The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) became the official Allied air force command organization in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) after the previous Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) was disbanded on December 10, 1943. Initially, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder who had commanded MAC, was retained as Air Commander-in-Chief of MAAF but in mid-January 1944, Lieutenant General Ira Eaker took over command of MAAF when Dwight D. Eisenhower chose Tedder as his Deputy Supreme Allied Commander to plan the air operations for the Normandy Landings.[1] In March 1945, Lieutenant General John K. Cannon assumed command of MAAF.