Number 33 Squadron was equipped with the Hurricane Mark I and later the Mark II. Hurricanes were the workhorses of the RAF during the Battle of Britain, responsible for attacking German bomber forces while the more advanced Spitfires took on the enemy fighters. The Hurricane was a transitional fighter, with thick wings and a steel-and-wood frame covered with fabric. The lack of streamlining resulted in a design that had little room for improvement; even equipped with more powerful engines the Hurricanes did not show a dramatic improvement in their performance. In fact, the Hurricane of the desert war was nearly 100 mph slower than the Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitt Me-109F.

The Hurri was not without good points, however. Many pilots believed a Hurricane could outturn the Me-109, and it was a stable gun platform — which made it easier for Hurricane fliers to achieve hits on opposing aircraft. The Hurricane’s wide-tracked landing gear also made takeoffs and landings on unimproved desert fields safer.

The key to success in the war in North Africa was controlling the airspace. The RAF faced two experienced and well-equipped foes: Italy’s Regia Aeronautica and the German Luftwaffe. Many Italian pilots had been flying combat since the Spanish Civil War, and their equipment was equal to that of the RAF. Luftwaffe aircrews were considered the best in the world; they included many veterans of the Spanish Civil War and earlier campaigns of World War II. One of No. 33 Squadron’s principal opponents was the Luftwaffe’s Jagdgeschwader 27, a fighter wing commanded by Captain Eduard Neumann, one of Germany’s outstanding air combat leaders. Furthermore, the pilot many Luftwaffe leaders considered the best fighter pilot of the war, Hans Joachim Marseille, flew with I/JG.27. Marseille destroyed 158 British and American aircraft.

Commanded by Squadron Leader J.W. Marsden, No. 33 Squadron had been brought up to strength with replacement planes and pilots to support Operation Crusader. The offensive’s purpose was to relieve the British Tobruk garrison and to destroy Axis armored forces commanded by German Maj. Gen. Erwin Rommel, the famed Desert Fox. Crusader was scheduled to begin early in the morning of November 18, and No. 33 Squadron’s assignment was to attack El Erg airfield, located deep in the Libyan desert. As the Hurricanes approached the enemy airfield, three Italian Fiat C.R.42s jumped them. Despite the fact that the C.R.42 was one of the most advanced and maneuverable biplane fighters ever produced, with a top speed of 270 mph, Wade managed to shoot down two of the Italian planes, while the other C.R.42 was downed by his squadron mates.

Four days later, on November 22, nine Junkers Ju-88A bombers of I Gruppe, Lehrgeschwader (training wing) 1, with supporting Me-109s, attacked Allied airfields in the area. Given warning of that attack, No. 33 Squadron managed to scramble six Hurricanes to intercept the enemy formation. The squadron destroyed two Ju-88s, while Wade heavily damaged another Ju-88 in that same fight. After landing and servicing its fighters, No. 33 was ordered to intercept another enemy formation, this time made up of Italian Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 trimotor bombers. Displaying the aggressiveness that soon earned him the nickname Wildcat Wade, He destroyed one S.M.79 and teamed up with another pilot to bring down a second. On November 24, Wade and his wingman intercepted a flight of S.M.79s with C.R.42 escorts and, in a low-level fight over the desert, Wade notched up another S.M.79. That afternoon he shot down another C.R.42, thus achieving ace status in his first week of combat.

On the morning of December 5, 1941, No. 33 Squadron was ordered to make an early morning attack on the Axis landing field at Agedabia. The squadron mounted its attack from the east so that the glare of the morning sun offered some protection from groundfire. As Wade approached the enemy landing field, he concentrated his fire on an S.M.79 parked near the flight line. When he roared over the damaged enemy bomber, it exploded and heavily damaged his Hurricane. Fighting to keep his plane in the air, Wade struggled on for about 20 miles before setting down in the desert. In an attempt to help, Sergeant H.P. Wooler landed his own aircraft nearby, but Wooler’s Hurricane was damaged during the landing, and he was unable to take off afterward.

Now there were two British pilots stuck in the desert without food or water. Fortunately, the Desert Air Force was prepared for such an emergency. If stranded airmen could be located, they were supplied with essential rations by air. The fliers were given directions on where to head, and if the men could find firm sand to facilitate a landing by another aircraft, a plane would be sent in to rescue them. Wade and Wooler were among the lucky ones, as they were quickly spotted and supplies were airdropped to them. After walking back to base, Wade and Wooler officially became members of the Late Arrivals Club, which meant they could wear a special patch on the left breast of their flying suits.

During Wade’s first tour of duty from September 1941 to September 1942, the Desert Air Force took heavy losses due to the limitations of their outdated Hurricanes. But despite his plane’s obvious shortcomings, Wade’s victory total continued to rise. He also became the unofficial deputy commander of No. 33 Squadron.

Wade’s last week of his tour came during a period of intense air combat. That action started on September 11, 1942, with a large dogfight between Hurricanes of Nos. 33 and 213 squadrons and the Me-109s of I/JG.27 and II/JG.27 that were escorting Junkers Ju-87s on a dive-bombing mission. The Hurricanes were supported by the two new Spitfire squadrons, Nos. 145 and 610. In a swirling fight, Wade destroyed a Ju-87 on the 11th. Five days later, he tangled with a highly skilled Italian pilot flying a Macchi M.C.202, who damaged his Hurricane. This was the first time an enemy pilot had hit Wade’s fighter in a year of air combat, and he conceded that the enemy pilot was good. As his tour came to an end, Wade was sent home for a well-deserved rest. His score then stood at 15 confirmed kills.

The Texan RAF pilot’s exploits had been widely reported in U.S. newspapers, and now the American press corps clamored to meet the man who had become a high-scoring ace and also been invited to tea with Britain’s royal family. Upon his arrival in New York, he held a press conference at Rockefeller Center and was featured in the October 14, 1942, issue of The New York Times. After touring the big city, Wade returned to east Texas to a hero’s welcome. An auto dealership offered him the use of a new car during his leave, which he politely refused, and he also received invitations to speak throughout the region.

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