Allied Command Channel

Allied Command Channel (ACCHAN) was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) command which existed from 1952 to 1994.

History

Allied Command Channel was established in 1952 to defend the sea areas, including allied shipping, around the English Channel.^[1]

Commanded by the Commander-in-Chief, Allied Command Channel (CINCHAN), its subordinate commanders were:^[2]

• Commander Allied Maritime Air Force, Channel (post subsequently held by Air Officer Commanding, No. 18 Group RAF)
• Commander Nore Sub-Area Channel (probably under Commander-in-Chief, The Nore until disestablishment of that command in 1961)
• Commander Plymouth Sub-Area, Channel
• Commander Benelux Sub-Area, Channel

CINCHAN reported direct to the NATO Military Committee's Standing Group and was identified as a "Major NATO Commander" (like SACEUR and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT).^[1]

CINCHAN also had under his command the NATO Standing Naval Force Channel (STANAVFORCHAN), a permanent force mainly comprising mine countermeasure vessels. A Channel Committee consisting of the naval Chiefs-of-Staff of Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom served as an advisory and consultative body to the Commander-in-Chief, Channel.^[2]

CINCHAN was a British Admiral and the role was doubled hatted as follows:

• 1952-1966 Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth^[3][4]
• 1966-1971 Commander-in-Chief Western Fleet (who was also NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic)^[5]
• 1971-1994 Commander-in-Chief Fleet (who was also NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic)

The command was based in Portsmouth until 1966 when the fact that the CINCHAN was also Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic (CINCEASTLANT) enabled both the Channel and the Eastern Atlantic Commands to be co-located at Northwood.^[6] On 1 July 1994, the Channel Command was disestablished: however most of its subordinate commands remained in existence although reshuffled: most of the headquarters were absorbed within Allied Command Europe particularly as part of the new Allied Forces Northwestern Europe.^[7]

References

1. Pedlow, Dr. Gregory W. "The Evolution of NATO’s Command Structure, 1951-2009" (PDF). Retrieved 24 April 2016.
2. "NATO Handbook". 25 March 1993.
3. "Chapter 7 - The Military Structure - Channel Command and Channel Committee". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
4. "Appendix 1 — Chronicle". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
5. "History of SNMMG1 (formerly MCMFORNORTH])". Allied Maritime Component Command Headquarters Northwood. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
6. "History of the Northwood site". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
7. Young, Thomas-Durrell (1 June 1997). "Command in NATO After the Cold War: Alliance, National, and Multinational Considerations". U.S. Army Strategic Studies Institute. p. 11. Retrieved 26 April 2016.