RAAF Base Darwin
Encyclopedia
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
.
History
Construction of the airfield began in 1938 and RAAF Station Darwin was established on 1 June 1940, from elements of No. 12 Squadron RAAFNo. 12 Squadron RAAF
No. 12 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force general purpose, bomber and transport squadron. The squadron was formed in 1939 and saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. From 1941-1943, it mainly conducted maritime patrols off northern Australia...
. No. 13 Squadron RAAF
No. 13 Squadron RAAF
No. 13 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron saw combat during World War II as a bomber and maritime patrol squadron and is currently active as a mixed regular and reserve RAAF unit located in Darwin, fulfilling both operational support and training duties.-History:No. 13...
was also created at the same time and was based at the base. Charles Eaton was the first Commanding Officer between 1940-1941.
No. 12 Squadron RAAF relocated from Parap Airfield
Parap Airfield
Parap Airfield was the civilian airport/aerodrome at Parap a suburb of Darwin, Northern Territory, in Australia between 1919 and 1946. It was also known as Darwin Aerodrome and Ross Smith Aerodrome.-History:...
, Northern Territory in April 1941 to RAAF Station Darwin. The base hosted a large number of RAAF and United States Army Air Force units during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The base was bombed by Japanese forces
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
many times, beginning with two major air raids on 19 February 1942.
Units based at RAAF Darwin during World War II
- No. 12 Squadron RAAFNo. 12 Squadron RAAFNo. 12 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force general purpose, bomber and transport squadron. The squadron was formed in 1939 and saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. From 1941-1943, it mainly conducted maritime patrols off northern Australia...
- No. 13 Squadron RAAFNo. 13 Squadron RAAFNo. 13 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron saw combat during World War II as a bomber and maritime patrol squadron and is currently active as a mixed regular and reserve RAAF unit located in Darwin, fulfilling both operational support and training duties.-History:No. 13...
- No. 34 Squadron RAAFNo. 34 Squadron RAAFNo. 34 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force transport squadron. It is currently based at Canberra International Airport in the Australian capital Canberra, where it operates two Boeing 737 Business Jets and three Bombardier Challenger 604s.-History:...
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
RAAF Base Darwin served as a first refuge for retreating United States Army Air Force units from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in 1941. The USAAF Far East Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
and its subordinate commands, V Fighter and V Bomber established headquarters at Darwin in late December 1941. Later, the USAAF 49th Fighter Group and other units were assigned to Darwin before moving north to forward bases in 1943. From 9 August 1944 to 20 February 1945 the USAAF 380th Bombardment Group based four squadrons of long-range B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
bombers at the base. From Darwin, the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a series of long-range attacks on oil refineries, shipping, and dock facilities in Balikpapan, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, in August 1943. The unit repeatedly bombed enemy airfields in western New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
during April and May 1944 in support of American landings in the Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
area, being awarded another DUC for this action. Moved in February 1945 to Mindoro in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
In 1975, during the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
, the base was the centre of the largest airlift in Australian history in which the majority of Darwin's inhabitants were evacuated.
The Base was an emergency landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
due to the length of its runway.
Some houses near the base will require extra sound proofing to deal with the extreme sound levels of the low observable
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
Joint Strike Fighter.
Units
| Unit name | FEG | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| No. 44 Wing Detachment Darwin No. 44 Wing RAAF No. 44 Wing is a Royal Australian Air Force wing responsible for providing air traffic control services to the Australian Defence Force. It directly commands two squadrons which in turn command 11 air traffic control flights located across the country at nine RAAF bases, HMAS Albatross and Oakey... |
Surveillance and Response Group Surveillance and Response Group RAAF The Surveillance and Response Group is a Force Element Group of the Royal Australian Air Force with its headquarters at RAAF Base Williamtown.... |
|
| No. 92 Wing Detachment B No. 92 Wing RAAF No. 92 Wing is the maritime patrol wing of the Royal Australian Air Force. It is headquartered at RAAF Base Edinburgh. It is part of the Surveillance and Response Group, and consists of No. 10 Squadron, No. 11 Squadron and No. 292 Squadron. The wing also has a permanent detachment at RMAF Base... |
Surveillance and Response Group | AP-3C Orion |
| Headquarters No. 396 Combat Support Wing No. 396 Combat Support Wing RAAF No. 396 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing is a ground support wing of the Royal Australian Air Force . Part of the Combat Support Group, it is responsible for the provision of combat and base support services and maintains the RAAF's "bare bases" at Weipa, Exmouth and Derby in the northern part of... |
Combat Support Group | |
| No. 13 Squadron (Reserve) No. 13 Squadron RAAF No. 13 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The Squadron saw combat during World War II as a bomber and maritime patrol squadron and is currently active as a mixed regular and reserve RAAF unit located in Darwin, fulfilling both operational support and training duties.-History:No. 13... |
Combat Support Group | |
| No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Darwin No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron RAAF No. 1 Airfield Operations Support Squadron is Headquartered at RAAF Base Townsville. The squadron has detachments at each of the major RAAF Bases around Australia... |
Combat Support Group | |
| No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit RAAF No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit is a Royal Australian Air Force radar unit. 114 MCRU is currently the RAAF's only easily deployable radar unit and regularly deploys into the field from its home base at RAAF Base Darwin during military exercises.-History:114MCRU was formed as 14 Fighter... |
Surveillance and Response Group | |
| No. 321 Combat Support Squadron | Combat Support Group | |
| Bare Base Management Flight | Combat Support Group | |
See also
- United States Army Air Forces in AustraliaUnited States Army Air Forces in AustraliaDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established a series of airfields in Australia for the collective defense of the country, as well as for conducting offensive operations against the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy...
(World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
)