Introduction

Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za

INTRODUCTION

BY COMMANDER W.M. BISSET SENIOR STAFF OFFICER SA NAVAL MUSEUMS

The first narrative of the South African Naval Forces during the Second World War was written by Cdr H.R. Gordon-Cumming, OBE for the Union War Histories Section in the Office of the Prime Minister and appears to have been completed in December 1950. A number of chapters from this work were included in War In the Southern Oceans 1939-45 which was published by Oxford University Press in 1961. In December 1967 a shortened version of Cdr Gordon-Cumming's narrative, which he entitled Brief History (Sea) was included in a book duplicated on a Roneo machine, A Short History of the SA Navy, compiled by Lt (now Cdre, Retired) A.P. Burgers for the SA Navy's Directorate of Personnel at Naval Headquarters.

In 1973 the SA Navy celebrated its 50th Birthday by publishing a history entitled South Africa's Navy, The First Fifty Years which was compiled under the direction of Cdre J.C. Goosen, SM. This work contains extracts from Cdr Gor- don-Cumming's Brief History (Sea).

Cdr Gordon-Cumming served in ships in the Royal Navy's Africa Station at Simon's Town between 1921 and 1927 and was Senior Staff Officer to Rear- Admiral Hallifax when the Seaward Defence Force (SDF) was established. In November 1941 he was appointed South African Naval Officer-in-Charge of the Durban Detachment of the SDF. For his valuable services during the Second World War, he was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and awarded two King's Com- mendations.

The unpublished chapters of Cdr Gor- don-Cumming's narrative fill important gaps in our naval history, so it is fitting that some of these should be published in this special edition of MILiTARIA, which appropriately appears as the Cdr H.R. Gordon-Cumming OBE. (Photo South African Navy celebrates its 70th supplied by SA Naval Museum) Birthday. Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za

UNPUBLISHED CHAPTERS FROM THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE SA NAVAL FORCES DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

BY CDR H.R. GORDON-CUMMING, OBE

CHAPTER I !..•••~ ••• .W...70, • 0 ------•• 0 ••••. to .~ .•• "

EARLY SDF ORGANISATION: JANUARY TO MAY 1940

On 15 January 1940, the Seaward and 14 others. The Controller of Stores Defence Force (SDF)formally took over and Accounts had 18 in his depart- from the Royal Navy the responsibility ment, including civilian clerks, typists for operating the minesweeping and and labourers. anti-submarine services, the Port War Signal Stations and the Examination This period was of the greatest value Services at Cape Town, Durban, Port for an administrative "shake-down" - Elizabeth and East London. The Com- most of which could, with greater foresight, manding Officers of these port Divisions have been much simplified by pre-war - soon afterwards renamed "detach- planning. The Military Discipline Code ments" to conform with military usage - (MDC) of the Union, quite apart from its had been appointed a fortnight earlier excessiveinconvenience as a volume, was and were Cdr J. Dalgleish, Lt Cdr H.B. new to everyone and did not cover naval Stocken, Lt Cdr G.V. Thomas (Com- requirements, especially as regards sum- mander RNVR, retired) and Lt C.S. mary punishments. It was found, for Peers, respectively. instance, that a few comparatively minor offences in a flotilla might put it The size of their commands strictly out of action for several days while the complied with instructions, received cases were dealt with by the ponder- during the formative period, that num- ous machinery of military law, including bers were to be kept down to a mini- voluminous paper-work and courts- mum (as "the total strength of ths SDF martial convened by the local army was never likely to exceed 500"). At Commander. In the other direction, a Cape Town, where a minesweeping case actually occurred of a Comman- depot was somewhat grudgingly allow- ding Officer being incapable of taking ed as a temporary measure while ships his ship to sea owing to drunkenness - were being fitted out, the shore-based one of the few offence for which the personnel consisted of 15 officers, 28 MDC permits a summary punishment - ratings and two civilians; at each of and being fined ten shillings. This the other three ports there was a total remarkable sentence was made possi- strength of about 30. The apparently ble by the fact that it concerned a high proportion of officers included Skipper (Patrol Section RNVR) graded four for the Examination Service and by the army as an "other rank". Soon two Extended Defence Officers as the after, all skippers were made Sub- bare minimum at each port. The lieutenants (ie commissioned officers). Directorate consisted of four officers Amendments, applicable only to the

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SDF, were therefore made then and was aggravated later by the unforseen later with the result that, eventually, expansion of the Force, so that it was the powers of summary punishment fully two years before all recruits were greater, on the whole, than those received complete kits on joinin'g. permitted by the Naval Discipline Act.

Recruiting at first took place only at Cape Town where volunteers were interviewed by an officer of the Direc- torate. As only about 180 posts in the establishment remained vacant, (the shortage was at first 51 officers and 134 ratings, of which most of the former were later obtained by promotion in the Fi5rce) it was decided to go slowly and to confine immediate accept- ances to men with professional experience, some of whom were still coming forward. As a result, numerous applicants, very promising in other respects, could only be placed on a waiting list and many of these joined other units before the SDF could take them. No assistance was then given by the military recruiting organisation, even when required; ex-postal telegraphists, for instance, badly needed for training as naval W/T operators, were debarred from joining any unit but the Corps of Signals. During the first two or three months, therefore, new entries were not sufficiently num- Skipper R. Palmer, RNVR (SA). (Note erous to cause a serious problem; they Uniform) were mostly accommodated for training, though in considerable discomfort, The ships were designated "His Majes- in the ships already at sea. ty's South African Ships" (HMSAS) and were ordered to wear the White Ensign It had already been laid down that the (for recognition purposes) as well as uniform of officers and men would be the flag of South Africa. The question very similar to that of the Royal Navy, how service "anywhere in Africa. the only differences being that but- should apply to the SDF was decided tons, when available, would be of a by a Special Proclamation which laid slightly different design, that the cap- down that: " ... any portion of the ribbons of ratings would carry the Seaward Defence Force, or any mem- letters "S.D.F.", and that officers and ber thereof, may be employed on any men would wear the "orange flash" ship commissioned by the Secretary for prescribed for all members of the UDF Defence for purposes of defence, who were prepared to serve outside when such ship is in any waters sur- the Union - an addition which, it was rounding South Africa, whether within decided. was least unbecoming to naval or outside the territorial waters of the uniform when worn on the sleeve. Person- Union.• nel on loan were permitted to wear the uniform of the services from which they With regard to general administration, came. However, in so far as the the Director had previously stressed the ratings were concerned, these instruc- necessity of his being given a very free tions had to defer to the fact that new hand - at least until the personnel side uniforms of any kind were practically became sufficiently stabilised to draw unobtainable; many of the men wore up a seniority list of officers and rosters plain clothes for months after joining of ratings under their various cat- and even boiler-suits and oil-skins were egories. This was agreed to and for in extremely short supply. The shortage the first year or more Defence Head-

2 MII/farla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za quarters exercised only a remote con- could be altered without difficulty and trol over appointments, advancements this was, in fact, done later when mines and promotions, provided that the last were found well outside the 1DO-fath- two fell within the authorised establish- om line. The anchorages outside the ments. harbours were also swept periodically.

MINESWEEPERS AND NS VESSELS As regards anti-submarine measures, the minesweepers when fully converted for war, were each armed with The 15 minesweepers, with comple- one 12-pounder gun, one or two Lewis ments of 18 or 19, were distributed as MGs and two mounted depth-charges. follows: at Durban, Port Elizabeth, As no form of asdic was fitted, they East London and Simon's Town, two at could be used only for surface patrols, each port; at Cape Town, seven. Of but even as such they were of some the latter, one or two were being deterrant value against submarines.

SA Naval Forces ratings receiving sheepskin jackets and knitted garments from Mrs Elsie Skalfe (left) and a SAWAS helper. Orange diamond badges can be seen on the sleeves of two of them. armed and another, the Fishery Re- By the middle of January 1940, an A/S search ship AFRICANA, which had the officer with a staff of eight RN ratings, most suitable accommodation, was four asdic sets (Type 123) and A/S available for instructional purposes. instructional equipment had arrived in The two Simon's Town minesweepers this country. The officer, Lt R.C. Burton were placed under the operational RN, had a dual appointment, being on control of the Royal Navy while on this loan to the Seaward Defence Force duty. These M/S flotillas were already and also on the staff of the SNO, carrying out daily sweeps of the Searched Simon's Town; his staff, who were on Channels which had a width of two miles loan to the SDF, included specialists in and a centre line running directly from depth-charge maintenance. a point near the harbour entrance to another point, arbitrarily selected, near Early in February the two most suitable the 1DO-fathom line, a distance vary- trawlers, MOOIVLEI and BLOMVLEI, ing from 22 miles at Cape Town to arrived at Simon's Town for conversion seven at Durban. As there are virtually to A/S vessels and in the middle of no outlying navigational obstructions March the first batch of SDE officers off the South African ports, the direc- and men began their A/S course. tion, width and length of these channels These courses were held at Simon's

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HMSAS MOOIVLEI.

Town until suitable accommodation for Early in February 1940, the SAR & H a small A/S school could be found in administration informed the Secretary Cape Town docks. As soon as the two for Defence that they could no longer ships were ready for sea in April, the cope with all of the conversion work practical part of the course was car- required for SDF vessels. Authority was ried out in them; but it was not until therefore given to place future work early in 1943 that two non- operational with certain private firms under the submarines were made available at supervision of Admiralty Overseers. Cape Town and Durban for instruct- Owing to the more technical and ional purposes. confidential nature of their conversion,

The Ship's Company of HMSAS MOOIVLEI circa 1944.

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A/S vessels continued to be fitted out naval officer in Johannesburg render- at Simon's Town, but the Admiralty, a ed valuable unpaid assistance in this few months later, agreed to this work respect by interviewing and reporting being carried out by private firms also. on volunteers in the Reef area. While the raw material thus obtained was When the whaling fleets returned from most satisfactory both in quantity and the Antarctic at the end of the season, quality, there was a shortage of men immediate steps were taken to acquire with technical experience - eg as some of these larger whalers and engineers, telegraphists and cooks. As approval was obtained, on 3 April, to the complete training of these would requisition five of the Hektoria Com- obviously be more difficult to arrange pany's vessels. These, though by no and take much longer than that re- means the best of the Antarctic whal- quired for seamen and stokers, the ers, had a nominal speed of 13 knots early manning of the ships largely and were expected to be a decided depended on the provision of men improvement on any of the ships then with some previous specialised know- in service. As the authorised number ledge of the kind required. of 21 vessels already had been requisitioned, it was arranged that five The exact establishment of personnel trawlers would be returned to the took many months to work out in fishing industry as soon as the HEKTORS detail; the numbers for the additional had been converted. ships' companies were easily cal- culated, but the requirements of extra THE EXAMINATION SERVICES shore-based personnel to administrate, feed, pay and supply the ships and Of the four Examination Vessels, whose their crews could not be decided at duties were non-combatant, two were once and were mostly arrived at by chartered complete with their crews and the economical but inefficient process two were operated by the SAR & H, so of keeping the departments in question that SDF personnel were not required for increasingly under-manned until they this service. (In 1942, by which date could no longer cope with the work. the work of the Examination Services at Cape Town and Durban had greatly increased, the two vessels at these two Owing to delays of this nature and to other operational developments which ports were taken over, both for manning and maintenance, by the SA began soon after, the establishment of Naval Forces; they were each pro- personnel never remained static for vided with two complete crews, work- any length of time, so that the figures ing in 24-hour spells.) for October 1940 - 183 officers and 1049 men (about double the original number) - are of temporary interest THE INCREASE OF PERSONNEL only. This number included a "training reserve", of 10% - well named because The first increase in the number of ships training requirements were all that it (from 21 to 32) required an additional allowed for; all the other ineffectives - 300 officers and ratings, bringing the men in hospital, on leave, in detention, total strength to about 900 and when in transit and so on, amounting to at the number of ships was further raised least a further 25%, had to be borne by soon afterwards to 40, with 52 as the the ships and shore stations which were eventual total, it was apparent that therefore continuously short of com- the personnel side, in all its aspects, plement. would require drastic re-organisation.

The sudden influx of recruits raised the Fortunately there were still more than question of shore accommodation for enough volunteers for naval service. which no provision previously had Arrangements were made whereby been considered necessary. So urgent they were handled by the Army Re- was the matter that for some months cruiting stations which passed them on several railway carriages, shunted into to the SDF officer at the nearest port, the Table Bay docks near where the for selection, before sending them to ships lay, were used for the purpose. Cape Town for enrolment. A retired Soon after, arrangements were made Militaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 5 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za to acquire a cargo store in Table Bay ed very well. Now, however, with the docks and it was fitted out as a naval RNVR also enrolling many new recruits, barracks, to take about 50 men, by the facilities at the training bases were October 1940. Certain offices of the severely strained; the shortage of Cape Town detachment, for which instructors and equipment entailed there was now insufficient space in larger classes, with a corresponding Seaward House, were also transferred lack of individual supervision and loss there. Though it formed a useful stop- of efficiency. .There was particular gap, this building was unsuitable in difficulty over signalmen, many of many ways and, as to space, the whom had to be returned from sea for detachment soon outgrew it. But, it more thorough training; this became was not until the middle of 1942 that so necessary that in May 1941, special sufficient living accommodation was courses for signal and WIT ratings provided by the completion of a new began at the East London RNVR base. block, known as BONAVENTURE I, near In July 1940, a series of training classes the western end of the new basin. The for ratings recommended for com- original barracks, then named BONA- missioned rank began; the first took VENTURE II, was thereafter used solely place at the Port Elizabeth training for offices and workshops. In July 1940 base but subsequent courses were the Directorate moved out of Seaward carried out afloat in HMSAS AFRICANA, House to more spacious quarters and in the Cape Town - Saldanha area. soon after, the Controller of Stores and Eleven men at a time took the seven Accounts, who had been one of the weeks' course and those who failed to first to apply for a large increase of pass for commissioned rank were, in staff, did the same. some cases, advanced to Acting Petty

A mess deck In one of our "little ships", (Photo: SA National Museum of Military History) It had been arranged, when the SDF Officer and re-examined for officer's was first formed, that its shore training rank later. should be provided by the existing RNVR organisation at its bases concur- In addition to the large number of rently with RNVR classes and, with the trained men required to fill the new small numbers involved, this had work- establishment. the RNVR (on loan)

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personnel had to be considered. A fair At the three other commercial ports, number of these had, by now, chosen the strengths of the SDF detachments to join the SDF for good and the remained at the bare minimum, the remainder had been given no definite size and importance of Durban being date of release, but many were now balanced by its greater distance from applying for this and it was most German bases. desirable to comply with their choice of service as soon as possible; in doing The situation altered with the entry of so, there was naturally most delay in Italy in June, followed by the closing of the cases of specially trained men. the Mediterranean and the steady increase of traffic round the Cape. Amongst recruits, mention must be made Chiefly owing to fuel-supply difficulties, of the excellent material provided by the Port Elizabeth and East London were training ship GENERALBOTHA.The majority not fully used until much later in the of her ex-cadets, who had joined the war, so that all the extra shipping was merchant service for good, were still handled at the two larger ports. Of serving in it or in the Royal Naval these, Durban possessed the only dry- Reserve; but many others, who had dock in Southern Africa capable of left the sea and found shore employ- taking a battleship and therefore, if ment in this country, now came for- only as a growing naval refitting base, ward and the high percentage who promised to become of great strategic became officers or made good in importance. With several whalers already other respects demonstrated the value fitting out there, the local SDFDetachment of the early discipline and training began an expansion which, accelerated provided. by the Japanese threat later on, was to continue for four years. SDF DEVELOPMENTS AT DURBAN Although the post of CO Durban De- During the first six months after the birth tachment, was not officially advanced of the Seaward Defence Force in to that of a Commander until the January 1940, its small expansion was middle of 1941, Cdr H.R. Gordon- confined to Cape Town. Not only was Cumming was sent to take over from it the headquarters, where conversion Lt Cdr H.G. Stocken, who was trans- work could be carried out under the ferred to East London in November immediate eye of the Directorate, but 1940. Until October 1941, when a it was also the nearest port to the depot was completed at Congella, the centre of hostilities. Further, its ap- Durban headquarters was in Tribune proaches, including the Agulhas Bank, House, under the same roof as the were for topographical reasons, the Royal Navy; the ships were berthed, most vulnerable part of the Union's where possible, near "QH shed, part of coastline to enemy minelaying. which was used as a store.

