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flying boats operated from jetties on the northern, sheltered side of Gan. Large oil tanks were built on Gan, and on
Hitaddu Island on the western edge of the atoll; vital elements for a naval base. These were visible from a long distances at sea, but this was unavoidable, given the atoll's low
576:, but was raised and towed to Addu for use as an oil storage vessel); this was a long-range shot from outside the atoll through a gap in the anti-torpedo nets. Although seriously damaged, the tanker did not sink. She was not fully repaired but kept as a
612:
Most of the employees who had experience working for the
British military spoke fluent English. When the base at Gan was closed for good, they turned to the nascent tourism industry for employment. As a result, there was an influx of
468:
established a base ("Port T"). An isolated island base with a safe, deep anchorage in a suitably strategic position was required, and Addu met the requirements. Once available, its facilities were used extensively by the Fleet.
387:
Gan is the second largest island of the atoll, after
Hithadhoo, and measures 2.2561 square kilometres (0.87 sq mi) in area. Gan was formerly inhabited, but its inhabitants were moved to neighbouring islands after the
163:
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in April 1942. Later in the war, submarine reconnaissance established the base’s existence. Despite openings into the lagoon being permanently closed by anti-submarine nets, the German
526:
Coast
Defence Regiment, manning shore batteries and anti-aircraft guns. To facilitate the defence, causeways were built connecting the western islands of Gan, Eyehook (Abuhera),
580:
Oil Fuel
Storage Vessel. There was significant oil pollution after this incident and British personnel were used to clean the lagoon, but they were only partially successful.
1240:
507:
that included Addu in a number of bases that they serviced regularly. Three times these ships replenished forty or more ships of the
Eastern Fleet. Several large
587:
was scuttled southeast of
Hithadhoo Island in the Addu Atoll lagoon. Despite the fact that she is still leaking oil, she has become a popular diving location.
1244:
628:
After the
British military left, the airstrip was neglected and remained almost unused for many decades. Recently it has been developed into what is now
154:
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538:. Addu was an unpopular posting due to the hot, humid climate, lack of recreational facilities and lack of socialising with the local population.
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448:. Gan's ruins were the remains of the southernmost Buddhist site of the Maldives. The mound, as well as the foundations of the nearby
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was the head island and a
Buddhist place of learning in Addu. There were large cultivated fields of yams, manioc and
444:
ruins there. These included the foundations of a temple (vihara) and a mound or a low hill which was a very ruined
43:
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Addu Atoll seen from space. Gan lies at the end of the continuous reef fringing Addu from the west and southwest
83:
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Gan now has a hotel catering to tourists and is connected by causeways to the neighbouring islands of
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Ship's supplies for the fleet were provided from a pair of
Australian refrigerated ships,
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was built. It has had continuous human habitation since very ancient times and during the
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602:. The base remained in intermittent service until 1976, when British Forces withdrew.
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The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom.
17:
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Reprint Colombo 1940. Council for Linguistic and Historical Research. Male’ 1989
32:
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Climate data for Gan, (elevation 1.8 m (5.9 ft), 1991−2020 normals)
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remained unaware of the base’s existence until their plans for expansion in
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The Maldive Islands; Monograph on the History, Archaeology and Epigraphy.
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trees on this island. There were a few mosques in the village. A former
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373:(also known as Seenu Atoll), as well as the southernmost island of the
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had come to nothing, even during their carrier raids in the
413:
at island's east end had to be removed to build the runway.
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type were launched from a pad at 0°41' S and 73°9' E.
511:
troop convoys also refueled at Addu on their way from
625:and also looking for education for their children.
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57:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
534:and, much later in the war, they were linked by a
522:The six major islands were garrisoned by the 1st
440:visited this island and investigated the ancient
479:to clear and construct airstrips on Gan for the
472:Royal Navy engineers landed in August 1941 from
1241:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
590:In 1957, the naval base was transferred to the
569:(she had been previously torpedoed and sunk at
377:. It is relatively large by Maldive standards.
