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 developed as a command under the leadership Admiral
William S. Sims to oversee the European aspects of
United States Navy operations during World War I. His principal subordinates were Rear Admirals
Henry B. Wilson in France and
Albert P. Niblack at
Gibraltar. Following the cessation of hostilities and the Allied occupation of Turkey, Rear Admiral
Mark L. Bristol was sent to
Istanbul as Senior Naval Officer Turkey, commanding the U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters. Bristol arrived in Istanbul on 28 January 1919, and raised his flag on . In August 1919 Bristol also received the diplomatic appointment of U.S. High Commissioner, responsible to the
State Department for diplomatic matters in Turkey. In his naval capacity Bristol was responsible to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, European Waters. In May 1920, , flagship of Vice Admiral
Harry S. Knapp, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, European Waters, accompanied by , evacuated a number of American naval and relief personnel from the
Caucasus. In September 1920, the flagship
Pittsburg ran aground in the Baltic sea off
Libau and returned to the United States for repairs. From January 1921 until April 1922, Vice Admiral
Albert P. Niblack served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, European Waters. In October 1922,
Pittsburgh returned to the Mediterranean and became flagship for two of Niblack's successors as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces European Waters, Admiral
Philip Andrews in 1924–1925 and Vice-Admiral
Roger Welles in 1925–1926. At some point after 1926, Naval Forces, European Waters, went into abeyance. Later, in March 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. By 1944 the headquarters had been established at 20
Grosvenor Square, in central London. The building was only vacated by the Navy when the headquarters moved to Italy in 2009. When Admiral
Harold R. Stark became COMNAVEUR in April 1942, he was given the additional duties as Commander,
United States 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, this time to Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CINCNELM). A Northern European Force of five to six ships (cruisers and destroyers) were active from 1946 to 1956.
Missouri visited Turkey amid the
Turkish Straits crisis of 1946–48. 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: CINCNELM Headquarters returned to London and Admiral
Jerauld Wright became CINCNELM and Admiral Carney remained in Naples as CINCSOUTH. Wright became the Commander-in-Chief effective 14 June 1952. CINCELM was organized into the following subordinate commands: • Northern European Force (CTF 101) — Rear Admiral
Robert B. Pirie, Chief of Staff to CINCNELM • Fleet Air, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CTF-122) — Rear Admiral E.A. Cruise •
Military Sea Transport Service, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CTF-123) — Rear Admiral C.F. Chillingsworth • U.S. Naval Forces, Germany (CTF-104) — Rear Admiral H.E. Orem • Middle Eastern Force (CTF-109) — Rear Admiral
Wallace M. Beakley •
U.S. Sixth Fleet — Vice Admiral J.H. Cassady Wright's operational control over the Sixth Fleet proved to be a source of friction with
Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten,
RN, NATO's Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Mediterranean (CINCAFMED). Mountbatten felt that the Sixth Fleet should be assigned to his command while Wright wanted to maintain control of the fleet, particularly its nuclear-armed aircraft carriers, pursuant to both U.S. Navy policy and the
Atomic Energy Act of 1946. The dispute tested the diplomatic skills of both men. CINCNELM forces participated in NATO
Operation Mariner and
Operation Weldfast exercises during 1953, and units of the Sixth Fleet did participate in NATO exercises while staying under U.S. control. As CINCNELM, Wright maintained strong diplomatic ties with allies within his area of responsibility. He made a 14-day goodwill trip to the Middle East that culminated with a courtesy call with the newly crowned
King Saud bin Abdul Aziz in
Jidda, Saudi Arabia. Later, Wright attended the coronation ceremonies of
King Hussein of Jordan in May 1953. In June 1953, Wright served as the senior U.S. Navy representative at the coronation pageant of
Queen Elizabeth II, including flying his flag from the heavy cruiser
USS Baltimore during the
Coronation Naval Review of
Spithead on 15 June. Admiral Wright also made the arrangements for
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Winthrop Aldrich to present a bronze plaque of
John Paul Jones from the U.S.