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"Passing the Sweep'" oil painting by George William Pilkington. The setting Is Table Bay. A light rope, thrown from one minesweeper to another, was used to haul the heavy sweeplng- wire across the gap between the two ships and so position It for mlnesweeplng. The sweep was designed to catch the cable of a moored mine and thus bring It to the surface.

Photo's supplied by SA National Museum of Military History

"Quiet Afternoon with Convoy", 011painting by Alfred Gordon Taylor. The opportunity Is being used to check the lifeboat and Its supplies and equipment.

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CHAPTER II

GENERAL MATTERS IN 1941 WALVIS BAY, OFFICERS' APPOINTMENTS, THE FITTING OUT OF MINESWEEPERS AND THE INCREASE OF PERSONNEL

THE WALVIS BAY DETACHMENT due west to the 70-fathom line, about 21 miles from Pelican Point. Later, two Although the original War Plan had alternative channels were instituted, included Walvis Bay as a defended one of them dog-legged and both port, it did not become one in the full reaching the 70-fathom line a few miles sense on the outbreak of war; the farther north. Owing to the small conditions did not warrant it, nor were number of ships calling, no examina- sufficient ships or naval personnel tion vessel was provided, this duty available. On 4 September, however, being carried out by the Jocal mine- four 60-pounder field- guns were instal- sweepers. Later, the field-guns were led and were then used to cover the replaced by two 12-pounders and two occasional ships which arrived until the 6-inch guns on fixed mountings. port authorities had boarded them. Later in the month the Commander-in- At first the accommodation ashore was Chief, South Atlantic, asked the Union primitive and even after this had been Government whether Walvis Bay might improved upon, recreational facilities be used for bunkering merchant ships were few and the general living condi- so as to relieve the congestion at tions unpleasant. The personnel were Freetown (Sierra Leone) which had therefore relieved rather frequently resulted from the increase of traffic via and no less than eight officers com- the Cape. Owing to the strong Ger- manded the detachment at different man influence in the Walvis area, there times. were doubts at first as to the safety of A t the end of 1943, when the post of the port for shipping, but the request the senior military officer was reduced was subsequently acceded to and in rank, the SA Naval Officer-in-Charge arrangements were made for the became the Fortress Commander. The handling of up to three ships a day. Royal Navy was represented by a Naval Liaison Officer and a small Naval Control Service staff until April 1944. Then, owing to the small number of ships calling, it was arranged that the SA Naval Officer-in-Charge should take over these duties also and the RN personnel were withdrawn.

Happenings in the Walvis area include the arrival of a U-boat which sank two ships in that latitude towards the end of 1941 and the stationing of two AIS Walvis Bay elra September 1939. (Photo vessels in that area for a short time; supplied by Brig L.G.F. Wolf, SM, Me) the wreck of DUNEDIN STAR and the rescue of the survivors and salvage of A fifth SDF Detachment was therefore a part of the cargo; the sighting of a established at Walvis Bay in January German submarine 20 miles from the 1941. The tender CLARA arrived there port in May 1944; and one or two from Cape Town with stores and per- searches for the survivors of torpedoed sonnel on 16 January and on 19 Jan- ships off South West Africa. uary the MIS vessels ARISTEA and GOULDING began the routine sweep- No mines were laid in the area, but ing of the Searched Channel which ran German records reveal that Raider G

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One of the four 60-pounder field guns which were mounted In temporary emplacements at Walvis Bay on 4 September 1939. (Photo supplied by Brig L.G.F. Wolf, SM, MC) (KORMORAN; Schiff 41) intended to do On 28 March the aircraft in which he so on her way to the Pacific in 1941. was returning to Cape Town struck the This was cancelled on account of crest of a rocky ridge near Baboon weather conditions. Point, 40 miles north of Saldanha in thick weather; the plane was totally DEATH OF ADMIRAL HALLIFAX destroyed and there were no survivors. CAPTAIN DALGLEISH BECOMES In this sudden and tragic way, Admiral DIRECTOR Hallifax was lost to the service for which he had done so much, just when In March 1941 the Director inspected he was beginning to see the results of the new detachment at Walvis Bay. his early perseverance.

Cdr J. Dalgleish, the senior Permanent Force officer in the SDF, was then appointed Director with the rank of Captain. Considering that in 1941 the Defence Department would have had considerable difficulty in "importing" a suitable senior officer, even if it had wished to do so, it was indeed fortun- ate that the Directorship should have fallen, almost automatically, into such capable hands. The early impetus given by Adm Hallifax was never relax- ed and his work was continued and completed in a manner which provided the best possible epitaph to his memory.

Although the new Director took over after most of the initial difficulties of creating a new service had been overcome, his task of completing the programme of expansion, even as then R Adm G.W. Halilfax, CMG. authorised, was no light one. As will be

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comparatively shallow water and the enemy was not in a position to use aircraft (the usual method) for laying them, this type of offensive was less to be feared than the laying of moored mines, owing to the much bolder tactics required on the pa rt of the minelayer.

The danger, however, could not be ignored and in March authority was given for the fitting out of six vessels as LLminesweepers - these to be included in and not in addition to, the established total of 37 MIS vessels. The Admiral- ty, meanwhile, became in urgent need of vessels of this type for the Mediter- ranean and in May the Union Govern- ment agreed to provide and man eight. Although these ships (together with the three AIS vessels already serving with the Royal Navy and a fourth earmarked to replace the lost SOUTHERNFLOE) were, at about this time, given the status of a "reserve" additional to the existing establishment (52 MIS amd AIS vessels), they receiv- Capt (later Cdre) J. Dalgleish. ed priority over the provision of mag- seen, this was soon to involve far more netic sweepers for local defence which than the conversion and manning of had therefore to be deferred if only more AIS and MIS vessels; the fact because of a shortage of equipment. that the war would obviously be a long one, during the greater part of which Even then it was feared that eight the Cape route was likely to remain of conversions of such a novel and highly the highest importance, had already technical nature could not be taken caused the Union Government to on simultaneously in this country with- accept several additional naval com- out much delay, so four of the ships mitments, such as degaussing facilities were only degaussed, manned by the (a protective measure applied to ships SDF and left this country on 30 July as a safety precaution against mag- 1941 for fitting out in the Middle East. netic mines). With the entry of Japan The next two ships were completely at the end of the year, these "side-lines" fitted out in the satisfactory time of - mostly of an amphibious nature - grew four months, including trials, at Durban and multiplied until Allied victory was and sailed from there in November. well in sight in 1944. Throughout the The last two ships, taken in hand at year 1941, however, the fitting out of Cape Town early June, did not sail for newly requisitioned vessels continued the Mediterranean until April 1942. to be the most important technical item on the programme of expansion. Meanwhile, to bridge the gap in local waters, provision was made for skid- FITTING OUT OF MINESWEEPERS towing - a method which, at the best, IN 1941 was suitable only for dealing with ground mines laid in harbour entrances In January 1941, 24 MIS vessels were in and other sheltered areas. By the end service, three were being converted and of 1941, 21 magnetic skids had been severalmore were about to be requisitioned. constructed; six were allocated to Shortly afterwards, matters were com- Cape Town and three each to Durban, plicated by the Admiralty recommend- East London, Port Elizabeth, Simon's ing protection against ground mines of Town and Walvis Bay. This number was either the magnetic or acoustic type. provided owing to their being "expen- As these would be effective only in dible"; they cost about £500 each.

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However, the provIsion of vessels ca- was made full use of by increasing the pable of towing and operating the number of men under training ashore.) skids, for which six of the trawler-type ships were chosen, was not so simple The above total of 34 minesweepers of as it had first appeared. Although all kinds, fitting out and in service, structural alterations were not very though three short of the number extensive, degaussing was necessary authorised, was never exceeded chief- as well as the provision of special ly because by this time there were no generators and other fittings not then more suitable vessels available in the obtainable in this country. There was country after making provision for the so much delay over this that the first full number of 15 AIS vessels. three ships were not completed until January and February 1942. It may here be stated that no ground mines were ever laid in South African In the meantime adverse reports had waters. The five LL (III) whalers were been received on skid-towing else- completed between March and Nov- where and it had become doubtful ember 1942 and did little beyond whether this method would be practi- periodical sweeping exercises; their cable in South African waters; it was stability having been reduced during therefore decided to convert four of their reconstruction, they were seldom the ships completely with LL (MarkY) employed on extraneous duties at any installations, leaving them still capable distance from the ports. The four LL (Y) of skid-towing and for this, they were trawlers came into service between taken in hand two at a time. Of the June 1942 and March 1943; being other two ships of the original six, one "dual-purpose", they assisted in the remained as a skid sweeper only and routine MIS sweeping of the Searched the conversion of the other was can- Channels. celled. It was arranged that both the LL (Mark Y) and skid-sweepers should ADDITIONAL OFFICERS' POSTS: also be able to use Oropesa MIS 1940 AND 1941 sweeps.

In the latter half of 1941, five whalers; After the expansion of the Force be- two recently requisitioned and three gan in the middle of 1940, certain already in service as MIS vessels, were shore-going officer's posts were grad- also earmarked for fitting out as LL ually added to the establishment. On (Mark III) minesweepers similar to those the detachment staffs, the earliest of sent to the Mediterranean and the these were for two officers for legal conversion of four of them had begun and secretarial work at Cape Town by the end of the year. The position in and Durban. In the latter half of 1940, January 1942 as regards minesweepers also, two new posts on the Directorate of all kinds was therefore as follows: were created. One of these was for an officer in charge of Confidential Books; Fitting Out: Two trawlers being fitted as these were mostly obtained on loan skid and LL (Y) sweepers; three nearly from the Admiralty who naturally made completed as skid-sweepers only. Two it a condition that their rules for the new whalers being fitted as LL (Ill)s. security of CBs should be strictly ad- Two MIS whalers being re-converted- as hered to. The other new post was for a LL (11l)s. One new whaler being fitted signals officer. for MIS to replace an older MIS vessel earmarked as the fifth LL (III). When the SDF was formed, there were In Service: Six vessels of the MC only four engineer officers (Lf Cdrs), Flotilla, 18 port minesweepers disposed one for each detachment. At Cape as follows: Cape Town (including Town, the DEO at first was largely Simon's Town), eight; Durban, four; employed on conversion work, but Walvis Bay, two; Port Elizabeth, two; decreasingly so as more vessels came East London, two. (Owing to the into service and required his attention number of re-conversions in hand, this for normal repair work; elsewhere, the total of 24 MIS vessels in service was DEOs were also responsible for stores two less than it had been 9 months and victualling (for which a stores earlier - a temporary reduction which officer was allowed at Cape Town

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class - and the total strength of personnel was then only 150 below establishment, but nine more ships were authorised in May. Further, the trend of events pointed to yet more requirements long before the existing ones were likely to be satisfied. By Septem- ber 1941 the establishment had risen to 288 officers and 2175 men, the numbers then serving being 216 and 1427.

The employment of Cape Coloured men did much to make up the shortage of non-specialist junior ratings and released a large number of Whites for other work and training. Every new ship would require at least two officers, three petty officers (including a sufficiently experienced engineer to take charge of that department), a signalman and a telegraphist; and the provision of LL minesweepers entailed the introduction of two new rates - electrical artificers and wiremen - the former soon to be required also for the It Cdr (later Cdr) L.E.S. Napier. OSO. maintenance of electrical installations on shore. only). The earliest increase in this branch resulted from the decision that As a result, the first naval recruiting all A/S vessels and the Senior Officers' drive took place in the latter half of ship of the Mine Clearance Flotilla, 1941. As well as the Corps of Signals should have officers as chief engin- and other UDF units being asked to eers. The first engineer sub-lieutenants permit suitable volunteers to transfer to received their commissions in the later the SDF, articles appeared in the part of 1940 and four of them sailed in leading newspapers emphasising the the "Southerns" for the Mediterranean more pressing. requirements and mak- at the end of the year. During the ing a special appeal to employers of early part of 1941 the fitting out of "key men" to release recruits with the vessels was handled directly by the necessary technical qualifications. In Deputy Director, Lt Cdr L.E.S. Napier, December, permission was obtained assisted only by Cdr Dalgleish who for a small naval recruiting party of acted in an advisory capacity on one officer and two leading ratings to account of his early experience and visit the Youth Training Brigade Camp was later to become Director. at Potchefstroom and to tour the Rand area, which from that time onwards, PROVISION OF EUROPEAN (WHITE) provided a large proportion of the new entries. Taken as a whole the resultsof this RATINGS IN 1941 drive were successful and the ships were duly manned as they came into service. Perhaps the most urgent problem which faced Capt Dalgleish soon after his assumption of directorship was that FIRST EMPLOYMENT OF of providing and training ratings of all COLOUREDS branches, as quickly as possible, to fill the hundreds of new posts created by When the two smallest trawler-mine- the decision, arrived at in April 1941, sweepers, ARUM and NERINEwere first that SDF ships serving in the Mediter- requisitioned by the RN in 1939, the ranean should be regarded as an firemen and deckhands were Cape additional, but fully manned reserve. Coloureds. As the RNVR Patrol Section At that time there were only three of was open to Europeans (Whites) only these - the A/S vessels of the SOUTHERN and no other experienced trawlermen