181:1976 map of Addu Atoll showing Gan and airfield
349:
452:, were bulldozed when the airport was built.
8:
663:
142:
117:Learn how and when to remove this message
1201:at uboat.net; retrieved 12 November 2019
140:Inhabited island in Addu Atoll, Maldives
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605:From Gan Island several rockets of the
380:The origin of the word "Gan" is in the
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293:2.256 km (0.871 sq mi)
288:
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7:
55:adding citations to reliable sources
366:
660:) with heavy rainfall year-round.
25:
1214:. Astronautix.com. Archived from
621:seeking employment in the nearby
384:word "Grama", meaning "village".
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369:) is the southernmost island of
198:
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175:
162:
31:
1237:"Gan Climate Normals 1991–2020"
598:, it was used as an outpost as
280:258.48 km (160.61 mi)
42:needs additional citations for
1:
314:0.330 km (0.205 mi)
306:1.000 km (0.621 mi)
1277:travel guide from Wikivoyage
517:Fremantle, Western Australia
1000:Average precipitation days
856:Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
716:Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
650:tropical rainforest climate
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630:Gan International Airport
578:Ministry of War Transport
509:Australian Imperial Force
335:490/km (1,300/sq mi)
221:
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161:
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1152:Royal Navy on Addu Atoll
594:. From 1957, during the
129:Not to be confused with
1291:Islands of the Maldives
562:torpedoed the tanker
66:"Gan" Addu Atoll
1218:on September 4, 2003
460:In 1941, during the
332: • Density
241:0.69444°S 73.15500°E
212:Location in Maldives
51:improve this article
1247:on 29 February 2024
1135:Xavier Romero-Frias
1111:Gan (Huvadhu Atoll)
786:Daily mean °C (°F)
583:On 5 January 1946,
303: • Length
237: /
131:Gan (Huvadhu Atoll)
1169:on January 3, 2006
483:. In the interim,
324: • Total
311: • Width
290: • Total
246:-0.69444; 73.15500
1116:Gan (Laamu Atoll)
1101:
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356:
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135:Gan (Laamu Atoll)
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18:Gan (Seenu Atoll)
16:(Redirected from
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1243:. Archived from
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1165:. Archived from
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462:Second World War
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277:Distance to Malé
267:Geographic atoll
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638:Equator Village
632:and also has a
592:Royal Air Force
585:British Loyalty
564:British Loyalty
547:South-east Asia
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401:pre-Islamic era
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1047:Mean monthly
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928:precipitation
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568:
567:in March 1944
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544:
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536:light railway
533:
529:
525:
520:
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486:
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481:Fleet Air Arm
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455:
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447:
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439:
438:H. C. P. Bell
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222:Coordinates:
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68: –
67:
63:
62:Find sources:
56:
52:
46:
45:
40:This article
38:
34:
29:
28:
19:
1249:. Retrieved
1245:the original
1231:
1220:. Retrieved
1216:the original
1212:"Kookaburra"
1206:
1197:
1192:
1171:. Retrieved
1167:the original
1160:
1138:
1128:
930:mm (inches)
657:
647:
627:
611:
604:
589:
584:
582:
571:Diego Suarez
563:
558:
551:Indian Ocean
540:
524:Royal Marine
521:
503:
497:
494:
475:
471:
459:
456:British base
435:
415:
408:
386:
379:
358:
357:
113:
104:
94:
87:
80:
73:
61:
49:Please help
44:verification
41:
1251:29 February
574:in May 1942
432:Archaeology
244: /
232:073°09′18″E
1296:Addu Atoll
1285:Categories
1222:2013-09-23
1173:2006-10-08
1122:References
1002:(≥ 0.1 mm)
648:Gan has a
617:people to
607:Kookaburra
489:Sunderland
466:Royal Navy
371:Addu Atoll
319:Population
298:Dimensions
271:Addu Atoll
229:00°41′40″S
77:newspapers
532:Hithadhoo
492:profile.
