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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2001

HMSAS TRANSVAAL (K 602) - Loch-class Frigate

HMSASTransvaal (Photo Ships, click to enlarge) return to Contents List   
 

LOCH-Class Anti-Submarine Frigate ordered from Harland and Wolff at Belfast on 2nd May 1943 and to be named LOCH ARD. She was laid down on 20th January 1944. This ship was launched by Miss D Newman on 2nd August 1944 as the first RN ship to carry this name. Fitting-out was carried out at Renfrew on the Clyde by Lobnitz, and during this period she was transferred to the South African Naval Defence Force (SANF) and renamed HMSAS TRANSVAAL. Build was completed on 21st May 1945 and deployment for service with the Eastern Fleet based at Trincomalee was intended. Two other LOCH Class Frigates, HMS LOCH BOISDALE and HMS LOCH CREE were also presented to the South African Naval Force and renamed HMSAS GOOD HOPE and HMSAS NATAL.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

None

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

TRANSVAAL

Badge: On a Field Vert, an octagon Or embelished and with wheels Sable,

tented Argent: with a circular border of cable  Or, ensigned with the

crest of the Arms of the Republic of South Africa Proper, upon a tablet

 Or, bearing the word TRANSVAAL in letters vert.

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search

 

 

1 9 4 5

 

May

 

Contractors Trials. Commanding Officer: Lt. Cdr H E Fougstad SANF

 

21st - Build completion.

 

22nd - Commissioned for service as HMSAS TRANSVAAL.

 

23rd - Acceptance Trials in Clyde area.

 

June

 

On completion of storing, weapon trials and calibrations took passage to Tobermory to work-up with other new RN escorts preparing for convoy defence duties.

 

July

 

Sailed from Clyde and made independent passage to Simonstown.

 

August

 

After VJ Day intended deployment with Eastern Fleet was cancelled the ship was nominated for transport of South African personnel from Middle East to return to South Africa.

 

September

 

Passage to Suez to embark personnel for passage to Durban.

 

October to December

 

Repatriation deployment in continuation.

 

 

1 9 4 6

 

January to March

 

Repatriation duties in continuation.

 

April

 

Resumed operational deployment with reduced complement and took part in training exercises. (Note: During this period the future of the South African Defence Forces was under active consideration and the problem of manning was acute.)

 

May

 

1st - South African Naval Force established as a permanent branch of the defence forces of South Africa. New Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander J K Mallory appointed.

 

June

 

(no information)

 

July  to December

 

Deployed for local training.

 

 

1 9 4 7

 

January

 

Prepared for duties associated with Royal visit by HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth.

 

February

 

Deployed as Guardship at East London, Port Elizabeth and Durban during Royal visits.

 

March

 

Deployed as Host Ship at Durban during Royal visit.

 

3rd - Embarked Princess Elizabeth in Durban to open new dry-dock.

 

April

 

Took part in Operation TOT SIENS, the farewell to the Royal Family when leaving Cape Town in HM Battleship VANGUARD.

 

May

 

Deployed for local duties and training in South African waters.

 

June to November

 

SAN deployment in continuation. Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander J Fairbairn appointed in July

 

December

 

Prepared for Operation SNOEKTOWN and embarked stores and special equipment

 

21st - Sailed from Cape Town to Marion Island with specialist personnel and stores for SNOEKTOWN landings. (Note: This operation was intended to forestall any landings by foreign powers in view of the strategic position of the territories since they were ideally suited for use as missile firing positions.)

 

25th - Sighted Marion Island

 

29th - Landed annexation party after delay by weather conditions. (Note: Brass plate secured to cairn of stones to record the event and a Deed of Sovereignty left in cylinder adjacent to cairn. Formal Annexation Ceremony carried out prior to permanent occupation on 4th January 1948.)

 

 

1 9 4 8

 

January

 

4th - Landing of personnel completed and sailed for Prince Edward Island. Island formally annexed and brass plate left with brass plate and Deed of Sovereignty. Returned to Marion Island before sailing to Capetown.

 

February

 

12th - Passage to Marion Island with mail and stores.

 

15th - Arrived at Marion Island to relieve HMSAS GOOD HOPE as support ship.

