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Exercise Strikeback

October 22, 2023

Exercise Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957.

Exercise Strikeback
Part of Cold War (1953–1962)
The "GIUK Gap"
TypeNATO multi-lateral naval training exercise
Location
North Atlantic Ocean, GIUK Gap, Norwegian Sea
Planned bySupreme Allied Commander Atlantic
ObjectiveDeployment of NATO anti-submarine warfare and aircraft carrier strike forces
Date3–12 September 1957
Executed byVice Admiral Robert B. Pirie, USN, Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic (STRIKFLTLANT)
OutcomeExercise successfully executed.

As part of a series of exercises to simulate an all-out Soviet attack on NATO, Exercise Strikeback was tasked with two objectives. Its initial objective was the deployment of NATO's naval forces (designated the "Blue Fleet") against other NATO forces attempting to simulate an "enemy" navy that featured a large number of submarines (designated the "Orange Fleet"). Its other objective was to have the Blue Fleet execute carrier-based air strikes against "enemy" formations and emplacements along NATO's northern flank in Norway.

Exercise Strikeback involved over 200 warships, 650 aircraft, and 75,000 personnel from the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Royal Norwegian Navy. As the largest peacetime naval operation up to that time, military reporter Hanson W. Baldwin of The New York Times said Exercise Strikeback gathered "the strongest striking fleet assembled since World War II."[1]

Operation Strikeback and the other concurrent NATO exercises held during the fall of 1957 would be the most ambitious military undertaking for the alliance to date, involving more than 250,000 men, 300 ships, and 1,500 aircraft operating from Norway to Turkey.[2][3][4]

Background Edit

Strategic overview Edit

Faced with the overwhelming numerical superiority of Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact military forces, NATO embraced the concept of the nuclear umbrella to protect Western Europe from a Soviet ground invasion.[2][5][6][7] This strategy was initially articulated in January 1954 by U.S. Army General and then-Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alfred Gruenther:

We have ... an air-ground shield which, although still not strong enough, would force an enemy to concentrate prior to attack. In doing so, the concentrating force would be extremely vulnerable to losses from atomic weapon attacks ... We can now use atomic weapons against an aggressor, delivered not only by long-range aircraft, but also by the use of shorter range planes, and by 280 mm. artillery ... This air-ground team constitutes a very effective shield, and it would fight very well in case of attack.[2]

This strategic concept reflected the American strategy of massive retaliation of the Eisenhower administration as set forth by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles:

We need allies and collective security. Our purpose is to make these relations more effective, less costly. This can be done by placing more reliance on deterrent power and less dependence on local defensive power ... Local defense will always be important. But there is no local defense which alone will contain the mighty landpower of the Communist world. Local defenses must be reinforced by the further deterrent of massive retaliatory power. A potential aggressor must know that he cannot always prescribe battle conditions that suit him.[8]

NATO military command structure Edit

 
NATO military command and areas of responsibilities (1954)

With the establishment of NATO's Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) on 30 January 1952, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) joined the previously-created Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as one of the alliance's two principal parts of the NATO Military Command Structure.[9] In addition, Allied Command Channel 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.[10][11] The following key NATO military commands were involved in a series of alliance-wide exercises, including Operation Strikeback, during the Fall of 1957.[12][13]

Operational history Edit

As part of the response to a theoretical Soviet attack against NATO on all fronts, Operation Strikeback would test the capabilities of Allied naval forces (Blue Fleet) by tasking them to destroy the enemy navy (Orange Fleet) and its huge submarine fleet, protect transatlantic shipping, and undertake sustained carrier-based air strikes against the enemy positions.[14]

Beginning on 3 September 1957, American and Canadian naval forces got underway to join British, French, Dutch, and Norwegian naval forces in eastern Atlantic and northern European waters under the overall command of Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie, United States Navy, Commander, United States Second Fleet, acting as NATO's Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic.[15] While en route, the U.S.-Canadian naval forces executed Operation Seaspray, a bilateral naval exercise to protect Blue Fleet's vitally-important underway replenishment group (URG) from enemy submarine attacks.[16] The nuclear submarine Nautilus and the conventional submarine Trigger completed operations in the Arctic and joined 34 other U.S. and allied submarines temporarily assigned to the Orange Fleet.[17] USS Mount McKinley was based in Portsmouth Naval Base as the command communications base for the Orange forces controlling Comsuborangelant/Comphiborangelant for the duration of the Exercise.

Operation Strikeback itself began on 19 September 1957, involving over 200 warships, 650 aircraft, and 65,000 personnel. To provide a more realistic simulation of protecting transatlantic shipping, over 200 merchant marine vessels, including the ocean liners Queen Mary and Ile de France, also participated as duly-flagged target ships for the exercise.[17] Blue Fleet hunter-killer (HUK) groups centered around the carriers Essex, Wasp, and Tarawa, as well as submarines and land-based anti-submarine patrol aircraft, executed Operation Fend Off/Operation Fishplay to identify, track, and contain the breakout of the enemy Orange Fleet's submarine force along the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap (GIUK gap").[18][19]

Operating above the Arctic Circle in the Norwegian Sea, the Blue Fleet, which included the new aircraft carriers Saratoga and Forrestal, launched carried-based air strikes against enemy positions in Norway. Time magazine provided the following contemporary coverage of Operation Strikeback:

From somewhere southeast of Greenland came the crackle of an urgent radio message: "Being fired on by Orange surface raider. Inchcliffe Castle."[20] With that alert from a famed but fictitious merchant vessel, simulated hell broke loose in the North Atlantic. Out to punish the "aggressors," a six-nation Blue fleet totaling nearly 160 fighting ships began steaming toward Norway. In the Iceland-Faeroes gap, 36 Orange submarines, including the atom-powered Nautilus, lay in wait. The U.S. destroyer Charles R. Ware was "sunk"; a "torpedo" slowed down the carrier U.S.S. Intrepid,[clarification needed] and H.M.S. Ark Royal had a hot time beating off the assaults of Britain-based Valiant jet bombers. But by early afternoon, Blue carrier planes got through to make dummy atom attacks on Norway's ports, bridges and airfields. Into the midst of this earnest make-believe strayed a Russian trawler - a real one. The Russian, being overtaken, had the right of way and held it, passing diagonally through the entire NATO fleet as the big ships refueled and moved beyond her.[4]