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were available, the men were retained was far in excess of requirements, so on Merchant Service Agreements and that those accepted were of a high proved quite satisfactory for work in average standard. local waters. When the SDF took over soon afterwards this arrangement re- The first batch of about 50, were mained in force; for adminsitrative entered in August 1941 and commenc- convenience the two ships were kept ed disciplinary courses at the Cape in the same detachment and formed Town and Port Elizabeth RNVR Training the Port Elizabeth MIS Flotilla for the Bases, of which the latter afterwards next two years or more. became the main centre of Coloured training. The September course includ- In April 1941, when serious future man- ed the 22 civilian deck-hands and ning difficulties first threatened, the firemen from ARUM and NERINE, now Director asked for authority to recruit attested for the first time, who were 173 "Non-Europeans" (although they relieved for this by some of the men were officially given the comprehen- trained in August, but otherwise the sive name of Non-Europeans, only proceeds of the earlier courses had to Cape Coloured personnel were em- be employed mainly on shore - first at ployed then and later) - sufficient to Cape Town and then.at Durban when provide non-specialist seamen, stokers, the new detachment headquarters cooks and stewards, together with a and depot were completed there in 10% reserve, for 12 MIS vessels. With October. This was b.ecause the sea- ARUM and NERINE providing a satis- men gunner, signalman and telegraph- factory precedent as to the suitability ist carried by each minesweeper, of the men, there were strong argu- though of the grade of AB, had to be ments in favour of this, including that Europeans and therefore required of the general manning position in the separate accommodation which en- country; even if the large naval short- tailed structural alterations. These age could be made up entirely by could be put in hand only when the Europeans in time to man the ships, ships were laid up for major alterations other services would suffer. Also, as or periodical refits, so that it took many the only untapped source of sea-faring months to effect all the changes of recruits lay among the Coloured fishing crews originally allowed for. The first communities, it was apparent that they ship so converted was GOULDING in would require less initial training than September and the other coal-burning European (White) landsmen. minesweepers followed at intervals of three or four weeks. The scheme was at once approved in principle and soon afterwards was LATER DEVELOPMENTS extended to the entry of more men, not necessarily with sea-going exper- It may here be said that the employ- ience, for employment in naval shore ment of Cape Coloured ratings at sea establishments, which would release proved so successful that, with Euro- Europeans for more responsible duties, pean manning difficulties continuing, technical training and so forth. There their numbers and those of the ships was then some delay while the condi- they manned were greatly increased. tions of service, provision for extra By the end of 1943, 22 port mine- accommodation and other details sweepers (91 MIS and three LL) as well were worked out, so that it was not as two examination vessels and several until June that formal authority was smaller harbour-craft and part Colour- received for the recruiting of Coloured ed crews (out of a minesweeper's personnel and for their attestation for complement of about 22, 13 were service anywhere in Africa. The men Coloured); the two coal-burning A/S were to be quite distinct from the vessels MOOIVLEI and BLOMVLEI had Cape Corps, UDF, and as they were to been manned by them for a time; and be interchangeable with Europeans they had also been borne in the (Whites) of certain categories and do salvage ship GAMTOOS, but in this duty similar work, it was decided that they they had proved less satisfactory and should receive the same pay. This had recently been withdrawn after undoubtedly had its effect; for the first nearly a year's service in the Mediter- year or more the number of applicants ranean.

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For work in the minesweepers - mainly working-parties, cleaners and messen- uneventful, but requiring considerable gers (who, being trained seamen or stamina - the Cape Coloured men stokers, were available as reliefs for were, if anything, an improvement those at sea), most of the junior cooks' upon the Europeans whom they re- and stewards' posts were filled by placed. Of the latter, it must be them. At the degaussing ranges at remembered, all the more intelligent Cape Town and Durban several Co- and well-behaved men either received loured ex-schoolmasters and ex-clerks early advancement or else were draft- were employed on routine technical ed off for training as signalmen, tele- duties such as blue-printing, drawing graphists, seamen gunners and sub- electrical diagrams and the collecting marine detectors after a few months and filing of ships' records - work which hardening at sea; this left only inex- they performed with care and precision. perienced or otherwise inferior men, especially in the port minesweepers, In October 1943, out of a total strength whose duties were considered less of about 4000, there were 830 Colour- important than those of the A/S vessels eds in the Service. Their recruiting then and the Mine Clearance Flotilla. Fur- ceased, to be opened subsequently ther, the Coloured ratings appeared to from time to time only to make up suffer less from staleness and, with temporary shortages, but it had amply proper handling, took a great pride in served its purpose; by no other means their ships in which there was a marked could the extra ships have been man- average improvement in smartness ned in time - and only just in time, as it and cleanliness.ln the shore establish- happened - to assist in combating the ments, the number of Coloureds rose German mine laying and submarine correspondingly; as well as supplying offensives of 1942 and later.

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CHAPTER III I~ ;l-70,11- J: _ ••~o..~... ,. ..•" DEGAUSSING, MINE DISPOSALAND NAVAL FIXED DEFENCES (OTHER THAN BOOMS)

THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEGAUSSING RANGES: EARLY ARRANGEMENTS

The enemy's use of magnetic mines in technical equipment and initial assist- Europe resulted in the receipt of the ance as might be required. following Admiralty message by the Senior Naval Officer, Simon's Town, As, even in Britain, this was quite a new dated 4 June 1940 : branch and there had not as yet been time to train specialists to supervise the "It is desired to establish degaussing laying of DG ranges elsewhere, the open ranges at certain Dominion and services of Professor B.L. Goodlet, of Indian ports. Information is requested the University of Cape Town, were whether Dominion and Indian naval obtained as Technical Adviser. He left authorities will undertake their esta- for Portsmouth in August and spent blishment and operation. Instruments several weeks absorbing the necessary and stores not available locally will be first-hand knowledge and practical supplied from United Kingdom. Instruc- experience before returning to this tions for laying already promulgated. country in November. Personnel for ranges one lieutenant, one civilian electrical officer and FORMATION OF THE ELECTRICAL assistant, three recorders WRNS, two BRANCH : SEAWARD DEFENCE signalmen. In addition, one physicist per Dominion with necessary qualifica- FORCE tions to analyse and make recommendations. Ranges in order of priority As the SDF then possessed no technical Halifax, Cape Town, Bombay, Sydney. officers, Prof Goodlet had to recruit and Duplex later. If proposals concurred in train his own staff who thus became the first Senior Technical Officer should report members of the SDF Electrical Branch, to Superintendent of Degaussing at formed at the end of 1940 with an Admiralty for training without delay, initial establishment of three officers travelling by air." and nine ratings. With the many additional technical commitments which were ac- It should here be noted that the cepted later, the branch expanded stead- provision and maintenance of the ily, especially after the installation of A/S suggested degaussing range had no Fixed Defences in 1942 and 1943. Qua- direct connection with South Africa's lified divers were soon required and defences, but was rather, a link in a members of the branch were so trained world-wide service for the protection at Simon's Town, but it was three years of shipping against magnetic mines. before the Defence Department approv- By accepting the cost of this com- ed of the payment of an allowance for this mitment, which it did on 31 July after specialised and often dangerous work. more information had been provided, the Union Government made its first Prof Goodlet himself continued to serve external contribution towards the general as a civilian until December 1941 when Allied war effort. At first there was a he received a commission as Electrical question whether the Royal Navy should Commander, SDF. Later he was awarded lay and operate the range, but it was the OBE for his services. In April 1943 he soon decided that the SDF would do was seconded for special duties under so, the Admiralty providing only such the Admiralty and was succeeded by Lt

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Cdr A.L. James who had done valu- the former were Range Pilots, oc- able work as his chief assistant. cupied solely on liaison work with the masters of the ships being ranged. The LAYING OF THE CAPE TOWN number of ships dealt with in the first 12 months was 1145. RANGE

The only suitable position for the range DEGAUSSING: LATER was found to be close to the eastern DEVELOPMENTS shore of Robben Island, so that the site for the instrument rooms, offices and Even with the Table Bay range working living accommodation had to be on at full capacity, it was soon unable to the island itself. This not only more deal with the greatly increased volume than doubled the estimated initial cost of shipping using the Cape route and of £3 500 owing to the necessity of so, at the end of February 1942, the providing special supplies of electric Admiralty asked for the provision of power and fresh water, but also result- deep and shallow DG ranges at Dur- ed in complications and delays chiefly ban. After negotiations had been connected with transport and commu- completed regarding the cost, position nications. In spite of the work of instal- and additional personnel required, Cdr lation being new to all those imme- Goodlet went to Durban and was so diately concerned and of delays caus- successful in pressing on with the ed by the dilatory peace-time methods preliminary work that the units for the still adhered to by the Government deep range were successfully laid Departments concerned, matters were immediately south of the Umgeni River sufficiently advanced by the end of mouth in July, the large SAR & H February 1941 for the range units to be dredger RIETBOK being used for the laid. For this, a ship of considerable purpose. The site, in common with the length was required and the SNO, rest of that coast, was found to be too Simon's Town arranged for HM Cruiser exposed to swell for the laying of a DELHI to come to Cape Town for the shallow range which was therefore purpose after preparations had been cancelled. A series of delays then made on board her by Simon's Town occurred owing to bad weather, to Dockyard for the handling and ac- break-downs of the Admiralty vessel curate lowering of the units. Two sets employed on laying the cables and to of units, for ranging shallow and deep- over-meticulous government control draught ships, were laid on 26 and 28 over all expenditure. In November, February, the ship having to be rigidly when the cable-laying was at last moored, head-and-stern, for each taken in hand, it was found that most operation. For each range there were of the buoyed "pigtails", rising from the 12 units, placed 30 feet apart for the units, had been fouled by shipping or deep range and 20 feet apart for the otherwise lost and that the whole shallow range. The minesweeper CRAS- range therefore had to be relaid. In SULA, which had been specially pre- the meantime, the buildings had been pared for the purpose, was then used finished and the range came into for laying the electrical cables which operation on 20 February 1943. By the connected the units with the shore end of the year 80 ships per month station - an operation which required were being dealt with. good weather as well as good seamanship. By the end of February 1945, 3 034 ships had been ranged at Cape Town The range opened on 6 June, but a and 1 292 at Durban. If taken toge- series of winter gales then caused ther, the total of 27 million gross tons many cable breaks and much in- was the third greatest output in the terference with ranging, so that only 12 world, coming next to those of the ships were dealt with in that month. By Thames and Clyde ranges. the end of 1941 the number had risen to nearly 100 per month. This was more Depermlng: In the latter half of 1942, a than the existing staff could cope with unit for deperming small ships was and in November additional posts for two installed at Durban where the barge officers and six ratings were approved; GILBERTOF COLCHESTERsupplied the ------Militaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 17 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za battery power and a total of 125 ships sponsibilities of the three fighting services was thus given protection. In 1944 a were promulgated, those of the SANF borehole range, for deperming large being for the disposal of all mines on ships, was added. Union territory not owned by the Ad- miralty and all bombs or shells found Note: The fore and aft component below high water mark, on merchant of the ship's magnetism, not con- shipping, on property occupied by the veniently neutralised by DG circuits, SANF and in SAR & H areas. Mean- could be removed by wrapping se- while, the suggested RMS training had veral electric cables completely round begun on 29 June, followed by that of the ship (over and under her) and additional volunteers later in the year. passing a high current through them Finally, the police and Civilian Protec- momentarily so as to magnetise the tion Corps were given the necessary ship in the opposite sense to its original information and orders for the identifi- fore and aft magnetic polarity. The cation and reporting of washed-Up current was supplied from storage mines, by means of lectures, printed batteries in an auxilliary vessel placed instructions and line drawings of the alongside for the purpose. To control types of mines likely to be encoun- the deperming operation, measuring tered. In March 1944, owing to the RN instruments had to be placed under the specialists being more urgently re- ship, either slung from ropes or per- quired elseWhere, it was agreed that manently installed in boreholes in the the SANF would also be responsible for sea bed where the ship could be Admiralty property (owned or rented). berthed directly over them. At the Early impetus was given to these ar- Durban borehole range there were 58 rangements by the stranding of nume- measuring units, each separately con- rous mines on the south-west coast in nected with an instrument room on the the latter half of 1942. The first of these adjacent jetty. It should be noted that arrived at Thorn Bay, about 50 miles degaussing and deperming were not north of Cape Columbine, and was merely for local defence, but were dismantled by the RMS officers on 12 part of a world-wide service for the June. Cdr Goodlet was sent to re- protection of Allied shipping of all present the South African authorities kinds. After being so treated, ships and so gained his first practical ex- compasses were usually affected and perience of mine disposal. Later, after their correction was an additional the instructional course had begun, service eventually provided by the the other pupils benefitted in the same SANF. way.

Some months earlier Cdr Goodlet had Four other mines were dealt with in made tentative suggestions on the June: at De Hoek, near Bredasdorp on subject, but on 15 June, just after the 14th; near Siangkop, Cape Peninsula first of the 1942 mines had come on 20th; at Hout Bay, Cape Peninsula ashore, with the probability of more to on 23rd; and seven miles west of Cape follow, he put up a definite proposal to Agulhas on 30th. By the end of Sep- the Director that the SDF should as- tember the total had reached ten sume the same responsibilities as the which had been disposed of as follows: Admiralty (in the UK). Assuming that Two dismantled and completely sal- this work would be the responsibility of vaged; four dismantled and then the Electrical Branch, he further asked burnt out; four blown up by counter- permission to call for two officer volunteers, mining without being dismantled. The who with himself, would receive an usual procedure was to dismantle a instructional course from the RMS mine if its complete detonation, in situ, specialists of the RN. might endanger life or property (as in the case of the mine found near This proposal was referred to and Siangkop Wireless Station) or if its approved by the General Officer Com- appearance promised any novel inter- manding Coastal Area, who arranged for nal features. A full report on each a Defence Force meeting to be held, mine and the method of dealing with it followed by discussions with the SAR & H was forwarded to the Admiralty. One Administration. On 28 August the re- of these mines had drifted as far east

18 Mllltaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za as Humansdorp where it was destroyed but the matter was so urgent that Cdr on 16 August - the first to be dealt with Goodlet was instructed to do what he by the SANF without help or guidance could with materials obtained locally. from the RMSofficers of the RN. He had already done some experimental work of this kind, and although Between September 1942 and Decem- dredging operations delayed matters ber 1944 only five more mines were somewhat, his "Goodlet Loops" were found beached, two of them near East working satisfactorily in the Durban London and another near the Great entrance channel by the end of Octo- Brak River mouth in the George district. ber.

