HMAS Albatross (air station)
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HMAS Albatross NAS Nowra |
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Australian Navy | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Nowra, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 400 ft / 122 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°56′56″S 150°32′13″E / 34.94889°S 150.53694°ECoordinates: 34°56′56″S 150°32′13″E / 34.94889°S 150.53694°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
 YSNW
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Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart
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HMAS Albatross, also known as Naval Air Station (NAS) Nowra (IATA: NOA, ICAO: YSNW), is an airfield operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), in support of the RAN's aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm. The base, located near Nowra, New South Wales, was established in 1941 as Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra, then was transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Nabbington in 1944, and operated as a naval air station until it was decommissioned in late 1945. In 1948, the airfield was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Albatross, as the primary shore base for the Fleet Air Arm. As of 2011, four squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm operate from Albatross.
The current site of HMAS Albatross was identified in 1938 and land was purchased in June 1939. Construction proceeded at what seems to be a leisurely pace considering it was war time, until the base was declared operational in July 1941. The airfield was used by squadrons of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bombers of RAAF when it opened in 1942. Martin Marauder bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) were also based there in 1942–43 for training as torpedo bombers.
In 1944, the need for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy for shore bases led to RAAF Nowra, due to its proximity to Jervis Bay, being transferred to the RN, being renamed HMS Nabbington. This base was used by Mobile Overseas Naval Air Base (MONAB) No. 1 from 21 December 1944 to 15 November 1945. The base supported the British Pacific Fleet's aircraft carriers by providing shore based facilities for the Carrier Air Groups when the carriers were in Sydney for repairs and resupply. At the end of the Pacific War the British Pacific Fleet returned through its main base in Australia and FAA Squadrons transited through HMS Nabbington until it was decommissioned on 15 November 1945.
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