 
USS Nautilus
 
U.S. Navy ASW Task Force Alfa (1959)

Following the conclusion of Operation Strikeback, U.S. naval forces conducted Operation Pipedown, involving the protection of its underway replenishment group while en route back the United States.[21]

SACLANT Admiral Jerauld Wright, United States Navy, described Operation Strikeback as being "remarkably successful" while also noting "[that] there is considerable scarcity of both naval and air forces in the eastern Atlantic."[22] Wright's Eastern Atlantic allied commander, Vice Admiral Sir John Eccles, RN, also noted:

I am not in a position to criticize political decisions, but I say this as a professional man with over 40 years' experience — I cannot carry out my task as given to me at the moment without more forces. In recent years the submarine has, without any doubt at all, gone a very long way ahead of the devices with which we are presently equipped to sound and destroy it.[23]

Particularly significant was the performance of nuclear-powered submarines with the U.S. Navy's first two such vessels, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and USS Seawolf (SSN-575), participating in Operation Strikeback. According to naval analyst-historian Norman Friedman, Nautilus "presented a greater threat than all 21 snorkel submarines combined" during Operation Strikeback, making 16 successful attacks against various naval formations while maintaining effective on-station tactical and high-speed pursuit capabilities. Nautilus cruised 3,384 nautical miles (6,267 km) with an average speed of 14.4 knots (26.7 km/h).[24] In addition to the Nautilus, the Seawolf departed New London on 3 September for Operation Strikeback. Before she surfaced off Newport, Rhode Island, on 25 September, Seawolf had remained submerged for 16 days, cruising a total of 6,331 miles (10,189 km). Recognizing the need to meet this Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) challenge, the following actions were taken:

  • Task Force Alfa was created by the U.S. Navy to develop improved ASW tactics and technology by integrating carrier-based ASW aircraft, land-based patrol aircraft, refitted destroyers, and hunter-killer submarines.[25][26][27]
  • NATO Undersea Research Centre was established by SACLANT on 2 May 1959 in La Spezia, Italy, to serve as a clearinghouse for NATO's anti-submarine efforts.[28][29]

Operation Strikeback was the final deployment for the battleships Iowa and Wisconsin until their re-activation in the 1980s by the Reagan Administration. Finally, on the technical level, Operation Strikeback saw the first use of single sideband (SSB) voice communications for tactical operations by the United States Navy,[30] and HMS Bulwark was the first Royal Navy carrier to use a magnetic loop communication system.[31]

In addition to Operation Strikeback, which concentrated on its eastern Atlantic/northern European flank, NATO also conducted two other major military exercises in September 1957, Operation Counter Punch involving Allied Forces Central Europe on the European mainland and Operation Deep Water involving NATO's southern flank in the Mediterranean Sea.[4][23]

Naval forces Edit

The following is a partial listing of naval forces known to have participated in Operation Strikeback.

Aircraft carriers and embarked air groups Edit

Naval aircraft Edit

United States Navy:

Royal Navy

Aircraft losses Edit

 
Forrestalcrash

Surface warships Edit

Battleships:

Cruisers:

Destroyers:

Destroyer escorts:

Amphibious vessels:

Royal Canadian Navy destroyers

Submarine forces Edit

Naval auxiliaries Edit

Land-based ASW patrol aircraft Edit

U.S. Navy Fleet Air Wing 3 Edit

The United States Navy deployed two patrol squadron from Fleet Air Wing Three (FAW-3) to participate in Operation Strikeback:

Both squadrons flew Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune ASW patrol aircraft.

RAF Coastal Command Edit

The Royal Air Force assigned two squadrons from RAF Coastal Command to participate in Operation Strikeback. Both squadrons flew Avro Shackleton patrol bombers:

U.S. Marine Corps units Edit

The following units of the United States Marine Corps participated in Operation Strikeback in September 1957 are listed below.[41]

See also Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Strikeback.