All of the 15 mines dealt with up to this The installation consisted of two loops time had been German types yx and V of electric cable, one crossing the (the latter being type yx modified as an channel close to the north pierhead antenna mine), but the last mine to be and the other 550 feet up-channel washed up on the SA Coast was a from it. Both were connected with a French mine (Breguet type) which had small control station on the root of the presumably drifted all the way from South breakwater where one officer northern Madagascar. It was found and one rating kept continuous watch. near Scottburgh in Natal on 11 March Each circuit passed through a flux- 1945 and had to be dismantled owing meter acting upon a photo-electric to the proximity of the railway and trigger relay which operated an elec- power lines. tric bell when a crossing took place and the system was sufficiently sens- THE FIRST ANTI-SUBMARINE itive to detect an aD-foot wooden FIXED DEFENCES : GOODLET fishing boat with a steel keel and LOOPS engine. In the event of an unidentified crossing, the outer loop provided a Early in 1942, the British War Cabinet warning and the inner loop confirmed Sub-Committee on Defence Arrange- it. At first, the offensive part of the ments for the Indian Ocean Area system was a motor boat provided with made recommendations for various five-pound hand charges, in close com- fixed underwater defences in South munication with the control station and Africa. Included in these was apparat- at all times ready to slip from her us for the detection of midget sub- moorings. Owing to the prevailing marines which might operate against shortage of personnel she was man- the ports, of which Durban was consid- ned, by day only, by a full-time SANF ered the most vulnerable target. There, crew; at night, after the boom had the closing of the long entrance channel been Closed, the SANF Reserve took would have been more easy to effect over this duty. Somewhat similar ar- and would have had more serious rangements were then made for the consequences than elsewhere. The two harbour entrances at Cape Town. surface patrols and the Examination Service, backed by the coastal bat- NA VAL FIXED DEFENCES teries, gave protection against enemy GENERAL POLICY. blockships but not against the sinking or stranding of a friendly ship in the fairway. This danger was emphasised Most of the recommended defences, soon afterwards by the attacks on however, were far too elaborate for shipping in Sydney Harbour and Diego local improvisation. The installation of Suarez at the end of May, followed by additional boom defences, Harbour the known presence of a Japanese Defence Asdics of two types, several surface raider and I-class submarines hundreds of miles of cable for A/S (either of which might be carrying indicator loops and a controlled mine- midget submarines) off the Durban/ field, together with the shore stations Lourenco Marques coast during June required for their operation, entailed and July. large supplies of technical equipment and stores as well as the services of None of the Admiralty-pattern instruments trained personnel and several specially or equipment was then in this country, fitted vessels.

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island, and all of the tail-cables were After some discussion it was agreed to be landed on the east side of that the provision of these defences Robben Island near the site of the would be primarily a Union Govern- proposed control station, the erection ment commitment but that the Admir- of which was authorised by the Union alty would give every assistance, both Government in the middle of June. in material and personnel, without charge. Early in July, the first contingent of A/S F.D. specialists arrived at Cape Town. Thismeant that practically all the technical The complete team consisted of eight equipment would be brought from the officers (mostly R.N.Y.R., United King- United Kingdom and installed by R.N. dom) and 57 ratings; its senior officer specialists, who would be seconded to was appointed A/S Fixed Defence the S.A. Naval Forces for the purpose, Officer, South Atlantic - to act as A/S but that the Union Government would F.D. adviser to both the Commander- erect the buildings and provide all in-Chief, R.N. and the Director, S.A.N.F. such other labour and materials as were available in this country. It was On 11th July the proposed lay-out also agreed that South African person- received Admiralty approval and EMILE nel would be trained to take over the BAUDOT began to lay the Cape Town installations as soon as they were in full loops forthwith. As was to be ex- working order, as well as such vessels pected, this was considerably inter- as would be required for maintenance. fered with by bad weather .but the system came into full operation on 20th These arrangements, however, were November 1942, towards the end of not the cause of the work being some- the first German submarine offensive in what delayed : the Admiralty, whose these waters. The four H.D.A.s also had output of new equipment and trained been laid and connected up by that personnel was then comparatively date, but two of them broke down small. had to give priority to those ports almost immediately, owing to the rocky and coasts nearest to the enemy - in nature of the bottom, and were not Australian waters and the eastern side replaced. of the Indian Ocean. The installation of the South African LA YING OF INDICATOR LOOPS loop systems then proceeded slowly AND H.D.A.S (TYPE 131). owing to cable-laying difficulties. It had been hoped that two vessels It had been decided early in the year would be available, but the locally 1942 that the first harbours to be fitted CECILE MAPLESON proved to be provided with A/S Fixed Defences so unreliable that, after a series of would be Cape Town, Durban and breakdowns of her main engines, it was Saldanha Bay in that order. In April decided to replace her. For this the and May the local conditions at those coaster MEAD was requisitioned and ports were carefully investigated as to fitted out by the Royal Navy, but she their suitability for the intended instal- was completed only in time to take lations, and a preliminary survey of the over from EMILE BAUDOT which sailed area beyond Table Bay anchorage for Colombo in January 1943 after was carried out after the arrival of the carrying out a preliminary survey at cable-laying vessel EMILE BAUDOT on Durban. H.M.S. MEAD then began to 27th May. In consultation with her lay the Durban indicator loops which captain, Commander Goodlet then formed a rough semicircle, beginning drew up the proposed general lay-out about a mile south of the Bluff and of the Cape Town system. This was to ending seven miles north of it, near consist of four indicator loops, with an Umhlanga Rocks, where the control average length of four miles each, station was situated. The magnitude of passing outside Robben Island, be- this undertaking may be gathered from tween Melkbosch and Clifton. The the fact that there were seven loops, loops were to be backed by four each consisting of three parallel lines H.D.A.s (type 131), two to the north- of cable four miles in length, and each east and two to the south-east of the separately connected with the control

20 Militarla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za station, up to eight miles away. This by friendly surface vessels, for which a work, which entailed the accurate permanent visual watch was kept, also, laying of nearly 140 miles of cable in of course, produced signatures on the unsheltered waters, was completed by recording instruments, so that the the middle of April and the Umhlanga watch keeping personnel soon became Naval Station - one of the largest and quite familiar with these. most exposted installations of its kind in the world - went into operation in June Although these elaborate and costly 1943. Five H.D.A.s (type 131) had been installations probably acted as an added by the end of October, but excellent deterrent, there was no only three of these were effective. definitely established instance of an enemy submarine crossing them at any Meanwhile, at Saldanha Bay, the South African port during the war. control building was completed at the There were however two distinct un- end of 1942; but no vessel was then identified crossing of the Cape Town available to lay the loops and this was loops on 13th February and 20th May never afterwards effected, partly ow- 1943, when U-boats were known to be ing to the greatly reduced importance in the area. On both occasions patrol of the harbour by the middle of 1943, vessels obtained brief contacts which and also because strong defences of were not repeated, possibly owing to other kinds - a controlled minefield and the poor A/S conditions prevalent in extensive AfT booms - were already these waters, caused by the large being installed there. variations of temperature at different depths. The unidentified signature in The next scheme was to provide indic- May was followed, a few hours later, ator loops at Walvis Bay, but changes by a second one which strongly sug- in the general war situation caused this gested that an enemy submarine had to be cancelled in September and a in fact entered, waited on the bottom, complete system of A/S Fixed Defen- and then left without taking offensive ces, planned for Simon's Town, never action. There were also numerous false materialised for the same reason. It alarms, particularly under conditions in was therefore decided, at the end of which the visual watches were 1943, that the third (and last) South ineffective. African loop system would be installed at Port Elizabeth and H.M.S. MEAD was sent there as soon as she had com- INSTALLATION OF H.D.A.S pleted certain cable repairs at Durban (TYPE 135). and Cape Town. The first two loops were laid in January 1944 and the While arrangements were being made installation, consisting of seven short for the protection of the anchorages, loops connected to a control station further precautions were taken against on the end of the Chari Malan Quay, the penetration of the inner harbours came into full operation on 27th March. at Cape Town and Durban by midget submarines by supplementing the exis- As soon as each loop system was ting home-made "Goodlet" loops with completed it was closely linked up with H.D.A.s (type 135). At Durban, the pair the other defences, through the local of 135sinstalled at the outer end of the Fortress Command Operation Room. entrance channel were working satis- Thus, in the event of a loop-crossing, factorily by May 1943, but at Cape one or more patrol vessels could be Town considerable difficulties were sent forthwith to investigate it; at night encountered and the two pairs (one or in low visibility (when the crossing for each dock entrance) were not in might be caused by a surface vessel) it operation until July. Even then, these also served as a "standby" to the shore H.D.A.s were subject to much inter- batteries and searchlights. Early in ference from dredgers, boom defence 1943, two non-operational British wires and high-power electric cables in submarines were allocated to the or near the harbour entrances, so that South Atlantic station; of these, P614 breakdowns and non-operational pe- carried out practical tests of the Table riods were frequent. Another weak- Bay A/S defences on 30th March and ness, especially troublesome at Cape OTUSdid so later at Durban. Crossings Town, was that the instruments were

Militarla 22/1 1992 SA Navy AnnIversary Issue 21 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za affected by shoals of fish passing on the North pier, other parts of the through the entrances and this gave channel being covered by the motor- rise to many false alarms. Type 135s boat already mentioned. Later, two were also mounted in the harbour 1DO-foot jetties were built opposite entrances at Port Elizabeth in March each other, at right angles to the North 1944 and at East London in September pier and South breakwater and half- of that year, the latter being the only way between the inner Goodlet loop kind of A/S Fixed Defence installed at and the outer boom. On the platform the mouth of the Buffalo River. on the head of each jetty three throwers were mounted and angled fanwise so Owing to accommodation difficulties that an effective six-charge pattern and to the comparatively small num- could be dropped. This work was held bers employed, the W.A.N.S. did not up for some time by dredging opera- take over watch keeping duties at the tions and was not completed until the Type 135 Stations at Cape Town, Dur- latter part of 1943. ban and East London which were therefore manned by S.A.N.F. ratings The throwers, like the booms, were until they closed down in 1945. manned by artillerymen where their gun positions were conveniently near - elsewhere by the S.A. Naval Forces D/C THROWERS (HARBOUR which, at all the ports, was responsible DEFENCE). for maintenance, instruction and operational orders. The weapons for which the H.D.A.s (type 135) and Goodlet loops were the A/S F.D. PERSONNEL indicators were depth-charge throwers of the usual sea-going type, mounted The provision of trained officers and so as to drop their charges on or near men was affected, especially as re- the position of an unidentified A/S gards the latter, by the general man- contact or loop-crossing. ning difficulties which prevailed from 1942 onwards and which made it Because their installation was simpler undesirable to employ men on shore than that of the H.D.A.s it was com- who were physically fit for sea service; pleted first, throwers being mounted at on the other hand, a fixed defence Simonstown and Durban in July 1942 watch keeper's duties required alert- and at the other ports by the end of ness, intelligence and a strong sense of the year. But there was some delay responsibility. In the event, the first over the first of these becoming fully proviso could not be adhered to and, operational: the full-size charges even then, sufficient men of the right p rovid ed fo r A/ S vessels were too type were hard to find. In April 1943 a heavy and too short of range, and it particularly adverse report was made was not until November that 180- on a recent class; not only were there pound charges, which had a maximum numerous failures to qualify, but seve- range of 300 feet, became available. ral individuals were stated to be of a Even then it was feared that they might very low mental standard and others damage pier foundations and the to have subversive tendencies. H.D.A.s, so no live charges were ever Another difficulty was that the number fired and practices were carried out of R.N. specialists was barely sufficient with dummy charges of similar weight. to instal the loop systems and at the same time to train S.A.N.F. personnel. At Simonstown, Port Elizabeth, East This was got over by building a small London and Cape Town (both basins), training sub-depot on Robben Island, where the entrances are sufficiently close to the control station of the first narrow, one thrower was mounted on indicator loop system to be laid. The each side, and so adequately covered instructors were then available, if the middle of the channel. The Durban required, for installation and repair entrance channel, nowhere less than work and the trainees for practical 800 feet wide (including the shallow instruction at the station. water on either side), presented more of a problem. As a makeshift, two AI! of the A/S F.D. installations were throwers were first installed side by side manned and operated as soon as they

22 Mllltaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za

were completed, but only retaining between Marcus Island and Eland some of the R.N. personnel for rather Point, by five mine-loops. There were longer than had been expected: at 12 mines in each loop and, as the the end of 1944, 2 officers and 18 loops were 600 yards long, they ratings were still on loan. In all, 83 overlapped each other considerably. S.A.N.F. ratings were trained. They were numbered from one to eight, starting at the northern end of The situation was eased, at the end of the line. About a mile to seaward of 1943, by the employment of W.A.N.S. them were three guard-loops, each 1.3 watch keepers of which 156 were train- miles long and also overlapping. The e9 in the next eighteen months. As the tailcables of all eleven loops were led Swans took over, most of the men into North Bay (immediately to the west reverted to general service, only suf- of Houtjes Point), on the east side of ficient being retained for maintenance which the control station was situated. duties. Early in January 1943 the C/ M Base There was less difficulty in finding ship of the Eastern Fleet, H.M.S. MAN- officers of the right type, including CHESTERCITY,and a C/M layer, H.M.S. electrical specialists for repair and SPINDRIFT,which had been waiting at maintenance work; 54 were trained, Cape Town for four months, arrived at including seven for the Royal Navy, Saldanha. The laying of the three and four were later seconded to that guard-loops was completed by 4th service. February and all the mine-loops and tail cables were in position by the end THE CONTROLLED MINEFIELD of March. AT SALDANHA. In the meantime the control station .The laying of controlled minefields was and accommodation for mining stores recommended and given full consider- and personnel had been built, so that ation for several of the South African the system became operative in the ports, but in the event only one was middle of April. NO.3 Loop, however, laid - at Saldanha Bay, partly because was already out of action owing to the it had been earmarked as a convoy rocky bottom and in the course of the assembly port and also because it was next three months No 4 and 5 also the only land-locked harbour of any became defective. It was therefore size where protection for a good arranged that SPINDRIFTshould remain number of ships could be provided by at Saldanha for cable-maintenance a comparatively small and sheltered instead of another vessel which the minefield. This decision was made in Admiralty had intended to send out August but there was then consider- later. She was taken over by the S.A. able delay over the arrival of the Naval Forces on 5th July 1943 and her mining stores, some of which were first major operation as a South African wrongly consigned to Durban. ship was the successful recovery of No. 3 and No. 4 mine-loops which was In September 1942 a small party of C/M completed in August. This included specialists - three officers and 14 men - some particularly good work by the began to arrive in batches from the S.A.N.F. diving party of whom Lieu- United Kingdom. Its senior officer, tenant J.H. Johanssen (M.B.E.) and Chief Lieutenant-Commander J.B. Holmes Petty Officer A.V. Whitehead (B.E.M.)later R.N.R., who was appointed Controlled received these decorations for this and Mining Officer (South Africa), visited other diving operations. Saldanha and chose the approximate positions of the minefield and control As Saldanha had by this time ceased station. In November a detailed plan to be used by merchant shipping, the of the whole system was completed Senior C/M officer suggested that the and later approved, its main features re-siting of these mines might be defer- being as follows: the northern entran- red, in order to preserve them pending ce, 1600 yards wide, between Houtjes the anchorage again coming into use. Point and Marcus Island, was pro- This however, was not approved, and tected by three mine-loops and the SPINDRIFTwas fully employed on re- southern entrance, 2600 yards wide, pairs and replacements from that time

