Canadian Warplanes 6a: Canadair CF-104 Starfighter Squadrons in Europe, 1963-1986

RCAF and CF Canadair CF-104 Starfighter Squadrons in Europe, 1963-1986

(DND Photo via James Craik)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighters, RCAF (Serial Nos. 12747, 12737, 12847 and 12759 visible), equipped with Vinten Vicom camera recce pods, in formation.  These fighters were based at No. 1 (F) Wing, 1 Air Division, RCAF Station Marville, France, May 1965. 1 Canadian Air Division (1 CAD), 1 Canadian Air Group (1 CAG), Canadian Forces Europe (CFE), served 1952-1993.

No. 421 Squadron, 2 (F) Wing, Grostenquin, France, 1963. 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1964-1971. CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1972-1984.

Having been disbanded shortly after the war the squadron was re-activated on 15 September 1949 at Chatham flying Vampire aircraft. It moved overseas flying from RAF Odiham in the UK between January and November 1951. The squadron returned to Canada still flying Vampires from RCAF station St-Hubert until September 1952 when it returned overseas flying Canadair Sabres from Grostenquin, France. In 1962 it was equipped with CF-104 Starfighters and in 1967 the squadron moved to Zweibrücken becoming part of 1 Air Division RCAF (later renamed 1 Canadian Air Group) based at CFB Baden-Soellingen, West Germany. During the early 1980s it was equipped with CF-18 Hornets. At the end of the Cold War the squadron was disbanded and its aircraft and personnel returned to Canada.

(Royal Danish Air Force and Information IFS Photo)

The Canadian Armed Forces No. 421 Squadron, based at Baden-Sollingen exchanged with a Danish Air Force No. 725 Eskadrille based at Karup and flying the North American F-100D Super Sabre. It was a 2-way shifted exchange. First the Danish aircraft flew to Germany in February and later on the Canadian Starfighters flew to Denmark in July. One of the participating Canadian aircraft, CF-104 (Serial No. 104831), was lost in an accident on 9 July (1968?). It crashed after an in-flight fire due to foreign object damage after take-off from Karup, Denmark. The pilot, Capt. John R.Dunlop ejected safely.

(Tom Svendsen Photo)

The Canadian 421 Squadron based at Baden-Sollingen, flying the CF-104 Starfighter, exchanged with the Norwegian Air Force 332 SKV based at Rygge flying the F-5A. It was a two-way exchange. Two visiting CF-104s with two F-5s over the Rygge runway on August 1968.

(RCAF Photo)

LAC Roy Smalley, a Photo Technician with 421 Fighter Squadron, based at Grostenquin, France, removes an exposed cine film magazine from the gun camera in the cockpit of a Sabre jet fighter that has just completed air-to-air gunnery exercises over the Mediterranean Sea. The flights were flown from Decimomannu, Sardinia.

(CAF Photo)

Canadian Skies Calendar 1985. This superb echolen formation, shown over the Bavarian countryside, is being flown by 421 Sqn aircraft, featuring their second distinctive all red squadron bird in the lead. Photo taken by 421 Sqn for Canadian Skies in 1984.

(Mike Freer, Touchdown Aviation Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104720), No. 421 Squadron based at Baden Soellingen, Germany.

(Mike Freer, Touchdown Aviation Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104739), No. 421 Squadron based at Baden Soellingen, Germany.

(CAF Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighters, Nos. 421, 439, and 441 Squadrons.  Nicknamed the Purina puppy chow bird, the Tiger bird, and the toothbrush, ca 1986.

No. 422 Squadron, 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1963-1970.

The squadron was reformed at RCAF Station Uplands in January 1953 as 422 Fighter Squadron. The squadron went to 4 Wing RCAF Station Baden-Soellingen in August 1953, becoming part of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968. Becoming 422 Fighter Squadron, CAF, it remaining there until deactivation in July 1970.

No. 427 Squadron, 3 (F) Wing, Zweibrücken, Germany, 1963-1968. 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1969.

The squadron was reformed on 1 August 1952 at RCAF Station St. Hubert (Saint-Hubert is a borough in the city of Longueuil, Quebec) as 427 Fighter Squadron, flying Canadair Sabres, and was transferred to No. 3 (Fighter) Wing at Zweibrücken in March 1953. Selected as the first European RCAF squadron to receive the Canadair CF-104 Starfighter for the nuclear strike role, the squadron was stood down from its day-fighter role on 15 December 1962 and reformed as 427 (Strike-Attack) Squadron two days later. On 1 February 1968, unification of the Canadian Armed Forces integrated 427 into the new Canadian Armed Forces. The squadron was again disbanded on 1 July 1970.

(RCAF Photo via James Craik)

CF-104 Starfighters of No. 427 Lion Squadron arrive at their new home at Baden-Soellingen, Germany.  The squaron formerly operated out of Zweibrucken, Germany, which was now being closed after 16 years as a Canadian air base.

