Royal East African Navy

Royal East African Navy

Active	1953 – 1962
Country	British East Africa: Kenya Tanganyika Uganda Zanzibar
Branch	Navy
Garrison/HQ	Mombasa, Kenya

The Royal East African Navy was a unified naval force of the former British colonies of Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, and Zanzibar. It was the colonial forerunner of the Kenyan Navy and Tanzanian Navy.^[1] Formed in 1953,^[1] it was disbanded in 1962.^[1]

History[]

The Royal East African Navy (REAN) had its origins in the Kenyan Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), which after the end of World War II in 1945 operated a small naval force in the waters of East Africa.^[1] In 1950, the Kenyan RNVR was replaced by the East African Naval Force, which received contributions from both Kenya and Tanganyika,^[1] and later Uganda and Zanzibar as well. The East African Naval Force in turn became the REAN in 1953.^[1] It replaced the Tanganyikan RNVR (established in 1939) and Sultanate of Zanzibar′s RNVR (established in 1938) as well as that of Kenya.

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's Flag Officer, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf for operational duties.^[2] The REAN headquarters was in Mombasa, Kenya, and headed by a resident officer from the Royal Navy. Royal Navy ships were reassigned to the REAN and identified as His/Her Majesty's East African Ship (HMEAS).

Initially, the REAN was a 200-member force. In 1961 The Statesman's Yearbook wrote that the REAN had a complement of eight officers, eight chief petty officers, and 200 ratings.

The REAN conducted training.^[1] It also performed useful work in famine relief operations.^[1]

After Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961, its government decided that the REAN was unsuitable in its existing form,^[1] and with Tanganyika pulling out of the force the governments of Kenya, Uganda, and Zanzibar could not afford the cost of modernizing it.^[1] In December 1961, it was announced that the REAN would disband in 1962.^[1] When it disbanded, its assets were handed over to the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation. Its former ships were discarded or sold.

Fleet[]

- formerly HMS Bassingham, 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.^[1]
- a 70-foot (21 m) motor fishing vessel. Fate unknown.^[1]
- formerly , a Shakespearian-class naval trawler sold to Kenya in 1946 and discarded in 1963.^[1]
HMS Loch Fada - a Loch-class frigate that was not part of the REAN, but patrolled off the waters of the East African colonies on permanent loan from the Royal Navy.

Successor navies[]

Kenya Navy (1964–): 21-vessel fleet (patrol boats, missile boats, rigid inflatable boats, etc.).
Uganda People's Defence Force (1962–) - The land-locked army operates boats on internal waterways; current^[when?] fleet of eight riverine boats and 400 personnel.
Tanzania People's Defence Force (1964–) - Following the 1964 merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, a small naval force was established with patrol boats and fast attack craft. Current^[when?] fleet of seven fast attack craft and 12 patrol boats.

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ 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, ISBN 0-87021-919-7, p. 308.
^ 1961, p.327 [1]

External links[]

