From our weekly series on Frigates and Destroyers of the South African Naval (1946-2020) that featured on our museum facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SANavalMuseum/ , here is the entire collection, featuring the fourteen frigates and destroyers that served the South African Navy.
NO1. – SAS GOOD HOPE – Loch class Anti-submarine frigate – Pennant Number: F432 (K432) – Builder: Blyth Dry Dock & SB Co Ltd – Laid down: 8 Nov 1943 – Launched: 5 July 1944 – Completed: 1 Dec 1944 – Paid off into reserve: Sept 1965 – Sunk as an artificial reef at Smitswinkel Bay: 12 June 1978.
NO2. – SAS NATAL – Loch class Anti-submarine frigate – Pennant Number: F430 (K430) – Builder: Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne – Laid down: 18 Oct 1943 – Launched: 19 June 1944 – Completed: 8 March 1945 – Converted to hydrographic survey ship (A301) 1956-57. Paid off 15 March 1972. Sunk as a target 19 Sept 1972.
NO3. – SAS TRANSVAAL – Loch class Anti-submarine frigate – Pennant Number: F602 (K602) – Builder: Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast – Laid down: 20 Jan 1944 – Launched: 2 Aug 1944 – Completed: 21 May 1945 – Paid off into reserve 14 Aug 1964. Sunk as an artificial reef at Smitswinkel Bay 3 Aug 1978.
In August 1945 Transvaal was nominated for transport of South African personnel from the Middle East to return to South Africa and spent September to December of that year on passage between Suez and Durban, repatriating South African soldiers to the Union.
NO4. – SAS JAN VAN RIEBEECK – Wager class destroyer – Pennant Number: D278 – Builder: Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Govan, Scotland – Laid down: 20 Oct 1942 – Launched: 2 Sept 1943 – Completed: 11 May 1944 – Commissioned into SAN: 29 March 1950 – Converted to a fast helicopter carrying anti-submarine escort 1962-1964 – Paid off into reserve 1975. Expended as a missile target 25 March 1980.
NO5. – SAS SIMON VAN DER STEL – Wager class destroyer – Pennant Number: D237 – Builder: Hawthorn Leslie & Co Ltd, Hebburn-on-Tyne – Laid down: 1 May 1942 – Launched: 3 July 1943 – Completed: 25 April 1944 – Commissioned into SAN: 23 April 1953 – Converted to a fast helicopter carrying anti-submarine escort 1962-1964 – Paid off into reserve 1972. Broken up at Durban 1976.
NO6. – SAS VRYSTAAT – Type 15 Anti-submarine frigate – Pennant Number: F157 – Builder: Vickers Amstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness – Laid down: 23 Sept 1942 – Launched: 30 Dec 1943 – Completed: 14 July 1944 – Converted from W Class fleet destroyer to Type 15 frigate 1951-53 – Commissioned into SAN 29 Nov 1956 – Paid off into reserve 1963. Expended as a submarine target 14 April 1976.
NO7. – SAS PRESIDENT KRUGER – President class frigate – Pennant Number: F150 – Builder: Yarrow & Co. Ltd, Scotstoun, Glasgow, United Kingdom – Laid down: 6 April 1959 – Launched: 20 Oct 1960 – Commissioned: 3 Oct 1962 – Converted to carry Wasp helicopter 1968-1969 – Lost off Cape Point on 18 Feb 1982 following collision with fleet replenishment vessel SAS Tafelberg.
NO8. – SAS PRESIDENT STEYN – President class frigate – Pennant Number: F147 – Builder: Alexander, Stephen & Sons, Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow, United Kingdom – Laid down: 20 May 1960 – Launched: 23 Nov 1961 – Commissioned: 8 April 1963 – Converted to carry Wasp helicopter: 1969-1971 – Paid off 1980. Expended as a missile target off Cape Point: 29 April 1991.
NO9. – SAS PRESIDENT PRETORIUS – President class frigate – Pennant Number: F145 – Builder: Yarrow. & Co. Ltd, Scotstoun, Glasgow, United Kingdom – Laid down: 21 Nov 1961 – Launched: 28 Sept 1962 – Commissioned: 18 March 1964 – Converted to carry Wasp helicopter: 1971-1977 – Paid off 1985 – Sold for scrap 1992.
NO10. – SAS GOOD HOPE (ii)- A69 class corvette – Pennant Number: F432 – Builder: DCAN, Lorient Arsenal, France – Laid down: 13 March 1976 – Launched: 5 March 1977 – Commissioned: 17 September 1977 – Embargoed by France on 8 November 1977. Sold to Argentina 25 September 1978 and renamed DRUMMOND.
NO11. – SAS AMATOLA – Valour class frigate – Pennant Number: F145 – Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany – Laid down: 7 August 2001 – Launched: 8 June 2003 – Commissioned: 25 September 2003 – Sailed to South Africa (Capt Guy Jamieson): 15 October 2003 – Arrived in South Africa: 4 November 2003.
NO12. – SAS ISANDLWANA – Valour class frigate – Pennant Number: F146 – Builder: Howaldtswerke, Kiel, Germany – Laid down: 26 October 2001 – Launched: 5 December 2002 – Commissioned: 19 December 2003 – Sailed to South Africa (Capt Karl Wiesner): 31 January 2004 – Arrived in South Africa: 25 February 2004.
NO13. – SAS SPIOENKOP – Valour class frigate – Pennant Number: F147 – Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany – Laid down: 28 February 2002 – Launched: 2 August 2003 – Commissioned: 15 March 2004 – Sailed to South Africa (Capt Douglas Faure): 4 May 2004 – Arrived in South Africa: 31 May 2004.
NO14. – SAS MENDI – Valour class frigate – Pennant Number: F148 – Builder: Howaldtswerke, Kiel, Germany – Laid down: 28 June 2002 – Launched: 24 October 2003 – Commissioned: 15 June 2004 – Sailed to South Africa (Capt Kevin Packer): 31 May 2004 – Arrived in South Africa: 17 September 2004.
Compiled by Commander Leon Steyn (SA Naval Museum)
From: A. du Toit, Fighting Ships of the South African Navy, Past and Present, 1992.
L. Steyn, The South African Navy, 25 Years of Democracy, 2019.
Photos: SA Naval Museum Archives