Notes Edit

  1. ^ Baldwin, Hanson W. (22 September 1957). "100 Fighting Ships in Vast Exercise". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Chapter 9". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  3. ^ Key Jr., David M. (2001). Admiral Jerauld Wright: Warrior among Diplomats. Manhattan, Kansas: Sunflower University Press. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-89745-251-9.
  4. ^ a b c . Time. 30 September 1957. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  5. ^ "Chapter 3". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Chapter 7". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  7. ^ "Chapter IX-B". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  8. ^ John Foster Dulles (12 January 1954). . Department of State, Press Release No. 81. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2008.
  9. ^ "Chapter 7 - The Military Structure - Atlantic Command". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  10. ^ "Chapter 7 - The Military Structure - Channel Command and Channel Committee". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  11. ^ "Appendix 1 — Chronicle". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  12. ^ "Who is who at NATO" (PDF). NATO. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  13. ^ Key, Jr., David M. (2001). Admiral Jerauld Wright: Warrior among Diplomats. Manhattan, Kansas: Sunflower University Press. pp. 329–331, 334–335, 338–342, 357. ISBN 0-89745-251-8., hereafter referred to as Warrior among Diplomats.
  14. ^ Warrior among Diplomats. p. 333 - 334
  15. ^ "Saratoga". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  16. ^ USS Wasp Veterans Association (1999). U. S. S. Wasp CV 18. Nashville: Turner Publishing Company. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-56311-404-5., hereafter referred to as USS Wasp
  17. ^ a b "The day Nautilus came to Portland". Archive. Dorset Echo. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2008.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ USS Wasp, p. 118
  19. ^ "Norwegian subs during the Cold War". Warships1 and NavWeaps Discussion Boards. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  20. ^ Inchcliffe Castle is a fictional ship from the Satevepost Glencannon stories by Guy Gilpatric.
  21. ^ USS Wasp, p. 119
  22. ^ Warrior among Diplomats, p. 334
  23. ^ a b . Time. 7 October 1957. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  24. ^ Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 109. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
  25. ^ Benedict, John R. (Spring 2005). "The Unraveling and Revitalization of U.S. Navy Antisubmarine Warfare". Naval War College Review: 98.
  26. ^ . Time. 1 September 1958. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  27. ^ . Time. 7 April 1958. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  28. ^ Warrior among Diplomats, p. 357
  29. ^ "History". NATO Undersea Research Centre. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  30. ^ Chronological History – U.S. Naval Communications, p. 16
  31. ^ . Fleet Air Arm Archives. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  32. ^ . ejection-history.org. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  33. ^ "Sea Stories". USS Essex Association. Retrieved 3 October 2008.[dead link]
  34. ^ "United States Navy Crew Crashes While On NATO Maneuvers In The Atlantic 24 September 1957". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  35. ^ . A-3 Skywarrior Association. Archived from the original on 17 May 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  36. ^ . A-3 Skywarrior Association. 10 November 2003. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  37. ^ "Second VP-8" (PDF). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2, Chapter 3. Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  38. ^ (PDF). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2, Chapter 3. Naval Historical Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  39. ^ . Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  40. ^ . Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  41. ^ Donnelly, Ralph W.; Gabrielle M. Nuefield; Carolyn A. Tyson (1971). A Chronology of the United States Marine Corps, 1947–1964 Volume III. Washington, DC: United States Marine Corps. p. 35. LCCN 77-604776. PCN 19000318200.

References Edit

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Bibliography Edit

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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  • Clearwater, John (1998). Canadian Nuclear Weapons: The Untold Story of Canada's Cold War Arsenal. Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN 1-55002-299-7.
  • Donnelly, Ralph W.; Gabrielle M. Nuefield; Carolyn A. Tyson (1971). A Chronology of the United States Marine Corps, 1947–1964 Volume III (PDF). USMC Headquarters - Historical Division. ISBN 978-1481987516.
  • Friedman, Norman (September 1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
  • Jones, William K. (1987). A Brief History of the 6th Marines. USMC Headquarters - Historical Division. ISBN 1-900031-00-0.
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  • Trauschweizer, Igor Wolfgang (2006). "Creating Deterrence for Limited War: The U.S. Army and the Defense of West Germany, 1953-1982; PhD dissertation" (PDF). Department of History - University of Maryland, College Park. Retrieved 28 August 2008.[dead link]
  • USS Wasp Veterans Association (1999). U. S. S. Wasp CV 18. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-56311-404-5.
  • Benedict, John R. (Spring 2005). "The Unraveling and Revitalization of U.S. Navy Antisubmarine Warfare" (PDF). Naval War College Review. 58 (2): 92–120. Retrieved 28 August 2008.[dead link]
  • Porter, Richard E. (March–April 1977). "Correlation of Forces: Revolutionary Legacy". Air University Review. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  • Trainor, Bernard E. (February 2008). "Triumph in Strategic Thinking". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. 134 (2). 40 – 42. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  • "The day Nautilus came to Portland". Dorset Echo. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2008.[permanent dead link]
  • Baldwin, Hanson W. (22 September 1957). "100 Fighting Ships in Vast Exercise". The New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  • Trainor, Bernard E. (23 March 1987). "Lehman's Sea-War Strategy Is Alive, but for How Long?". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  • Time — 30 September 1957
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  • Time — 7 April 1958
  • Time — 1 September 1958
  • A-3 Skywarrior Association
  • A-3 Skywarrior Association
  • Chronological History — U.S. Naval Communications
  • The National Association of Destroyer Veterans
  • - Project Get Out and Walk
  • HMCS Iroquois 17 May 2004 at the Wayback Machine
  • GlobalSecurity.org
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  • United States Navy Crew Crashes While On NATO Maneuvers In The Atlantic 24 September 1957 - Arlington National Cemetery
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  • Senior officials in the NATO military structure, from 1949 to 2001
  • - No. 269 Squadron RAF
  • - USS Essex Association

External links Edit

  • GlobalSecurity.org
  • Go Navy
  • "Trained to 'Strike Back'" - Naval Aviation News - December 1957