History of the Kenya Navy

v t Department of Admiralty
Direction and control of Admiralty and Naval affairs	Office of First Lord of the Admiralty and President of the Board of Admiralty Lord High Admirals Council
Boards and offices under the First Lord	Board of Admiralty Navy Board Navy Office Navy Pay Office Office of the Naval Secretary Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord Office of the Senior Naval Lord Office of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty
Direction of Admirals Naval/Sea Lords War and Naval Staff	Office of the Senior Naval Lord Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord
Secretariat and staff under the First Sea Lord	Office of the Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord Office of the Additional Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord Office of the Hydrographer of the Navy Offices of the Sea Lords Admiralty Navy War Council Admiralty War Staff Admiralty Naval Staff
Operational planning, policy strategy, tactical doctrine requirements	Admiralty Navy War Council Admiralty War Staff Admiralty Naval Staff
Divisions and sections under the War and Naval Staff	Administrative Planning Department Administrative Planning Division Air Division Anti-Submarine Division Anti-Submarine and Warfare Division Anti-U-boat Division Air Warfare Division Air Warfare and Fly Training Division Air Warfare and Training Division Communications Division Convoy Section Economic Warfare Division Gunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare Division Gunnery Division Gunnery and Torpedo Division Historical Section Local Defence Division Division Mercantile Movements Division Naval Air Division Naval Air Organisation and Training Division Naval Artillery and Torpedoes Division Navigation and Direction Division Navigation Division Minesweeping Division Mobilisation Division Naval Intelligence Division Operations Division Operations Division (Home) Operations Division (Foreign) Plans Division Plans Division (Q) Press Division Signal Division Signal Section Tactical Division Tactical and Weapons Policy Division Torpedo Division Torpedo, Anti-Submarine and Minewarfare Division Trade Division Trade and Operations Division Training and Staff Duties Division Tactical and Staff Duties Division Undersurface Warfare Division
Offices of the Sea Lords	Office of the Second Sea Lord Office of the Third Sea Lord Office of the Fourth Sea Lord Office of the Fifth Sea Lord
Admiralty civil departments and organisations under the Sea Lords	Admiralty Central Dockyard Laboratory Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service Admiralty Compass Observatory Admiralty Constabulary Admiralty Constabulary Headquarters Admiralty Engineering Laboratory Admiralty Experimental Station Admiralty Experiment Works Admiralty Gunnery Establishment Admiralty Interview Board Admiralty Materials Laboratory Admiralty Mine Design Department Admiralty Mining Establishment Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Research Laboratory Admiralty Signal Establishment Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Launching Establishment Architectural and Engineering Works Department Air Department Armament Supply Department Board of Invention and Research Board of Longitude Britannia Royal Naval College Chemical Department Combined Operations Headquarters Compass Department Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Department of Naval Education Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services Department of the Director of Dockyards Department of the Director of Naval Construction Department of the Director of Naval Equipment Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Director of Transports Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Materials Department of the Flag Officer Sea Training Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy Department of the Physician of the Navy Department of the Physician General of the Navy Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards Directorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training) Directorate General Training Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department Dockyards Branch Experimental Department Fire Control Group Greenwich Hospital Department Joint Warfare Establishment Historical Section Hydrographic Department Marine Department Marine Pay Department Medical Consultative Board Medical Department Medical Examining Board Nautical Almanac Office Naval Historical Branch Naval Construction Department Naval Intelligence Department Naval Medical Service Naval Mobilisation Department Naval Ordnance Department Naval Ordnance Stores Department Naval Reserve Department Naval Stores Department Naval Training Department Naval Works Department Navy, Army and Air Force Institute Navy and Army Canteen Board Navigation Department Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding, Reserves Office of the Admiralty Chemist Packet Service Royal Corps of Naval Constructors Royal Flying Corps Royal Marine Police Royal Marines Office Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Air Stations Royal Naval Armaments Depot Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Royal Naval Propellant Factory Royal Naval College Royal Naval College and the School for Naval Architecture Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval Engineering College Royal Naval Hospital Royal Naval Minewatching Service Royal Naval Patrol Service Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval War College Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth Royal Navy Dockyard Royal Navy Medical Service Royal Observatory, Greenwich Royal School of Naval Architecture School of Mathematics and Naval Construction Sea Transport Branch Sea Transport Department Sea Transport Division Sixpenny Office Torpedo Experimental Establishment Transport Department Victualling Department
Distribution of the Fleet	Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord Admiralty Naval Staff
Military units distributed under the Admiralty	1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Africa Station Atlantic Fleet Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Australia Station Cape of Good Hope Station Cape and West Africa Station Battle Cruiser Fleet Battle Cruiser Force Caspian Flotilla Channel Fleet Channel Squadron Coastal Forces Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Cork Station Coast of Scotland Commander-in-Chief, China Commander-in-Chief, Dover Downs Station East Africa Station East Indies Fleet East Indies Station East Indies and China Station Eastern Fleet Far Eastern Fleet English Channel Grand Fleet Flag Officer Gibraltar Harwich Force Home Fleet Jamaica Station Leith Station Commander-in-Chief, Levant Levant and East Mediterranean Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands Lisbon Station Mediterranean Fleet Medway Newfoundland Station New Zealand Division New Zealand Naval Forces Narrow Seas Nore North America and West Indies Station Commander-in-Chief, North Sea Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Admiral of Patrols Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Portugal Queenstown Station Royal East African Navy Royal Indian Navy Flag Officer Submarines Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth Reserve Fleet Scotland and Northern Ireland Commander-in-Chief, Sheerness Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic South East Coast of America Station Commander-in-Chief, Thames Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway Thames, Medway and Nore West Africa Squadron Flag Officer, West Africa Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches West Indies Station Western Squadron
Direction of Naval Finance	Department of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
Departments under the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary	Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty Accountant-General's Department Comptroller of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of the Navy
Direction of Naval Administration and the Admiralty Secretariat	Department of the Permanent Secretary
Branches and offices under the Permanent Secretary	Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Secretariat Air Branch Civil Branch Legal Branch Military Branch Naval Branch Ship Branch
Civil Administration	Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Departments under the Civil Lords	Accountant-General's Department Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Greenwich Hospital Department
Legal
Legal under Judicial Department	Admiralty court High Court of Admiralty Office of the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty High Court of Justice Office of the Judge Advocate of the Fleet Office of the Admiralty Advocate Office of the Chief Naval Judge Advocate Office of the Counsel for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy Office of the Counsel to the Admiralty Office of the Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty and Navy Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty King's Bench Division (Admiralty) Queens's Bench Division (Admiralty) Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division Vice Admiralty courts