Exercise Strikeback was a major

naval A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

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of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957. As part of a series of exercises to simulate an all-out Soviet attack on NATO, Exercise Strikeback was tasked with two objectives. Its initial objective was the deployment of NATO's naval forces (designated the "Blue Fleet") against other NATO forces attempting to simulate an "enemy" navy that featured a large number of submarines (designated the "Orange Fleet"). Its other objective was to have the Blue Fleet execute carrier-based air strikes against "enemy" formations and emplacements along NATO's northern flank in Norway. Exercise Strikeback involved over 200 warships, 650 aircraft, and 75,000 personnel from the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy, the

Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...

, and the Royal Norwegian Navy. As the largest peacetime naval operation up to that time, military analyst

Hanson W. Baldwin Hanson Weightman Baldwin (March 22, 1903 – November 13, 1991) was an American journalist who was the long-time military editor of ''The New York Times''. He won a Pulitzer Prize "for his coverage of the early days of World War II". He wrote ...

of '' The New York Times'' said Exercise Strikeback gathered "the strongest striking fleet assembled since World War II." Operation Strikeback and the other concurrent NATO exercises held during the fall of 1957 would be the most ambitious military undertaking for the alliance to date, involving more than 250,000 men, 300 ships, and 1,500 aircraft operating from Norway to Turkey.

Background

Strategic overview

Faced with the overwhelming numerical superiority of Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact military forces, NATO embraced the concept of the

nuclear umbrella The "nuclear umbrella" is a guarantee by a nuclear weapons state to defend a non-nuclear allied state. The context is usually the security alliances of the United States with Japan, South Korea, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (much o ...

to protect Western Europe from a Soviet ground invasion. This strategy was initially articulated in January 1954 by U.S. Army General and then-

Supreme Allied Commander Europe The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is ...

Alfred Gruenther: This strategic concept reflected the American strategy of massive retaliation of the

Eisenhower administration Dwight D. Eisenhower's tenure as the 34th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1953, and ended on January 20, 1961. Eisenhower, a Republican from Kansas, took office following a landslide victory ov ...

as set forth by Secretary of State

John Foster Dulles John Foster Dulles (, ; February 25, 1888 – May 24, 1959) was an American diplomat, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. He served as United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959 and was briefly ...

NATO military command structure

With the establishment of NATO's Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) on 30 January 1952, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) joined the previously-created Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as one of the alliance's two principal parts of the NATO Military Command Structure. In addition, Allied Command Channel was established on 21 February 1952 to control the English Channel and North Sea area and deny it to the enemy, protect the sea lanes of communication, and Support operations conducted by SACEUR and SACLANT. The following key NATO military commands were involved in a series of alliance-wide exercises, including Operation Strikeback, during the Fall of 1957. * Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) * Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) –

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Jerauld Wright, United States Navy ** Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (DSACLANT) – Vice-Admiral Sir John Eaton, RN *** Chief of Staff (COFS) – Vice Admiral Harold Page Smith, United States Navy ** Eastern Atlantic Area (EASTLANT) – Vice Admiral Sir John Eccles, RN ** Western Atlantic Area (WESTLANT) –

Jerauld Wright, United States Navy ** Striking Fleet Atlantic (STRIKFLTLANT) – Vice Admiral

Robert B. Pirie Robert Burns Pirie (18 April 1905 – 9 January 1990) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy. He was Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for air when he retired in 1962. Biography A native of Wymore, Nebraska, he was a 1926 graduate of t ...

, United States Navy *Allied Command Europe * Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) – General Lauris Norstad, USAF ** Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) –

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, British Army *** Chief of Staff (COFS) – General Courtlandt Van R. Schuyler,

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** Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) –

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Sir C.S. Sugden, British Army ** Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) –

Général d'Armée Army general (french: Général d'armée) is the highest active military rank of the French Army and the National Gendarmerie. It is also used in the Air and Space Force, where it is called . Officially, it is not a rank but a position and styl ...

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, French Army *** Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) –

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Sir George Holroyd Mills, RAF *** Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) – General Sir Richard Nelson Gale, British Army ***

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 hea ...

(CENTAG) – General

Henry I. Hodes Henry Irving Hodes (March 19, 1899 – February 14, 1962) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group from 1956 to 1959. Military career/biography Henry I ...

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(AFSOUTH) –

R.P.M. Bristol, United States Navy ***

Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) is the principal naval service command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO), replacing Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe (STRIKFORS ...

