Tiger Force (air)

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Tiger Force was the name given to a World War II British Commonwealth long range heavy bomber force, formed in 1945, from squadrons serving with RAF Bomber Command in Europe, for proposed use against targets in Japan. The unit was scheduled to be redeployed to the Pacific theatre in the lead-up to the Allies' proposed Allied invasion of Japan. The unit was disbanded after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.

The force was to have been based on Okinawa and would have used Avro Lancasters, Avro Lincolns and Consolidated Liberators. The initial proposal was for Tiger Force to be comprised of three groups: one British Royal Air Force (RAF), one Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and one from various air forces. By late 1945 this had been scaled back to two composite groups, made up of RAF, RCAF, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) squadrons.

Escort duties would have been performed by fighter units from the U.S. Far East Air Force and/or the Australian First Tactical Air Force.

The colour scheme for Tiger Force aircraft was white upper-surfaces with black undersides; this scheme, despite the cancellation of operations against Japan, was apparent on many post-war Lancasters and Lincolns.