United States Naval Forces Europe

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United States Naval Forces Europe is the United States Navy component of the United States European Command.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (COMUSNAVEUR) provides overall command, operational control, and coodination of U.S. Naval Forces in the European Command area of responsibility. As the Navy component in Europe, COMUSNAVEUR, plans, conducts, and supports naval operations in the European theater during peacetime, contingencies, in general war and as tasked by Commander, U.S. European Command. With its headquarters in London, England, COMUSNAVEUR directs all its naval operations through Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (COMSIXTHFLT) based in Gaeta, Italy, and support activities ashore through Commander, Navy Region Europe (CNRE), headquartered in Naples, Italy. As of 2005, Naval Forces Europe is commanded by Admiral Harry Ulrich, who also serves as NATO's Commander, Joint Force Command Naples.

History

The earliest presence of U.S. Navy forces in Europe was the Mediterranean Squadron.the European Squadron following the American Civil War, the forces were combined as part of the North Atlantic Fleet in 1906. In 1917, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters was established for the duration of World War I.

In 1922, a Naval Forces, Europe command was established. The intra-war history of this command is uncertain, but in March of 1942, the duties of the existing Special Naval Observer London were expanded to command naval forces. Commander, Naval Forces, Europe was established to maintain Navy bases in the United Kingdom and to report intelligence and research data being provided by Allied intelligence organizations. Numerous liaison channels were opened with the British Government and with governments in exile. The command also assisted in the planning and preparation of the invasions of North Africa and France.

When Admiral Harold B. Stark became COMNAVEUR in April 1942, he was given the additional duties as Commander, Twelfth Fleet. The fleet, which operated in European waters, consisted of one battleship, two cruisers, an aircraft carrier and six destroyers.

By autumn of 1945, the chief function of the U.S. Navy in the occupied countries was completed; enemy naval forces had been disarmed, war material had been located and accounted for, and harbors had been reopened and were in operation. As operational emphasis changed and the geographical area expanded, the command’s title was changed to more specifically define the Navy’s role. In November 1946, COMNAVEUR became COMNELM (Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean) and six months later, in April 1947, the title was changed once again, this time to Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CINCNELM).

Admiral Robert B. Carney became CINCNELM in December 1950. In June 1951, he assumed additional duty as Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH), and the CINCNELM Headquarters was moved from London to Naples. In June 1952, the two commands were separated: the CINCNELM Headquarters returned to London and Admiral Jerauld Wright became CINCNELM and Admiral Carney remained in Naples as CINCSOUTH. In September 1958, Admiral James Holloway, Jr., CINCNELM, was assigned additional duty as U.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic (USCOMEASTLANT). Under the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, USCOMEASTLANT provided intelligence and logistic support for LANTFLT units deployed in the USCOMEASTLANT area.

In February 1960, the title of the command was changed to Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (CINCUSNAVEUR) and the CINCNELM title was retained for command in the Middle East from Turkey and Egypt to the middle of the Indian Ocean. Although these were separate commands, they were placed under the control of one commander. The CINCNELM command was disestablished on 1 February 1964. During most of the intervening years, CINCUSNAVEUR has exercised direct command over four subordinate commanders: Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (COMSIXTHFLT); Commander, Fleet Air Mediterranean (COMFAIRMED); Commander, Middle East Force (COMIDEASTFOR) (until 1983); and Commander, U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom (COMNAVACT UK). Because of the increased sensitivity of the Persian Gulf area, COMIDEASTFOR was assigned to the administrative command of COMUSNAVCENT (Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command) on 1 October 1983.

CINCSOUTH and CINCUSNAVEUR once again shared an Admiral when Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr., who was CINCSOUTH, also took the title of CINCUSNAVEUR on 1 January 1983. Admiral Crowe retained his NATO command and headquarters in Naples, Italy. Vice Admiral Ronald J. Hays, in London, became Deputy CINCUSNAVEUR and retained the title of USCOMEASTLANT. The CINCUSNAVEUR Headquarters remained in London with Admiral Crowe spending time at both locations. The responsibility of U.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic was added to that of the Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe and Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe on 28 February 1989 during Admiral James Buchanan Busey, IV’s assignment as Commander in Chief.

In September of 1996 it was agreed that CINCUSNAVEUR could support CINCLANTFLT forces without the USCOMEASTLANT designation.

In 2002, the command changed its name to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (COMUSNAVEUR).

On March 15, 2004, NATO’s Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples was activated and its predecessor command, Allied Forces southern Europe was deactivated.

COMUSNAVEUR continues to be dual-hatted as COMJFC Naples. In August 2005 COMUSNAVEUR headquarters completed its relocation to Naples, Italy from London, United Kingdom. It is now co-located with his NATO headquarters.

References

This article contains information from a U.S. Navy web site and is in the public domain.
[Official web site]

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