The Rise and Fall of Canada's Cold War Air Force, 1948-1968
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Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 2015 The Rise and Fall of Canada's Cold War Air Force, 1948-1968 Bertram C. Frandsen Wilfrid Laurier University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Frandsen, Bertram C., "The Rise and Fall of Canada's Cold War Air Force, 1948-1968" (2015). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 1754. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1754 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Rise and Fall of Canada’s Cold War Air Force, 1948-1968 by Bertram Charles Frandsen BA (Hons) York University, 1978 MA Royal Military College of Canada, 2001 THESIS Submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirement for Doctor of Philosophy Wilfrid Laurier University ©Bertram Charles Frandsen, 2015 Abstract This thesis examines the expansion of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) under the St. Laurent government with the concept of the Big Air Force that emerged from the defence re- armament programme announced on 5 February 1951. During this critical Cold War period, the RCAF became Canada’s first line of defence, making an essential contribution to the collective defence of Western Europe through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Concurrently, the RCAF underwent tremendous expansion in Canada contributing to North American defence, along with significant increases in its training, maritime and transport capabilities. The RCAF developed into the largest military service with the biggest portion of the defence budget. The notion of “airmindedness” that permeated all aspects of Canadian society enabled the development and implementation of the Big Air Force concept. Underlying the Big Air Force concept were two conflicting visions of air power, derived from leading theorists of the 1920s. The first was an independent role for aviation, “Douhet with nukes,” a Cold War reference to the ideas of Italian General Giulio Douhet. The second approach was American General William Mitchell’s “anything that flies” construct that embraced missions under the control of the army and navy and support to other agencies in such undertakings as air transport. By the late 1950s, the Big Air Force could not be sustained, thus marking its decline under the Diefenbaker and Pearson governments that was complete by the late 1960s. Despite some modernization in the late 1970s, successive governments adhered to the notion of a “minimalist air force” after 1969 until the end of the Cold War. This thesis considers the expansion and decline of the air force from the perspective of three inter-related thematic pillars – politics and economics, military strategy and technology. The predominance of air power represented the Canadian “way of war” during this time, and this legacy still resonates today with the ongoing debate regarding the F-35 aircraft for the RCAF’s Next Generation Fighter Capability programme. ii Dedicated to the memory of my parents Audrey Marie Frandsen (1913-1998) Bertram Leslie Travers Frandsen (1912-2008) iii Acknowledgements This thesis could not have been undertaken, sustained and completed without the support and assistance of numerous persons in my life. During this period, I experienced various critical milestones in the cycle of life including my father’s illness and death in 2008, my marriage in 2010, my own illness in 2010-2011, and my retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2012. During this time as well, due to military service requirements, I moved from Toronto to Ottawa and then to Kingston, before my retirement that led back to Ottawa. First, I would like to acknowledge the enduring support and superb patience of my Research Advisor, Roger Sarty whose assistance was greatly appreciated in navigating the potential minefields to finally complete the thesis. I would also like to recognize the support and thoughtful insights from my other committee members, Geoff Hayes and Kevin Spooner whose timely feedback helped to successfully complete this project. I would like to thank the support of previous committee members, Terry Copp and John Laband. I would also like to acknowledge the other committee members who participated in my oral defence – Andrew Burtch, Marc Kilgour and Stephen Wenn – thank you all for your insightful questions and comments that have significantly improved this thesis. There are several persons whose support for my PhD programme, I would particularly like to thank. A special thanks goes to Ron Haycock, Professor Emeritus and late Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College of Canada who