Balkan Air Force During World War II , the Balkan Air Force ( BAF ) was an Allied air formation composed of units of the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force under the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces command . It was active from 7 June 1944 until 15 July 1945 under the command of RAF Air Vice Marshal s William Elliot and George Mills . The BAF operated mainly over Yugoslavia , supporting the Partisans against Germany , but occasionally supporting the Greek and Albanian resistance movements also . History . The formation was based at Bari in Italy , and activated on 7 June 1944 , to simplify command arrangements for the air support of Special Operations Executive - operations in the Balkans , i . e . across the Adriatic and in the Aegean and Ionian seas . The Desert Air Force had been responsible for those operations , but its prime job was the support of the troops of the Commonwealth Eighth Army , thus making operations over the Balkans a distraction . The Balkan Air Force was a subordinate to Mediterranean Allied Air Forces , the overall allied air formation in the Mediterranean . The BAF mainly supported the operations of the Partisans , led by Josip Broz Tito , against German forces in Yugoslavia , 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 . The Balkan Air Force was a multinational unit , with 15 types of aircraft and men from eight nations : Greece , co - belligerent Italy , 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 . Towards the end of its existence , it operated a small number of units from Yugoslav soil to harass the retreating Germans . However , disgreements with Tito ( particularly the arrest of members of the Special Boat Squadron on 13 April 1945 , although they were quickly released ) meant that all British ground forces were withdrawn , although BAF aircraft operating from Zadar continued to support the Partisan offensive .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 to Zagreb and supporting the Fourth Yugoslav Army advancing from Bihac to Rijeka . The Balkan Air Force was disbanded on 15 July 1945 . During its short existence , it was commanded by ( British ) Royal Air Force Air Vice Marshal s William Elliot and George Mills . Deakin and Maclean . William Deakin was attached as advisor to the newly formed command , Balkan Air Force , under ( then ) Air Vice Marshal William Elliot , with headquarters at Bari , Italy . This body assumed responsibility for all operations by land , sea , and air into Central and South - Eastern Europe . Fitzroy Maclean the head of the British military mission to the Partisans said that the Balkan Air Force " " . . . was responsible for the planning and co - ordination of all supply dropping as well as for all bomber and fighter operations in support of the Partisans . This 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 to withstand the Raid on Drvar ( Seventh Offensive ) Much of the planning for “ Operation Ratweek ” to impede the German withdrawal from the Balkans was done at B . A . F . Headquarters and Maclean ’ s own Rear Headquarters at Bari . Ratweek , started on 1 September 1944 , also involved the Navy and the Partisans USAAF Flying Fortresses ( 50 ) were called in to bomb Leskovac and impede the German withdrawal , though with many civilian casualties