Operation Mainbrace was the first large scale naval exercise undertaken by the then newly-established
Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT)The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation . He led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
, one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was part of a series of NATO exercise jointly commanded by SACLANT
AdmiralIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Lynde D. McCormickAdmiral Lynde Dupuy McCormick was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as vice chief of naval operations from 1950 to 1951 and as commander in chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet from 1951 to 1954, and was the first supreme allied commander of all NATO forces in the...
,
USNThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, and SACEUR
GeneralIn the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Matthew B. Ridgeway, USA, during the Fall of 1952. Operation Mainbrace was conducted over twelve days between September 14 - 25, 1952, and involved the navies of the
United States of AmericaThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, the
United KingdonThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
,
FranceThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military...
,
CanadaThe Royal Canadian Navy was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian services were unified to form the Canadian Forces....
,
DenmarkThe Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for the maritime defence and sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
,
NorwayThe Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 3 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 6 corvettes, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection...
,
PortugalThe Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal.The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international compromises...
,
the NetherlandsThe Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands.-Bases:The main naval base is Den Helder, Noord Holland.Secondary naval bases are in Amsterdam, Vlissingen, Texel and Willemstad...
, and Belgium operating in the
Norwegian SeaThe Norwegian Sea is part of the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway, located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea....
, the
Barents SeaThe Barents Sea is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia. It is a rather deep shelf sea , bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the northeast and...
, the
North SeaThe North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than long and wide, with an area of around...
near the
Jutland PeninsulaThe Jutland Peninsula or more historically the Cimbrian Peninsula is a peninsula in Europe, divided between Denmark and Germany. The names are derived from the Jutes and the Cimbri....
, and the
Baltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and the...
.
Operation Mainbrace was the first large scale naval exercise undertaken by the then newly-established
Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT)The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation . He led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
, one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was part of a series of NATO exercise jointly commanded by SACLANT
AdmiralIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Lynde D. McCormickAdmiral Lynde Dupuy McCormick was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as vice chief of naval operations from 1950 to 1951 and as commander in chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet from 1951 to 1954, and was the first supreme allied commander of all NATO forces in the...
,
USNThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, and SACEUR
GeneralIn the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Matthew B. Ridgeway, USA, during the Fall of 1952. Operation Mainbrace was conducted over twelve days between September 14 - 25, 1952, and involved the navies of the
United States of AmericaThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, the
United KingdonThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
,
FranceThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military...
,
CanadaThe Royal Canadian Navy was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian services were unified to form the Canadian Forces....
,
DenmarkThe Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for the maritime defence and sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
,
NorwayThe Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 3 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 6 corvettes, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection...
,
PortugalThe Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal.The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international compromises...
,
the NetherlandsThe Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands.-Bases:The main naval base is Den Helder, Noord Holland.Secondary naval bases are in Amsterdam, Vlissingen, Texel and Willemstad...
, and Belgium operating in the
Norwegian SeaThe Norwegian Sea is part of the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway, located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea....
, the
Barents SeaThe Barents Sea is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia. It is a rather deep shelf sea , bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the northeast and...
, the
North SeaThe North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than long and wide, with an area of around...
near the
Jutland PeninsulaThe Jutland Peninsula or more historically the Cimbrian Peninsula is a peninsula in Europe, divided between Denmark and Germany. The names are derived from the Jutes and the Cimbri....
, and the
Baltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and the...
. Planning for Operation Mainbrace was initiated by
GeneralGeneral of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army...
Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. During the Second World War, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the...
prior to his resignation as NATO's
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)The shape of an object located in some space is the part of that space occupied by the object, as determined by its external boundary – abstracting from other properties such as colour, content, and material composition, as well as from the object's other spatial properties The shape (from...
to run for the
President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
. Its objective was to convince
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
and
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
that those nations could be defended against attack from the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
.