426:Hithadhoo
346:UTC+05:00
341:Time zone
1105:See also
1094:Source:
1089:2,735.3
995:(89.89)
926:Average
596:Cold War
543:Japanese
528:Maradhoo
485:Catalina
476:Guardian
442:Buddhist
436:In 1922
382:Sanskrit
375:Maldives
261:Maldives
993:2,283.3
990:(8.88)
985:(9.24)
980:(9.60)
975:(8.80)
970:(7.70)
965:(7.78)
960:(5.66)
955:(9.56)
950:(6.79)
945:(4.74)
940:(3.12)
935:(8.02)
921:(77.2)
916:(76.6)
911:(76.5)
906:(76.6)
901:(76.6)
896:(76.5)
891:(76.8)
886:(77.5)
881:(77.7)
876:(77.9)
871:(77.9)
866:(78.1)
861:(77.4)
851:(82.8)
846:(82.0)
841:(82.0)
836:(82.2)
831:(82.0)
826:(82.2)
821:(82.4)
816:(83.1)
811:(83.5)
806:(83.8)
801:(83.7)
796:(83.5)
791:(82.6)
781:(87.6)
776:(86.9)
771:(86.9)
766:(87.1)
761:(87.1)
756:(87.3)
751:(87.4)
746:(88.2)
741:(88.3)
736:(88.9)
731:(88.9)
726:(88.2)
721:(87.3)
644:Climate
623:resorts
600:RAF Gan
504:Taiping
498:Changte
410:havitta
405:coconut
397:airbase
390:British
363:Dhivehi
257:Country
91:scholar
1145:
1141:1999,
1086:229.2
1083:224.2
1080:219.1
1077:196.6
1074:211.2
1071:204.6
1068:217.4
1065:231.3
1062:245.3
1059:267.1
1056:247.9
1053:241.4
1042:138.3
672:Month
654:Köppen
555:U-boat
464:, the
450:vihara
422:Maradu
93:
86:
79:
72:
64:
1184:Notes
1159:"The
1039:14.4
1036:15.2
1033:14.6
1030:12.8
1027:11.8
1024:11.6
1018:13.4
1015:11.7
1006:10.6
988:225.5
983:234.8
978:243.8
973:223.6
968:195.5
963:197.6
958:143.7
953:242.9
948:172.5
943:120.5
933:203.7
711:Year
559:U-183
446:stupa
418:Feydu
393:naval
327:1,104
98:JSTOR
84:books
1253:2024
1143:ISBN
1096:NOAA
1021:9.3
1012:7.1
1009:5.8
938:79.2
919:25.1
914:24.8
909:24.7
904:24.8
899:24.8
894:24.7
889:24.9
884:25.3
879:25.4
874:25.5
869:25.5
864:25.6
859:25.2
849:28.2
844:27.8
839:27.8
834:27.9
829:27.8
824:27.9
819:28.0
814:28.4
809:28.6
804:28.8
799:28.7
794:28.6
789:28.1
779:30.9
774:30.5
769:30.5
764:30.6
759:30.6
754:30.7
749:30.8
744:31.2
739:31.3
734:31.6
729:31.6
724:31.2
719:30.7
708:Dec
705:Nov
702:Oct
699:Sep
696:Aug
693:Jul
690:Jun
687:May
684:Apr
681:Mar
678:Feb
675:Jan
619:Malé
615:Addu
541:The
530:and
513:Aden
501:and
487:and
474:HMS
424:and
395:and
367:ގަން
285:Area
70:news
1275:Gan
515:to
359:Gan
350:MST
206:Gan
147:Gan
133:or
53:by
1287::
1239:.
1137:,
658:Af
656::
640:.
636:,
519:.
428:.
420:,
365::
1255:.
1225:.
1176:.
1163:"
652:(
361:(
352:)
348:(
137:.
120:)
114:(
109:)
105:(
95:·
88:·
81:·
74:·
47:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
