https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/b624d97d048d6d7de4f04e0e4e31be16.pdf 2385b4e4fcba7da65e64311032b4593c PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access iolnformaiionAct^ Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi /’information + 0 (57 3 P 1, Qnilg” f Fad 4 4 J dbb tin ii i NATO - CONFIDENTIAL SUMMARY OF EXERCISE 11 LONGSTEP I (From 3 to 13 November included) \ COPY .3/ X 1. 2. -- - ! Aim. a. To provide to the greatest extent possible for both combined and joint tactical training between allied land, sea and airforces. b. To provide training for the various Mediterranean Naval Commanders and their staffs both in planning and in operations. Direction. / As the exercise was rather an Allied than a Southern Command exercise, the choice of Admiral Carney as Exercise Director was made by mutual agreement between the participating nations. 3. Forces taking part. Naval forces of Greece, France, Italy, Turkey, U.K. and U.S.A, did / participate. In addition, Air and Land forces took part in the exercise:: 3 Aircraft carriers 6 Cruisers 22 Destroyers 20 Submarines Large numbers of frigates, escorts, minesweepers and fast patrol craft as well as 1 fast minelayer, Large numbers of aircraft; amphibious troops: US Marine Battallion Reinforced - 1700 Greek Raider Battallion - 650 2 French Commando Companies - 150 1 Italian Commando Platoon - 20 4. General Concept. ■ 1 The exercise was designed around these main features: a. Convoy operations, including the control and protection of shipping in the Western and.Central Mediterranean. b. .The movement of an amphibious force from the Central Mediterranean to the Eastern Mediterranean, where an amphibious landing took place, in support of Turkey. c. The operation of a fast Carrier Task Force in the Mediterranean. The.opposition consisted of one fast surface raider (H.M.S. Manxman, a fast minelayer), submarines, MTB's and airforces. 5. Phases of the exersise. a. Convoy "A" passed from Marseille to Algiers, thence along the . coast of North-Africa through the Sicilian Straits to Augusta; from there through the Straits of Messina to the East of Sardinia and I 000135 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur l’acces a Hnformaiion i 2 - NATO - CONFIDENTIAL Corsica to-Toulon*. The convoy was escorted throughont its voyage. During its passage from Marseille to Augusta it was attacked by carrier borne aircraft from the U.S. 6th Fleet, as Well as by landbased aircraft. During the voyage from Marseille to the Sicilian Straits, airdefence .for the convoy was provided by the French aircraftcarrier Lafayette, and when in the vicinity of Southern France and Tunisia, by French Airforces. On the passage through the Sicilian Staits attacks were made and airdefence provided by aircraft from Malta. On its voyage from Augusta to Toulon, Convoy "A" was attacked by landbased aircraft from Italy. Submarines from Malta made several attacks.■ . b. Convoy "B" wassailed from Bari to Augusta, passing the Ton an Sea; from Augusta around the south coast of Sicily through the Bizerte Swept Channel, thence east of Sardinia to Leghorn. This convoy was also escorted throughout its voyage. ■During its sortie from Bari it was attacked by landbased aircraft from Italy; on passage down the west coast of Greece attacks were made by Greek landbased aircraft and Italian MTB’s, based in Greek ports. Later on the convoy was attacked as Well as defended by Malta based aircraft. The convoy was also attacked by submarines. C. Convoy 11C" (which actually consisted of ships of the Amphibious Force, but represented an ordinary convoy),sailed from Rade d’Hyeres to Bone and was escorted throughout its voyage. It was attacked by submarines, landbased aircraft and carrier borne aircraft from 6th Fleet; airsupport was given by Lafayette s airsupport group'and when in the vicinity of France by French Airforce Units* After arrival in Bene, the convoy did no longer exist as a convoy and was placed under operational control of the Commander 6th Fleet. The planned rehearsal at Bone of the amphibious landing, to be made later at Lebidos, did not take place, owing to bad weather, although the landing craft went as far as the beach but did not land. d. The 6th Fleet, acting as a fast Carrier Task Force, left in the vicinity of the Riviera ports and was operating in the Tyrrhenian Sea. During the first period aircraft from this Task Force launched airstrikes against Bari, Augusta, Bizerte, Spezia and Toulon-and also attacked the convoys "Aa ’.and' "ci. It then accomplished replenishment at sea and on 8 November the Commander 6th Fleet ■■assumed his duties as Fleet Commander of the Combined Fleet, which was to steam eastward to carry out amphibious operations in Turkey. e.. This Combined Fleet assembled at 8 November to the, eastward of Sicily and proceeded east, passing through the Kithera Channel to the objective.area at Lebidos in Turkey (near Izmir). The 000136 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi surl'acces a /'information * NATO - CONFIDENTIAL — 3 Amphibious Force consisted of an Advance Force, a Carrier Support Force, an Attack Foroe and a Logistics Support Force. Near the Kithera Channel Greek raiders joined the Force in Greek LST’s. ? During its passage to the objective area, the Force was attacked by landbased- aircraft operating from Tripoli, Greece and Turkey. f. During its passage to the east, the fast Carrier Task Force carried out the following missions: (i) (ii) (iii) A strike against Elefsis airfield in Greece. A strike against Ankara. A live bombardment and live load airstrike against Mecares Island. This was a particular successful action, both by the surface ships and aircraft. g. The Attack Force (to which U.S.'S.Mt.Olympus belonged, on which the Council was embarked) was preceded about 24 hours by the Advance. Force, which cleared the practice mines, laid in the. objective area by surface ships and aircraft from the opposing party. i h. The Landing took place on 12 November at 07.00 and was completely successful; men, tanks, artillery were landed without mishaps. Participating were the forces mentionmed under 3, with the exception of the Italian Commandos, who took Doghanbey island, near Lebidos, during the previous night. Carrier borne aircraft as well as Greek and Turkish airforce units supported the landing.. 1. 6. Submarines operating, as one Task ...Force. from Malta' carried out .warpatrols and attacked the convoys. They also laid mines.off Bizerte. Anti-submarine operations were carried out by a hunter-killer group (1 carrier and 6 destroyers), escort-groups and landbased-anti-submarine aircraft. 7. Mines were. laid by submarines- near Bizerte and by surface minelayer and aircraft in the objective area near Lebidos. Aircraft dummy mines were dropped off Bizerte and Augusta. Minesweeping Forces' swept these minefields and swept channels at the entrances to the principal ports were used. 000137 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de la Loi sur l’acces a /’information I A ' COSMIC -TOP SECRET ANNEX The strategic importance (including the specific vulnerability of certain areas) of the Southern Commands was discussed by CINCSOUTH, who gave as his opinion that an attack on Western Europe would always be acompanied, if not preceded, by an attack on the Southern Flank. In this connection Vice-Admiral CASSIDY (6th Fleet) stressed the value and efficiency of fast Carrier Task Forces in the Mediter- ranean; the Force can be brought into action very quickly at any threatened area in the Southern Command; the aircraft of the carriers can bring the war on enemy territory whilst the force itself can remain out of reach of MIG 15 planes. The amount of anti-aircraft munition which this particular force could bring into action at a certain time, is 5 times as much as that what Malta was able to \ provide for during the last war. Some aircraft from the Task Force are able to carry atomic bembs. 000138 J � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CDEX (NATO Exercises) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDEX00086 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived RG25, 50115-G-40, "North Atlantic Treaty Organization - Military, naval and air exercises," Part 1, Library and Archives Canada. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Exercises Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en