Squadrons – Canada

Overview of the squadrons operating the F-104 Starfighter within the Royal Canadian Air Force / Canadian Armed Forces.

This page is still under construction and contains rough data which needs to be smoothly processed into 1 clear overview.

RCAF/CF CF-104 Bases and Squadrons

From the early 60s in Europe:

• 1 Wing: Marville, France and Lahr, Germany
• 2 Wing: Grostenquin, France
• 3 Wing: Zweibrücken, Germany
• 4 Wing: Baden-Soellingen, Germany

RCAF Station/CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada:

• 6 Strike/Reconnaissance Operational Training Unit (Formed in October 1961 at Cold Lake, and temporarily relocated to Namao, Alberta graduated the first course in November 1962.

• 417 Strike/Reconnaissance Operational Training Squadron from March 1968 (ex 6 Str OTU).

In 1972, all training was converted towards the conventional ground attack role, and continued until the unit was disbanded in July 1983, after graduating the 75th course, and more than 750 students.

Generic Operational European Squadrons history :

421 Squadron (Red Indian) Reactivated December 1963 at 2 Wing, Grostenquin. In February 1964, the Squadron moved to 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany in the nuclear strike role, and in January 1972, to the conventional attack role. The squadron was disbanded in October 1985.

422 Squadron (Tomahawk) Reactivated in July 1963 at 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen, in the nuclear strike role, and disbanded in July 1970.

427 Squadron (Lion) Reactivated in December 1962 at 3 Wing, Zweibrücken, and became the first operational nuclear strike CF-104 squadron. In June 1969, moved to 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen. Disbanded in July 1970.
Jeff Ranking Lowe: 427 (Lion) Squadron: 3 Wing, Zweibrucken/Baden-Sollingen, 1962 to 1972 Selected as the first of eight squadrons in No. 1 Air Division Europe to be re-equipped with CF-104 Starfighter aircraft for a nuclear strike role, it was deactivated on 15.December 1962 and reactivated as Strike Attack on the 17th. 427 Squadron was the first to form, with initial deliveries to Zweibrucken in December of 1962. In May of 1969, 3 Wing at Zweibrucken was closed, and No 427 Squadron was relocated to Baden-Sollingen. In 1972 No.427 Squadron was disbanded.

430 Squadron (Silver Falcon) Reactivated 30 September 1963 at 2 Wing, Grostenquin. On 23 February 1964, moved to 3 Wing, Zweibrücken, in nuclear strike role. In February 1969, moved to 1 Wing, Lahr, and continued in the strike role. Disbanded in May 1971, having achieved nearly seven years of fatality free CF-104 flying.

434 Squadron (Bluenose) Reactivated in April 1963 at 3 Wing Zweibrücken, as nuclear strike squadron, and disbanded in February 1967.
Jeff Ranking Lowe: 434 (Bluenose) Squadron: 3 Wing, Zweibrucken, 1963 to 1967 / The 434 (Strike Attack) Squadron (1963-67). The role of 434 Squadron changed to that of all weather strike and reconnaissance and the Canadair built Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter was chosen as the Sabre replacement. In January 1963 the first CF 104 pilots arrived at 3 Wing. The Squadron disbanded once again three years later in 1967. Activated as 434 (ST/A) Squadron at Zweibrücken on 8 April 1963. Disbanded on 1 March 1967 If that is correct (seen 1962) 104810 was initially with 427 sqn! I know they were just assigned to a wing, but 434 sqn came in 1963.

439 Squadron (Sabre-Toothed Tiger) Reactivated March 1964 at 1 Wing, Marville in the photo-reconnaissance role, and moved to Lahr in March 1967. Moved to Baden-Soellingen in July 1970 and switched to conventional ground attack role. Disbanded in November 1984.

441 Squadron (Silver Fox) Reactivated January 1964 at 1 Wing, Marville in the photo reconnaissance role, and moved to Lahr in March 1967. In July 1970, moved to 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen, and converted to nuclear strike. January 1972 saw another role change into conventional attack, with a secondary function of air defence augmentation. Became Canada’s last CF-104 squadron, until disbandment in March 1986.

444 Squadron (Cobra) Reactivated in May 1963 at 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen in the nuclear strike role, and disbanded in March 1967.

Overview:

DEMO teams :

1966 : Six pilots from the 6th STR-OTU flew around in a 4 aircraft demonstration team that year.
1967 : There was a CF-104 flown by Flight Lieutenant D.R. Serrao as part of the 'Golden Centennaires' team operated between April and October 1967.
1973 : At Cold Lake a demonstration team was formed by 417 Squadron pilots. (one of the pilots was Capt Eric Thurston)
1977 : The "Dead Eye Demonstration Team" was established in this year at Cold Lake with PIs like Laurie Hawn.
1979-1982 : There was a I CAG demo team with 5 Starfighters. They were given the trophy for the best air demo during the open house at Florennes 1979. Their demonstration caused a lot of excitement with their opening arrival (behind the crowd) to a pull up into a split clover leaf threading the needle head-on down the runway with three aircraft meeting two in echelon and then the solo breaking out into a flat 360, 7G turn to the vertical and the four plane coming in under him. Pictures beneath show the formation on their way to Florennes (with spare aircraft) taken on June 22nd 1979. The other picture (photographer sadly unknown) shows the team at Ramstein Air Base. One of them, John Davis stated : On the picture are three of our ground crew, myself on the right, LCol Larry Crab Co 441 Sqn with his back to the camera wear a baseball cap, Henry Van Keulen on my right, Stan Jones, Norm Shaw and an American pilot talking to us.

