STANDING NAVAL FORCE ATLANTIC

 

STANDING NATO MARITIME GROUP 1

 


 

In late November 1966, U.S. Rear Admiral Richard G. Colbert prepared a concept paper proposing a permanent Allied Command Atlantic naval contingency force based on Operation Matchmaker, an annual six-month exercise involving ships from NATO navies. The proposed contingency force was approved by NATO in December 1967 and activated in January 1968 as Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT). The force was re-designated Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 in January 2005

 

 

NATO MATCHMAKER SQUADRON

 

18 Jan 1965 - 14 Jul 1965

 

MM01

(MM01) Matchmaker Squadron Certificate

 

MM02

MM03

MM04

MM05

The Matchmaker Squadron entering Ponta Delgada, Azores

L-R: HMCS COLUMBIA 260,  HNLMS OVERIJSSEL D815,  USS HAMMERBERG 1015 and HMS LEANDER F109

 

MM06

MM07

MM08

MM09

MM10

(MM06) The NATO emblem on the funnel of HMCS COLUMBIA 260 with USS RICHARD E. KRAUS 849 in the background during EX POLESTAR

(MM07) Newspaper article on Matchmaker 1965

(MM08) Matchmaker Squadron ship's jackets. The jackets were given to all members of HMCS COLUMBIA.  Note the Maple Leaf on the Canadian flag.  "This was shortly after we had just raised the new Canadian flag on Feb 15, 1965 and apparently the company making the jackets did not know what a "maple leaf" looked like."

(MM09-MM10) On the morning of 12 Jun 1965, HMCS COLUMBIA encountered the sailing vessel "Tinkerbelle".  "I (ABRP Bob Thome) was reporting contacts that particular morning and this small unknown motionless contact kept popping up on my screen so, as we were the closest, we left our position in the convoy to check it out."  Documents MM09 and MM10 are excerpts from the book "Tinkerbelle - The story of the smallest boat ever to cross the Atlantic nonstop" by Robert Manry on Tinkerbelle's encounter with HMCS COLUMBIA

 

Courtesy of Robert (Bob) Thome, AB.RP1, RCN, ret'd

 


 

 

Matchmaker Four - 1968 Zippo Lighter

Ships in the Squadron: HMS BRIGHTON, USS HOLDER, HNLMS HOLLAND, HMCS GATINEAU and FGS EMDEN

Courtesy of Hugh Muir

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 17 Jul 1969

 

HMCS ASSINIBOINE 234 - 2nd ship from the right

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - Apr 1974

 

(clockwise): USS Julius A. Furer, FGS Augsburg, HNoMS Narvik, Almirante Periera da Silva, HNLMS Rotterdam, HMS Sirius, and HMCS Annapolis (flagship), centre. The squadron was in the Bay of Biscay when this was taken in April 1974

Photographer: Cpl. Dennis (Grasshopper) Mah, SNFL photographer

Courtesy of Peter Magwood

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1974

 

HMCS Huron with Standing Naval Force Atlantic

Courtesy of John Knudsen

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1975

 

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1975

 

HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265 conducting a RAS with RAS Hr Ms Poolster - 1975

Photo taken from Hr Ms Hr MS Poolster

Courtesy of Cor van Dongen, Ttelegrafist Royal Dutch Navy 1972-1979

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1977

 

HMCS MARGAREE 230 STANAVFORLANT Sailpast - July 1977

Photo taken from Hr Ms Evertsen F815

 

USS MILLER 1091 STANAVFORLANT Sailpost - Jul 1977

"The Americans were very official in their sailpast"

Photo taken from Hr MS Evertsen F815

Courtesy of Cor van Dongen, Ttelegrafist Royal Dutch Navy 1972-1979

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1977

 

HMCS SAGUENAY 205 STANAVFORLANT Sailpast - 29 Aug 1977

Photo taken from Hr MS Evertsen F815

Courtesy of Cor van Dongen, Ttelegrafist Royal Dutch Navy 1972-1979

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1979

 

Photo shoot off the Rock of Gibraltar

USS Paul, HNLMS Evertsen, HMCS Iroquois, HMS Sheffield, HMS Ariadne, FGS Lubeck 

CSNFL (then) Commodore Gordie Edwards

Courtesy of Ted Kendall

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1985

 

USS IOWA firing a full broadside during exercise with the Standing Naval Force Atlantic in 1985

HMCS NIPIGON front left in photo. Photo taken by one of the aircrew from the NATO Squardon

Courtesy of Malcolm Peacock

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - 1985

 

HMCS Iroquois with NATO Squadron

Courtesy of Dennis Burton

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - Aug - Dec 1985

 

USS BRISCOE, FGS HESSEN, HMS BATTLEAXE, HMCS OTTAWA, HNLMS TROMP

 


 

Standing Naval Force Atlantic - date unknown

 

HMCS NIPIGON 266 with NATO Squadron

Courtesy of John Le Forte

 


 

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