[Thompson. Lessons Not Learned, p. 15 - 16]
Strategic overview
The strategic importance of the maintaining control of Norway and the adjacent Norwegian and Barents seas was recognized by Anglo-American naval planners as early as the First World War. This importance was confirmed when
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German...
invadedThe Norwegian Campaign was the name used by the Allies United Kingdom and France for their first direct land confrontation with the military forces of Nazi Germany in World War II. The conflict occurred in Norway between 9 April and 10 June 1940, making Norway the nation - aside from the Soviet...
and
occupiedThe occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940 and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by German military forces...
Norway during World War Two, allowing military bases to be established for submarine and air operations against
Allied convoysThe Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and the United States to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
bound for the
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
seaport of
MurmanskMurmansk is a city and seaport in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, 12 km from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland....
.
[Allard. "Strategic Views of the US Navy and NATO on the Northern Flank, 1917-1991"]
Notable post-war naval exercises
Following the Second World War, several former allied navies executed a number of individual and multi-lateral naval exercises:
- Operation Frostbite was a 1946 naval exercise involving U.S. Navy Task Group 21.11 led by the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVB-41)
USS Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the end of World War II...
that operated in the Davis Straits between LabradorLabrador is a region of Atlantic Canada. Together with the island of Newfoundland from which it is separated by the Strait of Belle Isle, it constitutes the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The region is part of the much larger Labrador Peninsula on the Canadian mainland...
and GreenlandGreenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago...
.
- Exercise Verity was a 1949 combined naval exercise involving the British, French, Dutch, and Netherland navies which carried out naval bombardment, convoy escort, minesweeping, and motor torpedo boat attack
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Navy.During World War II the US Navy boats were usually called by their hull classification symbol of "PT" and are covered under PT boat though the class type was still...
evolutions.
- Exercise Activity was a 1950 Dutch-led naval exercise that undertook the development of combined communications and tactical procedures.
- Exercise Progress was a 1951 French-led combined naval operation with Belgian, French, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, and British naval units that participating in antisubmarine warfare operations, air defense maneuvers, minesweeping operations, and convoy exercises.
- Operation Grand Slam was the first major naval exercise of the newly-formed NATO alliance. This exercise took place in the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
, and it involved over 200 warships from the United States, British, French, and ItalianItalian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Marina Militare, the Navy of the Italian Republic...
navies centered around the aircraft carriers , , , and La FayetteThe La Fayette was an 11,000-ton that served French Navy as the from 1951 to 1963. She was the first French vessel named after the 18th century general Marquis de Lafayette...
. Operation Grand Slam involved carrier air strikes, convoy escort, anti-submarine operations, and shore bombardment. The overall exercise commander was AdmiralIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Robert B. Carney, USNThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, NATO's Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH), who noted: "We have demonstrated that the senior commanders of all four powers can successfully take charge of a mixed task force and handle it effectively as a working unit."
NATO military command structure
With the establishment of NATO’s Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) on 30 January 1952, the
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT)The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation . He led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
joined the previously-created
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
as one of the alliance’s two principal military field commanders. Also, a Channel Command was established on 21 February 1952 to control the
English ChannelThe English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover...
and
North SeaThe North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than long and wide, with an area of around...
area and deny it to the enemy, protect the sea lanes of communication, and Support operations conducted by SACEUR and SACLANT.
Operational overview
The exercise featured stimulated carrier air strikes against "enemy" formation attacking NATO's northern flank near Bodø, Norway, naval air attacks against aggressors near the
Kiel CanalThe Kiel Canal , until 1948 known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal, is a 61 miles long canal in the German Bundesland Schleswig-Holstein that links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of 250 nautical miles is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around...
, anti-submarine and anti-ship operations, and U.S. marines landing in Denmark. The exercise was commanded jointly by SACLANT
AdmiralIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Lynde D. McCormickAdmiral Lynde Dupuy McCormick was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as vice chief of naval operations from 1950 to 1951 and as commander in chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet from 1951 to 1954, and was the first supreme allied commander of all NATO forces in the...
