Aviation at sunrise: shortcomings of the American Air Forces in North Africa during TORCH compared to the Royal Air Force on…

This work examines the accidents and shortcomings inexperienced American pilots experienced during the opening days of Operation TORCH and attributes these mishaps to inadequate training and inexperience. Through a comparative approach, American training programs and text are contrasted against those of the British. By analyzing the base training methods of the RAF and observing their effectiveness when used in the North Africa and Mediterranean theatre at Malta provides a solid example where a well developed and battle exposure prove effective. This frame work served as a framework to compare the deficiencies of American airmen.