Canadian Forces Europe was the

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

military formation Military organization ( AE) or military organisation ( BE) is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. Formal military organization tends to use hierarc ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. The CF assisted other

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

allies in watching the military activities of

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

and the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

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

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

Canadian Forces Base Lahr Canadian Forces Base Lahr (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA:LHA, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. ...

, with the

4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4CMBG; ) was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Canadian Forces Land Force Command, Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. It was part of the European formation known as Canadian Forces Europe. T ...

(1957–1993), and No. 1 Air Division RCAF at Canadian Forces Base Baden-Soellingen, which later became 1 Canadian Air Group. Both formations closed in the early 1990s with the end of the

. CFB Baden also held one Battalion of Infantry.

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 (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA:LHA, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. ...

** Canadian Forces Element, HQ

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

, in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

** Canadian Forces Element, HQ 4 ATAF, at

Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...

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

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...

** Canadian Forces Element, NATO Airborne Early Warning Force, E-3A Component, at Geilenkirchen Air Base ** National Support Unit, at Geilenkirchen Air Base ** Communications Group Europe, CFB Lahr *** Communications Squadron Lahr *** Communications Squadron Baden-Söllingen ** Canadian Forces Network, CFB Lahr ** Canadian Forces Hospital Europe, CFB Lahr *** Base Hospital Lahr *** Base Hospital Söllingen *** 35 Dental Unit, CFB Lahr *** Detachment Söllingen, 35 Dental Unit **

*** Base Post Office *** Base Transportation Section *** Base Maintenance (Land) Section *** Base Supply Section *** Base Construction Engineering Squadron Lahr *** Base Ground Operations Section *** Lahr Military Police Section ** CFB Baden-Söllingen *** Base Post Office *** Base Transportation Section *** Base Maintenance (Land) Section *** Base Supply Section *** Base Construction Engineering Squadron Baden-Söllingen *** Base Ground Operations Section *** Baden-Söllingen Military Police Section ** 311 Forward Mobile Support Unit, providing general logistic support to CFE *** Forward Storage Site, for units that would have been dispatched to Germany in case of war, in Zimmern ob Rottweil ** Ammunition Depot Lahr ** Ammunition Depot Söllingen ** Training Area Langenhard

Canadian Army

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

had maintained a presence in Europe as part of the

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

Hannover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

attached to

British Army of the Rhine British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

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

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

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 or simply tank,Ogorkiewicz 2018 p222 is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more po ...

s. The arrival of 4 CIBG saw a full armoured regiment equipped with Centurions and an independent brigade reconnaissance squadron with Ferrets. In 1959, when 4 CIBG's tour was due to end, a change was made in the reinforcement policy for

. 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 or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

: * 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), Ruhr river. The highest elevation, at , is in the ''Balver Wald'' in t ...

- 1 x infantry battalion, artillery regiment *

Werl The pilgrimage town Werl (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Wiärl'') is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia and belongs to the Soest, Germany, Soest district in the Arnsberg administrative district. The official name of pilgrimage town has been ...

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

Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian language, 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. Geogr ...

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

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; ) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regiments,The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printer, 1964) as well as the Royal Canadian Armo ...

helicopter recce troop, equipped with nine CH-112 Nomad helicopters. By the mid 1960s, 4 CIBG's manpower totalled 6,700 men; it featured three

mechanised infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with Armoured personnel carrier, armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also armoured corps). As defined by the United States Army, me ...

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 territ ...

, 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: ) 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 short notice, and is staffed and ...

in November 1989 followed the Canadian government's decision to end the Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group (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 () (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. The brigade group is the formation respons ...

, 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, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, with a forward detachment at

Lahr Lahr (officially Lahr/Schwarzwald since 30 September 1978) (); ) is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 50 km north of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, 40 km southeast of Strasbourg, and 95 km southwest of Ka ...

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) The 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (VIII CH) is a reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Canadian Army, with two squadrons. It was formed on 4 April 1848 in the then-colony of New Brunswick, which remains the regiment's home to ...

, CFB Lahr (77x Leopard C1, 20x

Lynx A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...

, 36x

M113 The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation. The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 APCs. The M113 was first used ...

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

, 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 of light infantry, air assault, and airborne units across the entire front of a battalion zo ...

) **** 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 first in the order of precedence amongst Canadi ...

, CFB Baden-Söllingen (2x M577, 65x

, 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 The M548 is a tracked cargo carrier. It is based on the M113 armored personnel carrier, and was built by FMC Corp. at its San Jose, California, and Charleston, West Virginia facilities. Design Its light weight allows the use of a relatively sm ...

) **** 4 Combat Engineer Regiment, CFB Lahr (14x M113, 2x M577, 6x

, 9x

Badger Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...

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 The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery () is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army. History Many of the units and batteries of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery are older than the Dominion of Canada itself. The first arti ...

**** 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. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling ...

, 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 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 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

, No. 1 Air Division RCAF was established in

in the early 1950s with four

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) 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 environmental commands within the unified Can ...

bases in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

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 squadr ...

(''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), Moselle Departments of France, department, Lorraine (reg ...

(''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 1 Canadian Air Division (1 Cdn Air Div) () is the operational-level command and control formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Prior to 2006 the official abbreviation for the division was 1 CAD. It is commanded by an air force major-ge ...

, CFB Baden-Söllingen, in war under

Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) was a NATO military formation under Allied Air Forces Central Europe tasked with providing air support to NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG) in the southern portion of West Germany. 4 ATAF commanded al ...

*** 1 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 ...

or 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron 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 or 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron from CFB Bagotville, 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 The Canadair CT-133 Silver Star (company model number CL-30) is the Canadian license-built version of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer aircraft, in service from the 1950s to 2005. The Canadian version was powered by the Rolls-Royce Nene, Rolls-Roy ...

**** 1 Air Maintenance Squadron CFB Baden-Soellingen *** 4 Construction Engineer Squadron, detached from

Royal Canadian Engineers The Canadian Military Engineers (CME; ) is the military engineering personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the branch that wear army uniform comprise the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE; ). The mission of the Canadia ...

*** 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (detached to

), CFB Lahr ( CH136 Kiowa, UH1N) *** Detachment Lahr,

412 Transport Squadron No. 412 Transport Squadron is one of three Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) transport squadrons attached to Ottawa, Ontario. The squadron operates with a strength of about 29 out of the ''Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Annex.'' ''The ...

, 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