Operation Mainbrace
Encyclopedia
Exercise Mainbrace was the first large-scale naval exercise undertaken by the newly established Allied Command Atlantic
(ACLANT), one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
Admiral
Lynde D. McCormick
, USN
, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe General
Matthew B. Ridgeway, U.S. Army, during the Fall of 1952.
_during_operation_frostbite,_march_1946.jpg)
and ccupation of Norway by Nazi Germany] Norway during World War II
confirmed the importance of the region, as Germany was able to establish bases to be established for submarine and air operations against Allied convoys
bound for the Soviet
seaport of Murmansk
.
Following the Second World War, several former allied navies executed a number of individual and multi-lateral naval exercises, including:
, American diplomat George F. Kennan
argued that Joseph Stalin
would not (and moreover could not) moderate the determination of the Soviet Union
to undermine and overthrow Western governments following World War Two, noting:
Kennan's advocacy for a policy of containment
against the Soviet Union formed the basis of American foreign policy during the Cold War
, giving rise to the Truman Doctrine
, the Marshall Plan
, and the formation of NAT0.
joined the previously created Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)
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 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.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
prior to his resignation as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) to run for the President of the United States
. The exercise itself was commanded jointly by SACLANT Admiral
Lynde D. McCormick
, USN
, and SACEUR General
Matthew B. Ridgeway, U.S. Army, with the immediate theater commander being Admiral Sir Patrick Brind
, RN, who was in Commander-in-Chief
Allied Forces Northern Europe
.
Mainbrace was conducted over twelve days between September 14–25, 1952, and involved nine navies: United States Navy
, the British Royal Navy
, French Navy
, Royal Canadian Navy
, Royal Danish Navy
, Royal Norwegian Navy
, Portuguese Navy
, Royal Netherlands Navy
, and Belgian Naval Force
operating in the Norwegian Sea
, the Barents Sea
, the North Sea
near the Jutland Peninsula
, and the Baltic Sea
. Its objective was to convince Denmark
and Norway
that those nations could be defended against attack from the Soviet Union
. The exercise featured simulated carrier air strikes against "enemy" formation attacking NATO's northern flank near Bodø, Norway, naval air attacks against aggressors near the Kiel Canal
, anti-submarine and anti-ship operations, and U.S. marines landing in Denmark.
described this NATO naval force as being the "largest and most powerful fleet that has cruised in the North Sea since World War I
."
Blue Fleet Fast Carrier Task Force
USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) with Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17):>
USS Midway (CVB-41) with Carrier Air Group 6 (CVG-6):
>
USS Wasp (CV-18) and Carrier Air Group 1 (CVG-1):
>
HMS Eagle (R05):>
HMS Illustrious (R87):
Light aircraft carrier
s
Escort aircraft carrier
s
Battleships
Cruisers
Amphibious force flagship
File: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
to the Mediterranean Sea
.
over the Central European front and provide close air support
to NORTHAG ground forces under the overall command of Lt. General
Lauris Norstad
, USAF
. Two 1952 central region exercises involved air-ground combined forces. Equinox was a major air-ground exercise involving French-American tactical air units and a French airborne unit under the command of Général d'Armée
Alphonse Juin
, French Army
. Holdfast was a major allied air-ground exercise involving 150,000 British
, Dutch, Belgian and Canadian troops of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG)
in coordination with the Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AIRCENT)
while maneuvering east of the Rhine River in the British Zone under the overall command of Lt. General Sir Richard Nelson Gale
, British Army
. Finally, Rosebud involved ground maneuvers by the U.S. Seventh Army in the American Zone of occupied Germany.
