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 MLD December 25, 1938  FEAF September 3, 1944 |
Location Lake Tondano Seaplane Base was located on the southern shore of Lake Tondano at Kalkas (Kakas) on the eastern tip of the Minahassa Peninsula of northern Sulawesi (Celebes). Lake Tondano is at an elevation of 2,230' and the lake is approximately 50 square kilometers filling the crater of an extinct volcano. In Indonesian, known as Danau Tondano. Prewar and during the Pacific War located in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Today located in Minahasa Regency in North Sulawesi Province (Sulawesi Utara) in Indonesia. Construction In the late 1930s, Lake Tondano was used by Dutch as a seaplane operating area for seaplanes and flying boats. On October 1, 1940 Lake Tondano Seaplane Base was completed and designated MVK Kalkas and classified it as a support base. The shore facilities facilities at Kalkas (Kakas) included a "T" shaped concrete dock, repair workshop, ammunition storage and bunkers. Used by Marine-Luchtvaartdienst (MLD) seaplanes and flying boats and KNILM Airlines for civilian flights. Wartime History During October 1, 1940 until early January 1942 used by the Marine-Luchtvaartdienst (MLD) Netherlands Naval Aviation Service for military seaplanes and flying boats. The base could accommodate two squadrons of flyingboats. Also, Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM) Royal Dutch Indies Airways for civilian flights. During December 1941, Kalkas had only a motorboat and two vessels available to arm and fuel the flying boats plus three 37mm guns on trucks to defended the Lake Tondano area. GVT 2 operating the Do 24 was based at Lake Tondano commanded by Liutenant ter zee 2e klasse W. J. Reynierse. During mid December, they were joined by GVT 5 from Sorong. On December 17, 1941 PBY Catalinas from U.S. Navy (USN) Patrol Wing 10 were to land at Menado to refuel, with PBY Catalina P-23 and two J2F Ducks landing at Menado while the rest of the formation landed at Lake Tondano and spent the night before proceeding to Balikpapan. This was the only use of Lake Tondano by U.S. Navy seaplanes. On December 23, 1941 at 2:00am Do-24K Flying boats from GVT 2 and GVT 5 took off from Lake Tondano then staged through Talesi Island before bombing Japanese forces at Davao. This air raid caused the Japanese to retaliate three days later against Lake Tondano. On December 26, 1941 six A6M2 Zeros from 3rd Kōkūtai (3rd Air Group) that took off from Davao Airfield on an attack against Lake Tondano Seaplane and destroyed four flying boats moored on the lake for refueling and rearming for a mission against the Japanese invasion force off Jolo and a KNILM flying boat. At approximately 7:00am, an air raid alarm was sounded and soon afterwards the six Zeros attacked strafing, setting fire and sinking Do 24K X-11, Do-24K X-12 and Do-24K X-25 from GVT 2 and Do-24K X-26 of GVT 5 plus S-43B Baby Clipper PK-AFT. On the ground, six were killed and seventeen were wounded. One of those injured, Sgt Evers died of his wounds on January 4, 1942. Only one Dornier X-30 from GVT.5 survived because it was on patrol during the raid. After the attack, Commandant Bozuwa ordered Lake Tondano abandoned, with only a small staff remaining behind. On January 11, 1942 the Sasebo 2nd SNLF (Special Naval Landing Force) landed at Kema on the southeast side of the peninsula and advance towards Kalkas (Kakas) and Lake Tondano. At 9:00am, two H6K5 Mavis with twenty two SNLF troops with a 37mm AT gun and medical section landed on Lake Tondano. At 9:30am G3M Nells with twelve paratroopers from the Yokosuka 1st SNLF (Special Naval Landing Force) and cargo containers were dropped from 500' over Langoan Airfield. The 1st and 3nd companies fought at the airfield while the 2nd company would capture Kakas and Lake Tondano Seaplane Base. During the attack, the Dutch personnel at Lake Tondano demolished the base and withdrew to the interior. Japanese and Allied missions against Tondano December 26, 1941 - May 16, 1945 Afterwards, occupied by the Japanese for the duration of the Pacific War. The area was targeted by several Allied air raids during 1945. During early October 1945, occupied by the "Menado Force" comprised of Australian and Dutch forces. Today Disused since the war as a seaplane base. The concrete dock, ammunition storage bunker and bunker remain to this day. Munitions and weapons were dumped into the lake off the dock area and have been found in recent years. Reportedly, during the early or late 1960s the wreckage of three of the Do-24K flying boats were salvaged by Indonesian Navy divers. Reportedly, during the late 1990s, a group of Germans searched Lake Tondano with a magnetometer in an attempt to locate the fourth flying boat, but were unsuccessful. Do-24K X-11 (Werk Nr. 771, GVT.2) Sunk December 26, 1941 Do 24K-1 Serial Number X-12 Do-24K-1 Serial Number X-25 (Werk Nr. 695, GVT.2) Do-24K-1 Serial Number X-26 (Werk Nr. 696, GVT.5) Contribute
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