October 22, 2023
exercise, strikeback, major, naval, exercise, north, atlantic, treaty, organization, nato, that, took, place, over, period, september, 1957, part, cold, 1953, 1962, giuk, typenato, multi, lateral, naval, training, exerciselocationnorth, atlantic, ocean, giuk, . Exercise Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO that took place over a ten day period in September 1957 Exercise StrikebackPart of Cold War 1953 1962 The GIUK Gap TypeNATO multi lateral naval training exerciseLocationNorth Atlantic Ocean GIUK Gap Norwegian SeaPlanned bySupreme Allied Commander AtlanticObjectiveDeployment of NATO anti submarine warfare and aircraft carrier strike forcesDate3 12 September 1957Executed byVice Admiral Robert B Pirie USN Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic STRIKFLTLANT OutcomeExercise successfully executed As part of a series of exercises to simulate an all out Soviet attack on NATO Exercise Strikeback was tasked with two objectives Its initial objective was the deployment of NATO s naval forces designated the Blue Fleet against other NATO forces attempting to simulate an enemy navy that featured a large number of submarines designated the Orange Fleet Its other objective was to have the Blue Fleet execute carrier based air strikes against enemy formations and emplacements along NATO s northern flank in Norway Exercise Strikeback involved over 200 warships 650 aircraft and 75 000 personnel from the United States Navy the Royal Navy the Royal Canadian Navy the French Navy the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy As the largest peacetime naval operation up to that time military reporter Hanson W Baldwin of The New York Times said Exercise Strikeback gathered the strongest striking fleet assembled since World War II 1 Operation Strikeback and the other concurrent NATO exercises held during the fall of 1957 would be the most ambitious military undertaking for the alliance to date involving more than 250 000 men 300 ships and 1 500 aircraft operating from Norway to Turkey 2 3 4 Contents 1 Background 1 1 Strategic overview 1 2 NATO military command structure 2 Operational history 3 Naval forces 3 1 Aircraft carriers and embarked air groups 3 2 Naval aircraft 3 2 1 Aircraft losses 3 3 Surface warships 3 4 Submarine forces 3 5 Naval auxiliaries 3 6 Land based ASW patrol aircraft 3 6 1 U S Navy Fleet Air Wing 3 3 6 2 RAF Coastal Command 3 7 U S Marine Corps units 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External linksBackground EditStrategic overview Edit Faced with the overwhelming numerical superiority of Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact military forces NATO embraced the concept of the nuclear umbrella to protect Western Europe from a Soviet ground invasion 2 5 6 7 This strategy was initially articulated in January 1954 by U S Army General and then Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alfred Gruenther We have an air ground shield which although still not strong enough would force an enemy to concentrate prior to attack In doing so the concentrating force would be extremely vulnerable to losses from atomic weapon attacks We can now use atomic weapons against an aggressor delivered not only by long range aircraft but also by the use of shorter range planes and by 280 mm artillery This air ground team constitutes a very effective shield and it would fight very well in case of attack 2 This strategic concept reflected the American strategy of massive retaliation of the Eisenhower administration as set forth by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles We need allies and collective security Our purpose is to make these relations more effective less costly This can be done by placing more reliance on deterrent power and less dependence on local defensive power Local defense will always be important But there is no local defense which alone will contain the mighty landpower of the Communist world Local defenses must be reinforced by the further deterrent of massive retaliatory power A potential aggressor must know that he cannot always prescribe battle conditions that suit him 8 NATO military command structure Edit nbsp NATO military command and areas of responsibilities 1954 With the establishment of NATO s Allied Command Atlantic ACLANT on 30 January 1952 the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic SACLANT joined the previously created Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR as one of the alliance s two principal parts of the NATO Military Command Structure 9 In addition Allied Command Channel 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 10 11 The following key NATO military commands were involved in a series of alliance wide exercises including Operation Strikeback during the Fall of 1957 12 13 Allied Command Atlantic ACLANT Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic SACLANT Admiral Jerauld Wright United States Navy Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic DSACLANT Vice Admiral Sir John Eaton RN Chief of Staff COFS Vice Admiral Harold Page Smith United States Navy Eastern Atlantic Area EASTLANT Vice Admiral Sir John Eccles RN Western Atlantic Area WESTLANT Admiral Jerauld Wright United States Navy Striking Fleet Atlantic STRIKFLTLANT Vice Admiral Robert B Pirie United States Navy Allied Command Europe Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR General Lauris Norstad USAF Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe DSACEUR Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein British Army Chief of Staff COFS General Courtlandt Van R Schuyler USA Allied Forces Northern Europe AFNORTH Lieutenant General Sir C S Sugden British Army Allied Forces Central Europe AFCENT General d Armee Jean Etienne Valluy French Army Allied Air Forces Central Europe AAFCE Air Chief Marshal Sir George Holroyd Mills RAF Northern Army Group NORTHAG General Sir Richard Nelson Gale British Army Central Army Group CENTAG General Henry I Hodes USA Allied Forces Southern Europe AFSOUTH Admiral R P M Bristol United States Navy Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe STRIKFORSOUTH Vice Admiral Charles R Brown United States Navy Allied Forces Mediterranean AFMED Admiral Sir Ralph Edwards RN Allied Command Channel CHANCOM Commander in Chief Channel CINCHAN Admiral Sir Guy Grantham RNOperational