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 invasion and Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II confirmed the importance of the region, as Germany was able to establish bases for submarine and air operations against Allied convoys bound for the Soviet seaport of Murmansk.[1]
Following the Second World War, several former allied navies executed a number of individual and multinational exercises, including:
Operation Frostbite(pictured), a 1946 naval exercise involving U.S. Navy Task Group 21.11 led by the aircraft carrier USS Midway(CVB-41) that operated in the Davis Straits between Labrador and Greenland;[2]
Exercise Verity, a 1949 combined naval exercise involving the British, French, and Dutch navies which carried out naval bombardment, convoy escort, minesweeping, and Motor Torpedo Boat attack evolutions;[3]
Exercise Activity, a 1950 Dutch-led naval exercise to refine combined communications and tactical procedures;[3] 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.[3]
Seas break over the bow of HMS Vanguard making a high speed run
Eighty thousand men, over 200 ships, and 1,000 aircraft participated in Mainbrace. The New York Times' military reporter Hanson W. Baldwin described this NATO naval force as being the "largest and most powerful fleet that has cruised in the North Sea since World War I."[12][13]
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 Circle to the Mediterranean Sea.[6][8]
Two exercises were conducted by NATO's Allied Forces Southern Europe during the Fall of 1952.[19]Ancient Wall was a series of military maneuvers involving ground small unit tactical training, land-based tactical air support, and carrier-based air support.[20]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 Franklin D. Roosevelt and Wasp. Green forces included submarines and land-based aircraft. The exercise concluded with an amphibious landing at Lebidos Bay south of İzmir, involving 3000 French, Italian, and Greek troops, including the Battalion Landing Team 3/2, under the overall command of GeneralRobert E. Hogaboom, USMC.[19][21]
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 Norway and Denmark, while the USSR was preparing for its own military maneuvers in the Soviet Zone.[6][8]
Allard, Dean C. (January 2001). "Strategic Views of the US Navy and NATO on the Northern Flank, 1917-1991" (PDF). The Northern Mariner. XI (1): 11–24. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
Fry, Roger (October 2007). (PDF). Vanguard (10): 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
Gary, USN (Ret.), GMC Richard M. (Summer 2009). "USS QUINCY CA-71". U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Association: 34. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
L'Heureux CD, RCN (Ret'd), Commander E.J. (PDF). Canada Aviation Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
Till, Geoffrey (April 2005). (PDF). The Journal of Strategic Studies. Taylor & Francis Group Ltd. 28 (2): 309–337. doi:10.1080/01402390500088379. ISSN 0140-2390. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-04. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
exercise, mainbrace, first, large, scale, naval, exercise, undertaken, newly, established, allied, command, atlantic, aclant, principal, military, commands, north, atlantic, treaty, organization, nato, part, series, nato, exercises, jointly, commanded, supreme. 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 Exercise MainbracePart of Cold War 1947 1953 NATO Northern FlankTypeNATO combined naval training exercisesLocationNorth Atlantic Ocean GIUK Gap Norwegian Sea Barents Sea North Sea Jutland Peninsula and Baltic SeaPlanned bySACLANT amp SACEURObjectiveDeployment of NATO anti submarine warfare forces aircraft carrier strike forces and supply convoysDateSeptember 14 25 1952Executed byAdmiral Sir Patrick Brind RN CINCNORTH OutcomeExercise successfully executed Contents 1 Naval activities in north Atlantic 1946 1951 2 Operational history 2 1 Force composition 2 2 Gallery 3 Other NATO military exercises fall 1952 4 Aftermath 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Sources and references 8 External