was decisive in enabling the Partisans
288:
on 13 April 1945, although they were quickly released) meant that all
British ground forces were withdrawn, although BAF aircraft operating from Zadar continued to support the Partisan offensive. Between 19 March and 3 May they flew 2,727 sorties, attacking the German withdrawal route from Sarajevo
272:
A group of
Partisan and civilian women stand with other members of the Yugoslav National Liberation Army after arriving at the air evacuation centre at Bari, Italy, on Douglas Dakota Mark III, KG469 'H', of No. 267 Squadron RAF, seen behind them. Between May 1944 and the spring of 1945, some 50,000
263:
Supermarine
Spitfire Mark IXs of No. 73 Squadron RAF, each loaded with two 250-lb GP bombs, taxi to the runway at Prkos, Yugoslavia, for a sortie against retreating German troops and supply lines. They are being watched, in the foreground, by a Bofors gun crew of No. 2914 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment,
281:, Poland, South Africa, Yugoslavia, the UK, USA and USSR (a transport squadron). Between its inception and May 1945 the BAF flew 38,340 sorties, dropped 6,650 tons of bombs, delivered 16,440 tons of supplies and flew 2,500 individuals into Yugoslavia and 19,000 (mostly wounded) out.
232:
160:
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256:, but also provided support to Greek and Albanian resistance organisations. It transported supplies to the Partisans, evacuated wounded, dropped agents to help them, and provided air support in their operations against German troops.
849:
224:
351:
to impede the German withdrawal from the
Balkans was done at BAF Headquarters and Macleanās own Rear Headquarters at Bari. Ratweek, started on 1 September 1944, also involved the Navy and the Partisans. USAAF
325:, who had met up with the Partisans in May as a representative of Middle East GHQ, was attached as advisor to the newly formed Balkan Air Force, under (then) Air Vice Marshal Elliott, with headquarters at
284:
Towards the end of its existence, it operated a small number of units from
Yugoslav soil to harass the retreating Germans. However, disagreements with Tito (particularly the arrest of members of the
839:
479:
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537:
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At the same time, the BAF coordinated operations in the
Adriatic area by Land Forces, Adriatic and the naval forces under the command of the Flag Officer, Taranto.
36:
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From June 1944, a Soviet unit of 12 Dakotas and 12 Yakovlev fighters to support the USSR military mission to the
Partisans and drop supplies came under the BAF.
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The RAF evacuating wounded
Partisans from Yugoslavia. A wounded female Partisan being carried from one of the transport aircraft on arrival in Italy, 1944.
814:
149:
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Hurricane Mark IV, KZ188 ?C?, of No. 6 Squadron RAF being refuelled, amid other aircraft of the
Squadron, on a dispersal at Prkos, Yugoslavia.
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329:, Italy. This body assumed responsibility for all operations by land, sea, and air into Central and South-Eastern Europe.
228:
A loose formation of Douglas Dakota Mark IIIs of No. 267 Squadron RAF based at Bari, Italy, flying along the Balkan coast.
452:, as well as operations in the Balkans 267 Squadron could reach Poland and flew operations to deliver and collect agents.
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in Italy, and formed on 7 June 1944 from AHQ 'G' Force, to simplify command arrangements for the air support of
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The Balkan Air Force was disbanded on 15 July 1945. During its short existence, it was commanded by (British)
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wounded and sick Partisans and civilians were evacuated from Yugoslavia to Italy through the Balkan Air Force.
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The Balkan Air Force was a multinational unit, with 15 types of aircraft and men from eight nations: Greece,
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had been responsible for those operations, but its prime job was the support of the troops of the
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Air Vice-Marshals W Elliot and G H Mills at BAF Headquarters, Bari 1945.
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and impede the German withdrawal, though with many civilian casualties.
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Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force in World War II
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Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in World War II
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to Zagreb and supporting the Fourth Yugoslav Army advancing from
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BAF (YNLA AF) Hurricane attack on enemy shipping, Adriatic Sea.
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command, it was active from 7 June 1944 until 15 July 1945.
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which provided the anti-aircraft defence for the airfield.
221:, the overall allied air formation in the Mediterranean.