history EditAs part of the response to a theoretical Soviet attack against NATO on all fronts Operation Strikeback would test the capabilities of Allied naval forces Blue Fleet by tasking them to destroy the enemy navy Orange Fleet and its huge submarine fleet protect transatlantic shipping and undertake sustained carrier based air strikes against the enemy positions 14 Beginning on 3 September 1957 American and Canadian naval forces got underway to join British French Dutch and Norwegian naval forces in eastern Atlantic and northern European waters under the overall command of Vice Admiral Robert B Pirie United States Navy Commander United States Second Fleet acting as NATO s Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic 15 While en route the U S Canadian naval forces executed Operation Seaspray a bilateral naval exercise to protect Blue Fleet s vitally important underway replenishment group URG from enemy submarine attacks 16 The nuclear submarine Nautilus and the conventional submarine Trigger completed operations in the Arctic and joined 34 other U S and allied submarines temporarily assigned to the Orange Fleet 17 USS Mount McKinley was based in Portsmouth Naval Base as the command communications base for the Orange forces controlling Comsuborangelant Comphiborangelant for the duration of the Exercise Operation Strikeback itself began on 19 September 1957 involving over 200 warships 650 aircraft and 65 000 personnel To provide a more realistic simulation of protecting transatlantic shipping over 200 merchant marine vessels including the ocean liners Queen Mary and Ile de France also participated as duly flagged target ships for the exercise 17 Blue Fleet hunter killer HUK groups centered around the carriers Essex Wasp and Tarawa as well as submarines and land based anti submarine patrol aircraft executed Operation Fend Off Operation Fishplay to identify track and contain the breakout of the enemy Orange Fleet s submarine force along the Greenland Iceland UK gap GIUK gap 18 19 Operating above the Arctic Circle in the Norwegian Sea the Blue Fleet which included the new aircraft carriers Saratoga and Forrestal launched carried based air strikes against enemy positions in Norway Time magazine provided the following contemporary coverage of Operation Strikeback From somewhere southeast of Greenland came the crackle of an urgent radio message Being fired on by Orange surface raider Inchcliffe Castle 20 With that alert from a famed but fictitious merchant vessel simulated hell broke loose in the North Atlantic Out to punish the aggressors a six nation Blue fleet totaling nearly 160 fighting ships began steaming toward Norway In the Iceland Faeroes gap 36 Orange submarines including the atom powered Nautilus lay in wait The U S destroyer Charles R Ware was sunk a torpedo slowed down the carrier U S S Intrepid clarification needed and H M S Ark Royal had a hot time beating off the assaults of Britain based Valiant jet bombers But by early afternoon Blue carrier planes got through to make dummy atom attacks on Norway s ports bridges and airfields Into the midst of this earnest make believe strayed a Russian trawler a real one The Russian being overtaken had the right of way and held it passing diagonally through the entire NATO fleet as the big ships refueled and moved beyond her 4 nbsp USS Nautilus nbsp U S Navy ASW Task Force Alfa 1959 Following the conclusion of Operation Strikeback U S naval forces conducted Operation Pipedown involving the protection of its underway replenishment group while en route back the United States 21 SACLANT Admiral Jerauld Wright United States Navy described Operation Strikeback as being remarkably successful while also noting that there is considerable scarcity of both naval and air forces in the eastern Atlantic 22 Wright s Eastern Atlantic allied commander Vice Admiral Sir John Eccles RN also noted I am not in a position to criticize political decisions but I say this as a professional man with over 40 years experience I cannot carry out my task as given to me at the moment without more forces In recent years the submarine has without any doubt at all gone a very long way ahead of the devices with which we are presently equipped to sound and destroy it 23 Particularly significant was the performance of nuclear powered submarines with the U S Navy s first two such vessels the USS Nautilus SSN 571 and USS Seawolf SSN 575 participating in Operation Strikeback According to naval analyst historian Norman Friedman Nautilus presented a greater threat than all 21 snorkel submarines combined during Operation Strikeback making 16 successful attacks against various naval formations while maintaining effective on station tactical and high speed pursuit capabilities Nautilus cruised 3 384 nautical miles 6 267 km with an average speed of 14 4 knots 26 7 km h 24 In addition to the Nautilus the Seawolf departed New London on 3 September for Operation Strikeback Before she surfaced off Newport Rhode Island on 25 September Seawolf had remained submerged for 16 days cruising a total of 6 331 miles 10 189 km Recognizing the need to meet this Anti submarine warfare ASW challenge the following actions were taken Task Force Alfa was created by the U S Navy to develop improved ASW tactics and technology by integrating carrier based ASW aircraft land based patrol aircraft refitted destroyers and hunter killer submarines 25 26 27 NATO Undersea Research Centre was established by SACLANT on 2 May 1959 in La Spezia Italy to serve as a clearinghouse for NATO s anti submarine efforts 28 29 Operation Strikeback was the final deployment for the battleships Iowa and Wisconsin until their re activation in the 1980s by the Reagan Administration Finally on the technical level Operation Strikeback saw the first use of single sideband SSB voice communications for tactical operations by the United States Navy 30 and HMS Bulwark was the first Royal Navy carrier to use a magnetic loop communication system 31 In addition to Operation Strikeback which concentrated on its eastern Atlantic northern European flank NATO also conducted two other major military exercises in September 1957 Operation Counter Punch involving Allied Forces Central Europe on the European mainland and Operation Deep Water involving NATO s southern flank in the Mediterranean Sea 4 23 