Robert B. Carney, USN
, NATO's Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH). Ancient Wall was a series of military maneuvers involving ground small unit tactical training
, land-based tactical air support, and carrier-based air support. Longstep was a ten-day naval exercise held in the Mediterranean Sea during November 1952 involving over 170 warships and 700 aircraft under the overall command of Admiral Carney. The objective of the Allied ("Blue") forces was to dislodge enemy ("Green") invasion forces from their occupying positions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Blue naval forces were centered around the U.S. Sixth Fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral
John H. Cassady, USN, and its two aircraft carriers, the and . Green forces included submarines and land-based aircraft. The exercise concluded with an amphibious landing at Lebidos Bay south of İzmir, Turkey
, involving 3000 French, Italian, and Greek troops, including the Battalion Landing Team 3/2
, under the overall command of General
Robert E. Hogaboom
, USMC.
and Denmark
, while the USSR was preparing for its own military maneuvers in the Soviet Zone.
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
(ACLANT), one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In 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. McCormick
Lynde D. McCormick
Admiral 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...
, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe General
General (United States)
In 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, U.S. Army, during the Fall of 1952.
Background
Naval activities in north Atlantic, 1946-1951
The strategic importance of control of Norway and the adjacent Norwegian and Barents seas was recognized by Anglo-American naval planners as early as the First World War. The invasionNorwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
and ccupation of Norway by Nazi Germany] Norway during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
confirmed the importance of the region, as Germany was able to establish bases to be established for submarine and air operations against Allied convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
bound for the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
seaport of Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
.
Following the Second World War, several former allied navies executed a number of individual and multi-lateral naval exercises, including:
- Operation Frostbite (pictured), a 1946 naval exercise involving U.S. Navy Task Group 21.11 led by the aircraft carrier that operated in the Davis Straits between LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
and GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
; - Exercise VerityExercise VerityExercise Verity was a 1949 multilateral naval training exercise involving 60 warships from the British, French, and Dutch navies for the newly formed Western Union, the precursor to the Western European Union...
, a 1949 combined naval exercise involving the British, French, and Dutch navies which carried out naval bombardment, convoy escort, minesweeping, and Motor Torpedo BoatMotor Torpedo BoatMotor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
attack evolutions; - Exercise Activity, a 1950 Dutch-led naval exercise to refine combined communications and tactical procedures; and
- Exercise Progress, 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.
Soviet containment strategy
Initially with his "long telegram" and subsequently in his article "The Sources of Soviet Conduct" that appeared in the July 1947 issue of Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
, American diplomat George F. Kennan
George F. Kennan
George Frost Kennan was an American adviser, diplomat, political scientist and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War...
argued that Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
would not (and moreover could not) moderate the determination of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to undermine and overthrow Western governments following World War Two, noting:
"... the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies... Soviet pressure against the free institutions of the Western world is something that can be contained by the adroit and vigilant application of counterforce at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points, corresponding to the shifts and manoeuvers of Soviet policy, but which cannot be charmed or talked out of existence."
Kennan's advocacy for a policy of containment
Containment
Containment was a United States policy using military, economic, and diplomatic strategies to stall the spread of communism, enhance America’s security and influence abroad, and prevent a "domino effect". A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet...
against the Soviet Union formed the basis of American foreign policy during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, giving rise to the Truman Doctrine
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a policy set forth by U.S. President Harry S Truman in a speech on March 12, 1947 stating that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent their falling into the Soviet sphere...
, the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
, and the formation of NAT0.
NATO command structure
With the establishment of NATO’s Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) on 30 January 1952, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT)Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
joined the previously created Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
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 Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern 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 in the Strait of Dover...
and North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
area and deny it to the enemy, protect the sea lanes of communication, and Support operations conducted by SACEUR and SACLANT.
Operational history
Initial planning for Exercise Mainbrace was initiated by GeneralGeneral of the Army (United States)
General 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. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
prior to his resignation as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) to run for the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The exercise itself was commanded jointly by SACLANT Admiral
Admiral (United States)
In 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. McCormick
Lynde D. McCormick
Admiral 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...
, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and SACEUR General
General (United States)
In 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, U.S. Army, with the immediate theater commander being Admiral Sir Patrick Brind
Patrick Brind
Admiral Sir Eric James Patrick Brind GBE KCB was the first Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe.- Naval career :...
, RN, who was in Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied 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...
.