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Recovering a defective mine at Saldanha. onwards, every mine-loop being re- over from the Royal Navy, so that the newed at least once during the next 12 total number to be trained was at least months. As a result of practical expe- 40. After a month of theoretical rience, considerable changes were instruction in the Cape Town Training made in the number and positions of Base in November 1942, the first class - the mine-loops which spanned the four officers and twelve ratings - were southern entrance: for about a year sent to Saldanha to gain practical there were only three (numbered 4,5 experience and were there while the and 6) in place of the original five. A loops were being laid. As a result of a fourth was then added, so that there request by the Admiralty for eight were altogether seven mine-loops by officers and 40 ratings for C/M duties 1945. outside South Africa, subsequent training classes also included S.A.N.F. PROVISION OF elM PERSONNEL. Seconded Personnel specially recruited for the purpose and this quota was Soon after the arrival of Lieutenant- provided in due course. Commander Holmes in September 1942, arrangements were made for the By the beginning of May 1943, all C/M training of S.A.N.F. personnel who except two officers and one rating would eventually take over the station. provided by the Royal Navy had been Four officers and 15 ratings were re- replaced; of these, lieutenant-Com- quired as watchkeepers in the control mander Holmes remained as the senior station and at least one officer and 10 C/M officer until November 1944. By wiremen for repair and assembly work the end of August 1943, 18 officers and in the C/M base. A commanding offi- 50 ratings had been trained in laying, cer and other specialists would also be watch-keeping and maintenance work. In needed for the C/M layer when taken the latter part of that year the C/M

24 Mi/itarla 2211 1992 SA Navy AnnIversary Issue Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za base was completed in all respects lights were exposed over the mined and it was then possible to assemble area but they reveClled nothing. It was complete mine-loops as spares, the therefore considered that a submClrine work being carried out by S.A.N.F. might be present, probably having first wiremen of which nine had been crossed guardloop NO.1 which was trained by then. In April 1944 the unreliable, being subject to severe ratings employed as control watch- perturbations. Searchlights were keepers were replaced by female switched off at 2225 and it was personnel (W.A.N.S.). decided to regard any further signatures as hostile. AT 2314 M6 registered OPERATIONAL FIRING OF TWO a swing and was fired, though a shade MINE-LOOPS. on the late side; 20 seconds later, M5 also registered and was fired imme- The only occurrence of operational diately. If one submarine was the interest at Saldanha took place on the cause of both signatures, this could be night of 1st June 1944. As is recorded explained by her having crossed them in the chapter dealing with the Ger- obliquely, or at the overlap. The search-

Loading a mine prior to moving it to the assembly area at Saldanha. man Submarine Offensive, an inter- lights were exposed even before the last cepting operation off Cape Columbine explosions had subsided but no sign of was then in progress as a result of a U- wreckage was seen. The examination boat having been seen off Walvis Bay vessel then got under way and sear- four days earlier. ched the area without result. During the next fortnight the bottom was carefully At 2158, mine-loop No 5(M5) registered searched by echo-sounding and ground- a decided "swing"; no action was sweeping but nothing was discovered. A taken as the guardloops had recorded diver was sent down to examine one no signature and it was thought pos- position but his report was negative, sible that an out-going local vessel except that he had "nearly fallen into a might have failed to report here in- hole about 30 feet deep". As the average tended movements. AT 2215 search- depth of water was about 100 feet, it was

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The SWAN watchkeepers who fired the controlled minefield at Saldanha In anger: F. Klonus, S. Labuschagne and E. MacFarlane.

not considered justifiable to make a wider sary to keep the system in operation search by diving. This ended the matter, and it ceased to be manned on 10th for nothing since has come to light as to March. As their recovery was likely to this suspected attempt by the enemy to be lengthy and somewhat dangerous, enter Saldanha. the mines were exploded on 6th April. First, the four loops which then crossed In September 1944, six slightly defective the southern entrance were fired at mines were assembled as a loop which three-minute intervals, followed by the was then laid, clear of the main mine- three northern loops half-an-hour later. field, and fired for experimental and Photographs revealed that three mines instructional purposes. (out of 84) had failed to explode. These were found by divers, buoyed, Early in 1945 it was deemed unneces- and later destroyed by depth-charges.

26 MII/farla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za

CHAPTERIV !.-"'~MI w;.\ ..70 - 11- ~~ ------••~o ""~)" • It. ..a'"

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SALDANHA BAY

Saldanha Bay, 67 miles north-north- ments could be made within a month; west of Cape Town and the finest but the authorities apparently were not natural harbour in the Union of South quite sure about this, for early in 1940 Africa, never became a seaport be- they inquired as to the possibility of cause of the lack of fresh water prior maintaining an Examination Service to 1942. The nearest river is more than there. 20 miles away and the only local source was a well at Oostewal, three After discussing the matter with the miles up Langebaan Lagoon and ap- SNO, Simon's Town, Adm Hallifax re- proachable only by shallow-draught ported in March that it would be vessels. Thus the only amenities at impracticable to do so in all weathers Hoedjes Bay, the northern and most owing to the absence of a separate sheltered side of the harbour, were a and sufficiently sheltered anchorage railway station, two or three small boat where ships could await examination. jetties and the village of Saldanha In fine weather, ships could be dealt which subsisted on rain-water and on with on arrival in a special area outside small quantities purchased by the the harbour, but when they could not bucketful from the railway tank. Five be boarded there, they would have to miles away, on the southern side of the be treated as suspect and ordered to entrance, were the buildings and jetty proceed to Cape Town for examin- of Donkergat whaling station which, ation. Even this would require all the until it went out of use in 1937, had components of a complete Examin- obtained its water from Oostewal. ation Service, namely a Port War Signal Station, an examination vessel and gun For many years Saldanha Bay had defences to cover ships before and been included in the Admiralty war during examination. Escorted convoys plan as a possible relief anchorage and single ships flying the special signal and in March 1939 it was one of the so- would, of course, require recognition called defended ports at which the only. No action was taken for the time usual shipping control services (with a being, but the provision of an examin- contraband control service at Saldan- ation battery was considered and in ha only) would be established by the August the Admiralty stated that two 6- Defence Department when required. inch (Mark VII)guns could be provided.

On the declaration of war no action The urgency of developing Saldanha was taken concerning Saldanha; the as a defended port was lulled on general conditions did not warrant it 12 September 1940 when SNO Simon's and in any case, while the RNVR(SA) Town stated that there was no im- remained unmobilised, there were mediate prospect of a convoy system barely enough personnel to man the being instituted in the South Atlantic; naval services at other ports. Adm he hoped, however, that preparations Hallifax, however, reminded Defence for this would continue. In October, Headquarters at the end of October Adm Hallifax gave an appreciation of 1939 that the harbour might be re- the additional SDFcommitments which quired as a convoy assembly port at would be involved: he stated that out short notice. (Although the SDFdid not of the total number of 52 vessels then begin to function until three months authorised, he would eventually be later, its Director was already acting as able to provide a small local flotilla of the link between the Defence Depart- minesweepers and A/S vessels for ment and the RN.) He was then Saldanha, but that the existing estab- informed that the necessary arrange- lishment of personnel made no allow-

Mllltaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 27 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za ance for manning the other naval THE WATER SUPPLY services which would be required. It was in October 1940 that the provi~ Meanwhile, from 1939 to 1942, the ion of sufficient fresh water appears to harbour was available for any ships - have been seriously considered for the friendly or otherwise - which cared to first time. As well as supplies of drinking use it, without any regular check being and boiler water for the SDF ships and

Ship's Company of HMSAS AFRICANA. kept of their identities or movements. about 24 shore-based SDF personnel, In April 1941 HMSAS AFRICANA. which allowance had to be made for a RN happened to be at Saldanha for a establishment of up to 100 officers and week with an officers' training class, men to deal with the convoys and boarded two tankers in the anchorage other local matters coming under the and examined their papers. Admiralty. Adm Hallifax estimated

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these requirements at 155 tons per By the beginning of June 1942 the week, which made no provision for volume of shipping arriving in Table military personnel, port authorities or Bay had so greatly increased that it other civilians. was resolved to use Saldanha immediately as a relief anchorage, though it From the middle of 1941, when the was by no means ready as yet for use preliminary work began on roads and as a convoy assembly port. The exist- gun emplacements, a very hand-to- ing defences were manned, the exa- mouth supply was maintained by mination vessel WilliAM HOllAND bringing fresh water from Oostewal in arrived on 21 June and from that date small local craft and by using brackish the procedure for a defended port water from a well near Hoedjes Bay. was carried out in full. Protection to Other schemes were then discussed seaward was provided by one A/S and in November 1941 the small water- vessel which patrolled off the port and boat IRONIC was sent to Saldanha as a by the sweeping of the newly author- stop-gap. Early in 1942, when ex- ised Searched Channels, which had tensive defences were decided upon begun in May. On 11 September, and the provision of an adequate HMS GUARDIAN, special net-layer, water-supply and other amenities be- arrived and spent a month at Saldan- came urgent, several conferences ha; she laid a light A/S indicator net were held. It then became clear that across the entrance, west of Marcus additional water-boats were not avail- Island, but it was soon damaged by a able and that, even if they were,' the ship and what remained of it was Oostewal well could not be relied upon lifted. for the greatly increased requirements. It was therefore decided to construct a On 11 July, the SAR & H Administration pipe-line, 27 miles long and capable took over the internal control of the of providing 1 million gallons a day, port and provided a Marine Assistant, running from the nearest non-tidal who acted as boarding officer and point on the Berg River to Hoedjes Bay. pilot. Merchant ships had already This big undertaking began in July and begun to arrive in small numbers and was completed at the end of the year, from September to January the arrivals most of the work being done by mili- averaged about 40 per month. In tary engineers. February and March 1943 the monthly arrivals were over 70, in April and May about 35, but after that the harbour SALDANHA BECOMES A DEFENDED went almost completely out of use PORT except for vessels which had to be laid up for long periods. Up to the end of the Early in 1942 also, largely owing to the war, there were 457 arrivals by merchant newly added menace from Japan, the ships of which the two largest were CAPE most urgent items of the Defences TOWN CASTLEand DOMINION MON- were hurriedly taken in hand: wooden ARCH, each of about 27 000 gross buildings, to house the Port War Signal tonnage. The greatest number of Station and Wireless Station, were merchant ships present at anyone erected on North Bay Hill; a battery of time was 24, but double that number two 6-inch guns on mobile (Mark XIX) could have been accommodated, all mountings was installed on Baviaan- of them in the calm water under the berg, on the north side of the en- lee of Hoedjes Point. In the southern trance; and hutments and a com- and less sheltered part of the harbour, mandeered house were prepared for anchor berths could have been pro- the necessary personnel, including that vided for an additional 100 ships of of the Examination Service. In April, average size. . the provision of accommodation required by the Royal Navy, for upwards In October and December of 1942, two of 150 officers and men, was gone into 12-pounder batteries of two guns and soon afterwards the SAR & H each, near Hoedjes Point and Eland Administration also stated its require- Point, were installed so as to cover the ments. In the event, the latter were narrowest part of the entrance and the required and provided in skeleton form boom when completed, from north only. and south. The main gun defences

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consisted of two batteries, each of two dolphins until May 1945. From Decem- 6-inch guns, at the northern side of the ber 1942, a steam collier was perman- entrance. The Noord Battery, on North ently stationed in the harbour. In May Bay Hill, was completed in January 1943 she was replaced by a hulk (the 1943 and the Baviaans Battery (which ex-sailing ship COMMODORE) which replaced the original examination was towed to Cape Town when she battery) in March 1943. At the end of required refilling. This arrangement October 1942, three Catalina aircraft continued until railway lines were arrived at Saldanha to assist in coun- installed on the new jetty in 1945. In tering the first attacks by U-boats and June 1944 the Shell Company complet- more arrived later; as a result, a flying- ed the erection of seven oil tanks with boat base was established at the old a capacity of 9 500 tons, with the whaling station at Donkergat. necessary machinery and pipes laid onto the jetty. PORT INSTALLATIONS SANF DETACHMENT AND Saldanha never became a convoy TRAINING CENTRE ESTABLISHED assembly port, but preparations for this continued for the next year or more. At the end of 1942 work began on the During 1943 an administrative block new jetty, which eventually was to and a barracks with accommodation have a depth alongside its outer end for 250 men was completed for the of 22 feet and dolphin extensions Royal Navy. They were never fully used, where deep-draught ships could be but a Naval LiaisonOfficer and staff were supplied with water and oil-fuel. This stationed there until 30 April 1944. Then, progressed so slowly that the cut-down as at Walvis Bay, the senior officer of hulk of the ex-German ship PRASIDANT the SA Naval Forces took over the few - a relic of the 1914-18 war, conven- RN duties which remained. After some iently beached nearby - was convert- discussion as to the use which could be ed into a temporary jetty; on its made of the Admiralty buildings, they completion in May 1943, a hydrant was were rented by the Defence Depart- installed there and for the first time ment and the administrative block water from the Berg River pipeline became the local headquarters and became available for shipping, though officers' block of the SANF. The bar- a water barge was still required for racks also came into use soon after- supplying deep- draught vessels, the wards. PRASIDANT jetty continued to be the main landing- place until March 1944 Until 1 December 1944, the SANF at when SANF vessels began to use the Saldanha Bay were administered from new jetty which was used later for Cape Town, but on that date they landing the dismantled boom; but it became a separate detachment and was not completed with its extension remained so until the end of 1945.

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CHAPTER V

BOOM DEFENCES: PRE-WAR ARRANGEMENTS

The provIsion of booms was the only two harbour entrances at Cape Town. kind of naval fixed defence considered For these, £4 000 was paid during the and partially prepared for, before the Financial Year 1937-38, but in Novem- war. As far back as 1921, when the ber 1938 the nets intended for the South African Government took over Victoria Basin entrance were rendered all the military defences, it also accep- unserviceable by a fire in the New ted responsibility for this form of har- Quay shed. bour protection, including that at Simon's Town. In March 1938 the Staff Officer SANS drew the attention of the Defence In July 1935 a meeting of the Net and Department to the fact that no one in Boom Defence Committee was held at particular was responsible for the Cape Town and certain recommen- isntallation of anti-torpedo booms; he dations were made, including the also pointed out that, although the provision of some of the gear which King's Harbour Master, Simon's Town could be obtained in South Africa and had done a Boom Defence course and the purchase from the Admiralty of his advice was then available, he would sufficient anti-torpedo nets to span the be unable to assistin time of war.

The mooring lighter lifting an anti-boat baulk at the harbour entrance In Simon's Town.