first raised the idea of my pursuing a PhD. Special thanks must also go to Brigadier-General Robin Gagnon (Retired), late Commandant of the Canadian Forces College who allowed me to pursue my course work while I was simultaneously engaged in the delivery of a busy programme as faculty at the Canadian Forces College. I would like to thank my numerous colleagues at the iv Canadian Forces College in Toronto, with the Director-General Strategic Planning and the Chief of Force Development at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa and in the History Department at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston for bearing with me when my mind might be thinking elsewhere. I would like to thank my fellow air force historians over the years whose useful feedback to my presentations at historical conferences and whose own works provided useful insights for my own research. These include Sandy Babcock, Mike Bechthold, Dean Black, Carl Christie, Al English, Richard Goette, Rachel Lea Heide, Bill March, Larry Milberry, Jeff Noakes, Ray Stouffer, Matt Trugden, and Randy Wakelam. Thanks must go to the assistance of the numerous librarians at such institutions as the Keith Hodson Memorial Library, Canadian Forces College, Massey Library, Royal Military College of Canada, the National Defence Headquarters library, the Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence, Robarts Library, University of Toronto, MacOdrum Library, Carleton University and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Library. Finally, I would like to thank my family for their support in this long-time endeavour, particularly my sisters, Elsë Chegahno of Neyaashiinigmiing and Karen McGovern of Cambridge. I would like to thank my long-time friends, George and Jane Werniuk, and their children, Margaret and Jerome, whose unswerving friendship and constant Friday night hospitality provided a welcomed refuge from work and PhD studies over the years. Lastly, this thesis could not have been completed without the absolute support, patience and devotion from the love of my life, my wife Kim…thanks Sweetie. v Table of Contents Abstract ii Dedication iii Acknowledgements iv-v Table of Contents vi List of Tables vii Abbreviations viii-x Chapter 1 – Introduction and Literature Review 1 Chapter 2 – The Evolution of Air Power since the Second World War 37 Chapter 3 – The Development of Canadian Air Power to 1950 61 Chapter 4 – Canadian Air Power – The European Build Up 1950-1954 113 Chapter 5 – Canadian Air Power – The Canada Build Up 1950-1957 160 Chapter 6 – Canadian Air Power and the “Defence Debacle” – 1957-1963 222 Chapter 7 – Twilight for Canadian Air Power – The Liberals Return 1963-1968 259 Epilogue 287 Bibliography 310 vi List of Tables Table 2-1 Elements of Air Power 45 Table 3-1 Transition of RCAF Command Structure 1946 and 1950 85 Table 3-2 Comparison – Development of RCAF Planning 1948-50 – Combat Units 102-103 Table 3-3 Comparison RCAF and DND Budgets 1946-1950 109 Table 3-4 RCAF Personnel Strength 1946-1950 109-110 Table 4-1 NATO Central Region Air Power 1950 129 Table 4-2 NATO Central Region Air Power 1955 130-131 Table 5-1 Air Defence Command – No. 1 Air Division Sabre Squadrons 1951-53 167-168 Table 5-2 Air Defence Command – Initial CF-100 Squadron Build-Up 1951-54 169-170 Table 5-3 Air Defence Command – Regular and Auxiliary Squadrons by Base 1956 178-179 Table 5-4 RCAF Personnel Strength 1950-56 218 Table 5-5 Canadian Armed Services (Regular Force) Strength 1950-56 219 Table 5-6 Defence Expenditures According to Service 1949-1958 220 Table 5-7 Regular RCAF Growth 1951-54 – Enlistments/Wastage/Net Increase/Strength 221 Table 6-1 RCAF Budget – Operations & Maintenance and Capital Expenditures Comparison 1953/54-1964/65 225 Table 6-2 Possible Composition of the RCAF – 1970s 254-255 vii Abbreviations 1 CAG 1 Canadian Air Group 2ATAF 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force 4ATAF 4th Allied Tactical Air Force 10 TAG 10 Tactical Air Group AAFCE Allied Air Forces Central Europe ACE Allied Command Europe AC&W Aircraft Control and Warning AFCENT Allied Forces Central Europe AFHQ Air Force Headquarters AFVG Anglo-French Variable Geometry AMB Air Materiel Base AH Attack Helicopter AMF(A) Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Air) AMF(L) Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land) AMAE Air Member for Aeronautical Engineering AMAP Air Member for Plans AMAS Air Member for Air Staff AMC Air Materiel Command AMTS Air Member Technical Services AOC Air Officer Commanding AOP Air Observation Post ASR Air Sea Rescue ATC Air Transport Command ATIP Access to Information and Privacy AWX All Weather Fighter BAFO British Air Forces of Occupation