linksNaval activities in north Atlantic 1946 1951 Edit Operation Frostbite 1946 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 invasion and Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II confirmed the importance of the region as Germany was able to establish bases for submarine and air operations against Allied convoys bound for the Soviet seaport of Murmansk 1 Following the Second World War several former allied navies executed a number of individual and multinational exercises including Operation Frostbite pictured a 1946 naval exercise involving U S Navy Task Group 21 11 led by the aircraft carrier USS Midway CVB 41 that operated in the Davis Straits between Labrador and Greenland 2 Exercise Verity a 1949 combined naval exercise involving the British French and Dutch navies which carried out naval bombardment convoy escort minesweeping and Motor Torpedo Boat attack evolutions 3 Exercise Activity a 1950 Dutch led naval exercise to refine combined communications and tactical procedures 3 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 3 Operational history EditInitial planning for Exercise Mainbrace was initiated by General Dwight D Eisenhower prior to his resignation as NATO s Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR to run for the President of the United States 4 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 5 6 7 8 9 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 4 The exercise featured simulated carrier air strikes against enemy formation attacking NATO s northern flank near Bodo Norway naval air attacks against aggressors near the Kiel Canal anti submarine and anti ship operations and U S marines landing in Denmark 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Force composition Edit Seas break over the bow of HMS Vanguard making a high speed run Eighty thousand men over 200 ships and 1 000 aircraft participated in Mainbrace The New York Times military reporter Hanson W Baldwin described this NATO naval force as being the largest and most powerful fleet that has cruised in the North Sea since World War I 12 13 Naval Forces Operation Mainbrace 1952 citation needed NATO member Aircraft carriers Battleships Cruisers Escorts MCM Submarines Torpedo boat squadrons Motor ships Naval trawlers TotalUnited States 6 1 3 40 9 59UK 3 1 2 31 17 4 8 Trawlers 66Canada 1 1 5 7France 7 11 2 20Denmark 3 2 2 7Norway 2 16 2 3 3 26Portugal 3 3Netherlands 5 3 5 13Belgium 2 2TOTALS 10 2 6 96 31 33 7 18 203Blue Fleet Fast Carrier Task ForceUSS Franklin D Roosevelt with Carrier Air Group 17 CVG 17 14 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 41USS Midway with Carrier Air Group 6 CVG 6 15 Fighter Squadron 61 VF 61 Fighter Squadron 42 VF 42 Fighter Squadron 41 VF 41 Fighter Squadron 21 VF 21 Attack Squadron 25 VA 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 41USS Wasp and Carrier Air Group 1 CVG 1 16 Fighter Squadron 14 VF 14 Fighter Squadron 12 VF 12 Attack Squadron 15 VA 15 Fleet Composite Squadron 62 VC 62 Detachment 18 Fleet Composite Squadron 12 VC 12 Detachment 18 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 HU 2 Detachment 18HMS Eagle 17 800 Naval Air Squadron 803 Naval Air Squadron 809 Naval Air Squadron 812 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron 827 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron Ship Flight 1HMS Illustrious 18 4 Naval Air Squadron 824 Naval Air Squadron 860 Naval Air Squadron Royal Netherlands NavyLight aircraft carriers USS Wright HMS Theseus HMCS MagnificentEscort aircraft carriers USS Mindoro USS Salerno BayBattleships USS Wisconsin HMS VanguardCruisers USS Quincy USS Columbus USS Des Moines HMS Swiftsure HMCS QuebecAmphibious force flagship USS Mount Olympus USS TidewaterGallery Edit USS Midway HMS Eagle HMS Vanguard Admiral McCormick British MTBs underwayOther NATO military exercises fall 1952 EditExercise 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 Circle to the Mediterranean Sea 6 8 Two exercises were conducted by NATO s Allied Forces Southern Europe during the Fall of 1952 19 Ancient Wall was a series of military maneuvers involving ground small unit tactical training