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ARO :

At Marville also the ARO could be found. ARO stands for Aircraft Repair Organization. It was the section that carried out the phase check on the aircraft....they did the routine checks during service and when the hours were up to a specified point the aircraft went into major repairs or overhaul. (Steve Pajot).

RCAF CF-104 squadrons/units - IFS Database information:

/RCAF/6STR-OTU/ Cold Lake ..1061-110368
/RCAF/417sq/ Cold Lake 110368-010783 / City of Windsor

/RCAF/421sq/2W/ Grostenquin ..1263-..0264 / FB / Red Indian
/RCAF/421sq/4W/ Baden-Sollingen ..0264-190970 / FB / Red Indian
/RCAF/421sq/1CAG/ Baden-Sollingen 190970-..1085 / FB / Red Indian

/RCAF/422sq/4W/ Baden-Sollingen ..0763-010770 / FB / Tomahawk
On 19 march 1963 - first CF-104 is delivered to nr 4Wing Sollingen via C-130. July 1963, first 12 pilots arrived with 422sq/4W and on 15 July the squadron is officially reactivated as strike/attack squadron in No.1 Air Division. 1-7-1970 : squadron disbanded.

/RCAF/427sq/3W/ Zweibrucken ..1262-..0669 / FB / Lion
/RCAF/427sq/4W/ Baden-Sollingen ..0669-010770 / FB / Lion

/RCAF/430sq/2W/ Grostenquin ..0963-..0264 / FB / Silver Falcon
/RCAF/430sq/3W/ Zweibrucken ..0264-..0269 / FB / Silver Falcon
/RCAF/430sq/1W/ Lahr ..0269-010570 / FB / Silver Falcon

/RCAF/434sq/3W/ Zweibrucken ..0263-280267 / FB / Blue Nose

/RCAF/439sq/1W/ Marville 020364-300367 / FB-Recce / Sabre-tooth tiger
/RCAF/439sq/1W/ Lahr ..0367-010770 / FB-Recce / Sabre-tooth tiger
/RCAF/439sq/4W/ Baden-Sollingen 010770-190970 / FB-Recce / Sabre-tooth tiger
/RCAF/439sq/1CAG/ Baden-Sollingen 190970-..1184 / FB / Sabre-tooth tiger
On 19 march 1963 - first CF-104 is delivered to nr 4Wing Sollingen via C-130. July 1963, first 12 pilots arrived with 422sq/4W and on 15 July the squadron is officially reactivated as strike/attack squadron in No.1 Air Division. From July 1970 the squadron had only 16 aircraft (from 24), due to measurements of the Canadian government to reduce the support to Europe by 50%. The recce role (with Vicon) ended on 30 June 1972 with the final mission.

/RCAF/441sq/1W/ Marville ..0164-..0367 / FB-Recce / Silver fox
/RCAF/441sq/1W/ Lahr ..0367-010770 / FB-Recce / Silver fox
/RCAF/441sq/4W/ Baden-Sollingen 010770-190970 / FB-Recce / Silver fox
/RCAF/441sq/1CAG/ Baden-Sollingen  190970-..0386 / FB / Silver fox
At the end of April 1970 a lot of pilots from disbanded 430 Squadron moved to 441 Squadron. The recce role (with Vicon) ended in 1972.

/RCAF/444sq/4W/ Baden-Sollingen ..0563-310367 / FB / Cobra

/RCAF/CEPE/  Cold Lake ….61-040567 / Central Experimental and Proving Establishment.
/RCAF/AETE/  Cold Lake 040567-..86 / Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment.
The red "X" on the tails of AETE's aircraft originated with the RCN's VX 10. Most of 448 squadron aircraft wore it and it continued with AETE since 448's disbandment. It's not a tail code, but rather a badge. This squadron was involved with Starfighter operations throughout the aircraft's entire lifetime. It started initially in Cold Lake, with five single seat aircraft, serials 12701 to 12705, and one dual, 12652, and continually undertook evaluations and flight trials of all the aircraft modifications, systems and armaments. Testing operations also took place in Uplands (Ottawa #10 hangar), from a flight test detachment at the Canadair factory in Cartierville, and another flight test detachment at Scottish Aviation, at Prestwick AP, Scotland. The latter company carried out periodic overhauls and modifications of the Air Division aircraft. The squadron was disbanded on 1 September 1971 and all Aircraft and personnel were absorbed by the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE). Today the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE) is based at 4 Wing Cold Lake.

WEBLINKS :

Squadron pages:
427sq : https://www.427squadron.com/page_1.html

Flight Safety Magazines: (to find a magazine fill in the year and nr of magazine in into the URL as seen here : ...DC2-2-YEAR-X-eng.pdf )
https://publications.gc.ca/site/archivee-archived.html?url=https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/mdn-dnd/DC2-2-1979-1-eng.pdf