(STRIKFORSOUTH) – Vice Admiral Charles R. Brown, United States Navy **

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(AFMED) –

Sir Ralph Edwards, RN * Allied Command Channel (CHANCOM) * Commander-in-Chief Channel (CINCHAN) –

Sir

Guy Grantham Admiral Sir Guy Grantham, (9 January 1900 – 8 September 1992) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth from 1957 to 1959. Naval career Educated at Rugby School,RN

Operational history

As part of the response to a theoretical Soviet attack against NATO on all fronts, Operation Strikeback would test the capabilities of Allied naval forces (''Blue Fleet'') by tasking them to destroy the enemy navy (''Orange Fleet'') and its huge submarine fleet, protect transatlantic shipping, and undertake sustained carrier-based air strikes against the enemy positions. Beginning on 3 September 1957, American and Canadian naval forces got underway to join British, French, Dutch, and Norwegian naval forces in eastern Atlantic and northern European waters under the overall command of Vice Admiral

, United States Navy, Commander, United States Second Fleet, acting as NATO's Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic. While en route, the U.S.-Canadian naval forces executed ''Operation Seaspray'', a bilateral naval exercise to protect Blue Fleet's vitally-important underway replenishment group (URG) from enemy submarine attacks. The nuclear submarine and the conventional submarine completed operations in the Arctic and joined 34 other U.S. and allied submarines temporarily assigned to the Orange Fleet. USS ''Mount McKinley'' was based in Portsmouth Naval Base as the command communications base for the Orange forces controlling Comsuborangelant/Comphiborangelant for the duration of the Exercise. Operation Strikeback itself began on 19 September 1957, involving over 200 warships, 650 aircraft, and 65,000 personnel. To provide a more realistic simulation of protecting transatlantic shipping, over 200 merchant marine vessels, including the

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

s and , also participated as duly-flagged target ships for the exercise. Blue Fleet hunter-killer (HUK) groups centered around the carriers , , and , as well as submarines and land-based anti-submarine patrol aircraft, executed ''Operation Fend Off/Operation Fishplay'' to identify, track, and contain the breakout of the enemy Orange Fleet's submarine force along the Greenland- Iceland-UK gap ( GIUK gap"). Operating above the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

in the Norwegian Sea, the Blue Fleet, which included the new aircraft carriers and , launched carried-based air strikes against enemy positions in Norway. ''Time'' magazine provided the following contemporary coverage of Operation Strikeback: USS Nautilus SSN-571 -underway

Following the conclusion of Operation Strikeback, U.S. naval forces conducted ''Operation Pipedown'', involving the protection of its underway replenishment group while en route back the United States. SACLANT

Jerauld Wright, United States Navy, described Operation Strikeback as being "remarkably successful" while also noting " hatthere is considerable scarcity of both naval and air forces in the eastern Atlantic." Wright's Eastern Atlantic allied commander, Vice Admiral Sir John Eccles, RN, also noted: Particularly significant was the performance of

nuclear-powered submarines A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion, ...

with the U.S. Navy's first two such vessels, the and , participating in Operation Strikeback. According to naval analyst-historian

Norman Friedman Norman Friedman (born 1946) is an American internationally known author and analyst, strategist, and historian. He has written over 30 books and numerous articles on naval and other military matters, has worked for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps ...

, ''Nautilus'' "presented a greater threat than all 21 snorkel submarines combined" during Operation Strikeback, making 16 successful attacks against various naval formations while maintaining effective on-station tactical and high-speed pursuit capabilities. ''Nautilus'' cruised 3,384 nautical miles (6,267 km) with an average speed of 14.4 knots (26.7 km/h). In addition to the ''Nautilus'', the ''Seawolf'' departed New London on 3 September for Operation Strikeback. Before she surfaced off Newport, Rhode Island, on 25 September, ''Seawolf'' had remained submerged for 16 days, cruising a total of 6,331 miles (10,189 km). Recognizing the need to meet this Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) challenge, the following actions were taken: * Task Force Alfa was created by the U.S. Navy to develop improved ASW tactics and technology by integrating carrier-based ASW aircraft, land-based patrol aircraft, refitted destroyers, and hunter-killer submarines. * NATO Undersea Research Centre was established by SACLANT on 2 May 1959 in La Spezia, Italy, to serve as a clearinghouse for NATO's anti-submarine efforts. Operation Strikeback was the final deployment for the

