RAF Limassol
RAF Limassol | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limassol, Limassol District in Cyprus | |||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||
| Condition | Demolished | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
  RAF Limassol Shown within Cyprus  RAF Limassol RAF Limassol (Europe)  RAF Limassol RAF Limassol (Middle East) | |||||||
| Coordinates | 34°40′28.18″N 33°00′32.32″E / 34.6744944°N 33.0089778°E | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1941 | ||||||
| In use | 1941 — 1946-8 | ||||||
| Battles/wars | Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
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RAF Limassol is a former Royal Air Force station located in Limassol on the southern coast of Cyprus. It was established in 1941 during the Second World War, supporting Royal Air Force operations over the Axis-controlled Dodecanese Islands.
History
During the Second World War in 1941, an airfield was established at Limassol as part of a defensive effort led by garrisoned troops from Australia, India, and Britain. Limassol was among seven others, including Nicosia, Larnaca, Lakatamia, Peristerona, Paphos, Salamis, and Tymbou.[1]
The German Dodecanese campaign began on 8 September 1943, aimed at seizing control of the strategic Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea in response to the Italian Armistice of Cassibile. The Luftwaffe launched the first airstrikes at Kos on 18 September, deactivating the Island's only airstrip. By October, the loss of Kos had altered the strategic situation in the Aegean Sea. As a result, RAF Limassol became the only operational Allied airfield in the region, and its aircraft were incapable of supporting remaining Allied control over the Dodecanese. The RAF Bristol Beaufighters operating from the airfield could not stand up to the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, while Supermarine Spitfires with drop tanks lacked the flying range.[2]
Closure
After the Second World War, RAF Limassol was surplus to the RAF's post-war needs and was subsequently closed in 1946, although other sources give the closure as 1948. Afterwards, the airfield's runway was used by a driving school. Progressively, the disused runway was dug up before full redevelopment by the 1950s. The urban growth of Limassol had completely swallowed what was left of the airfield, leaving little traces.[1] In September 1969, Primary School No. 13 was opened on the former airfield's area and was informally named "Primary School of the Old Airstrip."[3]
In 1974, the USSR took the initiative to propose the construction of a new airfield in Limassol. The project was to replace the Nicosia International Airport, which had been heavily bombed during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.[4] However, the Cypriot government chose another former airfield in Larnaca, which later became Larnaca International Airport today. Up until the 2000s, residents frequently called the area of the former airfield "Aerodromio." Today, the only wartime building that remains is the substation located opposite to the Church of St. Spyridon.[5]
Units
The following units that were based at RAF Limassol:
- No. 227 Squadron RAF between 16 August 1943 and 23 September 1943, equipped with Beaufighter VIC[6]
- No. 252 Squadron RAF between 11 September 1943 and 23 September 1943, equipped with Beaufighter XI[7]
- No. 294 Squadron RAF detachment between 5 October 1943 and 29 March 1944, equipped with Wellington IC[8]
References
- 1 2 Yiangou, Anastasia; Heraclidou, Antigone, eds. (December 2017). Cyprus from Colonialism to the Present: Visions and Realities. Taylor & Francis. p. 1927. ISBN 9781351781565.
- ↑ Zabecki, David T., ed. (May 2015). World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 1453. ISBN 9781135812492.
- ↑ "Ιστορικό Σχολείου". ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΛΕΜΕΣΟΥ ΙΓ΄ (ΚΑ) – ΑΓΙΟΥ ΣΠΥΡΙΔΩΝΑ Α΄ (in Greek). Υπουργείο Παιδείας, Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας Κύπρου. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ "Soviet works for base in Cyprus". The Pulse: Daily Review of the Turkish Press. Vedat Uras. 1974.
- ↑ "Limassol Airport: A Missed Opportunity?". DOM. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 76.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 81.
- ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 86.
- Jefford, C. G. (2001). RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of All RAF Squadrons and Their Antecedents Since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.