Naval forces EditThe following is a partial listing of naval forces known to have participated in Operation Strikeback Aircraft carriers and embarked air groups Edit USS Saratoga CVA 60 Blue Fleet flagship Carrier Air Group Seven Fighter Squadron 61 VF 61 Attack Squadron 72 VA 72 Attack Squadron 75 VA 75 All Weather Attack Squadron 33 VA AW 33 Det Light Photographic Squadron 62 VFP 62 Det Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 HU 2 Det USS Forrestal CVA 59 Carrier Air Group One Fighter Squadron 14 VF 14 Fighter Squadron 84 VF 84 Attack Squadron 15 VA 15 Attack Squadron 76 VA 76 Heavy Attack Squadron 1 VAH 1 Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 VAW 12 Det All Weather Attack Squadron 33 AV AW 33 Det Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 HU 2 Det USS Intrepid CVA 11 Carrier Air Group Six Fighter Squadron 33 VF 33 Fighter Squadron 71 VF 71 Attack Squadron 25 VA 25 Attack Squadron 66 VA 66 Heavy Attack Squadron 11 VAH 11 All Weather Attack Squadron 33 VA AW 33 Det Light Photographic Squadron 62 VFP 62 Det Airborne Early Warning Squadron 12 VAW 12 Det Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 UH 2 Det USS Essex CVA 9 Squadrons embarked Air Anti submarine Squadron 36 VS 36 Anti submarine Helicopter Squadron 3 HS 7 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 HU 2 Det USS Tarawa CVS 40 Squadrons embarked Air Anti submarine Squadron 32 VS 32 Anti submarine Helicopter Squadron 1 HS 1 Attack Squadron 172 VA 172 All Weather Fighter Squadron 4 VF AW 4 Det Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 HU 2 Det USS Wasp CVS 18 Squadrons embarked Attack Squadron 44 VA 44 Air Anti submarine Squadron 27 VS 27 Air Anti submarine Squadron 30 VS 30 Anti submarine Helicopter Squadron 5 HS 5 Utility Helicopter Squadron 2 HU 2 Det HMS Ark Royal R09 Orange Fleet flagship Squadrons embarked 802 804 815 831 849B 898 HMS Bulwark R08 Squadrons embarked 820 845 849D 891 HMS Eagle R05 Squadrons embarked 803 806 813 814 848ANaval aircraft Edit United States Navy Fighters Grumman F 9 Cougar VA 76 F9F 8B VA 44 F9F 8 VA 66 F9F 8B VFP 62 F9F 8P McDonnell F3H Demon VF 14 F3H 2N VF 61 F3H 2M Douglas F2H Banshee VFP 62 F2H 2P VF 71 F2H 3 4 VA 172 F2H 2 2B North American FJ 3 Fury VF 33 FJ 3 3M VF 84 FJ 3M Anti submarine ASW aircraft Lockheed P2V 5F Neptune VP 8 VP 10 Grumman S2F Tracker VS 27 S2F 1 2 VS 30 S2F 1 2 VS 32 S2F 1 2 VS 36 S2F 1 2 Attack bombers Douglas A 4 Skyhawk VA 72 A4D 1 Douglas AD Skyraider VAW 12 AD 5W VA 15 AD 6 VA 25 AD 6 VA AW 33 AD 5N AD 5Q VA 75 AD 6 VF AW 4 AD 5 Douglas A 3 Skywarrior VAH 1 A3D 1 North American AJ Savage VAH 7 AJ 2 VAH 11 AJ 2 Helicopters Piasecki HUP 2 Retriever HU 2 Sikorsky HSS 1 Seabat HS 5 HS 7Royal NavyFighter 891 Naval Air Squadron de Havilland Sea Venom 894 Naval Air Squadron Sea Venom 802 Naval Air Squadron Hawker Sea Hawk 803 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hawk 804 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hawk 806 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hawk 898 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hawk torpedo strike fighter 813 Naval Air Squadron Westland Wyvern A S Warfare 814 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Gannet 815 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Gannet 820 Naval Air Squadron Fairey Gannet Airborne Early Warning A Flight 849 Naval Air Squadron Skyraider AEW 1 B Flight 849 Naval Air Squadron Skyraider AEW 1 D Flight 849 Naval Air Squadron Skyraider AEW 1 Helicopters 845 Naval Air Squadron Westland Whirlwind Aircraft losses Edit nbsp Forrestalcrash24 September 1957 An F4D Skyray jet fighter crashed into the sea while attempting to land back on board the USS Saratoga During the subsequent search and rescue two S2F 2 ASW aircraft of VS 36 off the USS Essex collided in mid air and crashed into the sea Two additional F4D Skyray aircraft crashed following a mid air collision off Andoy Norway The total loss of life was 11 32 33 34 26 September 1957 An A3D 1 Skywarrior attack bomber crashed into the stern flight deck ramp while attempting to land on board the USS Forrestal pictured The aircraft was lost at sea but the three man crew was recovered 35 36 Surface warships Edit Battleships USS Wisconsin BB 64 USS Iowa BB 61 Cruisers USS Canberra CAG 2 USS Boston CAG 1 USS Macon CA 132 USS Albany CA 123 USS Northampton CLC 1 HMS Gambia 48 HMS Sheffield 24 De Grasse C610 Destroyers USS Mitscher DL 2 USS Willis A Lee DL 4 USS Decatur DD 936 USS John Paul Jones DD 932 USS Forrest Sherman DD 931 USS O Hare DDR 889 USS Forrest Royal DD 872 USS Charles R Ware DD 865 USS Harwood DD 861 USS McCaffery DDE 860 USS Charles H Roan DD 853 USS Joseph P Kennedy Jr DD 850 USS Fiske DDR 842 USS Robert A Owens DDE 827 USS Samuel B Roberts DD 823 USS Johnston DD 821 USS Corry DD 817 USS Robert K Huntington DD 781 USS Stormes DD 780 USS Douglas H Fox DD 779 USS Massey DD 778 USS Zellars DD 777 USS James C Owens DD 776 USS Lowry DD 770 USS Putnam DD 757 USS Laffey DD 724 USS William R Rush DDR 714 USS Hugh Purvis DD 709 USS Harlan R Dickson DD 708 USS Gainard DD 706 USS Compton DD 705 USS Ault DD 698 USS Charles S Sperry DD 697 USS Ingraham DD 694 USS Moale DD 693 USS Allen M Sumner DD 692 USS Hunt DD 674 USS Caperton DD 650 USS Abbot DD 629 USS The Sullivans DD 537 USS Daly DD 519 USS Eaton DDE 510 USS Cony DDE 508 USS Beale DDE 471 Destroyer escorts USS Joseph K Taussig DE 1030 USS Courtney DE 1021 USS Hammerberg DE 1015 USS Cromwell DE 1014 USS Dealey DE 1006 USS Snowden DE 246 USS Peterson DE 152 USS Huse DE 145 Amphibious vessels USS Mount McKinley AGC 7 USS Washtenaw County LST 1166 Royal Canadian Navy destroyers HMCS Iroquois DDE 217 HMCS St Laurent DDE 205 HMCS Ottawa DDE 229 HMCS Saguenay DDE 206 HMCS Assiniboine DDE 234 HMCS Haida DDE 215 HMCS Micmac DDE 214 HMCS Nootka DDE 213 Submarine forces Edit Nuclear submarines USS Seawolf SSN 575 USS Nautilus SSN 571 Support vessels USS Fulton AS 11 USS Papago ATF 160 USS Luiseno ATF 156 Diesel electric submarines USS Darter SS 576 USS Trigger SS 564 USS Odax SS 484 USS Runner SS 476 USS Trumpetfish SS 425 USS Quillback SS 424 USS Torsk SS 423 USS Piper SS 409 USS Sea Poacher SS 406 USS Sea Owl SS 405 USS Jallao SS 368 USS Halfbeak SS 352 USS Chopper SS 342 USS Bergall SS 320 USS Becuna SS 319 USS Barbero SSG 317 USS Redfin SSR 272 USS Ray SSR 271 