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Vazduhoplovstvo u narodnooslobodilaÄkom ratu Jugoslavije
608:"Overseas Commands - Middle East & Mediterranean"
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before first mission on 18 August 1944, from airport
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
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835:Military units and formations established in 1944
335:the head of the British military mission to the
144:and its allies, but occasionally supporting the
240:The BAF mainly supported the operations of the
102:air formation operating in the Balkans during
8:
741:. Beograd: VojnoizdavaÄki i novinski centar.
760:I.C.B. Dear & M.R.D. Foot, ed. (2005).
666:CHAPTER XI The Balkans and the Middle East
755:. Zemun: Komanda Ratnog vazduhoplovstva.
543:Partisan wounded being evacuated by BAF
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497:BAF ammunition transports to partisan (
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26:
7:
762:The Oxford Companion to World War II
596:The Oxford Companion to World War II
584:The Oxford Companion to World War II
427:ā Hawker Hurricane for ground attack
695:. Oxford University Press, London.
25:
815:Royal Air Force overseas commands
713:VAZDUHOPLOVSTVO U NOR-u 1941-1945
215:fighting its way up through Italy
716:. Beograd: VojnoizdavaÄki zavod.
560:List of Royal Air Force commands
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518:
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385:13th Light Bomber Squadron RHAF
219:Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
134:operated mainly over Yugoslavia
116:Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
787:]. Belgrade: Äetvrti jul.
746:KovaÄeviÄ, MiloÅ”, ed. (1965).
1:
373:Office of Strategic Services
369:Special Operations Executive
356:(50) were called in to bomb
184:Special Operations Executive
764:. Oxford University Press.
738:PRVA I DRUGA ESKADRILA NOVJ
613:September 10, 2014, at the
365:Balkan Air Terminal Service
178:The formation was based at
106:. Composed of units of the
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825:Yugoslavia in World War II
620:. Retrieved November 2008.
174:World War II in Yugoslavia
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779:MilanoviÄ, ÄorÄe (1978).
347:Much of the planning for
170:Yugoslavia and the Allies
34:
735:PejÄiÄ, Predrag (1991).
730:. Jonathan Cape, London.
710:LazareviÄ, Božo (1972).
456:60th Troop Carrier Group
547:to Italy. (background).
112:South African Air Force
46:No 352 (Y) Squadron RAF
44:of the Yugoslav-manned
692:The Embattled Mountain
528:flightline with a BAF
379:Units of the Air Force
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415:No. 1435 Squadron RAF
344:(Seventh Offensive).
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785:Our Pilots in Combat
450:No. 267 Squadron RAF
438:No. 213 Squadron RAF
410:No. 352 Squadron RAF
405:No. 351 Squadron RAF
390:No. 25 Squadron SAAF
279:co-belligerent Italy
18:RAF Balkan Air Force
845:Tactical air forces
781:NaŔi piloti u borbi
400:No. 39 Squadron RAF
395:No. 37 Squadron RAF
371:(SOE) and American
186:-operations in the
150:Albanian resistance
820:Yugoslav Air Force
727:Eastern Approaches
425:No. 6 Squadron RAF
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190:, i.e. across the
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471:Gallery of images
354:Flying Fortresses
349:Operation Ratweek
340:to withstand the
305:Air Vice Marshals
136:, supporting the
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445:No. 334 Wing RAF
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204:Desert Air Force
152:movements also.
120:Air Vice Marshal
96:Balkan Air Force
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208:Commonwealth
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127:George Mills
104:World War II
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248:, against
211:Eighth Army
194:and in the
809:Categories
566:References
318:Operations
254:Yugoslavia
252:forces in
213:which was
202:seas. The
168:See also:
114:under the
793:439772924
571:Citations
501:) troops.
337:Partisans
244:, led by
242:Partisans
138:Partisans
125:and then
724:(1949).
689:(1971).
611:Archived
554:See also
458:ā Dakota
358:Leskovac
192:Adriatic
140:against
132:The BAF
598:page 80
586:page 79
188:Balkans
156:History
142:Germany
58:Country
52:- Italy
791:
768:
699:
295:Rijeka
250:German
200:Ionian
196:Aegean
100:Allied
73:Branch
783:[
753:(PDF)
545:DC-3s
526:Zadar
291:BihaÄ
146:Greek
50:Canne
789:OCLC
766:ISBN
697:ISBN
499:YNLA
363:The
327:Bari
310:and
198:and
180:Bari
172:and
148:and
110:and
94:The
293:to
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297:.
795:.
774:.
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20:)
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