,
USNThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, and SACEUR
GeneralIn the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Matthew B. Ridgeway, USA, with
AdmiralAdmiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet. Royal Navy officers holding the ranks of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral and Admiral of the Fleet are sometimes considered generically to be Admirals....
Sir Patrick Brind,
RNThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
, in operational control of NATO's
Allied Forces Northern EuropeAllied Forces Northern Europe was the most northern NATO command located at Kolsås outside Oslo. It was part of Allied Command Europe from around 1952 to 2003...
command.
Force composition
80,000 men, over 200 ships, and 1,000 aircraft participated in the Operation Mainbrace (see Table 1 below for details). The
New York Times military reporter Hanson W. BaldwinHanson Weightman Baldwin was the long-time military editor of the New York Times. He won a Pulitzer Prize for "for his coverage of the early days of World War II"...
described this NATO naval force as being the "largest and most powerful fleet that has cruised in the North Sea since World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
."
Table 1 - Naval Forces - Operation Mainbrace, 1952)
| NATO Members |
| Aircraft Carriers |
Battleships |
Cruisers |
Escorts |
MCM A mine countermeasures vessel or MCMV is a type of naval ship designed for the location of and destruction of naval mines which combines the role of a minesweeper and minehunter in one hull. The term MCMV is also applied collectively to minehunters and minesweepers....
|
Submarines |
Patrol Squadrons Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Navy.During World War II the US Navy boats were usually called by their hull classification symbol of "PT" and are covered under PT boat though the class type was still...
|
Motor Ship A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V....
s/Trawlers |
Grand Total |
United StatesThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
|
6 |
1 |
3 |
40 |
— |
9 |
— |
— |
59 |
United KingdonThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
31 |
— |
17 |
4 |
8 + Trawlers |
66 |
CanadaThe Royal Canadian Navy was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian services were unified to form the Canadian Forces....
|
1 |
— |
1 |
5 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
7 |
| France The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military...
|
— |
— |
— |
7 |
11 |
— |
— |
2 |
20 |
DenmarkThe Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for the maritime defence and sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
|
— |
— |
— |
3 |
2 |
2 |
— |
— |
7 |
NorwayThe Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 3 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 6 corvettes, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection...
|
— |
— |
— |
2 |
16 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
26 |
| Portugal The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal.The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international compromises...
|
— |
— |
— |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
3 |
NetherlandsThe Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands.-Bases:The main naval base is Den Helder, Noord Holland.Secondary naval bases are in Amsterdam, Vlissingen, Texel and Willemstad...
|
— |
— |
— |
5 |
— |
3 |
— |
5 |
13 |
| Belgium |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
2 |
| TOTALS: |
10 |
2 |
6 |
96 |
31 |
33 |
7 |
18 |
203 |
Blue Fleet Fast Carrier Task Force
USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) with Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17):
>
|
- Fighter Squadron 171 (VF-171)
- Fighter Squadron 172 (VF-172)
- Fighter Squadron 174 (VF-174)
- Attack Squadron 175 (VA-175)
|
Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 42
Fleet Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Detachment 42
Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 42
Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 41 |
USS Midway (CVB-41) with Carrier Air Group 6 (CVG-6):
>
|
- Fighter Squadron 61 (VF-61)
Fighter Squadron 61 was a Fighter Squadron of the United States Navy until its disestablishment on on April 15, 1959.Three U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-17/VF-5B/VF-61, VF-84 Fighter Squadron 61 (The Jolly Rogers) was a Fighter Squadron of...
- Fighter Squadron 42 (VF-42)
- Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41)
- Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21)
The VF-21 Freelancers was a U.S. Navy fighter squadron flying the F-14 Tomcat until disestablished in 1996.-History:VF-21 Freelancers was first established in 1944 as VF-81, acquiring its last designation in 1959, thus becoming the second US Navy squadron to be designated VF-21...
- Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25)
VA-25 has the following meanings:*Attack Squadron 25 *State Route 25...
|
Fleet Composite Squadron 8 (VC-8)
Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 41
Fleet Composite Squadron 33 (VC-33) Detachment 41
Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 41
Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 41 |
USS Wasp (CV-18) and Carrier Air Group 1 (CVG-1):
>
|
- Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14)
- Fighter Squadron 12 (VF-12)
Attack Squadron 12 was an attack squadron of the United States Navy that was active during the Cold War. Nicknamed the "Flying Ubangis," they were based out of Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida. The squadron flew two combat tours during the Vietnam War...
- Attack Squadron 15 (VA-15)
VA-15 has the following meanings:*Attack Squadron 15 *State Route 15...
|
Fleet Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) Detachment 18
Fleet Composite Squadron 12 (VC-12) Detachment 18
Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) Detachment 18 |
HMS Eagle (R05):
>
|
- 800 Naval Air Squadron
- 803 Naval Air Squadron
803 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron.-Interwar:803 NAS was formed on April 3 1933 by promoting No 409 Flight to the status of a squadron, with nine Ospreys...
- 809 Naval Air Squadron
-History:It flew Supermarine Seafires off HMS Stalker as part of Task Force 88 in 1944. Between May 1954 and August 1959 it operated De Havilland Sea Venoms...
- 812 Naval Air Squadron
|
814 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in December 1938 and has been disbanded and reformed several times.Its nickname is the "Flying Tigers", not to be confused with the American Volunteer squadron of WWII....
827 Naval Air Squadron827 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II. It operated Barracudas starting in May 1943, becoming the first squadron to receive Barracudas in any substantial number....
849 Naval Air Squadron
Ship Flight 1 |
HMS Illustrious (R87):
- 4 Naval Air Squadron
- 824 Naval Air Squadron
824 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron first formed on 3 April 1933, disbanding and reforming several times before assuming its current role at RNAS Culdrose as a training squadron....
- 860 Naval Air Squadron - Royal Netherlands Navy
Other major surface units - Blue Fleet
Light aircraft carrierA light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a compliment of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.In World War II, the United...
s were the , HMS TheseusHMS Theseus was a Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. She was laid down in 1943 by Fairfield at Govan, and launched on 6 July 1944. She was not commissioned, though, until 1946, too late to be involved in World War II...
, and HMCS MagnificentHMCS Magnificent was a Majestic class light aircraft carrier that served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1946–1956.-Operational history:...
. Escort aircraft carrierThe escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier , was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Navy in World War II. They were typically half the length and one-third the displacement of the larger fleet carriers...
s were and . Major surface combatantsSurface combatants are non-submersible ships built to military standards whose primary purpose is to engage space, air, surface and submerged targets with weapons deployed from the ship itself, rather than by manned carried craft....
included the battleships and HMS VanguardHMS Vanguard was a fast battleship launched in the final days of World War II and commissioned shortly after. She was the only one of her class and was the biggest, fastest and last of the Royal Navy battleships. In terms of displacement, she was the second largest battleship class ever constructed...
, and the cruisers , , , HMS SwiftsureHMS Swiftsure was a Minotaur class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Vickers Armstrong at Newcastle-on-Tyne on 22 September 1941, launched on 4 February 1943 by Lady Wake-Walker and commissioned on 22 June 1944....
, and HMCS QuebecSeveral Canadian naval units have been named HMCS Quebec. was a Crown Colony class cruiser commissioned in the Royal Navy as during World War II and later transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy as...
. The flagshipA flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, a designation given on account of being either the largest, fastest, newest, most heavily armed or, for publicity purposes, the best known. In military terms, it is a ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships...
of the amphibious forces was the .
Gallery
Image:HMS Vanguard - Operation Mainbrace 1952 - I03681.jpg|HMS Vanguard
File:USS Midway.jpg|USS Midway
File:HMS Vanguard (Battleship, 1946-1960)1.jpg|HMS Vanguard
File:Lynde D McCormick.jpg|Admiral McCormick
Other NATO Military Exercises - Fall 1952
Operation Mainbrace was part of a series of NATO exercise jointly commanded by SACLANT AdmiralIn the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
Lynde D. McCormickAdmiral Lynde Dupuy McCormick was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as vice chief of naval operations from 1950 to 1951 and as commander in chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet from 1951 to 1954, and was the first supreme allied commander of all NATO forces in the...
, USNThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, and SACEUR GeneralIn the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Matthew B. Ridgeway, USA, during the Fall of 1952 involving 300,000 military personnel engaged in manuevers from the Arctic CircleThe Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In , it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ north of the Equator. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern...
to the Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
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Operation Blue Alliance
Operation Blue Alliance was a major allied air froce exercise for the Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AIRCENT) to achieve air supremacyAir supremacy is the complete dominance in the air power of one side's air forces over the other side's during a military campaign. It is the most favorable state of control of the air...
over the Central European front and provide close air supportIn military tactics, close air support is air action against hostile targets that requires detailed coordination and integration with ground forces. It is typically used to support ground troops, providing firepower at critical points....
to NORTHAG ground forces under the overall command of Lt. GeneralIn the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general. Lieutenant general is equivalent to the rank of vice admiral...
Lauris NorstadLauris Norstad was an American General in the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force.-Early life and military career:...
, USAFThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
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Operation Equinox
Operation Equinox was a a major air-ground exercise involving French-American tactical air units and a French airborne unit under the command of Général d'ArméeA Général d'Armée is the highest active military rank of the French Army.Officially, Général d'armée is not a rank , but a position and style bestowed on some Généraux de division in charge of important commands, such as chief of staff of the army...
Alphonse Juin-Early years:Juin was born at Bône in Algeria, and enlisted in the French Army, graduating from the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1912.-Career:...
, French ArmyThe French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest. As of 2008, the army employs 133,947 regular soldiers and 24 000+ civilians...
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Operation Holdfast
Operation Holdlast was a major allied air-ground exercise involving 150,000 BritishThere have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after World War I, and the other after World War II....
, Dutch, Belgian and Canadian troops of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG)The Northern Army Group was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany.- History :...
in coordination with the Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AIRCENT)Allied Air Forces Central Europe was the headquarters for NATO air forces in Central Europe from 1953 to 1967 and from 1974 to 1993. It was first based at Fontainebleau , and originally activated on 20 August 1953...
while maneuvering east of the Rhine River in the British Zone under the overall command of Lt. General Sir Richard Nelson GaleGeneral Sir Richard Nelson Gale GCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a soldier in the British Army who served in both world wars. In World War I he was awarded the Military Cross in 1918 whilst serving as a junior officer in the Machine Gun Corps...
, British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
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Operation Rosebud
Operation Rosebud involved ground manuevers by the U.S. Seventh Army in the American Zone.
NATO Southern Flank
Two exercises, Ancient Wall and Longstep, were run by Allied Forces Southern Europe in 1952.
Soviet reaction
The Soviet Union characterized Operation Mainbrace, Operation Holdfast, and other NATO military as "war-like acts" by NATO, with particular reference to the participation of NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
and DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
, while the USSR was preparing for its own military maneuvers in the Soviet ZoneThe Soviet Occupation Zone was the area of central Germany occupied by the Soviet Union from 1945 on, at the end of World War II...
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Ufology
Operation Mainbrace has been a source of numerous sightings of flying saucers that reportedly occurred during this NATO naval exercise.
Sources and references
Time
Magazine, "Operation Mainbrace", September 22, 1952
Time
Magazine, "NATO: Hedgehogs", September 29, 1952
External links
All Hands magazine online
All Hands Magazine of the U.S. Navy is the title of a monthly magazine of the United States Navy for its sailors. It is published since August 1922 under different names; the current title was established in 1945....
Photo Gallery - Operation Mainbrace- CV41.org
Famous UFO Sightings - Operation Mainbrace September 1952 - Aliens the Truth.com
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Operation Mainbrace UFOs - YouTubeYouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...
Operation Mainbrace UFOs - Metacafe.com
"Exercise Mainbrace" - Pathé Films onlineThis article deals with the Pathé movie company. For their music business, see Pathé Records.Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...