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Karachi Airfields During British Era.

FOOLS_NIGHTMARE

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Karachi had been a major hub of air activities for the RAF and later USAF during the colonial era. Karachi became an important link in a 3,000-km supply chain stretching till Assam and another 1,600 km to Kunming in China. Its surroundings were developed into major bases for training air crews and staging posts for Allied air force personnel.
Drigh Road Airfield (PAF Faisal) is the oldest air base in Pakistan and one of the most famous. Founded soon after RAF India Command was formed in 1918 as an aircraft depot, its main mission at the time was to receive aircraft in knocked down condition off ships, assemble, test fly and then ferry them to squadrons all over India.
air_warhawk46.jpg

P-40 fighters being assembled at Drigh road Airfield, 1942-1945.
An-engine-inspection-made-at-Drigh-Road-airfield-hangar-at-Karachi-1.png

Engine Inspection at Drigh Road.
s-l500.jpg

Below Drigh Road Airfield showing Hurricanes, Vultee Vengeances and Harvards lined up awaiting delivery to various units in India.
latest


Karachi Airfield(Jinnah airport) was a regional transport hub in the 40s. Personnel and equipment of the United States Army Air Forces littered the entire facility through the during of the war. Extensive aircraft assembly plants were built to put together crated combat aircraft destined to be deployed further east against the Japanese. The USAAF's Air Transport Command also used Karachi Airfield as a staging point for supply runs to eastern India and China.
facility_karachi2.jpg

tft-62119-53.jpg

11fd89dc7aaf36a1a80cbb07c940e9a4.jpg


Korangi Creek,the primary role of this beach station on the outskirts of Karachi was to provide embarkation and disembarkation facilities to RAF and other British personnel arriving by civil or military amphibious aircraft, and also to handle receipt and dispatch of cargo on these aircraft.
Aerial_view_of_the_RAF_flying_boat_base_at_Korangi_Creek%2C_near_Karachi%2C_India%2C_July_1945._CI1456.jpg


Mauripur Airfield( Paf Masroor) was established during WW II in 1940-41 as a temporary staging post and air transport base for the US Air Corps;the facilities of the staging post were extensively utilized by the Allies as a strategic link for India and the Far East.
wp138b8244_05_06.jpg


Malir Airfield was last used by the 8th Reconnaissance group of the USAF in May 1945. Today there are no traces left of it.
11183h.jpg
 
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Karachi had been a major hub of air activities for the RAF and later USAF during the colonial era. Karachi became an important link in a 3,000-km supply chain stretching till Assam and another 1,600 km to Kunming in China. Its surroundings were also developed into a major bases for training air crews and a staging post for Allied air force personnel.
Drigh Road Airfield (PAF Faisal) is the oldest air base in Pakistan and one of the most famous. Founded soon after RAF India Command was formed in 1918 as an aircraft depot, its main mission at the time was to receive aircraft in knocked down condition off ships, assemble, test fly and then ferry them to squadrons all over India.
air_warhawk46.jpg

P-40 fighters being assembled at Drigh road Airfield, 1942-1945.
An-engine-inspection-made-at-Drigh-Road-airfield-hangar-at-Karachi-1.png

Engine Inspection at Drigh Road.
s-l500.jpg

Below Drigh Road Airfield showing Hurricanes, Vultee Vengeances and Harvards lined up awaiting delivery to various units in India.
latest


Karachi Airfield(Jinnah airport) was a regional transport hub in the 40s. Personnel and equipment of the United States Army Air Forces littered the entire facility through the during of the war. Extensive aircraft assembly plants were built to put together crated combat aircraft destined to be deployed further east against the Japanese. The USAAF's Air Transport Command also used Karachi Airfield as a staging point for supply runs to eastern India and China.
facility_karachi2.jpg

tft-62119-53.jpg

11fd89dc7aaf36a1a80cbb07c940e9a4.jpg


Korangi Creek,the primary role of this beach station on the outskirts of Karachi was to provide embarkation and disembarkation facilities to RAF and other British personnel arriving by civil or military amphibious aircraft, and also to handle receipt and dispatch of cargo on these aircraft.
Aerial_view_of_the_RAF_flying_boat_base_at_Korangi_Creek%2C_near_Karachi%2C_India%2C_July_1945._CI1456.jpg


Mauripur Airfield( Paf Masroor) was established during WW II in 1940-41 as a temporary staging post and air transport base for the US Air Corps;the facilities of the staging post were extensively utilized by the Allies as a strategic link for India and the Far East.
wp138b8244_05_06.jpg


Malir Airfield was last used by the 8th Reconnaissance group of the USAF in May 1945. Today there are no traces left of it.
11183h.jpg
Sir, Thank You for this wonderful thread!
 