USS Pompon SSR 267 USS Croaker SSK 246 USS Cavalla SSK 244 USS Angler SSK 240 USS Grouper SSK 214 Naval auxiliaries Edit Underway Replenishment Group URG USS Suribachi AE 21 flagship USS Shasta AE 6 USS Denebola AF 56 USS Caloosahatchee AO 98 USS Allagash AO 97 USS Nantahala AO 60 USS Kankakee AO 39 USS Kennebec AO 36 Fleet Support USS Grand Canyon AD 28 USS Cadmus AR 14 Land based ASW patrol aircraft Edit U S Navy Fleet Air Wing 3 Edit The United States Navy deployed two patrol squadron from Fleet Air Wing Three FAW 3 to participate in Operation Strikeback Patrol Squadron 8 VP 8 operated out of Argentia Newfoundland 37 Patrol Squadron 10 VP 10 operated out of Keflavik Iceland 38 Both squadrons flew Lockheed P2V 5F Neptune ASW patrol aircraft RAF Coastal Command Edit The Royal Air Force assigned two squadrons from RAF Coastal Command to participate in Operation Strikeback Both squadrons flew Avro Shackleton patrol bombers No 204 Squadron deployed to RAF Kinloss 39 No 269 Squadron deployed to RAF Wick 40 U S Marine Corps units Edit The following units of the United States Marine Corps participated in Operation Strikeback in September 1957 are listed below 41 Regimental Landing Team 8 RLT 8 Battalion Landing Team 1 2See also Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Strikeback Cold War 1953 1962 Operation Deep Water Operation BrasstacksNotes Edit Baldwin Hanson W 22 September 1957 100 Fighting Ships in Vast Exercise The New York Times Retrieved 28 September 2009 a b c Chapter 9 NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 November 2008 Key Jr David M 2001 Admiral Jerauld Wright Warrior among Diplomats Manhattan Kansas Sunflower University Press p 333 ISBN 978 0 89745 251 9 a b c Emergency Call Time 30 September 1957 Archived from the original on 28 June 2011 Retrieved 3 October 2008 Chapter 3 NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 November 2008 Chapter 7 NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 November 2008 Chapter IX B NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 November 2008 John Foster Dulles 12 January 1954 The Evolution of Foreign Policy Department of State Press Release No 81 Archived from the original on 14 May 2008 Retrieved 9 April 2008 Chapter 7 The Military Structure Atlantic Command NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 January 2008 Chapter 7 The Military Structure Channel Command and Channel Committee NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 September 2008 Appendix 1 Chronicle NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Retrieved 3 September 2008 Who is who at NATO PDF NATO Retrieved 3 October 2008 Key Jr David M 2001 Admiral Jerauld Wright Warrior among Diplomats Manhattan Kansas Sunflower University Press pp 329 331 334 335 338 342 357 ISBN 0 89745 251 8 hereafter referred to as Warrior among Diplomats Warrior among Diplomats p 333 334 Saratoga Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Navy Department Naval History and Heritage Command Retrieved 3 October 2008 USS Wasp Veterans Association 1999 U S S Wasp CV 18 Nashville Turner Publishing Company p 119 ISBN 978 1 56311 404 5 hereafter referred to as USS Wasp a b The day Nautilus came to Portland Archive Dorset Echo 5 October 2007 Retrieved 3 October 2008 permanent dead link USS Wasp p 118 Norwegian subs during the Cold War Warships1 and NavWeaps Discussion Boards Retrieved 3 October 2008 Inchcliffe Castle is a fictional ship from the Satevepost Glencannon stories by Guy Gilpatric USS Wasp p 119 Warrior among Diplomats p 334 a b All Ashore Time 7 October 1957 Archived from the original on 28 June 2011 Retrieved 7 November 2008 Friedman Norman 1994 U S Submarines Since 1945 An Illustrated Design History Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press p 109 ISBN 1 55750 260 9 Benedict John R Spring 2005 The Unraveling and Revitalization of U S Navy Antisubmarine Warfare Naval War College Review 98 The Goblin Killers Time 1 September 1958 Archived from the original on 6 September 2008 Retrieved 3 November 2008 Antisubmarine Boss Time 7 April 1958 Archived from the original on 24 October 2012 Retrieved 3 November 2008 Warrior among Diplomats p 357 History NATO Undersea Research Centre Retrieved 3 November 2008 Chronological History U S Naval Communications p 16 HMS Bulwark Fleet Air Arm Archives Archived from the original on 22 March 2015 Retrieved 3 September 2008 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Loss and Ejections F4D 1 Skyray ejection history org Archived from the original on 28 May 2015 Retrieved 3 October 2008 Sea Stories USS Essex Association Retrieved 3 October 2008 dead link United States Navy Crew Crashes While On NATO Maneuvers In The Atlantic 24 September 1957 Arlington National Cemetery Retrieved 3 September 2008 A 3 Skywarrior aircraft lost with crew lists p 2 A 3 Skywarrior Association Archived from the original on 17 May 2006 Retrieved 3 October 2008 HTML List of Accidents by BuNo Report A 3 Skywarrior Association 10 November 2003 Archived from the original on 19 June 2006 Retrieved 3 September 2008 Second VP 8 PDF Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2 Chapter 3 Naval Historical Center Retrieved 3 September 2008 Third VP 10 PDF Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2 Chapter 3 Naval Historical Center Archived from the original PDF on 27 March 2007 Retrieved 3 September 2008 Ballykelly s Shackleton Era 1952 1971 Archived from the original on 5 July 2008 Retrieved 3 September 2008 History No 269 Squadron RAF Archived from the original on 21 April 2008 Retrieved 3 September 2008 Donnelly Ralph W Gabrielle M Nuefield Carolyn A Tyson 1971 A Chronology of the United States Marine Corps 1947 1964 Volume III Washington DC United States Marine Corps p 35 LCCN 77 604776 PCN 19000318200 References EditSturtivant Ray Theo Ballance 1994 The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm Air Britain ISBN 0 85130 223 8 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Naval Historical Center Archived from the original on 19 August 2000 Retrieved 26 August 2008 Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 1 Naval Historical Center Archived from the original on 15 September 2008 Retrieved 26 August 2008 Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2 Naval Historical Center Archived from the original on 15 