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ACQUISITION |
Lodger facilities for an RN Air Section at an RAF
station.
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COMMISSIONED |
01 June 1942 on books of 'KIPANGA
01 May 1944 on books of 'TANA'
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PAID OFF |
31 March 1944 on books of 'KIPANGA
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OFFICER IN CHARGE |
Commander J. D. Harvey June 1942
Lieut. Commander C. A. N. Hooper August 1943
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FUNCTION |
Facilitates for
2 disembarked squadrons (24 aircraft).
Fleet Requirements
Unit (788 squadron).
Aircraft erection facility.
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ADDRESS |
R.N. Air Section.
R.A.F. Station
Port Reitz,
Mombasa
Kenya,
East Africa
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LOCALITY |
The airfield lies on a plateau at Ras Hodi, 3 miles W.
of Mombasa Island, on the N. shore of Port Reitz, the
inlet extending westward from that island.
Kilindini harbour and wharves lie 3 miles ESE.
R.N.A.S., Mackinnon Road, lies 40 miles WNW.
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LANDMARKS |
Mombasa Island, Kilindini harbour and Port Reitz.
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ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS |
Access by road to Kwa Jomvu, I j miles (R) N., and to
Kilindini wharves
ACCESS 6~ miles (R). The road to Kilindini is suitable
for the transport of aircraft.
Railway station at Kwa Jomvu, on the main
Mombasa-Nairobi line ; a branch line runs N. from the
NE. corner of the landing area to connect with the main
line.
Kilindini harbour has 5 deep-water berths served by
railway tracks. There are several 3- and 5-ton electric
mobile cranes one 10-ton crane and a 6o-ton floating
crane available.
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CONTROL |
Control Building 350 yds. ESE. of main runway
intersection.
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ELEVATION |
180' above M.S.L.
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RUNWAYS /LANDING AREA |
Two, stone pitching with bitumen grout carpet, and with
cleared and graded strips 8o yards wide on either side
09/27 QDM. 093°/273° .... 1200 X 40 yds.
15/33 QDM. 153°/333° .... 1530 X 40 yds.
A third short runway, used for dispersal only 03/21
QDM. 053°/213° .... 800 X 40 yds.
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TRACKS |
40' tracks to Naval Air Section Squadron areas. 5o'
tracks connecting runways with one another.
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OBSTRUCTIONS |
Navigation -None.
Circuit - 4 W/T masts, 18o', distant about 2,SOO yds.
ENE.
Approach - Trees, 8o' to N. and E., but runway
approaches cleared
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APPROACH |
No special approach sector recommended.
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WIND INDICATOR |
One windsock, S. of landing strip junction. |
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HOMING - VISUAL |
By day -None
By night - Landmark beacon at airfield,
flashing in red the letters "PR"
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HOMING--RADIO |
D/F - M/F & H/F
Beacon - M/F beacon
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APPROACH -VISUAL |
By day - None
By night - Portable electric Glim
lamps. Chance light. Gooseneck emergency flare paths.
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APPROACH -RADIO |
None.
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COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT |
W/T station at airfield. 2 R/T channels maintained.
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GROUND RADAR |
None.
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ACCOMMODATION |
Living quarters in camp on E. of the airfield,
(shred with R.A.F.).
Capacity:
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Officers: |
30 |
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Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings: |
70 |
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W.R.N.S. Officers: |
None. |
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W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings; |
None. |
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ARMOURIES |
One small Naval Air Section Armoury. |
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COMPASS BASE |
One, concrete, diameter 70' (shared with R.A.F.). |
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DISPERSAL |
Runway 03/21 is used for dispersal, also the area on the
W. side of the airfield, S. of runway 09/27. |
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HANGARS |
In two groups on the N. side of the airfield, for Naval
Air Section use:
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Number /Type |
Size |
Door Height |
Door Width |
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10 Mainhill (Squadron) |
60' x 180' |
17' |
55' |
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3 Mainhill (Storage) |
60' x 84' |
17' |
55' |
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3 Pentad (Reserve Servicing) |
185' x 110' |
25' |
100' |
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There are also two R.A.F. hangars on the SE.
side of the airfield. |
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MEDICAL |
R.A.F. Sick quarters on SE. side of airfield, S. of
Mombasa Road, accommodation for 30 Naval ratings only.
R.N. Hospital at Kilindini. |
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METEOROLOGICAL |
Air Ministry provide facilities; office in the control
building. There is a Naval Meteorological liaison
officer.
Prevalent winds : Between N.E. and NW.,
December-March.
Between SE. and SW., April-November.
Rainy Seasons : April-June and November and December.
