Allied Forces Northern Europe
Encyclopedia
Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) was the most northern NATO command
located at Kolsås
outside Oslo
. It was part of Allied Command Europe from around 1952 to 2003. In the case of war
, AFNORTH would assume supreme command of all Allied forces in northern Europe (Norway and Denmark) and Germany north of Elbe
/Hamburg
and adjacent sea territory.
For much of its existence its commander-in-chief (CINCNORTH) was a British Army
Admiral or General. The chief-of-staff was always a German Vice Admiral
. The central Air Force Commander Northern Europe, who would assume command of all NATO air forces in AFNORTH's area in the case of war, was directly subordinated to CINCNORTH and was always a Lieutenant General from the US Air Force. The leadership of AFNORTH additionally included a Land Deputy, a Sea Deputy, and an Air Deputy, who were always Danish or Norwegian Major General
s or Rear Admiral
s.
In 1993 AFNORTH's major subordinate commands were Allied Forces North Norway; Allied Forces South Norway; and Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
(Karup). BALTAP comprised AIRBALTAP, NAVBALTAP, LANDZEALAND, responsible for the land defence of Zealand and the other Danish islands, and Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (LANDJUT). From 1962 LANDJUT had been responsible for the defence of the Baltic Approaches from a headquarters at Rendsburg
, Germany. It comprised the 6th Panzergrenadier Division and the Danish Jutland Division. LANDJUT was planned to be reinforced in time of war by the United Kingdom Mobile Force, primarily 1st Infantry Brigade plus some other forces.
HQ AFNORTH Kolsaas closed on the morning of 30 June 1994. The HQ that replaced it, HQ Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST), located at RAF High Wycombe
in the United Kingdom, was activated in the afternoon of 30 June 1994. AFCENT, located in Brunssum the Netherlands, was renamed AFNORTH. AFNORTHWEST was disestablished on 3 March 2000, CINCNORTHWEST transferring his authority to RHQ AFNORTH the same day. In the year 2004, it was again renamed, to Joint Force Command Brunssum.
The headquarters facility at Kolsås is now used by the high command of the Royal Norwegian Defense Forces
.
The command alternated between British and German generals.
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
located at Kolsås
Kolsås
Kolsås is a wooded mountain ridge in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. Geologically, Kolsås belongs to the Oslo Graben area. Its two peaks consist of hard rhomb porphyric lava covering softer rocks, forming steep cliffs to the east, south and west....
outside Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. It was part of Allied Command Europe from around 1952 to 2003. In the case of war
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
, AFNORTH would assume supreme command of all Allied forces in northern Europe (Norway and Denmark) and Germany north of Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
/Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and adjacent sea territory.
For much of its existence its commander-in-chief (CINCNORTH) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Admiral or General. The chief-of-staff was always a German Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
. The central Air Force Commander Northern Europe, who would assume command of all NATO air forces in AFNORTH's area in the case of war, was directly subordinated to CINCNORTH and was always a Lieutenant General from the US Air Force. The leadership of AFNORTH additionally included a Land Deputy, a Sea Deputy, and an Air Deputy, who were always Danish or Norwegian Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
s or Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
s.
In 1993 AFNORTH's major subordinate commands were Allied Forces North Norway; Allied Forces South Norway; and Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
Allied Forces Baltic Approaches was the NATO command with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002.The NATO command Baltic Approaches was created on 8 January 1962, with headquarters in Karup, Denmark...
(Karup). BALTAP comprised AIRBALTAP, NAVBALTAP, LANDZEALAND, responsible for the land defence of Zealand and the other Danish islands, and Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (LANDJUT). From 1962 LANDJUT had been responsible for the defence of the Baltic Approaches from a headquarters at Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
, Germany. It comprised the 6th Panzergrenadier Division and the Danish Jutland Division. LANDJUT was planned to be reinforced in time of war by the United Kingdom Mobile Force, primarily 1st Infantry Brigade plus some other forces.
HQ AFNORTH Kolsaas closed on the morning of 30 June 1994. The HQ that replaced it, HQ Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST), located at RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the RAF Air Command, situated on the site. It is also the headquarters of the European Air Group...
in the United Kingdom, was activated in the afternoon of 30 June 1994. AFCENT, located in Brunssum the Netherlands, was renamed AFNORTH. AFNORTHWEST was disestablished on 3 March 2000, CINCNORTHWEST transferring his authority to RHQ AFNORTH the same day. In the year 2004, it was again renamed, to Joint Force Command Brunssum.
The headquarters facility at Kolsås is now used by the high command of the Royal Norwegian Defense Forces
Norwegian Defence Force
The Norwegian Armed Forces numbers about 23,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to mobilisation plans , the strength during full mobilisation would be approximately 83,000 combatant personnel. Norway has mandatory military service for men and voluntary service for women...
