Royal East African Navy

Royal East African Navy was a naval force of the former British colonies of Kenya, Tanganyika (Tanzania), Uganda and Zanzibar. Formed in 1952 to replace Royal Navy's Naval Volunteer Reserves in Zanzibar (est. 1938) and Tanganyika (1939) and was disbanded in 1962 with the independence of Tanganyika from Britain. The assets of the REAN was handed over to the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation.

The HQ for the REAN was in Mombasa, Kenya and headed by a resident officer from the Royal Navy. RN ships were re-assigned to the REAN and identified as His/Her Majesty's East African Ship (HMEAS). Initially it was a 200-member force.

Fleet

• HMEAS Bassingham - formerly HMS Bassingham, a Ham class inshore minesweeper.
• HMEAS Mvita - a 70 foot motor fishing vessel.
• HMEAS Rosalind - formerly HMT Rosalind, a Shakespearian class trawler sold to Kenya in 1946.
• HMS Loch Fada - a Loch class frigate that was not part of the REAN, but patrolled off the waters of the East African colonies on permanent loan from the Royal Navy.

Successor Navies

• Kenyan Navy 1964: 21 boat fleet (patrol boats, missile boats, RHIB, etc...).
• Uganda People's Defence Force 1962 - land-locked army operates boats on internal waterways; current fleet of 8 riverine boats with a manpower of 400.
• Tanzania People's Defence Force 1964 - following the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, a small naval force was established with patrol boats and fast attack craft: 7 fast attack craft and 12 patrol boats.

External links

• History of the Kenya Navy