View source for Canadian Forces Base Lahr

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{{Infobox airport 
| name = Canadian Forces Base Lahr
| nativename = 
| nativename-a = 
| nativename-r = 
| image        = Lockheed CC-130E Hercules (C-130E-L-382), Canada - Air Force AN0141699.jpg
| image-width  = 
| caption = 
| IATA = LHA
| ICAO = EDTL
| type = Military
| owner = [[Canadian Forces Air Command]] 
| operator = 
| city-served = 
| location = [[Lahr]], [[Germany]]
| elevation-f = 
| elevation-m = 
| coordinates = {{Coord|48|22|9.30|N|07|49|39.8|E|type:airport_region:DE}}
| website = 
| metric-elev = 
| metric-rwy = 
| r1-number = 03/21
| r1-length-f = 9,842
| r1-length-m = 3,475 
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
}}

'''Canadian Forces Base Lahr''' ([[International Air Transport Association airport code|IATA]]:'''LHA''', [[International Civil Aviation Organization airport code|ICAO]]: '''EDTL''', former code '''EDAN''') was a military operated commercial airport located in [[Lahr]], [[Germany]]. It was operated primarily as a French air force base, and later as a Canadian army base, beginning in the late 1960s. The military base was closed in 1994 and converted to civilian use. It is now known as the [[Flughafen Lahr]].

==History==

The land that became CFB Lahr was previously the site of a German [[airship hangar]] until 1918, which was then occupied by the [[French Air Force]] from the early 1950s to 1967.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mil-airfields.de/germany/lahr-airbase.html|title = Lahr Air Base, Germany, in the Cold War}}</ref>

Canada established a presence at Lahr during the late 1960s with the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) as part of [[Canadian Forces Europe]] command.

In the early 1950s, the RCAF had established [[No. 1 Air Division RCAF|No. 1 Air Division]] to meet Canada's [[NATO]] air defence commitments in Europe. No. 1 Air Division consisted of twelve [[fighter jet|fighter]] [[squadron (aviation)|squadron]]s located in four [[Wing (military aviation unit)|wings]]. Two wings were located in France ([[RCAF Station Marville|No. 1 Wing]] and [[RCAF Station Grostenquin|No. 2 Wing]]) and two were located in [[West Germany]] ([[RCAF Station Zweibrücken|No. 3 Wing]] and [[RCAF Station Baden-Soellingen|No. 4 Wing]]). Eight air division squadrons were replaced by ([[nuclear weapon|nuclear]]) strike aircraft in 1962 in support of Canada's new and controversial [[nuclear strike]] role.

In 1963, the Government of France announced that all nuclear weapons located on French soil (NATO or French) would be controlled by France itself. This was unacceptable to the RCAF (and other NATO units stationed in France), so the two nuclear strike squadrons at 2 Wing were hastily moved in fall 1963: 430 Squadron to 3 Wing Zweibrücken, and 421 Squadron to 4 Wing Baden-Soellingen. Remaining non-nuclear armed units in France were repositioned to [[Marville, Meuse|Marville]], and [[RCAF Station Grostenquin]] closed in 1964.

In March 1966, the Government of France announced that it would be withdrawing its military forces from NATO and that current NATO units based in France must leave or fall under French military command. This forced the RCAF to look for a home in western Europe for 1 Wing and 1 Air Division Headquarters. They settled on '''Base Aérienne 139 Lahr''', which the [[Armée de l'Air]] was vacating as per the French government's announced withdrawal from NATO. RCAF personnel, aircraft and equipment were transferred to the new '''RCAF Station Lahr''' by March 1967, with dependents to follow later. The RCAF moved Marville's 439 and [[441 Squadron]]s to Lahr in April 1967. In 1971, the latter squadron moved to CFB Baden-Soellingen and changed its name to 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron.

On February 1, 1968, the RCAF merged with the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] (RCN) and [[Canadian Army]] to form [[Unification of the Canadian Forces|the unified]] [[Canadian Forces]]. RCAF Station Lahr was renamed '''Canadian Forces Base Lahr''', shortened to '''CFB Lahr'''. As part of cuts to reduce costs by consolidation, 3 Wing at RCAF Station Zweibrücken was closed, with its units consolidating at CFB Lahr and [[CFB Baden-Soellingen]].

Further defence cuts and consolidation saw [[Canadian Forces Europe]] units based in the [[Soest (district)|Soest]] area of northern West Germany, along with those units based in nearby Hemer-Deilinghofen, Werl, and Unna, moved to CFB Lahr (some also moved to CFB Baden-Soellingen), with air force units concentrated at CFB Baden-Soellingen. The cuts resulted in a drawback of the air force from six squadrons to three, which were reorganized under the new [[1 Canadian Air Group]] banner.

Army units stationed at CFB Lahr were organized under [[4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group]] and were mostly heavy armour, using [[Centurion tank]]s, then Leopard tanks, plus armoured personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery, in succession.

CFB Lahr was home to:
* 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron
* one armoured regiment 
**1970–1987 - [[The Royal Canadian Dragoons]]
**1987–1993 - [[8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)]]
* 1st Regiment [[Royal Canadian Horse Artillery]]
* 4th Air Defence Regiment, [[Royal Canadian Artillery]]
* 4 Combat Engineer Regiment
* 4 Service Battalion
* 4 Field Ambulance
* 4 Military Police Platoon
* 1<sup>er</sup> Battalion, [[Royal 22e Régiment|Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment]] 
* [[444 Combat Support Squadron|444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron]]
* 5 AMU (Air Movement Unit)

===Closure===

CFB Lahr remained open until the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]], and the reunification of Germany eliminated the need for the Canadian Forces in western Europe. The closure of CF bases in Germany and redeployment was announced in the 1990 budget.

CFB Baden-Soellingen closed its airfield on March 31, 1993, and most units had departed by that summer. The base remained as a detachment of CFB Lahr until it was permanently closed on December 31, 1993.

The last unit to leave CFB Lahr was 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group on August 31, 1993. CFB Lahr was officially decommissioned and closed a year later on August 31, 1994.

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{Canadian Forces Bases}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lahr}}
[[Category:Defunct airports in Germany]]
[[Category:Canadian Forces bases]]
[[Category:Former military installations of Canada]]
[[Category:Army installations of Canada]]
[[Category:Air force installations of Canada]]
[[Category:Military installations established in 1967]]
[[Category:Military installations closed in 1994]]
[[Category:Airports in Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:1967 establishments in West Germany]]
[[Category:1994 disestablishments in Germany]]

[[de:Flughafen Lahr]]