.
Structure until 1993
Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) with headquarters in Kolsås, Norway- Allied Command Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) with headquarters in Karup, Denmark
- Commander, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (COMLANDJUT)
- Commander, Allied Land Forces in Zealand (COMLANDZEALAND)
- Commander, Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (COMAIRBALTAP) in Karup
- Commander, Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (COMNAVBALTAP) in Karup (previously in Kiel-Holtenau).
- Allied Command South Norway (SONOR) with headquarters in Stavanger
- Allied Command North Norway (NON) with headquarters in Bodø.
Structure 2000-2004
AFNORTH at this point was a regional command of AFCENT:- Two component commands:
- Allied Air Forces North (AIRNORTH) in RamsteinRamstein-MiesenbachRamstein-Miesenbach is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.-History:As a result of the State of Rheinland-Pfalz administrative reform, Ramstein-Miesenbach, which has a population of approx. 9200, was created on 7 June 1969 from the independent...
, Germany; - Allied Naval Forces North (NAVNORTH) in NorthwoodLondon Borough of HillingdonThe London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
, United Kingdom.
- Allied Air Forces North (AIRNORTH) in Ramstein
- Three Joint Sub-regional commands:
- Joint Command Centre in HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany; - Joint Command North-East in Karup, Denmark;
- Joint Command North in StavangerStavangerStavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Norway
- Joint Command Centre in Heidelberg
The command alternated between British and German generals.
Commanders-in-Chief
Commanders-in-Chief have been:- 1951-1953 Admiral Sir Patrick BrindPatrick BrindAdmiral Sir Eric James Patrick Brind GBE KCB was the first Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe.- Naval career :...
- 1953-1956 General Sir Robert ManserghRobert ManserghGeneral Sir Eric Carden Robert Mansergh GCB KBE MC was a British Army General during and after World War II.-Military career:...
- 1956-1958 Lieutenant General Sir Cecil SugdenCecil SugdenGeneral Sir Cecil Sugden GBE KCB is a former Master-General of the Ordnance.-Military career:Educated at Brighton College, Sugden was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1923....
- 1958-1961 Lieutenant General Sir Horatius MurrayHoratius MurrayGeneral Sir Horatius Murray GCB KBE DSO was a British Army General during World War II.-Military career:Horatius Murray was commissioned into the Cameronians in 1923....
- 1961-1963 Lieutenant General Sir Harold PymanHarold PymanGeneral Sir Harold English Pyman GBE KCB DSO was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1960s. He was the eldest son of Harold English Pyman and Christian Jane Scott, and the great-grandson of George Pyman....
- 1963-1967 Lieutenant General Sir Robert BrayRobert Bray (British Army officer)General Sir Robert Napier Hubert Campbell Bray, GBE, KCB, DSO and bar was a British soldier, deputy Supreme Commander Europe of NATO's Allied Command Europe from 1967 to 1970.-Education:...
- 1967-1969 General Sir Kenneth DarlingKenneth DarlingGeneral Sir Kenneth Thomas Darling GBE KCB DSO was a senior British Army officer who was Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1967 to 1969.-Early life:...
- 1969-1972 General Sir Walter Walker
- 1972-1974 General Sir Thomas PearsonThomas Pearson (British Army officer)General Sir Thomas Pearson KCB CBE DSO was Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe.-Military career:Educated at Charterhouse School, Pearson was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1934....
- 1974-1977 General Sir John SharpJohn Sharp (British Army officer)General Sir John Sharp KCB MC was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1970s.-Military career:Sharp was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1938. He served in World War II with 5th Medium Regiment and then with 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery...
- 1977-1979 General Sir Peter WhiteleyPeter Whiteley (Royal Marines officer)General Sir Peter John Frederick Whiteley GCB OBE is a former Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe.-Military career:Educated at Bembridge School, Peter Whiteley was commissioned as a Royal Marine during World War II....
- 1979-1982 General Sir Anthony Farrar-HockleyAnthony Farrar-HockleyGeneral Sir Anthony Heritage Farrar-Hockley GBE, KCB, DSO & Bar, MC , affectionately known as 'Farrar the Para' , was a British soldier and a military historian who distinguished himself in a number of British conflicts...
- 1982-1986 General Sir Richard LawsonRichard Lawson (British Army officer)General Sir Richard George Lawson KCB, DSO, OBE, KCSS is a former British Army officer, who served as General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and later as Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe....
- 1986-1989 General Sir Geoffrey Howlett
- 1989-1992 General Sir Patrick Palmer
- 1992-1994 General Sir Garry JohnsonGarry JohnsonGeneral Sir Garry Dene Johnson KCB OBE MC was Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe.-Military career:Garry Johnson was commissioned into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles in 1956. He served in Malaysia during the Malaysian Emergency...