(Weathersfield Airfield Museum Photo)

Zweibrucken based Canadian CF-104s from RCAF 427 Squadron visited Wethersfield between 27th May and 11th June 1968. 427 Squadron re-visited RAF Wethersfield twice in 1967 between the 13th and 22nd June and then again from the 14th to 20th September.

(CAF Photo)

36 CF104 Starfighters doing a flyby in honour of Prince  Phillip who was present to mark the colours presentation on 4 May 1973  to the Wing in Badenbaden, Germany.

No. 430 Squadron, 2 (F) Wing, Grostenquin, France, 1963. 3 (F) Wing, Zweibrücken, Germany, 1964-1968. 1 (F) Wing, Marville, France, 1969.

In the Cold War period, the squadron was reformed in November 1951 at RCAF Station North Bay, flying the Canadair CL-13 Sabre. It was given the nickname Silver Falcon. 430 Fighter Squadron went to 2 Wing RCAF Station Grostenquin near Grostenquin, France in September 1952. The squadron was located at Grostenquin until deactivation in September 1962. 430 Fighter Squadron was reactivated at 3 Wing Zweibrücken, West Germany in February 1963, and transitioned to the Canadair CF-104 Starfighter. The squadron moved to 1 Wing Lahr, West Germany in February 1969 until it was disbanded in May 1970.

(DND Photo via Darryl Pajot)

Fern Villeneuve along with his 430 Squadron pilots.

No. 434 Squadron,  3 (F) Wing, Zweibrücken, Germany, 1963-1967.

The squadron was reformed flying the Canadair Sabre and stationed as part of 3 Wing at RCAF Station Zweibrücken, West Germany on 7 March 1953, but was stood down on 16 June 1962. It was re-activated on 8 April 1963 as a Canadair CF-104 Starfighter unit in the strike/attack role and disbanded again on 1 March 1967.

No. 439 Squadron, 1 (F) Wing, Marville, France, 1964-1966. 1 (F) Wing, Lahr, Germany, 1967-1969. 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1970-1971. CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1972-1984.

Disbanded shortly after the end of the Second World War, the squadron was reformed in 1951, operating the Canadair Sabre from England and France until 1963, when it was disbanded. It was quickly reformed as 439 Reconnaissance/Attack Squadron, operating the CF-104 Starfighter. Moved to Germany in 1967, it underwent several redesignations before assuming a ground attack mission at CFB Baden–Soellingen as 439 Tactical Fighter Squadron. After converting to the CF-18 Hornet in the mid-1980s, the squadron participated in the Gulf War.

(DND Photo via Mike Kaehler)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104838), 1 CAG, No. 439 Squadron, CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1969.

(Master Sgt. H.D. Robinson, U.S. Air Force photo 342-C-KE-62480)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104859), No. 439 Tactical Fighter Squadron at Kleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium, in July 1970, during the "NATO Tiger Meet '70", a weapons competition involving fighter squadrons from NATO countries who bear the Tiger symbol.  Note the reconnaissance pod.

(Mike Freer, Touchdown Aviation Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104733), No. 439 Squadron based at Baden Soellingen, Germany.

(John Davies Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104838), 1 CAG, No. 439 Squadron, CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 31 Dec 1976.

(Henk Schakelaar Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104770), No. 439 Squadron, 1972 NATO Tiger Meet at Base Aérienne de Cambrai, France.

(Colin Philippe Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104706), 1 CAG, No. 439 Squadron, CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, ca 1970s.

No. 441 Squadron, 1 (F) Wing, Marville, France, 1964-1966. 1 (F) Wing, Lahr, Germany, 1967-1969. 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1970-1971. CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1972-1986.

No 441 Squadron reformed at RCAF Station St. Hubert on 1 March 1951 and went to No 1 Wing, then located at RAF North Luffenham, in Rutland, England on 13 February 1952. The squadron was temporarily situated at 3 Wing Zweibrücken on 21 December 1954, before moving to their intended destination, RCAF Station Marville, France. They were deactivated (disbanded) on 1 September 1963 at Marville and then reactivated (reformed) as No 441 Strike/Attack squadron on 15 September 1963, then moved with 1 Wing to Canadian Forces Base Lahr in April 1967. In 1971 the squadron moved to CFB Baden-Soellingen and changed its name to 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron. They disbanded again in 1986 and then finally reformed at 4 Wing Cold Lake on 26 June 1986.

(DND Photo via Chris Charland)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104785), No. 441 Silver Fox Tactical Fighter Squadron, CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany.

(DND Photo viaJames Craik)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104785), checkerboard paint scheme, No. 441 Silver Fox Tactical Fighter Squadron, CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany.

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(Philippe Colin Photo)

Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104---), No. 441 Silver Fox Tactical Fighter Squadron, CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany.

No. 444 Squadron, 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany, 1963-1967.

444 Fighter Squadron was formed in March 1953 at CFB St. Hubert, Quebec and moved to CFB Baden-Soellingen in West Germany. Disbanded 1967, it was re-formed as 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at CFB Lahr, West Germany in 1972 as part of Canadian Forces Europe until 1991.