Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East

Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 23rd October 2018, 22:21
Steve Smith's Avatar
Steve Smith Steve Smith is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 569
Steve Smith is on a distinguished road
A.C.S.E.A

Hi,

Can anyone please let me know what the above stands for?

May have something to do with the Far-East?


TIA

Steve
__________________
No.218(Gold Coast) Squadron Association Historian
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 23rd October 2018, 22:28
alieneyes1 alieneyes1 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 192
alieneyes1 is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Air Command, South East Asia, Steve.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 23rd October 2018, 23:54
Steve Smith's Avatar
Steve Smith Steve Smith is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 569
Steve Smith is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Thank you.

Would I be right in saying this was also known as Tiger Force ?

TIA

Steve
__________________
No.218(Gold Coast) Squadron Association Historian
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 24th October 2018, 00:50
alieneyes1 alieneyes1 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 192
alieneyes1 is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

I don't think so. They seem to have been about a bit earlier.


https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documen...st-Air-War.pdf


HQ ACSEA file(s) at Kew:


http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...e+dates=Refine
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 24th October 2018, 07:27
Steve Smith's Avatar
Steve Smith Steve Smith is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 569
Steve Smith is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Thanks again.

I am confused, No.218 Squadron was informed in July 1945 that it was chosen to join A.C.S.E.A, not knowing mich about this theatre of operations, I presume this is Tiger Force.

Thanks again.

Steve
__________________
No.218(Gold Coast) Squadron Association Historian
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 25th October 2018, 19:58
ian hunt ian hunt is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 74
ian hunt is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Hi Steve

I am no more familiar with this than you, but from a quick look on the 'net (Wiki mainly, sorry) it would appear that ACSEA (Air Command SE Asia) was the 'air force arm' fighting in the Far East from 1943 onwards (India/Burma/Thailand etc) whereas Tiger Force was planned to be formed of the RAF and Commonwealth's heavy bombers (RAF/RCAF/RAAF/RNZAF) when they transferred out to the Far East following the ending of the European war in May '45. (Don't forget that the Japanese war carried on for another 3 months until the atomic bombs drew that one to a prompt close).

I haven't looked into how Tiger Force would have related to ACSEA - perhaps it would have been a sort of 'Bomber Command' (heavies) part of it?

I imagine 218 was planned to have been part of Tiger Force - maybe thus coming under the 'umbrella' of ACSEA?

Ian
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 27th October 2018, 16:51
Steve Smith's Avatar
Steve Smith Steve Smith is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 569
Steve Smith is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Hi Ian,

Thank you for your reply.

I spoke to an ex Lanc flight engineer who was on the squadron in July 1945, he seems to remember being told that the 'new' crews were to be posted with the squadron to the Far East for GH H2S marking - bombing operations.

But......... I have not seen this in writing anywhere.

Regards

Steve
__________________
No.218(Gold Coast) Squadron Association Historian
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 27th October 2018, 17:35
ian hunt ian hunt is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 74
ian hunt is on a distinguished road
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Hi Steve

That sort of sounds like it would make sense. Crews were still being sent to the squadrons at (and beyond) the end of the war in Europe so as, at that time (May/June/July '45), they were 'out of a job' (in bombing Europe at least) and the war -v- Japan was still ongoing, eyes must have been turning to their redeployment out there.

As I said, I don't know how far 'beyond paper' things had got with setting up and operating Tiger Force, but that may well have been 'the word' as to what would be happening next, and that fits in with what your man heard.

Must have been a lot to organise, the mass transfer of a chunk of Bomber Command with its heavy bombers, crews, personnel, supplies, admin and equipment, 9,000-or-so miles out to the FE!

But the atomic bombs suddenly called a halt to that idea too.

Ian
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 27th October 2018, 18:46
Col Bruggy Col Bruggy is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,482
Col Bruggy will become famous soon enough
Re: A.C.S.E.A

Steve,

Might I suggest you take a look at the following article in the RAF Historical Society Journal:

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/researc...-journals.aspx

Open Journal No.44 - got to pp.68-98 (pdf).

Whilst the article focuses on aerial refuelling, there is other relevant information on "Tiger Force".

See also:

"Tiger Force" How Britain would have bombed Japan in 1945.
Bruce Robertson
Air Pictorial - Vol.36, No.10 (October 1974)
pp.388-91.

Should answer most of your remaining queries.

Usual problem - no scanner - hopefully, someone else can help.

Col.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 11:48.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net