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It was therefore decided that the was by small surface torpedo-craft SAR & H Administration should be (launched from raiders) and therefore responsible for the assembly and main- AlB booms could be accepted except tenance of the boom gear in time of where shipping lying inside the booms peace - and for its erection when was exposed to torpedoes discharged required. It was also arranged that the from outside, either by surface craft or Assistant Port Captain, Cape Town - ocean- going submarines. Where this who was proceeding to the United had to be guarded against, the boom Kingdom on leave, should receive the had to be AIT also and, even then, a necessary training at the Boom Defen- single line of nets was considered to ce School at Rosyth. He completed provide only 60% protection. This had the course in November 1938 and, as a been pointed out by the Admiralty result of further representations by the some time earlier, but the cost of naval authorities, made a tour of the providing and maintaining materials for ports in May 1939 and planned a double-boom systems at all South boom defence system for each. His African ports in peace time was not suggestions were accepted by the considered to be justified. On the Defence Department, but it was decid- outbreak of war, however, the Defen- ed that for the time being, only the ce Department ordered sufficient AIT two entrances at Cape Town would be nets to double those at Cape Town. protected by AlB AfT booms, and that the booms at Durban, Port Elizabeth May and June 1940 - Serious Allied and East London would be of the AlB Reverses. Although the RN authorities type only. (An AlB (anti-boat) boom pressed for the doubling of the Cape gave surface protection only. The Town booms on account of the proba- baulks and the jackstays linking them, bility of war with Italy, Adm Hallifax were fitted with spikes to prevent their (Director, SDF) disagreed. He argued being "jumped" by shallow-draught that with ships continuously lying out- torpedo craft. The baulks provided s/de Table Bay docks (as a result of the sufficient buoyancy for AfT (anti-tor- increased traffic on the Cape route) pedo) nets to be suspended from the enemy attacks, if made, would now be boom, which was then described as directed against these easier targets. "AlB A/T".) The Defence estimates for On the oth.er hand, he obtained ap- 1939-40 made provision for the addi- proval for the installation of AlB booms tional gear required, but as some of it at Durban and East London. It is was not then available in South Africa, probable that his views were influen- there was considerable delay over its ced by the fact that AIT nets deter- assembly. iorate rapidly while submerged and that those which had recently arrived ADMIRALTY RECOMMENDATIONS at Cape Town might soon be required AND GENERAL POLICY to replace the single nets already in REGARDING BOOM DEFENCES use. It will be seen that, in the event, the East London boom was fitted with AIT nets for a special reason. The provision of boom defences after the outbreak of war, like many other Early In 1942 - The Threat from the Far items in the South African war effort, East. Even before the penetration of was influenced firstly by the varying the Japanese into the Indian Ocean likelihood of attacks on the ports and and their subsequent attacks on ship- secondly by the availability of mate- ping off East Africa, their use of sea-. rials. The nature of the booms at the borne aircraft and midget submarines individual ports, described later and against Pearl Harbour caused the the priority given to their installation Admiralty to make urgent recom- must therefore be considered in rela- mendations, particularly for the pro- tion to the following phases: tection of the vulnerable pumping machinery and caissons of the graving Outbreak of War. No facilities existed docks at Durban and Simon's Town. for producing boom gear on a large The duplication of the harbour en- scale or for making anti-torpedo nets, trance booms was again asked for, of which only a small stock was in the with priority for those two ports and a country. The most likely form of attack third boom (and anti-aircraft defences

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when they could be provided) was put in hand: by mid-October 1939, recommended for the immediate pro- three electric capstans had been tection of each dry-dock entrance mounted and the two booms had against air-borne torpedoes. It was been rigged and operated. At first, pointed out that the estimated 60% only the entrance to the New Basin protection of one line of nets had not was protected by AfT nets, but ad- taken into account the lifting or cutting ditional nets arrived in October and devices with which midget submarines the Victoria Basin boom, which was were believed to be fitted. As most of 250 feet long, was so fitted by the end the gear still had to come from Great of the year. The estimated total cost Britain and it was all absorbed in of the two booms was £3 080 and this complying with these more urgent figure was approximately adhered to. requirements, the second lines of nets Early in 1940 the widening of the New at Cape Town once more did not Basin entrance, as designed, was materialise - nor did they ever do so. It taken in hand and in March the boom was during this period that harbour was lengthened from 450 to 750 feet. entrance booms were first closed But as the work on the entrance pro- nightly as a matter of routine. gressed, it was found that the basin was over-exposed to sea and swell, so 1943 and Later. Although the Japanese the mole was reconstructed, reducing threat receded almost as quickly as it had the entrance to its present width of 400 arisen and the general situation con- feet; the boom was therefore shorten- tinued to improve in all other theatres, ed again and when the pier-head of nothing was left to chance. The local the mole was completed, a petrol- manufacture of A/T nets and better driven winch was mounted there to facilities for refitting other boom gear replace the indirect haul from the made it possible to maintain all the other side. installations at full efficiency and they were worked regularly until the end of Although the Cape Town booms were the war against Germany. not opened and closed regularly at this time, the question soon arose as to Before their defeat in 1943 - indeed, as who should do so when required. Just far back as 1918 - the Italians had before the SDF took over local naval specialised in the development of defence from the RN in January 1940, under-water weapons, other than Adm Hallifax arranged with the Port submarines, for attacks on harbours. Authorities that SAR & H employees - They had scored several notable suc- volunteers, who would be paid a cesses with these and it was highly retainer - should be trained and be probable that the Germans and Japanese available at short notice. A year later, were already improving upon the Italian by which time a small docks battery inventions. Among the counter-meas- had been built between the two en- ures installed at Gibraltar and else- trances, it was suggested that the where was the catenary net, a light military personnel employed there wide-meshed net which was sufficient should assist with the working of the to stop these "human torpedoes" and booms. This was agreed to after some other low-powered contrivances and discussion and the final arrangement, which could be opened or closed (on which came into force on 1 June 1941, the suspension principle) in a matter of was that the SDFwould man the west- seconds, compared with the minimum ern side of the Victoria Basin entrance, of twenty minutes required for the the soldiers the inner sides of the two operation of the average gate boom. entrances and that the duty SAR & H Early in 1943 it was suggested that berthing party, using their launch, catenary nets should be installed at would attend to the eastern side of the Cape Town and Durban, but even- New Basin entrance (shortly after- tually only Durban harbour was so wards, this latter duty was taken over protected, as isdescribed in greater detail by the SDF). These two booms and under" Boom Defences at DurbanH. those installed at the other ports, were of the gate type and were secured to The Cape Town Booms. On the out- buoys when open; they took about break of war the installation of the half-an-hour to open or close under Cape Town system was immediately average conditions of tide and wind. MII/tarla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 33 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za

The Simon's Town Boom. At Simon's hinged on the southern caisson and Town, a complete AlB AfT boom had was moored to a wooden dolphin been in readiness for protecting the further downstream when in the open entrance to the basin for some years position; power was provided from a before the war. The floating part of it, capstan on the southern shore and a large which consisted of four timber rafts, electric winch mounted in the northern was tested annually; but the nets were caisson itself; fixed AlB extensions covered not slung under the boom because the shallow water between the caissons even one immersion would have caused and the north and south shores. their rapid deterioration. When the nets were fitted at the outbreak of war, it Although one of the caisons was wrongly was found that the rafts, which were placed and had to be pumped out and more than twenty years old, no longer relaid, this work was completed by 14 had sufficient buoyancy. After some July at a total cost of £ 11 353. like discussion, chiefly concerned with the those at Cape Town, the Durban boom cost involved, a new boom similar to was at this time worked only oc- those at Cape Town was constructed; casionally, as an exercise and the only it was installed in May 1940 by the way of reaching two of the opera- Director of Fortifications in consultation tional points - the northern caisson and with the SNO. All repairs, including the the wooden dolphin - was by boat. supply of new AIT nets about once c This was not rectified until August 1941 year, were at the cost of the South when these points were connected African Government which also pro- with the shore by two cat-walks. vided a second AfT boom for the entrance to the basin in September Additional Booms at Durban. In March 1942 and a third, to protect the gra- 1942, considerable additions to the ving dock caisson, in October 1942. Durban boom defences were authorised and in April a large consignment Boom Defences at Durban. At the of nets and other gear was shipped outbreak of war, as a result of Italy there from Cape Town. First, the remaining neutral, the boom defence existing boom, including the fixed schemes for the commercial ports other extensions, was converted to AIT by than Cape Town were held up and a the addition of nets; it was completed conference, at which the Director General by the end of May and from then of Operations presided, was convened to onwards was closed at sunset and consider more economical means of opened at dawn. As they were well providing protection. placed for doing so - at the docks battery on the north side and the Bluff These discussions, which had no con- on the south side - artillery personnel crete results, ceased abruptly in June were employed for this and also for 1940: on 21 June, instructions were operating the second entrance-chan- issued for the construction of a boom nel boom, added later. across the entrance channel at Dur- ban. There, where the sides of the long As soon as this work was completed, channel are shelving, the work was an AfT boom was assembled and much less simple than at Cape Town launched in the Graving Dock Basin in where the ends of the nets fitted snugly June. Its northern end was permanent- against the vertical pierheads. At that ly secured to the north wall of the time, however, a number of large basin and it was bunched on that side concrete caissons were being con- when open; when closed, which was structed in the old floating dock (con- its normal position, its movable end was demned for the use of shipping) for use as hauled to a mooring buoy near the the foundations of the new ''1'' jetty. Two floating dock on the southern side. In this of these caissons, measuring roughly 50 by position the boom lay at an average 25 feet and 40 feet high, were therefor distance of about 40 feet from the dock towed to a position near the seaward end caisson with a sufficient overlap on each of the old Repair Quay and bedded side. It was operated by naval personnel down opposite each other, 425 feet from the SDFhead-quarters nearl:;>y. apart, on either side of the deep-water portion of the channel. The gate- The third and largest item was the boom, then of the surface type only, provision of a second AlB AIT boom

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across the harbour entrance; for and the new boom came into full various reasonsthis work took 20 months to operation in November 1943. complete. It was decided to use concrete caissons as before and to place Booms at East London and Port Elizabeth them 1 100 feet to seaward of the existing boom, ie about 2 000 feet Authority for the erection of an A/B west of the north pierhead. At this boom at East London was issued, as for time the middle of the channel was Durban, in the middle of 1940. Owing being deepened to a minimum of 42 to harbour improvements then in pro- feet over its entire length at the urgent gress, it was found necessary to place request of the RN. As it was desirable it so far up harbour as to expose to complete this before installing the shipping to torpedoes fired from out- boom, the placing of the caissons, side the boom. The Director SDF which also required preliminary dredg- therefore obtained approval for the ing, was delayed until the end of addition of A/T nets, which were then October. Meanwhile the SOD-foot available, and East London was there- boom and its extensions had been fore the next port after Cape Town nearly completed and were in position and Simon's Town to be so protected. by the end of the year; no permanent The boom, which was 550 feet long, sources of power had been provided, was completed on 23 August 1940. As but it was then possible to close the at other ports, it was not closed nightly boom by means of a tug. Two mine- until May 1942, the work then being sweeping winches (ex-sloops) were carried out by SAR & H personnel obtained from Simon's Town in De- assisted by naval ratings when re- cember, but their conversion to petrol- quired. At this time also, most of the drive gave a great deal of trouble. materials for a second boom were After several months of experimenting assembled but this was cancelled in they arrived at Durban for mounting October, partly because the existing

An Anti-torpedo net being secured to spherical floats at Saldanha.

MII/tarla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 35 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za boom by then required almost com- portion of the boom, 750 feet long, plete renewal. Additional gear was was completed first and was in position collected with some difficulty, some of by 16 February; th~ 600-foot gate, it being shipped from Cape Town in which hinged on the Chari Malan the recently commissioned salvage pierhead, was launched on 26 March vessel GAMTOOS, then on her way to and after successful trials, the boom the Middle East. The renovated boom came into routine operation on 20 April was installed on 26 November 1942. co 1943. It was worked by military personnel. The provision of an A/B boom for Port Elizabeth was first considered at the Saldanha Bay Boom Defences same time as those for Durban and East London, but no action was taken: In the account of the installation of the the entrance there is about 1350 feet controlled minefield at Saldanha, re- wide and in July 1940 the materials ference already has been made to the were not available, eve;l for a surface expected importance, which never boom. fully materialised, of that harbour. The first form of defence upon which a The matter was revived among the clear decision was reached (in April other recommendations for increased 1942) was the provision of an a nti- protection early in 1942, by which time torpedo boom. As the entrance at its

it had become apparent that all booms narrowest point has a width of two- should be fitted with A/T nets. Defence and-a-quarter nautical miles and is Headquarters eventually agreed to this exposed to considerable sea and on condition that the Admiralty would swell, the task was obviously beyond provide the materials at its own ex- the scope of local resources and the pense, which it did and the first con- Admiralty agreed to provide the mate- signment of gear reached Port Eliza- rials (with the excepion of the mooring beth early in December. The fixed columns - concrete clumps weighing 5

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tons or more - of which the SAR & H the date of completion being 29 May made 295) and lay the boom. 1943.

HMS BARCROSS,boom-layer, arrived at As originally designed, the boom was Cape Town on 14August. HMSFERNMOOR to have had a gate, but it was soon (a merchant ship of about 7000 tons realised that the two additional vessels converted to boom carrying vessel), required for this would not be avail- arrived on 18September and the laying of able; it was therefore decided to the boom commenced on 28 Sep- substitute a permanent opening, the tember. It was soon realised that the sides of which would be staggered so work would be very heavy and the that a torpedo, fired from seaward, captain of BARCROSSestimated that it could not pass through it. "A" baffle, would take a minimum of 216 working which closed the northern entrance days if only one layer were employed. between Hoedjes Point and Marcus A second boom-layer, HMS BARBRAKE, Island, a distance of 5000 feet, was laid arrived at Saldanha on 14 January first; then came "B" baffle, which ran 1943. In accordance with the ac- from Marcus Island to a point 5400 feet cepted policy that the SA Naval Forces to the south-west; and lastly, "C" would ta ke over all naval fixed de- baffle, extending fror:n Boat Rock on fences together with the vessels re- the southern side to a point 5200 feet quired for their maintenance, BAR- in a northerly direction. This placed CROSS then proceeded to Simon's the southern end of "BH baffle 400 feet

Oxy-acetylene cutting was the quickest method of removing broken or distorted grommets from an anti-torpedo net. Town to be re- commissioned by a west of the northern end of "C" baffle South African crew, already trained in and the entrance therefore faced boom-laying, at the end of January. north and south. The boom was AfT only, She then returned to Saldanha and flotation being provided by spherical floats relieved BARBRAKEwhich was then also instead of the spiked baulks used else- taken over on 15 February. The laying where; also, the depth was that of one AI in its latter stages was therefore carried Tnet only, which did not reach the bottom out chiefly by the SANF under the except near the shore, so that very little supervision of RN officers. The total protection was given against midget time taken was exactly eight months, submarines or human torpedoes.