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

s and until their re-activation in the 1980s by the Reagan Administration. Finally, on the technical level, Operation Strikeback saw the first use of single sideband (SSB) voice communications for tactical operations by the United States Navy, and was the first Royal Navy carrier to use a

magnetic loop A loop antenna is a radio antenna consisting of a loop or coil of wire, tubing, or other electrical conductor, that is usually fed by a balanced source or feeding a balanced load. Within this physical description there are two (possibly three) di ...

communication system. In addition to Operation Strikeback, which concentrated on its eastern Atlantic/northern European flank, NATO also conducted two other major military exercises in September 1957, Operation Counter Punch involving Allied Forces Central Europe on the European mainland and Operation Deep Water involving NATO's southern flank in the Mediterranean Sea.

Naval forces for Operation Strikeback

The following is a partial listing of naval forces known to have participated in Operation Strikeback.

Aircraft carriers and embarked air groups

* – Blue Fleet flagship ** Carrier Air Group Seven *** Fighter Squadron 61 (VF-61) *** Attack Squadron 72 (VA-72) *** Attack Squadron 75 (VA-75) *** All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (VA(AW)-33) Det. *** Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) Det. *** Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Det. * ** Carrier Air Group One *** Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14) *** Fighter Squadron 84 (VF-84) *** Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15) *** Attack Squadron 76 (VA-76) *** Heavy Attack Squadron 1 (VAH-1) *** Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Det. *** All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (AV(AW)-33) Det. *** Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Det. * ** Carrier Air Group Six: *** Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) *** Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) *** Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25) *** Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) *** Heavy Attack Squadron 11 (VAH-11) *** All-Weather Attack Squadron 33 (VA(AW)-33) Det. *** Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62) Det. *** Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 (VAW-12) Det. *** Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (UH-2) Det. * ** Squadrons embarked: *** Air Anti-submarine Squadron 36 (VS-36) *** Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron 3 (HS-7) *** Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Det. * ** Squadrons embarked: *** Air Anti-submarine Squadron 32 (VS-32) *** Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron 1 (HS-1) *** Attack Squadron 172 (VA-172) *** All-Weather Fighter Squadron 4 (VF(AW)-4) Det. *** Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Det. * ** Squadrons embarked: *** Attack Squadron 44 (VA-44) *** Air Anti-submarine Squadron 27 (VS-27) *** Air Anti-submarine Squadron 30 (VS-30) *** Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron 5 (HS-5) *** Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Det. * – Orange Fleet flagship ** Squadrons embarked: 802, 804,

815 __NOTOC__ Year 815 (Roman numerals, DCCCXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Bulgarian Treaty of 815, Byzantine–Bulgaria ...

831 __NOTOC__ Year 831 ( DCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Arab War: Emperor Theophilos invades the Abbasid dominion ...

, 849B,

898 __NOTOC__ Year 898 ( DCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 1 – King Odo I (or Eudes) dies at La Fère (Northern France) af ...

* ** Squadrons embarked:

820 __NOTOC__ Year 820 ( DCCCXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Abbasid Caliphate *Abbasid caliph Al-Ma'mun appointed Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi as Abbasid govern ...

845 __NOTOC__ Year 845 ( DCCCXLV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Arab War: A prisoner exchange occurs between the Byzant ...

, 849D,

891 Year 891 ( DCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 21 – Guy III, duke of Spoleto, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Ste ...

* ** Squadrons embarked:

803 __NOTOC__ Year 803 ( DCCCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Emperors Nikephoros I and Charlemagne settle their imperial boundaries ...

806 __NOTOC__ Year 806 ( DCCCVI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Asia * February 5 – Emperor Kanmu dies after a 25-year reign, that has seen Korea ...

813 Events By place Byzantine Empire * June 22 – Battle of Versinikia: The Bulgars, led by Krum, ruler (''khan'') of the Bulgarian Empire, defeat Emperor Michael I near Edirne (modern Turkey). The Byzantine army (26,000 men) is d ...

, 814, 848A

Naval aircraft

;Royal Navy: *Fighter **

891 Naval Air Squadron 891 Naval Air Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II. In August 1942 the squadron transferred from RNAS Lee-on-Solent where it had been formed in July to RNAS Charlton Horethorne with six Sea Hurri ...

de Havilland Sea Venom The de Havilland Sea Venom is a British postwar carrier-capable jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Venom. It served with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and with the Royal Australian Navy. The French Navy operated the Aquilon, develo ...

