Canadian Forces Europe was the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Ai ...

military formation Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a natio ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

during the Cold War. The CF assisted other

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

allies in watching the military activities of

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republi ...

and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. Canadian Forces Europe (CFE) consisted of two formations in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

Canadian Forces Base Lahr Canadian Forces Base Lahr ( IATA:LHA, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. It was operated primarily as a French air force base, and later as a Canadian army base, beginning in the la ...

, with the

4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4CMBG; french: 4e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, 4GBMC) was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. It was part of the European formation known as Canad ...

(1957-1993), and No. 1 Air Division RCAF at

Canadian Forces Base Baden-Soellingen Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

, which later became 1 Canadian Air Group. Both formations closed in the early 1990s with the end of the Cold War.

Canadian Forces Europe 1989 units

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 Base Lahr ( IATA:LHA, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. It was operated primarily as a French air force base, and later as a Canadian army base, beginning in the la ...

** Canadian Forces Element, HQ

CENTAG The Central Army Group (CENTAG) was a NATO military formation comprising four Army Corps from two NATO member nations comprising troops from Canada, West Germany and the United States. During the Cold War, CENTAG was NATO's forward defence ...

, in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

** Canadian Forces Element, HQ 4 ATAF, at

Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and al ...

** Canadian Forces Element, HQ AMF (L), in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...

** 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 Canadian Forces Radio and Television (CFRT), ''Radiotélévision des Forces canadiennes'' (RTFC) in French, was a television and radio network system broadcast by satellite to those members of the Canadian Forces ground forces who served overseas ...

, CFB Lahr ** Canadian Forces Hospital Europe, CFB Lahr *** Base Hospital Lahr *** Base Hospital Söllingen *** 35 Dental Unit, CFB Lahr *** Detachment Söllingen, 35 Dental Unit **

*** 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 Zimmern ob Rottweil is a town in the district of Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The municipality includes the former independent municipalities Zimmern ob Rottweil, Flözlingen, Horgen and Stetten ob Rottweil. Zimmern is located on ...

** Ammunition Depot Lahr ** Ammunition Depot Söllingen ** Training Area Langenhard

Canadian Army

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

had maintained a presence in Europe as part of the

forces since 1951, when 27 Canadian Infantry Brigade was initially deployed to

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

attached to

British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility locate ...

(BAOR). This formation, which was formed primarily with

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

units, eventually moved to a permanent base at Soest in 1953. To begin with, it was intended to rotate brigades to Germany - 27 CIB was replaced by 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group in October 1953, which in turn was replaced by 2 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group in 1955, and then 4 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group in 1957. The arrival of 4 CIBG saw a significant reinforcement of the formation's capabilities; prior to this each brigade had only been equipped with a squadron of

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension s ...

s. The arrival of 4 CIBG saw a full armoured regiment equipped with Centurions and an independent brigade reconnaissance squadron with

Ferrets The ferret (''Mustela furo'') is a small, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), evidenced by their interfertility. Other mu ...

. In 1959, when 4 CIBG's tour was due to end, a change was made in the reinforcement policy for

. 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 North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhab ...

: * Soest - BHQ, 1 x infantry battalion, service units *

Hemer Hemer is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Hemer is located at the north end of the Sauerland near the Ruhr river. The highest elevation, at 546 metres (1,791 ft), is in the ''Balver Wal ...

- 1 x infantry battalion, artillery regiment *

Werl Werl (; Westphalian: ''Wiärl'') is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area. The Hellweg r ...

- 1 x infantry battalion, engineer regiment, field ambulance *

Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region. Geography Iserlohn is loc ...

- armoured regiment In 1962, the brigade was reinforced with the addition of the

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; french: links=no, Corps blindé royal canadien) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regimentsThe Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printe ...

helicopter recce troop, equipped with nine

CH-112 Nomad The Hiller OH-23 Raven is a three-place, military light observation helicopter based on the Hiller Model 360. The Model 360 was designated by the company as the UH-12 ("UH" for United Helicopters),Donald, David. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of W ...

helicopters. By the mid 1960s, 4 CIBG's manpower totalled 6,700 men; it featured three mechanised infantry battalions, a reconnaissance squadron equipped with both armoured vehicles and helicopters, artillery equipped with both fire support and

tactical nuclear weapons A tactical nuclear weapon (TNW) or non-strategic nuclear weapon (NSNW) is a nuclear weapon that is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations, mostly with friendly forces in proximity and perhaps even on contested friendly territo ...

, and an extensive logistic operation. The extent of the Canadian operation led to the British describing it as "a light division". The brigade was renamed

in May 1968. The reformation of

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very shor ...

in November 1989 followed the Canadian government's decision to end the

Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group The Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group, or CAST, was a Canadian Forces battle group dedicated to the rapid reinforcement of Norway in the event of a land war in Europe. The Group was based on a mechanized infantry brigade, supported ...

(CAST) commitment to reinforce Northern Norway.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.

5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (french: 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada) (5 CMBG) is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of 2nd Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. It is based at CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City, Quebec. Th ...

, 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

, 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 Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toront ...

, 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

* Canadian Forces Europe ** 1 Canadian Division (Forward),

*** 1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment,

*** 1st Canadian Division Intelligence Company, CFB Lahr ***

**** 4 CMBG Headquarters & Signal Squadron, CFB Lahr **** 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's), CFB Lahr (77x Leopard C1, 20x

Lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

, 36x M113, 2x

M577 The M577 Command Post Carrier, also known as the M577 Command Post Vehicle or Armored Command Post Vehicle, is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier that was developed and produced by the Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation (FMC ...

