Australian First Tactical Air Force The Australian First Tactical Air Force ( No . 1 TAF ) was formed on 25 October 1944 by the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) . Its purpose was to provide a mobile force of fighter and ground attack aircraft that could support Allied army and naval units fighting the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Area . One of several Allied tactical air force s formed during World War II , it evolved from the RAAF ' s No . 10 Operational Group , established a year earlier . Following action in the assaults on Aitape and Noemfoor , the group was renamed the First Tactical Air Force to better reflect its size and role . It was beset with morale and leadership issues in early 1945 , but recovered to take part in the battles of Tarakan , North Borneo , and Balikpapan . Reaching its peak strength of over 25 , 000 personnel in July 1945 , No . 1 TAF ' s squadrons operated such aircraft as the P - 40 Kittyhawk , Supermarine Spitfire , Bristol Beaufighter , and B - 24 Liberator . The formation remained active following the end of hostilities in the Pacific until it was disbanded on 24 July 1946 . History . No . 10 Operational Group . No . 1 TAF was formed as No . 10 Operational Group ( No . 10 OG ) on 13 November 1943 , under the command of Group Captain Frederick Scherger . The group consisted of No . 77 Wing , operating A - 31 Vengeance dive bombers , and No . 78 Wing , operating P - 40 Kittyhawk fighters , as well as various ancillary units . It was to act as a mobile strike force capable of supporting Allied ground and naval units as they advanced against the Japanese in the South West Pacific Area ( SWPA ) , as distinct from the RAAF ' s " area commands " then based in Northern Australia , which had a static , geographical defence function . No . 10 OG took over the mobile role originally undertaken by No . 9 Operational Group , which by 1944 had itself evolved into a static garrison force in New Guinea and been renamed Northern Command to reflect its new purpose . After establishing headquarters at Nadzab , Papua New Guinea , in support of the US Fifth Air Force , No . 10 OG ' s first sorties took place on 13 January 1944 , when Kittyhawks of No . 78 Wing launched patrols and bombing missions near Madang . By March 1944 , No . 77 Wing ' s Vengeances had been withdrawn from operations due to their inferiority to newer equipment . Three RAAF squadrons — one each flying Bostons , Beaufighters , and Beauforts — were assigned to the Wing as replacements . Following his promotion to air commodore , Scherger led No . 10 OG in Operation Reckless , the assault on Aitape , New Guinea , in April 1944 . With airfield construction elements of No . 10 OG going ashore shortly after the attack , Aitape airstrip was repaired and No . 78 Wing was operating from it within three days . This operation was followed by the attack on Noemfoor , commencing in June , by which time No . 10 OG ' s combat strength consisted of Nos . 71 , 77 , 78 and 81 Wing s RAAF . Scherger was injured in a jeep accident that August and replaced by Air Commodore Harry Cobby . First Tactical Air Force . No . 10 OG ' s name was changed to First Tactical Air Force ( No . 1 TAF ) on 25 October 1944 , ostensibly to emphasise " the formation ' s impressive size and ambitious purpose " . Its complement of units was much greater than that typically assigned to RAAF group s , which were themselves considerably larger than USAAF " groups " that consisted of three or four squadrons . As the conflict gradually shifted further north , however , No . 1 TAF was relegated — in the absence of a Japanese air presence — to patrol , reconnaissance and some ground attack duties , including the Philippines campaign in 1944 and the Borneo campaign in 1945 . By early 1945 , there was widespread dissatisfaction among the fighter squadrons of No . 1 TAF due to its new focus on close air support duties . The underlying cause was the reluctance of the Allied Supreme Commander in the SWPA , Douglas MacArthur , to use non - American forces for the main advance towards Japan . Frustration was especially evident among highly - experienced pilots , such as Australia ' s top - scoring ace , Group Captain Clive Caldwell , who commanded No . 1 TAF ' s Spitfire squadrons . This led to a series of events known as the " Morotai Mutiny " in April 1945 . Officers based at Morotai in the Dutch East Indies , including Caldwell , protested the missions against what they saw as unimportant targets and tendered their resignations . Cobby was held responsible for the incident and eventually dismissed , being replaced by Air Commodore Scherger , who had recovered from his earlier injuries and who immediately set about restoring morale . He took over No . 1 TAF as Operation Oboe One , the Battle of Tarakan , was under way ; the formation ' s airfield construction teams had been tasked with opening the runway on Tarakan Island within a week of Allied landings but extensive pre - invasion damage and adverse environmental conditions delayed this until the end of June . Poor planning on the RAAF ' s part was blamed on its earlier low morale and disruptions caused by the " Mutiny " . No . 1 TAF then participated in Operation Oboe Six , the Battle of North Borneo , where its performance was much improved . During July 1945 , when the final Allied offensive of the Borneo Campaign took place as Operation Oboe Two , the Battle of Balikpapan , No . 1 TAF reached a strength of some 25 , 000 personnel , augmented by the B - 24 Liberator heavy bomber squadrons of No . 82 Wing transferring in from North Western Area Command . It was freed of garrison duties and had its strength reduced somewhat on 30 July , with the movement of units to the recently established No . 11 Group , which had been formed to command operations over the eastern islands of the Dutch East Indies and much of Borneo . Prior to the formation ' s disestablishment , No . 1 TAF units helped organise the medical treatment and repatriation of thousands of Australian prisoners - of - war . Group Captain Charles Read had taken over command from Scherger following the end of the Pacific War in August ; by January 1946 , No . 1 TAF numbered 1 , 400 personnel compared to its wartime peak of 22 , 000 , with its remaining units slated for disbandment shortly afterwards . No . 1 TAF itself was disbanded at Morotai on 24 July 1946 . Order of battle . Upon its establishment on 25 October 1944 , No . 1 TAF consisted of : The following units joined No . 1 TAF shortly after it was established :