Mainbrace was conducted over twelve days between September 14–25, 1952, and involved nine navies: United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
, Royal Danish Navy
Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
, Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The 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 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
, Portuguese Navy
Portuguese Navy
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....
, Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, and Belgian Naval Force
Belgian Navy
The Marine Component of the Belgian Army, formerly the Belgian Naval Force, is the naval service of Belgium.-Early history:The Belgian Navy was created as the Marine Royale in 1831. This force has operated in various forms throughout Belgian history.When after the Belgian Revolution, the country...
operating in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
, the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
, the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
near the Jutland Peninsula
Jutland Peninsula
The 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 Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean 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...
. Its objective was to convince Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
that those nations could be defended against attack from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The exercise featured simulated carrier air strikes against "enemy" formation attacking NATO's northern flank near Bodø, Norway, naval air attacks against aggressors near the Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
, anti-submarine and anti-ship operations, and U.S. marines landing in Denmark.
Force composition
Eighty thousand men, over 200 ships, and 1,000 aircraft participated in the Mainbrace. The New York Times' military reporter Hanson W. BaldwinHanson W. Baldwin
Hanson 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". He authored or edited numerous books on military topics....
described this NATO naval force as being the "largest and most powerful fleet that has cruised in the North Sea since World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
."
| NATO member | Aircraft carriers | Battleships | Cruisers | Escorts | MCM Mine countermeasures vessel 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 | Torpedo boat Torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and... squadrons |
Motor ship Motor ship A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :... s/Naval trawler Naval trawler A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work... s |
Grand Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 6 | 1 | 3 | 40 | — | 9 | — | — | 59 |
| UK | 3 | 1 | 2 | 31 | — | 17 | 4 | 8 + Trawlers | 66 |
| Canada Royal Canadian Navy The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces... |
1 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 7 |
| France French Navy The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching... |
— | — | — | 7 | 11 | — | — | 2 | 20 |
| Denmark Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters... |
— | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 7 |
| Norway Royal Norwegian Navy The 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 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support... |
— | — | — | 2 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Portugal Portuguese Navy 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.... |
— | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| Netherlands Royal Netherlands Navy The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands... |
— | — | — | 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):
|
|
USS Midway (CVB-41) with Carrier Air Group 6 (CVG-6):
|
|
USS Wasp (CV-18) and Carrier Air Group 1 (CVG-1):
|
|
HMS Eagle (R05):
|
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 Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II. It operated Fairey Barracudas starting in May 1943, becoming the first squadron to receive Barracudas in any substantial number.... |
HMS Illustrious (R87):
- 4 Naval Air Squadron
- 824 Naval Air Squadron824 Naval Air Squadron824 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
Light aircraft carrier
Light aircraft carrier
A 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 complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...
s
- HMS TheseusHMS Theseus (R64)HMS 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.-Workup and initial service:...
- HMCS MagnificentHMCS Magnificent (CVL 21)HMCS Magnificent was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier that served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1946–1956.-Operational history:...
Escort aircraft carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s
Battleships
- HMS VanguardHMS Vanguard (23)HMS Vanguard was a British fast battleship built during World War II and commissioned after the end of the war. She was the only ship of her class and was the biggest, fastest and last of the Royal Navy's dreadnoughts, and the final battleship to be launched in the world...
Cruisers
- HMS SwiftsureHMS Swiftsure (08)HMS 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....
- HMCS QuebecHMCS 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...
Amphibious force flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
Gallery
File: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
Exercise Mainbrace was part of a series of NATO exercise jointly commanded by Admiral McCormick and General Ridgeway during the Fall of 1952 involving 300,000 military personnel engaged in maneuvers from the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
to the Mediterranean Sea
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 North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
NATO Central Front
Four exercises were conducted on NATO's central region during the Fall of 1952. Blue Alliance was a major allied air force exercise for the Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AIRCENT) to achieve air supremacyAir supremacy
Air supremacy is the complete dominance of 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 support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
to NORTHAG ground forces under the overall command of Lt. General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, 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...
