Military of Macau under Portuguese rule
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Pre-Handover Garrison
Prior to the handover, Portugal had limited military personnel in Macau; the last major military presence was in 1974. During World War II, the Portuguese had:
[edit] Army
- 1 Portuguese infantry company - pre-WWII
- infantry company - 1st Light Mozambique (Moambique Cacadores) and 2nd Light Mozambique (Moambique Cacadores) - particpated in WWII
- 1 Portuguese artillery company (companhia de artilharia)
- 1 heavy machine gun infantry (companhia de metralhadoras)
- 2 native companies
- 1 depot section
- 1 gunboat
- 497 men - 22 officers, 35 NCO's and 440 soldiers, including 224 native soldiers
Other installations included:
- Fortress of St. Paul of Monte or Monte Fort 1616-1762
- Barra Fort - once had 22 cannons
- San Francisco Barracks 1864
- Fort Mong Ha 1864-1960s
- military detachment in Taipa (Destacamento militar na Taipa)
- military detachment at Ilha Verde (Destacamento militar na Ilha Verde)
[edit] Navy
The Macau Naval Aviation Centre was created in 1927 as a seaplane base to combat submarine activity in and around Macau. It was decommissioned in 1933, but re-activated from 1937 to 1940. The naval station was later moved to the Outer port in 1940 and de-commissioned after 1942.
The naval station in Macau was part of the Far East Fleet.
Portuguese naval ships stationed in Macau:
- cruiser Rainha De Amelia - stationed early 1900s
- cruiser Vasco da Gama - stationed early 1900s
- gunboat Patria
- small shallow-draught gunboat Macau - built in Scotland; later as gunboat Maiko and Chinese Nationalist Navy (later in PLAN) boat Wu Fang
A naval air station was established in 1927 with limited equipment.
[edit] Air Force
From 1956 to 1974, Macau was under the 3rd Aerial Region (3ª Região Aérea) with its headquarters in Lourenço Marques.
A list of some aircraft stationed in Macau prior to 1974:
- 3 Fairey IIID - recon bi-plane - sent in 1927
- 4 Hawker Osprey floatplanes naval biplane light-bomber (sent before or around 1940)
- Avro 626 bi-plane trainer
- Grumman G-21B amphibious monoplane
Commanders in Macau
- Navy Commander Gabriel Mauricio Teixeira 1941-1945
- Chief of Staff: Major Carlos da Silva Carvalho
No Portuguese troops had been stationed in Macau since the Carnation Revolution in 1974. There would be no military presence until the handover in 1999 with the establishment of the People's Liberation Army Macau Garrison.