 

March

 

2nd - Took return passage from Marion Island to resume normal duties.

 

April to October

 

Deployed for training exercises and visits with SAN frigates.

 

November

 

4th - Dispatched from East London to assist tanker ESSO WHEELING aground on Quoin Point, Cape Province and rescued Master and 41 other from Lifeboats. (Note: This was carried out difficult conditions.)

 

16th - Taken in hand for refit.

 

December

 

Under refit

 

14th - Refit completion.

 

Resumed SAN duties on completion of post refit trials. New Commanding Officer: Lt. Cdr J J Rice VRD.

 

 

1 9 4 9

 

January

 

15th - Visited Tristan da Cunha

 

February

 

2nd - Delayed departure for return passage due to radio equipment defect

 

3rd - When spare arrived from Simons Town and equipment repaired, despatched to assist mv PEQUENA, Support Ship for Tristan da Cuhna which was disabled without rudder .

 

5th - Met PEQUENA and established tow, which later parted.

 

6th - Tow re-established.

 

9th - Arrived at Capetown with PEQUENA.

 

12th - Resumed local duties.

 

March to June

 

SAN local duties and exercises in continuation

 

July

 

Visited Durban.

 

August

 

SAN duties in continuation.

 

September to October

 

Deployed at Saldadana Bay.

 

November

 

4th - Taken in hand for refit.

 

December

 

12th - Refit completion and commenced post refit trials.

 

 

1 9 5 0

 

January to June

 

Resumed SAN local duties on completion of trials. Nominated for reduction to Reserve status.

 

July

 

Paid-off and reduced to Reserve. Laid-up at Durban.

 

August

 

 Laid-up at Durban

 

September to October

 

Brought forward for service and deployed for exercises in Cape area. Commanding Officer: Lt. Cdr J Johnson.

 

November

 

Routine docking.

 

December

 

Prepared for passage to Australia for official visit to Royal Australian Navy during Jubilee celebrations.

 

26th - Sailed from Durban for Amsterdam Island.

 

 

1 9 5 1

 

January

 

10th - Arrived at Fremantle from Amsterdam Island. Official calls exchanged and social entertainment arranged.

 

29th - Arrived at Sydney

 

30th - Took part in exercises based at Jervis Bay with RAN, Pakistan and Indian warships. (Note: HM Submarine TACITURN provided anti-submarine training.)

 

February

 

Took part in further exercises before visits to Melbourne and Adelaide. Ship's company attended parades at Adelaide and Melbourne where shore visits were arranged. Ship open to visitors .

 

15th - Arrived at Fremantle on return passage. (Note: Seven of the 150 members of the ship's company succumbed to the temptations of a longer stay.)

 

March

 

Resumed SAN duties on return.

 

April

 

SAN deployment in local areas in continuation.

 

May

 

Took part in SAN exercises in Cape area.

 

June to July

 

Resumed local duties.

 

August to September

 

Took part in SAN exercises in Cape area.

 

October

 

Visited Marion Island.

 

November to December

 

Under refit.

 

 

1 9 5 2

 

January to February

 

SAN routine deployments and exercises. Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander R C Cousens.

 

March to July

 

Visited Marion Island and South Africa ports during patrol.

 

August to September

 

Visited Diego Suarez, Madagascar, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam during cruise programme in Indian Ocean.

 

October

 

Deployed for exercises with SAN ships. Routine docking at Simonstown.

 

November to December

 

Docking and refit in continuation.

 

 

1 9 5 3

 

January to March

 

Resumed local duties

 

April

 

Visited East London and Port Elizabeth

 

May

 

Took part in SAN exercises at Saldahana Bay and visited East London.

 

June to October

 

Deployed locally in Cape area.

 

November to December

 

Carried out SAN exercises in Saldahana Bay and visited Cape Town. New Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander B V Hegarty DSC SAN

 

 

1 9 5 4

 

January to March

 

Local duties including exercises in continuation.

 

April

 

Visited Marion Island.

 

May

 

Took part in exercises in Saldahana Bay and visited Capetown.

 

June

 

SAN exercises and visits.

 

July to August

 

Under interim refit and periodic docking.

 

September to December

 

Deployed for SAN exercises at Saldahana Bay, patrol and visits to Marion Island, Capetown and Port Elizabeth.

