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Royal Air Force Germany
Royal Air Force Germany badge
Active	1 January 1959 - 1993
Country	Germany
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Part of	British Armed Forces, UK Ministry of Defence
Nickname(s)	RAFG
Motto(s)	Keepers of the Peace
Royal Air Force Ensign
March	Royal Air Force March Past

The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany. It consisted of units located in Germany, initially as part of the occupation following the Second World War, and later as part of the RAF's commitment to the defence of Europe during the Cold War. The commander of RAFG doubled as commander of NATO's Second Allied Tactical Air Force.

History

Hawker Hunter F.6 in No. 4 Squadron RAF colours at Luftwaffe Museum, Gatow-Berlin

A Phantom FGR Mk 2 of No. 92 Squadron landing at RAF Wildenrath in the mid-1980s

Bruggen

Laarbruch

Gütersloh

Wildenrath

Royal Air Force Germany airfields with flying units in 1989 (all located in North Rhine-Westphalia)
Tornado GR.1 Harrier GR.5 Phantom FGR.2

1954 to 1968

From 1954 Canberra bombers equipped 69 (briefly), 102, 103, 104, 149 Squadrons, and later 59 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh. This force was under Bomber Command control from Britain and had been moved to Germany because of overcrowding of suitable airfields in the UK. With the establishment of the British nuclear bomber forces in the context of NATO's strategy of massive retaliation the Canberra bomber squadrons were again withdrawn from Germany.

After 1955, the majority of the air bases were handed over to the newly established German Air Force and RAF Bückeburg to the army of the German Armed Forces. The number of RAF squadrons were reduced. This was both because of the nuclear strategy of NATO and for financial reasons after the fiasco of the Suez crisis . From 1 January 1959, the command was officially called Royal Air Force Germany, the RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) renamed. At this time the focus was the flying units already on just six main use bases RAF Bruggen, RAF Geilenkirchen, RAF Gutersloh, RAF Jever, RAF Laarbruch, and RAF Wildenrath. From 1960, around the clock there were two on alert Canberra loaded with tactical nuclear weapons who were ready within 15 minutes. In addition there were two squadrons with the Swift that used them as scouts and four squadrons of Gloster Javelin all-weather interceptors. Two English Electric Lightning squadrons - 19 and 92 - arrived in Germany from 1965.

Jever was transferred in 1961 and Geilenkirchen in 1968, reducing the command to four flying airfields. When Geilenkirchen closed, it appears there were two flying squadrons at the base. No. 3 Squadron RAF moved to Laarbruch and No. 92 Squadron RAF moved to Gutersloh.

1968 to 1993

The equipment of RAF Germany changed wholesale over the next decade. The Hunters and Canberras that formed the backbone of the force were replaced by the McDonnell Douglas Phantom, Blackburn Buccaneer, and British Aerospace Harrier, while the Bloodhound SAM was added, operated by 25 Squadron. From the mid-1970s the SEPECAT Jaguar replaced the Phantom in the strike role and equipping five squadrons (2, 14, 17, 20, and 31 Squadrons), all the while continuing to maintain the nuclear QRA role. The Phantom remained in RAF Germany service with the two air defence squadrons – 19 and 92 – converting from the Lightning; at the same time they relocated to Wildenrath to take advantage of the Phantoms longer range, with the two remaining Harrier squadrons (3 and 4) shifting to Gutersloh. There they joined 18 Squadron operating the Westland Wessex, with 230 Squadron and their Pumas arriving in 1980. 18 Squadron converted to the Boeing Vertol Chinook from 1981.

The next major change was the introduction of the Panavia Tornado from 1984, beginning with the two Laarbruch based Buccaneer units, XV and 16 Squadrons, and then followed by the Jaguar units throughout the rest of the decade together with the arrival of IX Squadron at Bruggen from Honington in 1986. The Tornado took over the nuclear QRA role but this was shortlived, with QRA duty being suspended permanently in 1988 though the nuclear weapons were retained.

The fall of communism in Europe in late 1989 and with it the end of the Cold War spurned significant change as countries began to dismantle their military forces as part of the “peace dividend”. For RAF Germany these changes were spelt out in the Options for Change review; the base at Wildenrath would close by April 1992 and its squadrons disbanded and Gutersloh to follow in March 1993. The Gutersloh squadrons would relocate to Laarbruch – bar 230 Squadron which would move to Northern Ireland – with Laarbruch’s Tornado squadrons either disbanded or relocated. However much of the Tornado force would firstly being deployed to the Middle East following the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, and take part in the Gulf War operations to liberate Kuwait.

RAF Germany was disbanded as a separate command in 1 April 1993, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command. No. 2 Group was then itself disbanded on 1 April 1996 by being absorbed into No. 1 Group RAF. RAF Laarbruch was closed and handed back to German authorities in March 1999, with the permanent RAF presence in Germany coming to an end when RAF Bruggen was handed over to the British Army in June 2002.

Flying units in 1989

• 
  Royal Air Force Germany, RAF Rheindahlen, doubles as commander of NATO's Second Allied Tactical Air Force
  
  
  
  • 4 Wing, administrative control of RAF Regiment Rapier squadrons based in West Germany
  
  
  • 33 Wing, administrative control of RAF Regiment Light Armour squadrons based in West Germany
  
  
  • 
    RAF Bruggen, FRG
    
    
    
    • 
      No. 9 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 14 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 17 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 31 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 37 Squadron RAF Regiment, (Air Defence, 8× Rapier launch stations)
    
    
    • 
      No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, (Light Armour, 15× Spartan, 6× Scorpion)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    RAF Gütersloh, FRG
    
    
    
    • 
      No. 3 Squadron, 16× Harrier GR.5
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 4 Squadron, 16× Harrier GR.5
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 18 Squadron, 16× CH-47 Chinook (supporting British Army of the Rhine)
    
    
    • 
      No. 230 Squadron, 16× Puma HC.1 (supporting British Army of the Rhine)
    
    
    • 
      No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment, (Air Defence, 8× Rapier launch stations)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    RAF Laarbruch, FRG
    
    
    
    • 
      No. 2 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1A (Reconnaissance)
    
    
    • 
      No. 15 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 16 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 20 Squadron, 12× Tornado GR.1^{note 1}
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment, (Light Armour, 15× Spartan, 6× Scorpion)
    
    
    • 
      No. 26 Squadron RAF Regiment, (Air Defence, 8× Rapier launch stations)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    RAF Wildenrath, FRG
    
    
    
    • 
      No. 19 Squadron, 16x Phantom FGR.2
      
    
    
    • 
      No. 92 Squadron, 16x Phantom FGR.2
    
    
    • 
      No. 60 Squadron, Andover CC.2 transport planes
    
    
    • 
      No. 16 Squadron RAF Regiment, (Air Defence, 8× Rapier launch stations)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Note 1: Unit with nuclear strike role with 18x WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.

RAFG Stations & Establishments

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Air Force.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aircraft of the air force of the United Kingdom.

• Royal Air Force


• List of Royal Air Force commands


• 
  Royal Air Force station
  
  
  
  • List of Royal Air Force stations
  
  
  • List of former Royal Air Force stations
  
  
  
  


• 
  RAF Regiment
  
  • List of RAF Regiment squadrons
  
  

References

External links

• Official web page listing current RAF stations


• 
  gallery of images of Germany, from


• ServicePals.com


• RAF Winterberg website

Further reading

• British Garrison Berlin 1945 -1994, "No where to go", W. Durie .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
  ISBN 978-3-86408-068-5