RAAF Base Darwin
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Article Talk Read Edit View history Search Wikipedia RAAF Base Darwin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coordinates: 12°24′53″S 130°52′36″E Main page This article is about the military air base. For the civilian aerodrome, see Darwin International Airport. Contents RAAF Base Darwin (IATA: DRW, ICAO: YPDN) is a Royal Australian Featured content RAAF Base Darwin Air Force (RAAF) military air base located in the city of Darwin, in the Current events Darwin, Northern Territory in Australia Northern Territory, Australia. The base shares its runway with Darwin Random article [2] Donate to Wikipedia International Airport, for civil aviation purposes. The heritage-listed Wikipedia store RAAF Base Darwin is a forward operating base with year-round activity with approximately 400 personnel.[3] Interaction Help Contents [hide] About Wikipedia 1 History Community portal 1.1 Units based at RAAF Darwin during World War II Recent changes 2 Current units Contact page 3 Gallery Tools 4 See also A USAF C-130 taking off from RAAF Base Darwin in 1999 What links here 5 References Related changes 6 External links Upload file Special pages RAAF Base Permanent link History [ edit ] Darwin Page information (YPDN) Wikidata item Construction of the airfield began in 1938 and RAAF Station Darwin was Cite this page established on 1 June 1940,[2] from elements of No. 12 Squadron RAAF. No. 13 Squadron RAAF was also created at the same time and Print/export Create PDF in your applications with the Pdfcrowd HTML to PDF API PDFCROWD Create a book was based at the base. Charles Eaton was the first Commanding Officer Download as PDF between 1940-1941. No. 12 Squadron RAAF relocated from Parap Printable version Airfield, Northern Territory in April 1941 to RAAF Station Darwin. The In other projects base hosted a large number of RAAF and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) units during World War II. The base was bombed by Wikimedia Commons Japanese forces many times, beginning with two major air raids on 19 Languages February 1942. Deutsch Parts of the 45-hectare (110-acre) site are listed on the Commonwealth ﻓﺎرﺳﯽ Heritage List, since 2004, with the citation stating:[2] Français 한국어 日本語 RAAF Base Darwin is historically significant for its direct Polski association with the defence build up in Darwin in the Português period immediately before WWII. The base illustrates a Тоҷикӣ change in Australian Defence policy with the Federal Edit links Government establishing a major military presence in the north of Australia. Importantly this action was material evidence of the development by Australia of an independent stategic policy in the years preceding WWII. The large scale of the base demonstrates the significance Location in the Northern Territory of the governments commitment to such a policy, and the Coordinates 12°24′53″S 130°52′36″E scale of the perceived threat. This military development Type Military airfield greatly accelerated Darwin's own development as a major Site information centre in northern Australia. Owner Department of Defence Operator Royal Australian Air Force The heritage items include several timber-framed and fibrous-cement Website RAAF Base Darwin clad houses, the timber-framed Sergeants Mess and Single Officer's Site history Mess, the former Airmen's Mess, the Administrative Building, the In use 1 June 1940 – present Gymnasium and Canteen building, the Commanding Officers' Battles/wars Bombing of Darwin, World War II Residence, the non-denominational chapel, the water tower, Guard Garrison information Occupants Create PDF in your applications with the Pdfcrowd HTML to PDF API PDFCROWD House, the timber-framed School of Instruction, and various other No. 452 Squadron Darwin Flight residential quarters.[2] No. 92 Wing Detachment B No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit Units based at RAAF Darwin during World War II [ edit ] Headquarters No. 396 Combat Support Wing No. 321 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron No. 12 Squadron RAAF No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Darwin No. 13 Squadron RAAF No 13 (City of Darwin) Squadron No. 34 Squadron RAAF Airfield information During World War II RAAF Base Darwin served as a first refuge for Identifiers IATA: DRW, ICAO: YPDN retreating USAAF units from the Philippines in 1941. The USAAF Far Elevation 31 metres (103 ft) AMSL Runways East Air Force and its subordinate commands, V Fighter and V Bomber Direction Length and surface established headquarters at Darwin in late December 1941. Later, the 11/29 3,354 metres (11,004 ft) Asphalt USAAF 49th Fighter Group and other units were assigned to Darwin 18/36 1,524 metres (5,000 ft) Asphalt before moving north to forward bases in 1943. From 9 August 1944 to Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1] 20 February 1945 the USAAF 380th Bombardment Group based four squadrons of long-range B-24 Liberator 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, in August 1943. The unit repeatedly bombed enemy airfields in western New Guinea during April and May 1944 in support of American landings in the Hollandia area, being awarded another DUC for this action. Moved in February 1945 to Mindoro in the Philippines.[4] In 1975, during the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy, 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 due to the length of its runway. United States Air Force (USAF) B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, as well as KC-10 and KC-135 tankers can operate from RAAF Base Darwin. In 2010 it was reported that some houses near the base required extra sound proofing to deal with the extreme sound levels of the low observable Joint Strike Fighter.[5] Current units [ edit ] Unit name Force Element Group Aircraft/equipment Headquarters No. 452 Squadron Surveillance and Response Group Create PDF in your applications with the Pdfcrowd HTML to PDF API PDFCROWD Unit name Force Element Group Aircraft/equipment No. 452 Squadron Darwin Flight Surveillance and Response Group No. 92 Wing Detachment B Surveillance and Response Group AP-3C Orion No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit Surveillance and Response Group AN/FPS-117 radar Headquarters No. 396 Combat Support Wing Combat Support Group No. 321 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron Combat Support Group No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Darwin Combat Support Group No 13 (City of Darwin) Squadron Combat Support Group (RAAF Active Reserve) Gallery [ edit ] Former RAAF Base RAAF Base Darwin's Darwin Control and main gate Water Tower See also [ edit ] United States Army Air Forces in Australia (World War II) Northern Territory List of airports in the Northern Territory portal List of Australian Air Force installations World War II portal Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Royal Australian Air Force portal Create PDF in your applications with the Pdfcrowd HTML to PDF API PDFCROWD Aviation portal References [ edit ] 1. ^ YPDN – Darwin (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 01 March 2018, Aeronautical Chart Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. 2. ^ a b c d "RAAF Base Precinct, Stuart Hwy, RAAF Base Darwin, NT, Australia (Place ID 1052524)" . Australian Heritage Database. Department of the Environment. 3. ^ "RAAF Base Darwin" . Royal Australian Air Force. Australian Government. Retrieved 15 August 2017. 4. ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4 5. ^ "Homes to be insulated against Strike Fighter noise" . ABC News. Australia. 1 October 2010. External links [ edit ] RAAF Museum website – Darwin Base Wikimedia Commons has OzatWar website – RAAF Darwin Airfield media related to RAAF Base Darwin. This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ . V · T · E Royal Australian Air Force bases [show] V · T · E Airports in the Northern Territory [show] Categories: Buildings and structures in Darwin, Northern Territory Royal Australian Air Force bases Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Australia Airports in the Northern Territory 1940 establishments in Australia Military airbases established in 1940 Commonwealth Heritage List Historic sites in the Northern Territory This page was last edited on 14 August 2018, at 04:06 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Developers Cookie statement Mobile view Create PDF in your applications with the Pdfcrowd HTML to PDF API PDFCROWD.