land based tactical air support and carrier based air support 20 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 Franklin D Roosevelt and Wasp Green forces included submarines and land based aircraft The exercise concluded with an amphibious landing at Lebidos Bay south of Izmir involving 3000 French Italian and Greek troops including the Battalion Landing Team 3 2 under the overall command of General Robert E Hogaboom USMC 19 21 Aftermath EditThe Soviet Union characterized Mainbrace Holdfast and other NATO military exercises as war like acts by NATO with particular reference to the participation of Norway and Denmark while the USSR was preparing for its own military maneuvers in the Soviet Zone 6 8 The exercise would also be referenced in the show Project Blue BookSee also EditCold War 1953 1962 Northern Wedding Operation Grand Slam NATO Operation StrikebackNotes Edit Allard Strategic Views of the US Navy and NATO on the Northern Flank 1917 1991 Midway History and Events Shake Down and Operation Frostbite a b c SACLANT Guardian of the Atlantic All Hands October 1952 a b Thompson Lessons Not Learned p 15 16 a b Time September 22 1952 a b c d Time September 29 1952 a b NATO Military Command Roster a b c d NATO Ships Enter Baltic Sea Sydney Morning Herald p 2 a b The NATO Exercises Part 1 Flight September 26 1952 p 402 404 HMS Vanguard A short history of Britain s last battleship p 18 USS QUINCY CA 71 p 34 Baldwin Hanson September 28 1952 Navies Meet the Test in Operation Mainbrace The New York Times E7 The Bridge in Troubled Times The Cold War and the Navies of Europe p 318 Carrier Air Group Seventeen Carrier Air Group Six Carrier Air Group One Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers Part 3 Archived from the original on February 25 2009 Audio 564735 OPERATION MAINBRACE ContextDescription dated 9 1952 Imperial War Museum Collection U K a b A Big Step Forward Operation Longstep PDF All Hands BUPERS U S Navy January 1953 Archived from the original PDF on 2004 11 20 Retrieved 2010 08 01 The NATO Exercises Part 1 Flight 402 404 September 26 1952 Official Biography General Robert E Hogaboom USMC Manpower amp Reserve Affairs United States Marine Corps 2010 Archived from the original on 2007 08 20 Retrieved 2010 08 01 Sources and references EditThis article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Allard Dean C January 2001 Strategic Views of the US Navy and NATO on the Northern Flank 1917 1991 PDF The Northern Mariner XI 1 11 24 Retrieved 2009 08 05 Fry Roger October 2007 HMS Vanguard A short history of Britain s last battleship PDF Vanguard 10 33 Archived from the original PDF on 2011 07 24 Retrieved 2009 07 30 Gary USN Ret GMC Richard M Summer 2009 USS QUINCY CA 71 U S Navy Cruiser Sailors Association 34 Archived from the original on 2013 04 15 Retrieved 2009 07 30 L Heureux CD RCN Ret d Commander E J Aircraft Carriers Royal Canadian Navy RCN PDF Canada Aviation Museum Archived from the original PDF on 2011 01 10 Retrieved 2009 07 30 Till Geoffrey April 2005 Holding the Bridge in Troubled Times The Cold War and the Navies of Europe PDF The Journal of Strategic Studies Taylor amp Francis Group Ltd 28 2 309 337 doi 10 1080 01402390500088379 ISSN 0140 2390 Archived from the original PDF on 2009 11 04 Retrieved 2009 07 30 Sydney Morning Herald NATO Ships Enter Baltic Sea September 16 1952 Time Operation Mainbrace September 22 1952 Time NATO Hedgehogs September 29 1952 Thompson Roger 2007 Lessons Not Learned The U S Navy s Status Quo Culture Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 865 0 External links EditAll Hands magazine online October 1952 November 1952 January 1953 Photo Gallery Operation Mainbrace CV41 org Senior officials in the NATO military structure from 1949 to 2001 NATO the First Five Years 1949 1954 Chapter 7 The Military Structure Chapter 9 The Increase in Strength International Exercises Appendix 1 Chronicle Annex Chapter IX B Soviet armed strength as estimated in 1954 Exercise Mainbrace Pathe Films online Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Exercise Mainbrace amp oldid 1076093502, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
