Canadian Forces Europe

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For post 2014 deployment, see Operation Reassurance.

Canadian Forces Europe was the

military formation in Europe during the Cold War. The CF assisted other NATO allies in watching the military activities of Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union
.

Canadian Forces Europe (CFE) consisted of two formations in

Canadian Forces Base Baden-Soellingen, which later became 1 Canadian Air Group. Both formations closed in the early 1990s with the end of the Cold War
. CFB Baden also held one Battalion of Infantry.

Canadian Forces Europe 1989 units

Order of battle graphic of Canadian air & ground forces in West Germany

Besides units of army and air force Canadian Forces Europe also contained a number of multi-service commands and units:

  • Canadian Forces Europe (CFE), CFB Lahr
    • Canadian Forces Element, HQ
      CENTAG, in Heidelberg
    • Canadian Forces Element, HQ 4 ATAF, at Ramstein Air Base
    • Canadian Forces Element, HQ AMF (L), in Mannheim
    • Canadian Forces Element, NATO Airborne Early Warning Force, E-3A Component, at Geilenkirchen Air Base
    • National Support Unit, at Geilenkirchen Air Base
    • Communications Group Europe, CFB Lahr
      • Communications Squadron Lahr
      • Communications Squadron Baden-Söllingen
    • Canadian Forces Network, CFB Lahr
    • Canadian Forces Hospital Europe, CFB Lahr
      • Base Hospital Lahr
      • Base Hospital Söllingen
      • 35 Dental Unit, CFB Lahr
      • Detachment Söllingen, 35 Dental Unit
    • CFB Lahr
      • Base Post Office
      • Base Transportation Section
      • Base Maintenance (Land) Section
      • Base Supply Section
      • Base Construction Engineering Squadron Lahr
      • Base Ground Operations Section
      • Lahr Military Police Section
    • CFB Baden-Söllingen
      • Base Post Office
      • Base Transportation Section
      • Base Maintenance (Land) Section
      • Base Supply Section
      • Base Construction Engineering Squadron Baden-Söllingen
      • Base Ground Operations Section
      • Baden-Söllingen Military Police Section
    • 311 Forward Mobile Support Unit, providing general logistic support to CFE
      • Forward Storage Site, for units that would have been dispatched to Germany in case of war, in Zimmern ob Rottweil
    • Ammunition Depot Lahr
    • Ammunition Depot Söllingen
    • Training Area Langenhard

Canadian Army

Centurions and an independent brigade reconnaissance squadron with Ferrets. In 1959, when 4 CIBG's tour was due to end, a change was made in the reinforcement policy for West Germany
. Instead of whole brigades rotating every two years, the decision was made to keep 4 CIBG and its associated brigade units in place, instead rotating the major combat elements to Germany every three years.

The brigade was headquartered in Soest. Individual units were stationed both at Soest and other towns in North Rhine-Westphalia:

  • Soest - BHQ, 1 x infantry battalion, service units
  • Hemer - 1 x infantry battalion, artillery regiment
  • Werl - 1 x infantry battalion, engineer regiment, field ambulance
  • Iserlohn - armoured regiment

In 1962, the brigade was reinforced with the addition of the

tactical nuclear weapons, and an extensive logistic operation. The extent of the Canadian operation led to the British describing it as "a light division".[1]

The brigade was renamed 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in May 1968.

The reformation of 1st Canadian Division in November 1989 followed the Canadian government's decision to end the Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group (CAST) commitment to reinforce Northern Norway.[2] 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, based in Quebec, was thus available for other tasks. The CAST rapid-reinforcement commitment had been encountering problems, most graphically demonstrated during Exercise Brave Lion in 1986, which prompted Canada to start formal consultations with NATO about consolidating the CAST Brigade and 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, based in southern Germany. The two separate forces would have meant critical logistical and medical support needs would have gone unmet in case of real war.

The headquarters was established, with both 4 Brigade and 5 Brigade under command, at Kingston, Ontario, with a forward detachment at Lahr in Germany where 4 Brigade was based. The main headquarters was intended to move gradually from Kingston to Lahr over a period of time, though this never, in the event, took place.

Structure 1989

In case of war 1 Canadian Division would have been reinforced by

Central Army Group Commander's tactical reserve, performing operations in support of either II (German) Corps or VII US Corps
.

Royal Canadian Air Force

Sabre Mk 5 of No. 416 Squadron at Grostenquin, 1953

To meet

fighter
squadrons each.

Flughafen Lahr
). RCAF Station Zweibrücken was closed in 1969.

Structure 1989

References

  1. ^ Change of Command marks long period of service in Europe Archived 2011-05-01 at the Wayback Machine - Canadian Army
  2. ^ This section is primarily based on Sean M. Maloney, War Without Battles: Canada's NATO Brigade in Germany 1951–1993, McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., (Toronto, Montreal, and others), 1997.
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