North Africa January 8th 1943
Axis
Heavy Allied air raids in the Northeast have forced the Luftwaffe to move it's FW-190 units from frontline airfields back to the rear area to protect supply assets which have become critical after resupply efforts over the Med have been decimated by Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm units. Also heavy attacks by USAAF P-39s and B-25s on supply dumps in the area also makes basing the best Luftwaffe bomber killer closer to the targets they are to protect. 4 Staffel of II/JG-2 has moved to Bir Hachiem Springs Airfield- A21. 5 and 6 Staffels of II/JG-2 have moved their FW-190s to Ben Siad Airfield- A1.
Allied
Because of heavy P-39 losses and fearing more large scale JU-88 attacks in the rear areas, 15th Air Force has deployed both the 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups into the Theater of Operations.
The 31st a Spitfire Mk V Group will be operating out of High Palms Airfield- A22. The 52nd Fighter Group also operating the Spitfire MK V will be operating near El-Alad Pass at Airfield A2.
