Larger Air Force For Singapore Island

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 41, 18 February 1939, Page 12

Larger Air Force For Singapore Island

EXPANSION Or DEFENCES SINGAPORE, Feb. 0. Large expenditure on the Royal Air Force at Singaport and the rest of Malaya is expected to be provided for in the Air Estimates to be presented to Parliament early next month. The vote is expected to be much greater than the current financial year’s amount of £612,800. Nearly £2,000,000 is still re* quired for the completion of the works involved. ' The Air Estimates will amount to more than £200,000, nearly double the figure for the current financial year. In view of the increasing importance of Singapore in Empire strategy in the Far Eastern arena, considerable expansion in the air defences is planned. Work is still proceeding at Scletar station, where Singapore’s two general reconnaissance and the two torpedo bomber squadrons are based, and at the two ether Royal Air Force aerodromes on Singapore Island, but the coming year is expected to be notable particularly for the development of Royal Air Force aerodromes north of Singapore on the Malay Peninsula. Subsidiary Aerodromes. Of the two subsidiary aerodromes on Singapore Island, Tengab, on the west side of the island, is almost ready for occupation, and it is expected that Singapore’s squadron strength will be increased soon by the addition of a squadron of 300-miles-anhour Bristol Blenheim bombers. At the other one, ■Sembawang, near the naval .base, the erection of buildings has been begun. These three Royal Aih Force aerodromes—Seletar, Tengah, and Bembagang—are quite distinct from the 4 Singapore Airport, the huge civil aerodrome near the city, used only by commercial and flying club craft. Three Royal Air ‘ Force aerodromes are likely to be developed on the mainland north of Singapore, all within 400 miles of the fortress. One is inland at Klu&ng, Johore State, about 80 miles from Singapore, and the other two are further north, on either coast of the Peninsula. Penang to be Made a Fortress. Preliminary work at Kluang is well under w r ay on a site covered principally with rubber trees. Provision will be made there for one squadron. Construction work at Kuantan, Pahang State, on the east coast, about 120 miles from Singapore, is expected to be begun in the coming year. A Royal Air Force armament camp is to be established there. In view of the fact that Penang, the island just off the west coast of Malaya guarding the western approach from the Indian Ocean to the Malacca Strait and Singapore, is to be made a fortress, it seems likely that more attention will bo paid in the coming year to Sungei Patani, the Royal Air Force landing ground on the mainland, just north of Penang. Protection From Rear Attack*. It is believed that the lack of a sufficiently large area makes impracticable the development of a Royal Air Force station on Penang Island itself, although there is already a small civil aerodrome there. The development of Royal Air Force stations on the mainland north of Singapore is in conformity with the known plan of protecting the fortress from a * * back-door ’ ’ attack.