RAF Santa Cruz
{{For|the current civilian use of this facility|Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = RAF Santa Cruz
| nativename = 90px
| nativename-a =
| nativename-r =
| image =
| image-width =
| caption =
| IATA = BOM
| ICAO = VABB
| type = Military
| owner =
| operator = Royal Air Force
| city-served =
| location = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| built = {{start date|1941}}
| used = 1942–1947
| elevation-f = 37
| elevation-m = 11
| coordinates = {{coord|19|05|19|N|072|52|05|E|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = India Maharashtra#India
| pushpin_label = Santa Cruz
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in India
| website =
| r1-number = 04/22
| r1-length-f = 5174
| r1-length-m = 1577
| r1-surface = Concrete
| r2-number = 09/27
| r2-length-f = 5220
| r2-length-m = 1590
| r2-surface = Concrete
| r3-number = 14/32
| r3-length-f = 5030
| r3-length-m = 1530
| r3-surface = Concrete
}}
{{externalimage
|topic=
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|float=right
|image1=[http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5118485992_65089840d6_b.jpg A 1945-46 photo of RAF Santacruz taken from the air showing its three runways]
}}
Royal Air Force Santa Cruz or more simply Santa Cruz is a former Royal Air Force station in Bombay (now called Mumbai), then British India which saw extensive use in the Second World War.
History
The Airfield was constructed in the 1930s when the nearby Juhu Aerodrome, located close by, could not cope with the fighters, bombers and other large transport planes of the Air Force, that required longer and stronger runways. Santa Cruz Airfield covered an area of about 1,500 acres (607 hectares). It had three runways originally{{cite web|url=http://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/greater_bombay/communication.html |title=Transport by Air |publisher= Maharashtra State Gazetteers |year= 1987 |accessdate=2012-03-21}} and built as a standard Class A airfield, the main feature of which was a set of three intersecting concrete runways placed in a triangular pattern. The technical area and apron were located to the south between 09/27 and 14/32 and connected to a {{Convert|50|ft|m}} wide perimeter track. After the end of the War, the airport was handed over to the Director General of Civil Aviation for Civil operations and continues civilian operations.{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1946/oct/30/airfield-santa-cruz |title=Airfield, Santa Cruz |work= Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |date=30 October 1946 |access-date=2012-03-21}}
Squadrons
Numerous Fighter Squadrons and support units were stationed at Santa Cruz from 1942 to 1947.{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-S.htm#Santa%20Cruz |title=RAF Santa Cruz |publisher= www.rafweb.org |date=9 January 2011 |accessdate=2012-03-21}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Unit
!Dates !Aircraft !Variant !Notes |
|---|
| No. 159 Squadron RAF
|October 1945 - June 1946 |VIII |Detachment from RAF Salbani, West Bengal{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=63}} |
| No. 203 Squadron RAF
|15 November 1943 - 9 October 1944 | |{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=68}} |
| No. 217 Squadron RAF
|April 1943 - April 1944 | I | Detachment from RAF Vavuniya{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=71}} |
| No. 244 Squadron RAF
| March 1944 and May 1945 | Wellington | XIII | Detachment from RAF Masirah{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=77}} |
Current use
It is now part of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1=C. G. |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife Publishing |location= Shrewsbury, UK |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 }}
{{Royal Air Force}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Cruz}}
Category:Airports in Maharashtra
Category:Royal Air Force stations in Asia
Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in Asia