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The SANF Take Over all Boom Defence Saldanha Bay was chosen as the site for Work. Until the middle of 1942 the SA Boom the main storage depot because of the Defences were installed and maintained unlimited space available there and also by SAR & H technicians. This was done because that port was to have by far the under the supervision as regards defence largest boom-defence system. For the time requirements, of the SDFwhich was respon- being the headquarters and workshop sible for the operation of the booms remained at Cape Town from where (though, as already stated, other person- parties could be sent to other ports where nel, more suitably placed, provided most suitable quanitities of gear were stored for of the manpower). local use. After the completion of the Durban booms, however, two riggers were After the great expansion of boom defen- stationed there permanently to carry out ces was authorised early in that year, it inspections and minor repairs there and at became evident that a special Boom East London and Port Elizabeth. Defence branch of the SDF with its own establishment of trained personnel, storage At first there was the usual difficulty in depots and repair facilities would soon be obtaining suitable personnel, either in the required. On 10 July the Director, SDF form of men with previous experience or wrote to the Deputy Chief of Staff putting volunteers for training in this work, es- up detailed proposals, most of which were pecially as the establishment was greatly adopted without delay. On 1 September increased when it was decided to take Mr A.G. Jones, on the staff of the Harbour over both "Bar-class" ships, each requiring Engineer, Cape Town, who had been a crew of 32. It was also found that the placed in charge of this work on the proposed number of riggers sufficed for outbreak of war, was transferred to the shore work only and that fourteen more SANF with the rank of Lt Cdr and became would be required, seven in each ship as Boom Defence Officer, South Africa. His part of her permanent complement. By staff at first was established at; two other the middle of 1943 most of these had been officers, 10 senior ratings (as riggers) and 28 obtained, but for several months the Boom Coloured ABs; and a crew of one officer Defence branch of the SANF could barely and 18 ratings was also allowed for manning cope with its commitments, working seven one boom vessel when taken over. days a week.

HMSAS BARCROSS (leiter SAS SOMERSET)at Saldanha. The concrete block hanging from her starboard horn was a clamp used In mooring the trots.

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CHAPTER VI L-~'" ..~70".. ? 0 ------•• 0 "'~t" .,. .•••""

NAVAL TRAINING AFTER 1941

Training for the SDFduring the first two By the middle of 1942, however, these years of the war was somewhat hap- living and training quarters had both hazard. From that point it is now become inadequate. A section of proposed to describe the development Pollsmoor military transit camp was there- necessitated by the big influx of recruits fore taken over in August and for nearly which began in the latter half of 1941. two years all initial training in discipline and seamanship was carried out there under As to living accommodation, the local Lt L.C. Heydenrych. Up to 200 men at a Detachment Headquarters could no time underwent the course which lasted longer cope with the numbers, al- for one month, Thisnumber included the though men under training or serving monthly quota of 40 men recruited for RN on shore were encouraged to find service, who were seconded after taking private lodgings in Cape Town (where the course and also recruits from the the preliminary training of all Europe- Rhodesiasand elsewhere who had jOined ans (Whites) was carried out); hut- the RN directly and were trained on its ments, sufficient for 60 recruits, were behalf by the SANF.

Volunteers at the start of their naval careers at the RNVR Base outside the Castle In Cape Town. (Photo supplied by SA National Museum of M/Iltary History) therefore provided near the new graving Meanwhile, the new naval training dock in September. For the actual train- base, HMSAS UNITIE, had opened on ing, the reduction in the number of 4 July under the command of Cdr W.J. RNVR recruits about balanced the Copenhagen, then CO Cape Town increased number of SDF, so that the Division, RNVR (SA). When the SANF, of old RNVR Base near the Castle sufficed which he automatically became a for the time being. member, was formed at the end of the Mllltaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 39 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za

Gen Smuts visiting SA Naval recruits at Pollsmoor. month, he was also placed in charge rates being held and seamen gunners, of all SANF training. The junior new signalmen and telegraphists being entries (including the Coloureds at Port trained there, the new base was used, Elizabeth) having been satisfactorily then or later, for many other kinds of provided for elsewhere, it then be- instruction. The first of these resulted came possible to concentrate all from the arrival of specialists in A/S specialised training in one establish- Fixed Defences and Controlled Mining ment - moreover, in one built for the in the latter half of 1942; it was not purpose, although the living accom- until after these installations had been modation had to be supplemented by completed that all training in their use hutments. As well as advancement was transferred to Robben Island and courses for leading and petty officers' Saldanha Bay.

J Gen Smuts Inspecting the guard of honour after laying the foundation stone of the SA Naval Training Base, HMSAS UNITIE, on 28 February 1942. On his left Is Cdr W.J. Copenhagen.

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HMSAS UNITIE was commissioned on 4 July 1942.

In 1943, midshipmens' courses began nine weeks, with a corresponding increase ,and also navigational instruction and in the number under training; this oc- examinations for other officers not casionally reached 300, including "extras", previously qualified in this subject. such as a batch of Polish naval cadets. Towards the end of that year, pre- TheSANFInitialTrainingCentre remained at liminary courses for the newly formed Saldanha Bay until all training was trans- Women's Auxiliary Naval Service were ferred to Durban in 1948. held. In 1944 there were short courses in Radar for some of the officers and men who were to take over the ROYAL NAVAL TRAINING frigates or work the installations in the A/S whalers about to be so fitted. In While training for the SANF was thus 1944 also, the anti-submarine school, being placed on a satisfactory basis, previously housed by itself in Cape the Admiralty decided soon after the Town docks, was transferred to UNITIE. formation of the Eastern Fleet early in 1942, that advanced naval training on a large scale should be carried out in TRAINING AT SALDANHA BAY the Union of South Africa, thereby making it unnecessary for ratings al- When the barracks built for the RN at ready serving in the fleet, who would Saldanha Bay became available for be required to qualify (or re-qualify) for the SANF in May 1944, its advantages the various specialist branches, to be over Pollsmoor for initial training be- sent back to the United Kingdom for came apparent. At Pollsmoor, it was that purpose. (Had the war continued felt, training suffered from the distrac- for longer, it is probable that new tions of the neighbouring city of Cape entries would also have been trained; Town; from there also, practical in- but, in the event, the SANF continued struction in boatwork entailed the use to do this for the RN as stated pre- of land transport and much waste of viously). time. The move was therefore decided upon and the first batch of By the middle of 1942, the building of recruits arrived at Saldanha on 14 June the main establishment had begun at 1944. Soon afterwards, when ele- Wentworth, on the outskirts of Durban. mentary instruction in gunnery was R Adm R.J.R. Scott was appointed added, the courses were lengthened to Rear-Admiral Training Establishments

MIIitarla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 41 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za and was installed in an office in Dur- other vessel based at Port Elizabeth. ban to supervise all the preliminary This establishment, named HMS GOOD arrangements. HOPE,closed down in April 1944.

In October 1942. a large hotel at By May 1943 the Wentworth establish- Seaview, near Port Elizabeth, was ment was sufficiently advanced to taken over for the training of cadet take over the name and functions of ratings as commissioned officers. These HMS ASSEGAI, a naval camp near were mostly junior RN ratings, including Pietermaritzburg where a pool of per- SANFSeconded Personnel; the descen- sonnel previously had been maintained dant of the RNVR(SA). It was arranged and some elementary instruction car- that members of the SANF proper, who ried out. The new ASSEGAI, designed had been recommended for com- to accommodate about 2000 officers missions, should also be trained there and men and fitted out for advanced for the Union Government, but this training in nearly every specialist branch, ceased when courses for SANF mid- was completed during 1944 but was shipmen began at UNITIEin 1943. The never fully occupied owing to the RN courses which lasted for 14 weeks, unexpectedly early defeat of Japan. included sea training provided by the At about the same time a large hos- SANF in HMSAS AFRICANA or some pital for the RN was completed nearby.

Colours at HMS GOOD HOPE In Port Elizabeth. (Photo supplied by SA National Museum of Military History)

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CHAPTER VII !-•••i:... 70. .•~/ 0.. •• 0 ...~ a" ..'" THE ACQUISITION OF THREE FRIGATES BY THE SA NAVAL FORCES

The name "frigateH, once applied to also offered to provide trained South the cruisers of sailing-ship days, was Africans of petty officer rank, then revived for a class of large anti-sub- serving with the RN, for specialised marine vessel which first appeared duties. The immediate object of this early in 1943, just as the whaler-type offer seems to have been to raise escort vessels, laid down in large South African naval prestige for recruit- numbers in 1939 and 1940, had been ment purposes and so obtain a quid given the old class-name of ~corvetteH. pro quo, for the Admiralty at the same The last-named, being very seaworthy time asked for 3600 recruits for service for their size and capable of rapid with the RN, spread over the next mass-production, filled the bill at that twelve months. time; but later, as a result of improvements in the U-boats and their tactics, As the Sixth Armoured Division, then on they were found to be inadequate active service in Italy, had to be kept except for escorting the slower con- at full strength, any such contribution voys. For hunting, especially, some- was out of the question; even the thing larger and faster was required. maximum monthly quota of 40 SANF Seconded Personnel had not been The frigate may be described as a fully forthcoming for some months destroyer, shorn of all weapons and previously. It would in fact have been other features except those required difficult to raise crews for the frigates for killing submarines - no torpedoes, a themselves but for the laying-up of light gun-armament and only sufficient minesweepers which took place three speed to run down a surfaced U-boat - months later. With the probability of and therefore the more easily and this reduction in mind, Mr Sturrock economically produced and manned. suggested that the frigates should be In size, it was much the same as the accepted; he also proposed that, to average destroyer so that, as well as make up for not providing the men having a wide radius of action and asked for, the ships should be made good sea-keeping qualities, it had available for service with the Royal ample carrying capacity for more Navy anywhere. To this the Admiralty depth-charges and throwers, as well as agreed on 13 July and on 22 July the any additional anti-submarine wea- Union Government formally accepted pons which might be and were in fact, their offer. Shortly afterwards it was introduced later. Compared with a stated that the ships would be new destroyer, the frigate is shorter and ones - of the "Loch-class", then under beamier. Those first built displaced construction and considerably larger 1 445 tons and had a speed of 21 than the existing ~River-class" frigates. knots. The ship's company for the first frigate - The first step towards the provision of 10 officers and 120 men - were assem- frigates for South Africa was taken on bled at Cape Town in September 1944 27 May 1944 when the Acting Minister and embarked on 20 September for of Defence (Mr F.C. Sturrock, Hon- the United Kingdom; on 9 November orary Commodore SANF) was informed they arrived at Blyth, in Northumber- by General Smuts, then in London, that land, where the ship had just been the Admiralty was prepared to place completed; and that afternoon Lt Cdr three of these vessels at the permanent R.P. Dryden-Dymond commissioned her disposal of the SANF for employment in as HMSASGOOD HOPE - the first South Union waters. Of the total of 450 to 500 African major war vessel. She then men required for them, the Admiralty went to Tobermory (in the island of

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iU oA. ::c o o o (!)

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Mull, Argyllshire), the working-up base arrived at Portsmouth on 30 January. for the Western Approaches Escort Most of the officers and specialist Command to which she had been ratings then underwent technical train- attached, for three weeks of intensive ing courses and a small advance party training. This not only included gun- went to the ship, then being complet- nery, A/S and other technical subjects, ed on the Tyne. HMSAS NATAL was but was also designed to produce a commissioned by Lt Cdr D.A. Hall on 1 high pitch of alertness, a thorough March; trials were completed on 6 knowledge of the ship's capabilities March; and after taking in stores and and, in short, the welding of the ship ammunition the ship finally sailed at and her company into an efficient 09:00 on 14 March and steered north fighting unit. for Scapa Floe and Tobermory.

GOOD HOPE's first duty after leaving Tobermory was to escort a large troop- HMSAS NATAL'S V-BOAT ship to Iceland. When about 200 miles from her destination she met one of At 14:25 on the same day, when about the gales for which that area is noto- 30 miles off St Abbs Head, NATAL rious and which follow each other at passed SS SHEAF CROWN (which had short intervals for seven months of the been torpedoed and salvaged in year. After remaining hove to for six South African waters in 1943); this ship hours she had to return to the Clyde reported that another merchantman where repairs to buckled bottom- had been sunk a short time earlier In a plating and other storm damage occu- position five miles to the northward. pied more than five weeks. After that Ten minutes later a lifeboat and two she was on escort duties in the Irish Sea rafts were sighted ahead of NATAL; for a month and from then until the HM Destroyer WYVERN also hove In defeat of Germany she worked in the sight and reported that she was pick- English Channel, between Portsmouth, ing up survivors. NATAL signalled "Can Cherbourg and Le Havre without, I be of any assistance? I may not be however, coming into close contact able to do much as I have just been with the enemy. commissioned and have a crew new to this class of ship.. WYVERN replied The crew for the second frigate left by asking NATAL to begin an A/S Cape Town on 11 January 1945 and square search - a request which was

HMSAS NATAL

Mllltaria 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 45 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za soon afterwards confirmed by instruc- collected, it did not necessarily follow tions from the Commander-in-Chief, that the submarine had been destroy- Rosyth. ed. While NATAL went on her way north to Scapa Floe and thence to At 15:11. when two miles from the rafts Tobermory. a special searching group which had been used as a datum of A/S vessels left the Tyne for the point, NATAL obtained and held a scene of the action; in almost the good A/S contact. Ten minutes later exact position reported by the NATAL she fired her first pattern (the main A/S they located the sunken submarine which, weapon of the frigates was the "SquidH blasted by many depth-charges, soon which fired, ahead of the ship, a gave up all the floating evidence pattern of six 500 Ib time- fused pro- required to establish an unquestioned

H jectiles); much oil and a cylindrical "kiIi • The first intimation of this was tank, 5 feet long and two feet in received by NATAL on 19 March in the diameter, came to the surface. With following signal from the Commander- A/S conditions remaining excellent, in-Chief Rosyth : contact was soon regained and the second pattern. fired at 15:38, brought 'Conslder evidence now obtained up more oil and debris. The A/S echo clearly Indicates the attack report- then steadily weakened. finally disap- ed In your 141720 rfrsulted In the

AB Michael van Breda of HMSASNATALbeing decorated with the DSM by HM King George VI for his part In the sinking of U-714.

pea ring at 16:11 when the hunt was destructIon of a U-boat. Heartiest con- broken off. The two ships then carried gratulations on this most successful out a combined search of the area start of your commissIon. T.O.O without result. That evening NATAL 182354A. " called at Methil, in the Firth of Forth, where the salvaged tank was landed Other messages of congratulation for examinaiton and the local naval were later received from the Comman- authorities were provided with a full ders-in-Chief Home Fleet, Western report on the A/S attacks. By this time Approaches and South Atlantic Sta- there was little doubt that the tank was tion; from the Admiralty, the Adminis- a life-saving apparatus containing a trator of the Province of Natal and self-inflating dinghy - an item normally from NATAL's sister ship GOOD HOPE. supplied to U-boats - but, this would have been carried outside the hull and As far as is known, this success, in no other evidence of value had been being achieved six hours after leaving

