The Axis and Allied Maritime Operations Around Southern Africa, 1939-1945

THE AXIS AND ALLIED MARITIME OPERATIONS AROUND SOUTHERN AFRICA, 1939-1945 Evert Philippus Kleynhans Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Military Science (Military History) in the Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof I.J. van der Waag Co-supervisor: Dr E.K. Fedorowich December 2018 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: December 2018 Copyright © 2018 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract The majority of academic and popular studies on the South African participation in the Second World War historically focus on the military operations of the Union Defence Force in East Africa, North Africa, Madagascar and Italy. Recently, there has been a renewed drive to study the South African participation from a more general war and society approach. The South African home front during the war, and in particular the Axis and Allied maritime war waged off the southern African coast, has, however, received scant historical attention from professional and amateur historians alike. The historical interrelated aspects of maritime insecurity evident in southern Africa during the war are largely cast aside by contemporary academics engaging with issues of maritime strategy and insecurity in southern Africa. The all-encompassing nature and extent of the maritime war waged off southern Africa during the Second World War have been far more extensive than suggested in traditional sources. A key understanding of the maritime war is, in effect, incomplete without separate detailed discussions about the opposing Axis and Allied maritime strategies off the coast of southern Africa, the wartime shipping quandaries experienced by the Union of South Africa, and the South African coastal defences. The Axis maritime operations in southern African waters, the so-called maritime intelligence war, and the extended anti-submarine war waged in these waters are equally integral to the discussion. This dissertation aims to provide a critical, comprehensive analysis of the Axis and Allied maritime operations around the coast of southern Africa between 1939 and 1945. The study investigates this inclusive topic through the aforementioned research objectives. The study does not fall into the general ambit of a regimental, campaign or personal military history. Instead, it straddles the strata of war and offers fresh insights into an episode of the South African military history uncommonly investigated by contemporary military historians. The dissertation finds that the Axis and Allied maritime operations off the southern African coast were complex in nature, especially regarding the several strategic, military and economic aspects that have always underpinned them. Moreover, in gaining an understanding of these complex operations, the study reveals the general interrelatedness between the rival Axis and Allied maritime strategies and operations around the southern African coast. Previous studies have failed to recognise this interrelatedness, and have instead offered a one-sided, compartmentalised discussion on single aspects associated with the maritime war waged off southern Africa. This study thus distances itself from previous academic and popular historiography on the subject. It offers, rather, a fresh, in-depth discussion underpinned by extensive archival research, access to previously classified material, and a wealth of secondary sources. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Die historiese fokus van die meerderheid akademiese en populêre werke wat handel oor die Suid-Afrikaanse deelname aan die Tweede Wêreldoorlog, is gefokus op die Unieverdedigingsmag se militêre operasies in Oos-Afrika, Noord-Afrika, Madagaskar en Italië. Hedendaags is daar ŉ fokus om dié Suid-Afrikaanse deelname aan die oorlog eerder te bestudeer uit die oogpunt oor hóé die oorlog die samelewing beïnvloed het. Die impak van die oorlog op die Suid-Afrikaanse tuisfront, asook die maritieme oorlog wat tussen die Spilmagte en Geallieerdes rondom die suider-Afrikaanse kuslyn gewoed het, het histories karige aandag van beide professionele en amateur historici ontlok. Dit is ŉ onomkeerbare feit dat historici dié interafhanklikheid van die maritieme onveiligheid rondom die Suid-Afrikaanse kus vir gerieflikheidshalwe opsy gesit het. Die allesomvattende aard van die maritieme oorlog wat rondom die suider- Afrikaanse kuslyn gewoed het gedurende die oorlog, is veel groter as wat die tradisionele historiese bronne voorgee. Dit is ŉ feit dat die