September 2008 Retrieved 26 August 2008 DANFS Online www hazegray org Retrieved 26 August 2008 Robeson Paul 8 November 2004 The Intrepid from Day One intrepid west org Retrieved 26 August 2008 permanent dead link USS Essex Association USS Essex Association 1997 2008 Archived from the original on 14 January 2015 Retrieved 26 August 2008 U S Navy Office of Information United States Navy Archived from the original on 13 September 2008 Retrieved 26 August 2008 The National Association of Destroyer Veterans Tin Can Sailors Retrieved 26 August 2008 Pike John 2000 2008 U S Navy GlobalSecurity org Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS O Hare DD 889 USS O Hare DD DDR 889 2008 Archived from the original on 14 August 2014 Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Harwood DD 861 Bushnell amp Associates 1997 Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Charles H Roan DD 853 USS Charles H Roan DD 861 Association 1999 2008 Retrieved 26 August 2008 Dannenfeldt Danny 2006 USS Charles R Ware DD 865 Archived from the original on 17 July 2011 Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Fiske DDR 842 USS Fiske DD DDR 842 Association Inc 2008 Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Samuel B Roberts DD 823 Samuel B Roberts DD 823 Shipmates Association Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Johnston DD 821 Multieducator 2005 Retrieved 26 August 2008 Military History of the USS Corry USS Corry DD DDR 817 Association Archived from the original on 3 July 2008 Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Charles S Sperry DD 697 Destroyers OnLine Archived from the original on 16 August 2007 Retrieved 26 August 2008 Northern Europe September to October 1957 U S S Allen M Sumner DD 692 Official Home of the First in its Class Retrieved 26 August 2008 History USS Trumpetfish SS 425 USS Trumpetfish SS 425 Veterans Association Inc Archived from the original on 9 July 2007 Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Becuna SS 319 Navsource org Archived from the original on 4 December 2003 Retrieved 26 August 2008 Albert Nelson Cain USS Cadmus Archived from the original on 24 October 2007 Retrieved 26 August 2008 A Brief History of HMCS Iroquois Postwar Canadian Navy Archived from the original on 17 May 2004 Retrieved 26 August 2008 The day Nautilus came to Portland Dorset Echo Retrieved 26 August 2008 dead link Go Navy Retrieved 26 August 2008 USS Intrepid Service Data wa3key Retrieved 26 August 2008 Ronald G Dejarnette VP Shipmate Directory VPNavy org Retrieved 26 August 2008 Warships1 and NavWeaps Discussion Boards NavWeaps Retrieved 26 August 2008 Bibliography EditThis article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Dulles John Foster 12 January 1954 The Evolution of Foreign Policy Department of State Press Release 81 Archived from the original on 18 April 2008 Retrieved 28 August 2008 Clearwater John 1998 Canadian Nuclear Weapons The Untold Story of Canada s Cold War Arsenal Dundurn Press Ltd ISBN 1 55002 299 7 Donnelly Ralph W Gabrielle M Nuefield Carolyn A Tyson 1971 A Chronology of the United States Marine Corps 1947 1964 Volume III PDF USMC Headquarters Historical Division ISBN 978 1481987516 Friedman Norman September 1994 U S Submarines Since 1945 An Illustrated Design History Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 260 9 Jones William K 1987 A Brief History of the 6th Marines USMC Headquarters Historical Division ISBN 1 900031 00 0 Key Jr David M 2001 Admiral Jerauld Wright Warrior among Diplomats Sunflower University Press ISBN 0 89745 251 8 Lord Ismay NATO the first five years 1949 1954 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 1954 Sturtivant Ray Theo Ballance 1994 The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm first edition Air Britain ISBN 0 85130 223 8 Trauschweizer Igor Wolfgang 2006 Creating Deterrence for Limited War The U S Army and the Defense of West Germany 1953 1982 PhD dissertation PDF Department of History University of Maryland College Park Retrieved 28 August 2008 dead link USS Wasp Veterans Association 1999 U S S Wasp CV 18 Turner Publishing Company ISBN 978 1 56311 404 5 Benedict John R Spring 2005 The Unraveling and Revitalization of U S Navy Antisubmarine Warfare PDF Naval War College Review 58 2 92 120 Retrieved 28 August 2008 dead link Porter Richard E March April 1977 Correlation of Forces Revolutionary Legacy Air University Review Retrieved 28 August 2008 Trainor Bernard E February 2008 Triumph in Strategic Thinking United States Naval Institute Proceedings 134 2 40 42 Retrieved 29 August 2008 The day Nautilus came to Portland Dorset Echo 5 October 2007 Retrieved 3 November 2008 permanent dead link Baldwin Hanson W 22 September 1957 100 Fighting Ships in Vast Exercise The New York Times p 9 Retrieved 28 August 2008 Trainor Bernard E 23 March 1987 Lehman s Sea War Strategy Is Alive but for How Long The New York Times Retrieved 3 November 2008 Emergency Call Time 30 September 1957 All Ashore Time 7 October 1957 Antisubmarine Boss Time 7 April 1958 The Goblin Killers Time 1 September 1958 A 3 Skywarrior aircraft lost with crew lists p 2 A 3 Skywarrior Association Descriptive List of Accidents p 2 A 3 Skywarrior Association Ballykelly s Shackleton Era 1952 1971 Chronological History U S Naval Communications The National Association of Destroyer Veterans Loss and Ejections F4D 1 Skyray Project Get Out and Walk HMCS Iroquois Archived 17 May 2004 at the Wayback Machine HMS Bulwark Fleet Air Arm Archives GlobalSecurity org Go Navy United States Navy Crew Crashes While On NATO Maneuvers In The Atlantic 24 September 1957 Arlington National Cemetery Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 1 The History of VA VAH VAK VAL VAP and VFA Squadrons Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Volume 2 The History of VP VPB VP H and VP AM Squadrons USS Intrepid Operation Strikeback Navsource org Senior officials in the NATO military structure from 1949 to 2001 History 1952 1963 No 269 Squadron RAF Sea Story USS Essex AssociationExternal links EditGlobalSecurity org Go Navy Trained to Strike Back Naval Aviation News December 1957 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Exercise Strikeback amp oldid 1158671779, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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