Heavy
afternoon showers prevalent throughout the year.
Average Cloud Base :
June-September, above 500 feet.
September-January, above x,000 feet.
January-May, above 1,500 feet. |
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FUEL AND OIL |
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Aviation: |
Facility shared with R.A.F. 3 underground
storage tanks with a capacity of 11.300 gallons
each. tank, and 3 with a capacity of 6,000
gallons each. |
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M/T: |
Stored in original containers. |
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Oil : |
Drum storage |
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TEST BASE |
Non a/c radar test base. |
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TEST BUTT |
None. |
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WORKSHOPS |
One A.R.S. hangar (Callander, 185' x 100' 25' x
100'), one Equipping and Erection hangar (Bellman, 187'
x 80'), and workshops to two squadron scale. |
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EXPLOSIVES |
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BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES |
Use of R.A.F. range in Port Reitz, adjacent S. of the
airfield |
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Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook
of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45
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List of first and second line squadrons, station
flight and other flying units based at this location |
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710
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Seaplane Squadron
Disembarked from HMS ALBATROSS 31.05.42. Operated various detachments aboard ALBATROSS before the squadron moved to RAF Majunga 09.09.42. Equipped with
6 Walrus
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788 |
Fleet
Requirements Unit
Moved
here from RNAS Tanga 24.06.1842
Disbanded
here 11.06.1945.
equipped
with Albacore. Fulmar, Sea Hurricane, Skua and Swordfish.
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796 |
Eastern Fleet Torpedo, Spotter and Reconnaissance
Pool.
Formed
here out of 818 squadron 25.07.1942.
Moved to
RNAS Tanga 30.09.1942.
equipped
with Albacores and Swordfish.
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800 |
Fleet Fighter Squadron
Personnel
passed through in transit to UK from
RNAS Tanga 08.07.1942
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803 |
Fleet
Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 10.05.1942,
re-embarked 25.05.1942.
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 122.08.1942. Moved
to RNAS Tanga 29.08.1942.
Disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 12.12.1942, moved
to RNAS Tanga 12.01.1943.
Equipped with 12 Fulmar IIs
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806 |
Fleet
Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from HMS INDOMITABLE 23.05.1942
'A' flight re-embarked INDOMITABLE 11.06.1942.
Squadron moved to RNAS Tanga 20.06.1942.
Equipped with 6 Fulmar II & 6 Martlet
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810 |
Torpedo,
Spotter and Reconnaissance squadron
Detachment
(3) disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 26-29.05.1942
Detachment (?) disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
25.08.1942 - 06.09.1942.
Equipped with Swordfish
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814 |
Torpedo,
Spotter and Reconnaissance squadron
Detachment
(5) disembarked from HMS HERMES 09-14.10.1941. Entire
squadron disembarked 15.10.1941.
Re-embarked HERMES 19.10.1941.
Equipped with Swordfish
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824 |
Torpedo,
Spotter and Reconnaissance squadron
Disembarked
from HMS EAGLE 26.04.1941. Re-embarked EAGLE
28.04.1941
Equipped with Swordfish
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827 |
Torpedo,
Spotter and Reconnaissance squadron
Disembarked
from HMS FORMIDABLE 20.04.1942, re-embarked 26.05.1942.
Equipped with Swordfish
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829 |
Torpedo,
Spotter and Reconnaissance squadron
Daily
detachments from RNAS Tanga , 18-29.08.1942
Equipped
with Swordfish
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851 |
Torpedo,
Spotter and Reconnaissance squadron equipped with Avenger & Wildcat
Detachment (10) disembarked from
HMS SHAH 21.09 -
05.10.1944
Equipped with Avenger & Wildcat
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877 |
Fleet
Fighter Squadron
Moved here from RNAS Tanga 06.07.1943. Disbanded here
30.12.1943.
Equipped with Hurricane IIb
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880 |
Fleet
Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from HMS INDOMITABLE 22.05.1942
re-embarked INDOMITABLE 10.06.1942. Disembarked from
HMS INDOMITABLE 16.06.1942 re-embarked
INDOMITABLE 09.07.1942.
Equipped with Hurricane IIb
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881 |
Fleet
Fighter Squadron
Detachment (2) disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
26-29.05.1942
equipped with Martlet IIs
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888 |
Fleet
Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 10-29.05.1942
Detachment from HMS FORMIDABLE 01`-15.07.1942
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 11-24.08.1942 equipped
with Martlets
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Kipanga is
Swahili for Hawk.
PAGE UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
Click here for a list of
Primary sources
Additional sources:
Admiralty Fleet Orders:
Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:
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