<p>Montgomery continued to move west, enjoying better weather. Tripoli fell on 23 January 1943, and released bombers from close support tasks to concentrate on the ports that were the key to the African campaign: Naples, Messina, and Palermo.
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<p>The Casablanca Conference, held on 14 January between Roosevelt and Churchill, produced a new command structure in the theater. As part of it, two air strike forces were created: Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF), including 12AF, WDAF, and the RAF's Eastern Air Command, and Middle East Air Forces (MEAF), including the RAF, Middle East, and 9AF.
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<p>The development of tactical air power happened, day by day, as the airmen learned how to work with ground troops. North Africa offered a wide opportunity to learn tactics. There was shipping to strike, armored columns to bomb and strafe, troop concentrations and supply dumps to bomb. While the bomber forces were hammering ports and shipping, the fighters and light bombers were working down close to the sands, hitting anything that moved or shot back.
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<p>The continual hard usage of the fighters produced new problems that the P-38 force was the first to feel. The Lightnings had been pulled from 8AF and sent to North Africa because they had range, endurance and versatility, but they were kept in the air by expedients; cannibalization was not uncommon. and squadron strengths were below the authorized level. When 'Hap' Arnold heard about the situation at the Casablanca Conference, he ordered the last available units of Lockheed P-38s, held in reserve by 8AF, to come down to the fight.