894 Naval Air Squadron 894 Naval Air Squadron (894 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land a ...

, Sea Venom **

802 Naval Air Squadron 802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Early history 802 Squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 aboard by the merger of two independent Royal Air Force naval units, 408 (Fleet Fighter) Flight ...

, Hawker Sea Hawk ** 803 Naval Air Squadron, Sea Hawk ** 804 Naval Air Squadron, Sea Hawk ** 806 Naval Air Squadron, Sea Hawk ** 898 Naval Air Squadron, Sea Hawk *torpedo/strike fighter **

813 Naval Air Squadron 813 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II and again post-war. It initially operated Swordfish Mk Is from the aircraft carrier '' Illustrious'' and took part in the successful raid on Ta ...

, Westland Wyvern *A/S Warfare **

814 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron or 814 NAS, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It is currently equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and is based at Royal Naval Air Stati ...

, Fairey Gannet **

815 Naval Air Squadron 815 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron flying the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter and is the Navy's front line Wildcat Naval Air Squadron. The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) in Somerset. The squadro ...

, Fairey Gannet **

820 Naval Air Squadron 820 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier-based squadron flying the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 in an Anti-Submarine role from RNAS Culdrose. The Squadron was formed at RNAS Gosport on 3 April 1933 with the transferral of the F ...

, Fairey Gannet *Airborne Early Warning **'A' Flight 849 Naval Air Squadron, Skyraider AEW.1 **'B' Flight 849 Naval Air Squadron, Skyraider AEW.1 **'D' Flight 849 Naval Air Squadron, Skyraider AEW.1 *Helicopters: **

845 Naval Air Squadron 845 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Part of the Commando Helicopter Force, it is a specialist amphibious unit operating the AgustaWestland Commando Merlin HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load ...

, Westland Whirlwind:

Aircraft losses

A3D crash on USS Forrestal (CVA-59) 1957

* 24 September 1957 – An F4D Skyray jet fighter crashed into the sea while attempting to land back on board the . During the subsequent

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

, two S2F-2 ASW aircraft of VS-36 off the collided in mid-air and crashed into the sea. Two additional F4D Skyray aircraft crashed following a mid-air collision off Andøy, Norway. The total loss of life was 11. *26 September 1957 – An A3D-1 Skywarrior attack bomber crashed into the stern flight deck ramp while attempting to land on board the (''pictured''). The aircraft was lost at sea, but the three-man crew was recovered.

Surface warships

Submarine forces

Naval auxiliaries

Land-based ASW patrol aircraft

U.S. Navy Fleet Air Wing 3

The United States Navy deployed two patrol squadron from Fleet Air Wing Three (FAW-3) to participate in Operation Strikeback: * Patrol Squadron 8 (VP-8) operated out of

Argentia Argentia ( ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which r ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. * Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) operated out of Keflavik, Iceland. Both squadrons flew Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune ASW patrol aircraft.

RAF Coastal Command

The Royal Air Force assigned two squadrons from RAF Coastal Command to participate in Operation Strikeback. Both squadrons flew Avro Shackleton patrol bombers: * No. 204 Squadron deployed to RAF Kinloss * No. 269 Squadron deployed to RAF Wick

U.S. Marine Corps units

The following units of the United States Marine Corps participated in Operation Strikeback in September 1957 are listed below. * Regimental Landing Team 8 (RLT-8) * Battalion Landing Team 1/2

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bibliography

* * * * * * *Lord Ismay
''NATO the first five years 1949-1954''
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, 1954 * * * * * * * * *

''Time'' — 30 September 1957

''Time'' — 7 October 1957

''Time'' — 7 April 1958

''Time'' — 1 September 1958

A-3 Skywarrior Association

A-3 Skywarrior Association

''Chronological History — U.S. Naval Communications''

The National Association of Destroyer Veterans

Project Get Out and Walk

HMCS ''Iroquois''

GlobalSecurity.org

Go Navy

- Arlington National Cemetery
''Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 1 The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons''

* ttp://www.navsource.org/archives/02/11.htm#strike_back USS ''Intrepid'' — Operation Strikeback— Navsource.org
Senior officials in the NATO military structure, from 1949 to 2001

- No. 269 Squadron RAF

- USS ''Essex'' Association

External links

GlobalSecurity.org

Go Navy

"Trained to 'Strike Back'"
- ''Naval Aviation News'' - December 1957 {{Cold War Strikeback 1957 in military history 1957 in Europe