RAF Second Tactical Air Force The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force ( 2TAF ) was one of three tactical air force s within the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) during and after the Second World War . It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF , the air forces of the British Commonwealth and exiles from German - occupied Europe . Formation . It was formed on 1 June 1943 as HQ Tactical Air Force from Army Co - operation Command in connection with preparations then in train to invade Europe a year later . It took units from both Fighter Command and Bomber Command in order to form a force capable of supporting the Army in the field . Bomber Command lent No . 2 Group with light bomber s , and Fighter Command was split up into the Air Defence of Great Britain , retaining fighter units for home defence , and No . 83 Group and No . 84 Group for the Second Tactical Air Force . In addition , the No . 140 photo - reconnaissance squadron and No . 38 Wing were also part of the tactical air force at its inception . Second World War . Its first commander was Air Marshal Sir John d ' Albiac , who , on 21 January 1944 , was succeeded by the man most associated with Second TAF , Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham . Coningham had great experience of the type of operations required for supporting fast moving ground warfare due to his command of the Desert Air Force in North Africa and Italy . He honed Second TAF into a command up to the challenges presented to it , and incorporated many of the lessons from Italy , including the use of the " cab rank " system for aircraft for close air support , into the doctrine of Second TAF . By this late stage in the war , the Luftwaffe was but a pale shadow of the organisation it had once been . Mostly Second TAF spent its time supporting the British and Canadian forces on the left flank of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force ' s command . One notable exception was the last great attack of the Luftwaffe , Operation " Bodenplatte " , mounted on New Year ' s Day 1945 , when the Second TAF suffered serious losses on the ground . In February 1945 No . 87 Group RAF was established , a transport formation . It became part of 2nd TAF / BAFO , but was reduced to No . 87 Wing RAF on 15 July 1946 . Post Second World War . The Second TAF did not last long after the war before redesignation . It was renamed as the British Air Forces of Occupation on 15 July 1945 . It began as a large force of four groups ( 2 , 83 , 84 , 85 Groups seemingly ) ; but No . 2 Group RAF disbanded on 1 May 1947 . On 1 April 1946 , No . 41 Squadron was renumbered as No . 26 Squadron RAF at Wunstorf and it flew Spitfires and Hawker Tempest s until April 1949 when it was re - equipped with De Havilland Vampire s . By the end of 1947 2TAF had shrunk to ten squadrons at three airfields , all directly under control of the Air Headquarters at Bad Eilsen . In 1951 , the British Air Forces of Occupation reverted to their former name with the re - creation of the Second Tactical Air Force on 1 September 1951 . No . 2 Group was transferred again to Second Tactical Air Force on 1 September 1951 , but was disbanded on 15 November 1958 . No . 83 Group RAF controlled 2TAF ' s southern area from 1952 to 1958 . On 1 July 1956 , No . 2 Group appeared to encompass wings at Ahlhorn ( No . 125 Wing RAF ) , RAF Fassberg ( No . 121 Wing RAF ) , Gutersloh ( No . 551 Wing RAF , under the control of Bomber Command ) , Jever ( No . 122 Wing RAF ) , Laarbruch ( No . 34 Wing RAF ) , RAF Oldenburg ( No . 124 Wing RAF ) , and RAF Wunstorf ( No . 123 Wing RAF ) , while No . 83 Group directed wings at RAF Bruggen , Celle , RAF Geilenkichen , RAF Wahn , and RAF Wildenrath . The Second Tactical Air Force was redesignated Royal Air Force Germany on 1 January 1959 , at which point C . - in - C . RAF Germany became commander of the NATO Second Allied Tactical Air Force ( 2 ATAF ) . In November 1953 , now at RAF Oldenburg , No . 26 Squadron was converted to Sabres , converting again to Hunters in July 1955 , and remained a day - fighter unit until it was disbanded on 10 September 1957 . It was reformed with Hawker Hunter s at RAF Gutersloh on 7 June 1958 but was disbanded again on 30 December 1960 .