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Karachi had been a major hub of air activities for the RAF and later USAF during the colonial era. Karachi became an important link in a 3,000-km supply chain stretching till Assam and another 1,600 km to Kunming in China. Its surroundings were developed into major bases for training air crews and staging posts for Allied air force personnel.
Drigh Road Airfield (PAF Faisal) is the oldest air base in Pakistan and one of the most famous. Founded soon after RAF India Command was formed in 1918 as an aircraft depot, its main mission at the time was to receive aircraft in knocked down condition off ships, assemble, test fly and then ferry them to squadrons all over India.
air_warhawk46.jpg

P-40 fighters being assembled at Drigh road Airfield, 1942-1945.
An-engine-inspection-made-at-Drigh-Road-airfield-hangar-at-Karachi-1.png

Engine Inspection at Drigh Road.
s-l500.jpg

Below Drigh Road Airfield showing Hurricanes, Vultee Vengeances and Harvards lined up awaiting delivery to various units in India.
latest


Karachi Airfield(Jinnah airport) was a regional transport hub in the 40s. Personnel and equipment of the United States Army Air Forces littered the entire facility through the during of the war. Extensive aircraft assembly plants were built to put together crated combat aircraft destined to be deployed further east against the Japanese. The USAAF's Air Transport Command also used Karachi Airfield as a staging point for supply runs to eastern India and China.
facility_karachi2.jpg

tft-62119-53.jpg

11fd89dc7aaf36a1a80cbb07c940e9a4.jpg


Korangi Creek,the primary role of this beach station on the outskirts of Karachi was to provide embarkation and disembarkation facilities to RAF and other British personnel arriving by civil or military amphibious aircraft, and also to handle receipt and dispatch of cargo on these aircraft.
Aerial_view_of_the_RAF_flying_boat_base_at_Korangi_Creek%2C_near_Karachi%2C_India%2C_July_1945._CI1456.jpg


Mauripur Airfield( Paf Masroor) was established during WW II in 1940-41 as a temporary staging post and air transport base for the US Air Corps;the facilities of the staging post were extensively utilized by the Allies as a strategic link for India and the Far East.
wp138b8244_05_06.jpg


Malir Airfield was last used by the 8th Reconnaissance group of the USAF in May 1945. Today there are no traces left of it.
11183h.jpg
Great thread!! Loving it
 
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Karachi had been a major hub of air activities for the RAF and later USAF during the colonial era. Karachi became an important link in a 3,000-km supply chain stretching till Assam and another 1,600 km to Kunming in China. Its surroundings were developed into major bases for training air crews and staging posts for Allied air force personnel.
Drigh Road Airfield (PAF Faisal) is the oldest air base in Pakistan and one of the most famous. Founded soon after RAF India Command was formed in 1918 as an aircraft depot, its main mission at the time was to receive aircraft in knocked down condition off ships, assemble, test fly and then ferry them to squadrons all over India.
air_warhawk46.jpg

P-40 fighters being assembled at Drigh road Airfield, 1942-1945.
An-engine-inspection-made-at-Drigh-Road-airfield-hangar-at-Karachi-1.png

Engine Inspection at Drigh Road.
s-l500.jpg

Below Drigh Road Airfield showing Hurricanes, Vultee Vengeances and Harvards lined up awaiting delivery to various units in India.
latest


Karachi Airfield(Jinnah airport) was a regional transport hub in the 40s. Personnel and equipment of the United States Army Air Forces littered the entire facility through the during of the war. Extensive aircraft assembly plants were built to put together crated combat aircraft destined to be deployed further east against the Japanese. The USAAF's Air Transport Command also used Karachi Airfield as a staging point for supply runs to eastern India and China.
facility_karachi2.jpg

tft-62119-53.jpg

11fd89dc7aaf36a1a80cbb07c940e9a4.jpg


Korangi Creek,the primary role of this beach station on the outskirts of Karachi was to provide embarkation and disembarkation facilities to RAF and other British personnel arriving by civil or military amphibious aircraft, and also to handle receipt and dispatch of cargo on these aircraft.
Aerial_view_of_the_RAF_flying_boat_base_at_Korangi_Creek%2C_near_Karachi%2C_India%2C_July_1945._CI1456.jpg


Mauripur Airfield( Paf Masroor) was established during WW II in 1940-41 as a temporary staging post and air transport base for the US Air Corps;the facilities of the staging post were extensively utilized by the Allies as a strategic link for India and the Far East.
wp138b8244_05_06.jpg


Malir Airfield was last used by the 8th Reconnaissance group of the USAF in May 1945. Today there are no traces left of it.
11183h.jpg




Nice!
 
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Thx for sharing. The amphibious base had 5 x Sunderland Flying boats and 40 x PBY Catalina Flying Boats!! Lot of planes in such a small place
 
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Can you please share the link to the article, if there's one? Thanks.

Great thread by the way.
 
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Thank you all for liking the thread. Karachi kept its regional dominance as a transport and transit hub till the 70s,alas Dubai and other Mideast cities took over our hegemony. Inshallah God willing Karachi will one day rise again as an international city.

Karachi is orphan now, greed, stolen merit, racism/class segregation, quota system ruined this city.

Rich folks spending black money on housing schemes unaware of the fact that air and water here has become hazardous for human health.

I am having breathing complications as I write this comment.

Wake me up when people in power stop spending $$ on the two cities and look after this forsaken metropolis
 
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Can you please share the link to the article, if there's one? Thanks.

Great thread by the way.
Thanks for your compliments,there are currently no articles available on this topic. Did a lit bit of research and compiled all the info available.
 
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Royal_Air_Force_Operations_in_the_Far_East%2C_1941-1945._CI336.jpg

Vultee Vengeance fuselages, newly arrived from the United States, under inspection at No. 1 Maintenance Unit, Drigh Road,Karachi.

air_p66vanguard3.jpg

US P-66 Vanguard fighters at an airfield in Karachi,1942.
 
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