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the builder's yard, established a record Bay to clean and paint ship after the for a new ship. It was the more passage. There they landed 28 South remarkable in that the A/S personnel, African repatriated prisoners-of-war as a team, had received only a few and embarked the Chief of the Gene- day's shore training and, apart from ral Staff, Sir Pierre van Rynevald, and that, the ship's asdic installation (Type the Director, SANF. The ships entered 144) was new to all of them. For this the Duncan Dock at Cape Town on action four decorations and five Men- 30 June and were formally received tions in Dispatches were awarded, by the Acting Minister of Defence, the Lt Cdr Hall receiving a bar to the DSC Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic he had won in the Mediterranean in (V Adm Sir Robert Durnott), the Ad- 1941. Among other evidence recover- ministrator of the Cape Province, the ed was a wooden plaque marked ~U- Mayor of Cape Town and others. 766", suggesting this to be the number GOOD HOPE then began her fitting-out of the submarine destroyed. Actually at Cape Town and NATAL sailed for U-766 had been scrapped by the Durban on 5 July for the same purpose. Germans at La Palice prior to the recapture of that port by the Allies in The crew for the third South African 1944. The submarine sunk by NATALwas frigate left Cape Town at the end of later identified as having been U-714. February 1945 and their ship was completed on the Clyde six weeks later - After her working-up period, NATAL too late to take part in the war in went to the Clyde for boiler-cleaning Europe. She was commissioned as and on 20 April, off the south-east coast HMSAS TRANSVAAL by Lt Cdr H.E. of Ireland, rejoined the 8th Escort Group Fougstedt on 14 May and began her with which she had already done her working-up period at Tobermory on 28 group training. In NATAL's absence, the May. She left Scottish waters on 8 July, three other ships - also ~Loch-class" reached Cape Town on 28 July and, frigates - had bagged a submarine (U- after calling at Port Elizabeth and East 1024) which had surfaced and been London, arrived at Durban for fitting- abandoned by her crew after a lengthy out on 9 August. For the short period hunt; she had been taken in tow but that they were expected to spend in had sunk before reaching port. The South African waters, it was arranged next fortnight was spent on patrol and that the three ships should remain escort work in the Western Approaches under the administrative and opera- during which NATAL obtained one tional control of the Royal Navy. promising contact, first by radar and then by asdic, but lost it before an OTHER RN VESSELS TAKEN OVER attack could be made. As part of the policy for the installation ARRIVAL OF FRIGATES IN of naval fixed defences, it had been SOUTH AFRICA agreed that the vessels required for their maintenance would be taken The unconditional surrender of Ger- over from the Royal Navy. As a result, many, on 7 May 1945, (the first broad- the boom-layers BARCROSSand BAR- cast ordering German submarines to BRAKE joined the SANF early in 1943 cease operations was not sent out until and the S/M layer SPRINDRIFTdid so in 8 May eVE Day")) found GOOD HOPE July of that year. Meanwhile HMS and NATAL boiler-cleaning at Green- MEAD had completed the laying of the ock. They were immediately taken in A/S loops at Cape Town, Durban and hand for tropicalisation and certain Port Elizabeth; but her transfer was other alterations required for service in delayed, partly owing to uncertainty the Far East. At the request of the as to whether other new loop systems Union Government it was agreed soon would be installed by the Admiralty. afterwards that the ships should be Eventually she joined the SANF on 27 routed via the Cape and complete August 1944 when the Union Government their fitting-out there, thus giving them took over the hire agreement with her the opportunity of ~showing the flag" owners, MessrsSmith'sCoasters. in South African ports. GOOD HOPE and NATAL sailed from Greenock on 6 The paying-oft of 19 minesweepers at June and on 28 June put into Saldanha the end of 1944 and of four A/S vessels

MII/farla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 47 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za in the following March, released suf- 1 August 1945and was then employed in ficient personnel to replace those the Mombasa area until the end of the provided for the three South African year. She was paid off and recommis- frigates. In April 1945, with the defeat sioned by a RNcrew in January 1946. of Germany and further local naval reductions expected at any time, the POST-WAR EMPLOYMENT OF Union Government was able to comply SOUTH AFRICAN FRIGATES with a request for the SANF to man two, or possibly three, more frigates for Of the three South African frigates only service on the East Indies Station - NATAL crossed the Indian Ocean. She those ships, however, to remain the sailed from Durban on 20 August 1945 property of the Admiralty, similarly HMS and arrived at Colombo, via Diego SALVESTOR, the salvage ship taken Suarez, on 1 September. Although the over by a SANFcrew at Naples in 1944. war had ended, it remained necessary The "River-class. frigates TEVIOT and for convoys to be escorted through SWALE, which had already been in certain mined areas and NATAL was service for some time, were earmarked chiefly employed on this duty, be- for this and the former was commis- tween Port Swettenham and Singa- sioned at Cape Town on 10 June by pore, during September and October. Lt Cdr A.S. Bowyer. She sailed from She returned to Durban on 30 No- Durban on 19 June, called at Diego vember and reverted to SANF control. Suarez (Madagascar) and arrived at Colombo on 2 July. There she joined On 22 August 1945, eight days after .VJ the East Indies Escort Command and Day", the Union Government informed immediately began her working-up the Admiralty that they did not wish to period which lasted until the end of become involved in any post-war the month. TEVIOTwas at first emp~oy- occupation duties or to send any more ed as a link and mark ship on the men out of the country. They therefore aircraft route between Colombo and requested that the Admiralty should Rangoon. In September she struck an reconsider decisions taken as to the unchartered wreck in Burmese waters, future employment of the frigates. On suffering considerable under-water account of this, the Commander-in- damage. After being repaired at Chief South Atlantic held back GOOD Rangoon she returned to Durban to be HOPE, due to sail for Colombo on 25 paid off there on 21 December. August. On 30 August the Union Government compromised by stating HMS SWALE was commissioned at Si- that, if the Admiralty so desired, the mon's Town by Lt Cdr E.V. Brown on three South African frigates and the

HMS SWALE.

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crews of SWALE and TEVIOT could be when being prepared for the Far employed in Eastern waters for a Eastern war, were removed. maximum period of six months after the conclusion of the war. No immediate Ever since the erd of the war in action was taken, however; TRANS- Europe, the Defence Department had VAAL was then fitting out at Durban; been faced with the problem of repa- SWALE was being employed at Kilindini; triating large numbers of service per- and GOOD HOPE, after doing a trip to sonnel from Italy and the Middle East. Walvis Bay early in September, was While the war in the Far East contin- temporarily placed under the opera- ued, very little shipping space could tional control of the SAN F in connec- be made available and the best that tion with the ceremonial opening of could be done was to concentrate the new Sturrock graving dock at most of the men in transit camps in the Cape Town, which she was the first ship Suez area. Even after the fall of to enter, on 18 September. Japan, there was no immediate prospect of providing the sea transport It had been intended to sail GOOD requi"red, so the employment of the HOPE for Colombo directly after this South African frigates to ease the function, but on 13 September the position was considered. The first Commander-in-Chief, East Indies stated proposal, made at the end of August, that there was no longer any work for was that GOOD HOPE and TRANSVAAL her (or for TRANSVAAL, when complet- should be used as accommodation ed) on his station. GOOD HOPE was ships at Beira, to facilitate the return of therefore sent to Kilindini from where personnel by air. The prospect of the she towed the South African LL mine- two ships iying in a tropical port for an sweeper IMHOFF, which had suffered a indefinite period, manned only by series of breakdowns on her return from the skeleton crews so as to provide the Mediterranean, to Durban; arriving there necessary living space, was most unat- on 4 October, GOOD HOPE was placed tractive, not only as regards mechan- under the permanent control of the SANF ical maintenance but also for morale - next day and similar action was taken with especially as these new ships were to TRANSVAAL on 3 November. Soon after be the main units of the future peace- the three frigates were relinquished by time navy. Fortunately the objections the RN; the two Bofors AA guns, mount- of the Director SANF were accepted ed on the quarterdeck of each ship and the scheme was dropped.

Lt Cdr H.E. Foughstedt (CO) with Brig B.F. Armstrong, V Adm Sir Robert Burnett (C-In-C South Atlantic) and Capt J. Dalgleish (Director SANF) on board HMSAS TRANSVAAL after the ship's arrival In Table Bay Harbour.

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In October it was decided, after some The transfer took place on 27 Janaury discussion, that the ships themselves 1945 and the boom-layer, commanded should be used for transporting troops by Lt F.M. Kamke, was inspected by from Egypt, although as regards the the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlan- numbers conveyed, this could be little tic on 30 January 1945: She sailed from more than a gesture. With their ship's Simon's Town on 3 February, called at companies reduced from 130 to 45 - Durban, Beira, Diego Suarez, the Sey- the bare minimum for a long passage - chelles and Addu Atoll and arrived at GOOD HOPE and TRANSVAAL sailed Trincomalee on 23 March. The next from Durban on 5 November, fuelled three months were spent in the Bay of at Aden and arrived on 19 November Bengal and off the coast of Ceylon at Suez, where they each embarked six where BARBRAKEwas chiefly employed officers and about 94 other ranks. The in lifting and laying moorings; with return passage, in good weather, was Trincomalee as her base port, she entirely satisfactory, good use being visited Madras, Colombo, Coconada, made of the army specialists - particularly Akyab and also Chittagong where, at the cooks - and the ships berthed in the end of April, she played a promi- Durban on 5 December. nent part in laying a submerged pipeline - a difficult operation because of the strong current - for which she NATAL, having completed her service received the congratulations and with the Royal Navy on 30 November, thanks of the local naval authorities. was included in the second transport trip for which the three ships sailed On 20 July 1945 BARBRAKEarrived at from Durban on 18 December. For this, Rangoon where, during the next three Lt Cdr Fougstedt of TRANSVAAL be- and a half months, her work included came Senior Officer in place of Lt Cdr the removal of parts of the Japanese Dymond, who had left GOOD HOPE boom defences and general work on just previously. This second operation, buoys and moorings in the river chan- which repatriated about 300 service nel. On 8 August her First Lieutenant, Lt personnel, also took about a month J. Liddle, was accidently killed when a and was favourably reported on by cable parted on the fo'c'sle. At the the ships' captains and the senior end of November she recrossed the officers taking passage. Bay of Bengal. called at Trincomalee On the third and last trip, NATAL and Colombo and returned to South developed a defect and had to return Africa by the same route as followed from Kilindini, but the other two ships on the way out. While on her way brought their quotas of men to Durban down the Natal coast she found the AI early in March. S vessel BLAAUWBERG, broken down and towed her to East London. BAR- Thereafter, during the demobilisation BRAKE arrived at Simon's Town on 12 period, the three frigates remained January 1946 and soon afterwards somewhat undermanned, with many reverted to the control of the SANF of changes of personnel. until Permanent which she remained a laid-up unit. Force crews could be assembled. A lesson learned from BARBRAKE's NARRATIVE OF BARBRAKE service in Indian waters was that her complement was insufficient. The The return of the last four South African tropical conditions and lack of fresh ships from the Levant in December provisions on the long passages, covered 1945 is described in the Mediterranean at an average speed of less than seven section. Only one other ship returned knots, caused a good deal of minor illness, after them - HMSAS BARBRAKE,early in especially among the stokers. Reliefs 1946. As is recorded in the chapter on usually being unobtainable, riggers and Boom Defences, the Union Govern- seamen had to lend a hand with the coal- ment agreed, in November 1944, to firing. In similar ships of the RN on this lend her and her SANF crew to the service, not only were larger complements Admiralty for service on the East Indies allowed but additional stokers were also station. provided for long passages.

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CHAPTER VIII I_~" ------~~?;P.1: _ .~o••••.••• ,.. ~

~ suitable epitaph to our whalers and Cape Point and of valuable convoys rawlers as war vessels, is contained in safely delivered. To them must go the he last .contact letterH received from honour of being the birthplace of the .t Cdr John Fairburn, Commanding South African Navy and for that reason he naval base at Saldanha Bay in alone, regardless of others, South Africa 945 :- has cause to thank them and to say

.well done". N 'One of the saddest sIghts Imag- Inable Is the Reserve Fleet swinging at So ended the South African naval war their moorings below the Naval Office - effort, unprepared for and starting nothing Isso forlorn as a dead ship. To almost from zero, but ending as a fair board them Is to be reminded of the contribution to the Allied cause, con- wild and woolly days on the South sidering the population and resources African coast. If those ships could talk, of this country. theirs would be an Interesting story - tales of the 'phoney war" when OOSTE- Except as an academic component of WAL and SWARTBERGdisorganisedthe grand strategy, sea-power and all that Port of Cape Town by keeping up a it entailed began as a closed book to long running commentary on their first the Minister of Defence and his Depart- efforts to sweep, using the Port RT-wave ment and remained very much on the to do It and ending with the classic top shelf in the years which followed. phrase: •Am closing down now - the Indeed there was a general feeling in hands have gone to dinner"; storiesof the Service itself, especially in the early the Cape Agulhas minefield, of the days, that a navy was looked upon as mining of Cape Town, of rescues off an expensive nuisance which must be

The Reserve Fleet at Saldanha In 1945.

"'ltarla 22/1 1992 SA Navy Anniversary Issue 51 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 22, Nr 1, 1992. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za confined within as narrow limits as since the beginning of the year. On possible and the less heard of it, the arrival, he called together the Fortress better. Probably this feeling was Commander, the South African Officer- exaggerated and the Defence Depart- in-Charge and the Commodore- in- ment's apparent attitude was the only Charge, Royal Navy. He expressed one possible in view of its complete both surprise and concern at what he ignorance of sea-going matters. had seen in the anchorage and warn- ed these officers that they must keep The failure at a later date to keep in very much awake. It was as though close touc.h with local developments, the Minister of Transport had addressed combined with the increasing proba- some of his engine-drivers, cautioned bility of enemy attacks is, however, them as to the seriousness of railway more difficult to excuse. A striking accidents and told them to keep a example of this occurred when Field- good look-out for signals. Marshall Smuts visited Durban in June 1942. He had not visited the port for The one person holding high office some time, but had recently returned who evinced a practical interest in from Britain where, among high places, naval matters was Mr F.C. Sturrock, the Battle of the Atlantic was causing whose influence could only be indirect, more anxiety perhaps than any other except when he was carrying out the aspect of the War. duties of Acting Minister of Defence and who had, in any case, an import- Before landing, the Minister's plane ant department of his own to adminis- circled over the roadstead where 50 ter. Nevertheless, many obstacles ships were at anchor - a number which were overcome largely due to his had been about the average for efforts. Also, his personal interest and several months previously and the encouragement were most beneficial protection of which, with the meagre to morale; it is good for any fighting resources available, had been the service to feel that it is, at least, major headache of the local navy somebody's step-child.

Cdre the Hon Claud Sturrock. MP, Minister of Railways and sometIme ActIng Minister of Defence. with Capt (later Cdre) J. Dalgleish.

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