maritieme oorlog selde verstaan kan word sonder ŉ gedetailleerde bespreking oor die Spilmagte en Geallieerdes se maritieme strategieë rondom suider-Afrika, die uitdagende probleme van die verskeping van goedere en die Suid-Afrikaanse kusverdedigingstelsel. Die Spilmagte se maritieme operasies in suider-Afrikaanse waters, die sogenaamde maritieme inligtingsoorlog, sowel as die uitgebreide anti-duikboot operasies in hierdie waters vorm ook ŉ integrale deel van hierdie bespreking. As gevolg hiervan is die doel van hierdie proefskrif om ŉ kritiese, allesomvattende analise te bied ten opsigte van die Spilmagte en Geallieerdes se maritieme operasies rondom die suider-Afrikaanse kus tussen 1939 en 1945. Die proefskrif ondersoek die allesomvattende onderwerp deur die voorgenoemde navorsingsdoelwitte. Hierdie proefskrif val nie in die tradisionele bestek van ŉ regiments-, veldtog- of selfs persoonlike geskiedenis nie. Inteendeel bied dit ŉ nuwe analise oor ŉ episode in die Suid-Afrikaanse krygsgeskiedenis wat selde deur kontemporêre krygshistorici ondersoek is. Die proefskrif bevind dat die Spilmagte en Geallieerdes se maritieme operasies rondom die suider-Afrikaanse kus uiters kompleks was, veral rondom die verskeie strategiese, militêre en ekonomiese aspekte wat dit ondersteun het. Verder bevind die studie ook dat daar ŉ definitiewe verwantskap was tussen die Spilmagte en Geallieerdes se maritieme strategieë en operasies rondom die suider-Afrikaanse kus. Die feit dat die meerderheid publikasies die verwantskap ignoreer, en eerder ŉ eensydige, gekompartementaliseerde, bespreking en analise bied, bly kommerwekkend. Dié proefskrif distansieer homself dus van die voorheen gepubliseerde akademiese- en populêre geskiedskrywing oor die onderwerp. In stede daarvan bied dit ŉ vars in- diepte ondersoek en bespreking, gestaaf deur uitgebreide argivale navorsing, toegang tot voorheen geklassifiseerde inligting, en ŉ magdom sekondêre bronne. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za P a g e | i Contents Abbreviations iii Illustrations vi Tables viii Graphs ix Maps x Introduction 1. Background xi 2. Literature Review xiii 3. Research Aim and Chapter Structure xxx 4. Research Methodology xxxii 5. Acknowledgements xxxiii Chapter 1 The Axis and Allied maritime strategies off the southern African coast, 1939-1945 1.1 Naval warfare theory and the constructs of maritime strategy 1 1.2 Rival maritime strategies off the South African coast – a question of shipping? 3 1.3 South Africa, the Allied war effort and the wartime shipping problem 9 1.4 The control, victualling and repair of Allied shipping in South Africa 30 Chapter 2 The development of the South African coastal defence system, 1933-1945 2.1 Interwar rationalisation, Imperial defence and the South African Naval Service 44 2.2 Naval ambition, Anglo-South African relations, and the Seaward Defence Force 52 2.3 The development of a comprehensive South African coastal defence system 57 Chapter 3 Axis raiders, mines and submarines off the South African coast, 1939-1945 3.1 Raiders, mines and opportunistic attacks 81 3.2 The Japanese submarine offensive in the Mozambique Channel 91 3.3 The U-boat offensives off the South African coast 100 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za P a g e | ii Chapter 4 The maritime intelligence war in southern Africa, 1939-1945 4.1 Sabotage, subversion and initial South African contact with Germany 124 4.2 The Trompke Network, the FELIX Organisation and maritime intelligence 134 4.3 South Africa, British naval intelligence and counterintelligence during the war 141 Chapter 5 The anti-submarine war off southern Africa, 1942-1944 5.1 Lacklustre attitudes, the start of the U-boat offensives and a chance sinking 164 5.2 Defensive measures, lessons learned and an operational success 176 5.3 Reduced sinkings, combined operations and the culmination of the naval war 194 Conclusion 204 Sources 212 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za P a g e | iii Abbreviations A/B Anti-Ship Booms Adm Admiral A/S Anti-Submarine ASW Anti-Submarine Warfare ASWO Africa Station War Order A/T Anti-Torpedo BdU Befehlshaber der U-Boote BOT Board of Trade Capt Captain Cdr Commander C-in-C Commander-in-Chief CGS Chief of the General Staff CNIC Cape Naval Intelligence Centre Col Colonel CSAB Combined Shipping Adjustment Board DHQ Defence Headquarters DSO (N) Defence Security Officer (Naval) ERD Enemy Reports Department FAA Fleet Air Arm Flt Lt Flight Lieutenant Flt Off Flight Officer GAdm Grand Admiral GC&CS

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