Naval Historical Center to the British government, initiating
his long-time association with the famous naval hero of the
American Revolution. During a high-level conference in
Washington, D.C. from 20 October – 4 November 1953, Wright was informed that that CINCNELM was to become a sub-ordinate command of the
U.S. Atlantic Fleet reporting directly to Admiral
Lynde D. McCormick, the Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT). Also, Wright would become the head of NATO's Eastern Atlantic Area, reporting to Admiral McCormick, the first
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT). Admiral McCormick noted in his final fitness report dated March 1954: :VAdm. Wright has taken over the duty of the Subordinate Command with his usual vigor and ability. This command being a new concept has required analytical adeptness and initiative which he had displayed to high degree. VAdm. Wright is richly deserving of his imminent promotion to the positions which I now hold. In September 1958, Admiral
James L. 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). After the
Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force became
United States Central Command, the Middle East Force was reassigned to the administrative command of Commander,
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) on 1 October 1983. CINCSOUTH and CINCUSNAVEUR 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.
Post Cold War In September 1996 it was agreed that CINCUSNAVEUR could support CINCLANTFLT forces without the USCOMEASTLANT designation. In 1999, changes to CINCUSNAVEUR's area of responsibility were announced, after amendments to the
Unified Command Plan. The United States Atlantic Command areas that had included the waters off Europe and the west coast of Africa were to be transferred to European Command. U.S. European Command already had responsibility for all U.S. land and air military planning in Europe and most of Africa. The change gave EUCOM, and NAVEUR, the responsibility for maritime planning in the same general area of operations. The changes were made effective on 1 October 2000. The Atlantic Command areas that presently include the waters off Europe and the west coast of Africa were also transferred to European Command. In 2002, the command changed its name to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (COMUSNAVEUR). On 15 March 2004, NATO's
Joint Force Command Naples was activated and its predecessor command, Allied Forces Southern Europe, was deactivated. COMUSNAVEUR continued to be dual-hatted as COMJFC Naples. In August 2005 COMUSNAVEUR headquarters completed its relocation to Naples, Italy from London in the United Kingdom. By a directive of 20 September 2005, Naval Forces Europe and Sixth Fleet were merged. NavEur is now co-located with his NATO headquarters.
U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom was deactivated in September 2007. USNAVEUR is now focusing more attention on Africa, specifically the
Gulf of Guinea region, partially because of the increasing importance of the
oil reserves there. Ships are now often deploying to aid regional African navies, of which the most important in the region is the
Nigerian Navy. Connected with this effort, a new geographic combatant command,
United States Africa Command, is being stood up and is scheduled for completion in September 2008, which may mean a realignment of USN responsibilities for the West African area. As a result, NAVEUR is now sometimes referred to as US Naval Forces Europe-Africa and even NAVAF. There is currently however no approved plan to establish a separate Naval Forces Africa HQ. Two new task groups are active, Commander Task Group 60.4 which runs the
Africa Partnership Station deployment series, and Commander Task Group 60.5, the Southeast Africa Task Group. From 26 July-8 August 2021
INS Talwar (F40) visited
Mombasa as part of participation in Exercise Cutlass Express 2021. Cutlass Express '21, conducted by NAVAF, included
VBSS, sharing of best practices, and interoperability with partners, as well as information sharing, a key focus of the exercise. The Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) area of responsibility (AOR) covers approximately half of the Atlantic Ocean, from the North Pole to Antarctica; as well as the Adriatic, Baltic, Barents, Black, Caspian, Mediterranean and North Seas. NAVEUR-NAVAF covers all of Russia, Europe and nearly the entire continent of Africa. It encompasses 105 countries with a combined population of more than one billion people and includes a landmass extending more than 14 million square miles. The AOR covers more than 20 million square nautical miles of ocean, touches three continents and encompasses more than 67 percent of the Earth's coastline, 30 percent of its landmass, and nearly 40 percent of the world's population. ==Commanders==