, 6x Bergepanzer) **** 1^er Btn, Royal 22^e Régiment, CFB Lahr (2x M577, 65x M113, 11x

, 18x M113 TUA with TOW, 24x M125 with a

81mm mortar An 81 mm mortar is a medium-weight mortar. It is a smooth-bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support to light infantry, air assault, and airborne units across the entire front of a battalion zon ...

) **** 3rd Btn,

Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked 1st in the order of precedence amongst Canadian A ...

, CFB Baden-Söllingen (2x M577, 65x M113, 11x

, 18x M113 TUA with TOW, 24x M125 with a

) **** 1st Regiment,

Royal Canadian Horse Artillery The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. Organization The Regular Force has three RCHA regiments: ; 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery: this is the descendant of ...

, CFB Lahr (2x M577, 26x M109A4, 46x M113, 24x M548) **** 4 Combat Engineer Regiment, CFB Lahr (14x M113, 2x M577, 6x M548, 9x

Badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united ...

AEV, 6x Biber bridgelayer) **** 4 Service Battalion, CFB Lahr (4x M113, 2x Bergepanzer, 6x MTV-R) **** 4 Field Ambulance, CFB Lahr **** 4 Military Police Platoon, CFB Lahr *** 4 Air Defence Regiment,

Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): " British Grenadiers/The ...

**** Headquarters & Service Battery, 4 Air Defence Regiment, RCA (2x M 577, 2x M113) **** 127 Air Defence Battery (detached to

), CFB Lahr (12x ADATS, 15x

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with t ...

, 5x M113) **** 128 Air Defence Battery (detached to 4 Wing), CFB Baden-Söllingen (4x ADATS, 8x 35mm Skyguard) **** 129 Air Defence Battery (detached to 3 Wing), CFB Lahr (4x ADATS, 8x 35mm Skyguard) **** 4 Air Defence Workshop In case of war 1 Canadian Division would have been reinforced by 5 Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada and 1,400 men from

1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG; French: '')'' is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of the 3rd Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. Originally headquartered at CFB Calgary, it is currently based in CFB Edmonton ...

would have been sent to bring 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group to full wartime strength. 1 Canadian Division would have been assigned to the

Central Army Group Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC Heidelberg) was a formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) responsible for providing deployable joint staff elements (DJSE) in support of NATO operations worldwide. It was head ...

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

Royal Canadian Air Force

To meet

's air defence commitments during the Cold War, No. 1 Air Division RCAF was established in

in the early 1950s with four

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environ ...

bases in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

and West Germany. These included

RCAF Station Marville RCAF Station Marville (also known as 1(F) Wing or 1 Wing) was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station located near Marville in the Meuse department, Lorraine, northeastern France. It was one of four RCAF wings consisting of three fighter squadro ...

(''No. 1 Wing'') and

RCAF Station Grostenquin RCAF Station Grostenquin, also known as 2 (Fighter) Wing or 2 Wing, was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station located five km north of the town of Grostenquin in the Moselle department, Lorraine, northeastern France. It was one of four RCAF ...

(''No. 2 Wing'') in France and Royal Canadian Air Force Station Zweibrücken (''No. 3 Wing'') and Royal Canadian Air Force Station Baden-Soellingen (No. 4 Wing) in West Germany. These wings consisted of three fighter squadrons each.

was closed in 1964 and its units transferred to RCAF Station Marville. In 1967 Marville was closed after France's withdrawal from NATO's military command structure and the units transferred to new RCAF Station Lahr (later CFB Lahr, now Flughafen Lahr). RCAF Station Zweibrücken was closed in 1969.

Structure 1989

* Canadian Forces Europe **

1 Canadian Air Division , colors = Blue, green, yellow, and silver , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , ...

, CFB Baden-Söllingen, in war under Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force *** 3 Wing

**** 3 Wing Operations **** 3 Communication and Air Traffic Control Squadron ****

416 Tactical Fighter Squadron 416 "City of Oshawa" Tactical Fighter Squadron (416 TFS) was a unit of the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron operated the CF-18 Hornet fighter jet from CFB Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada. In 2006, 416 TFS stood down ...

441 Tactical Fighter Squadron 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron was a unit of the Canadian Forces. It was originally formed as a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the Second World War. The squadron operated the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet fighter jet from CFB ...

from

CFB Cold Lake Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake , abbreviated as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base in the City of Cold Lake, Alberta. The facility is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is approximately south of the ...

, 18x CF-18 ****

425 Tactical Fighter Squadron 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

433 Tactical Fighter Squadron 433 Squadron is a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates CF-18 Hornet fighter jets from CFB Bagotville in Quebec, Canada. Its Commanding Officer is Lieutenant Colonel Tom "''Banger''" Lawrence. History No. 433 Squadron formed at RA ...

from

CFB Bagotville Canadian Forces Base Bagotville , commonly referred to as CFB Bagotville, and also known as Bagotville Airport or Saguenay-Bagotville Airport, is a Canadian Forces base located west of Bagotville in the city of Saguenay. Located in the centre ...

, 18x CF-18 *** 4 Wing CFB Baden-Söllingen **** 4 Wing Operations **** 4 Communication and Air Traffic Control Squadron **** 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18x CF-18 **** 421 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18x CF-18 **** 439 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18x CF-18 **** Air Reserve Augmentation Flight (Reserve Pilots) **** Training Flight, 5x CT-133 Silver Star **** 1 Air Maintenance Squadron CFB Baden-Soellingen *** 4 Construction Engineer Squadron, detached from Royal Canadian Engineers *** 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (detached to

), CFB Lahr ( CH136 Kiowa, UH1N) *** Detachment Lahr, 412 Transport Squadron, 2x CC-142 Dash 8 **** 5 Air Movement Unit

References

* http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/orgformations/4cmbg.htm Commands of the Canadian armed forces Military units and formations disestablished in 1993 Cold War military history of Canada Politics of Europe