Lauris Norstad
Lauris Norstad
Lauris Norstad was an American General in the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force.-Early life and military career:...
, USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States 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 September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Two 1952 central region exercises involved air-ground combined forces. Equinox was a major air-ground exercise involving French-American tactical air units and a French airborne unit under the command of Général d'Armée
Army General (France)
A 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
Alphonse Juin
- Early years :Juin was born at Bône in French Algeria, and enlisted in the French Army, graduating from the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1912.- Career :...
, French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. Holdfast was a major allied air-ground exercise involving 150,000 British
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
, Dutch, Belgian and Canadian troops of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG)
Northern Army Group
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
Allied Air Forces Central Europe was the headquarters for NATO air forces in Central Europe from 1951 to 1967 and from 1974 to 1993.-History:It was first based at Fontainebleau , and originally activated in April 1951...
while maneuvering east of the Rhine River in the British Zone under the overall command of Lt. General Sir Richard Nelson Gale
Richard Nelson Gale
General Sir Richard Nelson "Windy" 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 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...
. Finally, Rosebud involved ground maneuvers by the U.S. Seventh Army in the American Zone of occupied Germany.
NATO Southern Flank
Two exercises were conducted on NATO's southern region during the Fall of 1952 under the overall command of AdmiralAdmiral (United States)
In 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, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, NATO's Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH). Ancient Wall was a series of military maneuvers involving ground small unit tactical training
Small unit tactics
Small unit tactics is the application of military doctrine for the combat deployment of platoons and smaller units in a particular strategic and logistic environment.-Squad Structure:...
, land-based tactical air support, and carrier-based air support. Longstep was a ten-day naval exercise held in the Mediterranean Sea during November 1952 involving over 170 warships and 700 aircraft under the overall command of Admiral Carney. The objective of the Allied ("Blue") forces was to dislodge enemy ("Green") invasion forces from their occupying positions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Blue naval forces were centered around the U.S. Sixth Fleet, under the command of 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...
John H. Cassady, USN, and its two aircraft carriers, the and . Green forces included submarines and land-based aircraft. The exercise concluded with an amphibious landing at Lebidos Bay south of İzmir, Turkey
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, involving 3000 French, Italian, and Greek troops, including the Battalion Landing Team 3/2
3rd Battalion 2nd Marines
3rd Battalion 2nd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors...
, under the overall command of General
General (United States)
In 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...
Robert E. Hogaboom
Robert E. Hogaboom
Robert Edward Hogaboom was a United States Marine Corps four star general who served as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. Hogaboom was promoted to four-star rank upon retirement as a "tombstone general".-Biography:Robert Edward Hogaboom was born on November 13, 1902 in Meridian,...
, USMC.
Aftermath
The Soviet Union characterized Mainbrace, Holdfast, and other NATO military exercises as "war-like acts" by NATO, with particular reference to the participation of NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, while the USSR was preparing for its own military maneuvers in the Soviet Zone.
See also
- Cold War (1953-1962)Cold War (1953-1962)The Cold War discusses the period within the Cold War from the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1953 to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962...
- Northern WeddingNorthern WeddingNorthern Wedding was a NATO Cold War naval military exercise conducted every four years, designed to test NATO's ability to rearm and resupply Europe during times of war.-Exercises:...
- Operation Grand Slam (NATO)Operation Grand Slam (NATO)Exercise Grand Slam was an early major naval exercise of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization . This 1952 combined naval exercise took place in the Mediterranean Sea, and it included a naval force that was described as being "the largest armada to be assembled in that area since the...
- Operation StrikebackOperation StrikebackOperation Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957....
Sources and references
- Sydney Morning Herald - "NATO Ships Enter Baltic Sea" - September 16, 1952
- Time Magazine, "Operation Mainbrace", September 22, 1952
- Time Magazine, "NATO: Hedgehogs", September 29, 1952
External links
- All Hands magazine onlineAll HandsAll Hands Magazine of the U.S. Navy is the title of a monthly published 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
- "Exercise Mainbrace" - Pathé Films onlinePathéPathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...