Royal East African Navy
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The Royal East African Navy was a unified naval force of the former
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
colonies of
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, Tanganyika,
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
, and
Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
. It was the colonial forerunner of the Kenyan Navy and Tanzanian Navy.Gray, Randal, ed., ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1982, Part II: The Warsaw Pact and Non-Aligned Nations'', Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1983, , p. 308. Formed in 1953, it was disbanded on 30 June 1962.


History

The Royal East African Navy (REAN) had its origins in the Kenyan
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roya ...
(RNVR), which after the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1945 operated a small naval force in the waters of
East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
. In 1950, the Kenyan RNVR was replaced by the East African Naval Force, which received contributions from both Kenya and Tanganyika, and later Uganda and
Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
as well. The East African Naval Force in turn became the REAN in 1953. It replaced the Tanganyikan RNVR (established in 1939) and
Sultanate of Zanzibar The Sultanate of Zanzibar (, ), also known as the Zanzibar Sultanate, was an East African Muslim state controlled by the Sultan of Zanzibar, in place between 1856 and 1964. The Sultanate's territories varied over time, and after a period of de ...
′s RNVR (established in 1938) as well as that of Kenya. The REAN's headquarters was at the present site (c2007) of Bandari College in Mombasa. The REAN was administered by the East Africa High Commission (composed of the colonial governors of Tanganyika, Uganda, and Kenya) and was responsible to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
's
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for operational duties.1961, p.327
/ref> The REAN headquarters was in
Kilindini Kilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. It is at its deepest center, although the controlling depth is the outer channel in the port approaches with a dredged depth of . It serves as the harbo ...
,
Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
, Kenya, and headed by a resident officer from the Royal Navy. Several Royal Navy ships were transferred to the REAN and identified as His/Her Majesty's East African Ship (HMEAS). Initially, the REAN was a 200-member force. It conducted training and performed useful work in famine relief operations. In June 1958 the
Ham-class minesweeper The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers (IMS), known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. All of the ships in the class are named for British place na ...
was collected by a REAN delivery crew and renamed HMEAS ''Bassingham.'' In 1961 ''
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'' wrote that the REAN had a complement of eight officers, eight
chief petty officer A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards, usually above petty officer. By country Australia "Chief Petty Officer" is the second highest non-commissioned rank in the Royal Australian Navy ...
s, and 200 ratings. After Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961, its government decided that the REAN was unsuitable in its existing form. With Tanganyika withdrawing, the governments of Kenya, Uganda, and Zanzibar could not afford the cost of modernizing it. In December 1961, it was announced that the REAN would disband in 1962. "At noon on 30 June 1962, the White Ensign was lowered from the masthead in front of Navy House, Telegraph Point, Liwatoni, Kilindini, and the REAN was disbanded." Its assets were handed over to the
East African Railways and Harbours Corporation The East African Railways and Harbours Corporation (EAR&H) is a defunct company that operated railways and harbours in East Africa from 1948 to 1977. It was formed in 1948 for the new East African High Commission by merging the Kenya and Ugan ...
; the Naval Base was handed over to the ombasaHarbour Authority. The Royal Navy had an armament depot at the present site of the Kenya Navy (Mtongwe, opposite the
Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway The Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, completed in 2017, was built as the first phase of the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway. It is a standard-gauge railway (SGR) in Kenya that connects the large Indian Ocean city of Mombasa with Nairobi, ...
freight terminus) which served the logistic requirements of the UK forces in the Middle East. The REAN's former ships were discarded or sold.


Ships

* HMEAS ''Bassingham'' - formerly , a Ham-class inshore minesweeper acquired from the Royal Navy in June 1958 to replace HMEAS ''Roslaind'' but deemed unsuitable for the REAN, and returned to the Royal Navy in October 1961. * - a
motor An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gene ...
fishing vessel A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to fishing, catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial ...
. Fate unknown. * - formerly , a
Shakespearian William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
-class
naval trawler Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. Some, known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers ...
sold to Kenya in 1946 and discarded in 1963.


Successor navies

*
Kenya Navy The Kenya Navy is the naval branch of the Kenya Defence Forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa. Kenya Navy has two major bases for its fleet with it being headquartered in Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa and Manda Bay (part of Lamu Archipelag ...
(1964–): 21-vessel fleet (
patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval ship, naval vessel generally designed for Coastal defence and fortification, coastal defence, Border control, border security, or law ...
s,
missile boat A missile boat or missile cutter is a small, fast warship armed with anti-ship missiles. Being smaller than other warships such as destroyers and frigates, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming a navy at lower cost. They ...
s,
rigid inflatable boat A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are ...
s, etc.). *
Tanzania People's Defence Force The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) () is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force, the Tanganyika Rifles. From its inception, ...
(1964–) - Following the 1964 merger of Tanganyika and
Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
, a small naval force was established with patrol boats and fast attack craft. Current fleet of seven fast attack craft and 12 patrol boats.


References


External links


History of the Kenya Navy
{{Admiralty Department, state=collapsed Disbanded navies East Africa Kenya Colony Military units and formations established in 1952 Military units and formations disestablished in 1962
East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...
Uganda Protectorate