 

 

1 9 5 5

 

January

 

Nominated for special radar surveying duties. Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander DH Farr.

 

30th - Deployed for radar survey at Bouvet Island

 

February

 

8th - Completed survey work and on return resumed SAN local duties.

 

March

 

Visited Mossel Bay and Cape area communities.

 

April

 

18th - Took part in exercises with SAN ships at Saldahana Bay.

 

May

 

3rd - Resumed local duties on completion of exercises.

 

8th - New Commanding Officer: Commander C J F Nettleburgh DSC

 

June to July

 

Local deployment in continuation.

 

August

 

Visited Capetown.

 

25th - Took passage for east coast cruise with visits to Port Elizabeth and East London.

 

September

 

9th - Returned from visits programme.

 

19th - Taken in hand for refit.

 

October

 

Under refit

 

November

 

25th - Refit work completed.

 

December

 

Resumed SAN local duties on completion of post refit trials.

 

 

1 9 5 6

 

Deployed with 6th Escort Squadron, SAN and took part in Flotilla and SAN exercise and visits programme. New Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander G N Green. (January)

 

Took part in Hydrographic survey of Gough Island with other SAN ships for the South African Hydrographic Office for the preparation of a Chart for the area. (Note: Gough Island is 200 miles SW of Tristan da Cunha.)

 

 

1 9 5 7

 

January

 

Flotilla duties in continuation.

 

February

 

Routine Docking and essential repairs in Simonstown.

 

March

 

Deployed with Flotilla for exercises and visits.

 

April

 

2nd - Attended formal hand-over of Simonstown Dockyard to SAN from RN.

 

May

 

Visited Tristan da Cunha, Marion Island and Gough Island.

 

June

 

Nominated for modernisation to RN LOCH-Class standards.

 

July to August

 

Flotilla deployment in continuation.

 

September

 

Paid-off and prepared for modernisation and long refit at Simonstown.

 

11th - Transferred to Dockyard Control and commenced refit.

 

October to December

 

Modernisation in continuation.

 

 

1 9 5 8   t o   1 9 5 9

 

Modernisation in continuation.

 

 

1 9 6 0

 

January to July

 

Modernisation in continuation.

 

August

 

Post refit harbour trials.

 

23rd - Dockyard work completed.

 

24th - Commanding Officer: Commander B V Hegarty DSC

 

September to December

 

Post refit sea trials. Reduced to Reserve status and laid-up on completion of trials.

 

 

1 9 6 1

 

January to July

 

Laid-up in Reserve. Nominated for service (Note: On 31 May the Union of South Africa became a Republic and withdrew from the British Commonwealth. South Africa warships were no longer designated HMSAS and identified by the prefix SAN.)

 

August

 

Recommissioned for service with 6th Escort Squadron.

 

September

 

Flotilla duties on completion of work-up and shakedown.

 

October to December

 

Deployed with SAN ships to assist in the aftermath of a volcanic explosion at Tristan da Cunha. This involved evacuation of the population who were later taken to UK for temporary stay until they could return.

 

 

1 9 6 2

 

January to March

 

SAN local duties in continuation.

 

April to August

 

Deployed to take members of a British Royal Society Scientific Party to Tristan da Cunha to carry out an inspection prior to the restoration of facilities so that the inhabitants could return. Resumed Flotilla duties for exercises and visits on release from the operations at Tristan da Cunha.

 

September

 

Taken in hand for refit and docking.

 

October to December

 

Under refit (Note: One source suggests the forward single 4in mounting was replaced by a twin 4in mounting as in RN LOCH Class during this refit. In addition the ship was prepared for use as a Training Ship for which additional accommodation was provided and some changes made to Close Range AA armament to standardise fit as in more modern ships.)

 

 

1 9 6 3

 

January

 

Under refit

 

February

 

Resumed service and deployed in the Training Role. (Note: SAN had received more modern ships and there was a need to provide sea training on a ship not required for normal Fleet duties. Exercises were carried out with RN and Portuguese ships.)

 

March to August

 

Training deployment in continuation. New Commanding Officer: Commander W D Hogg (March).

 

September

 

Deployed for Air Sea Rescue duties during first US reconnaissance flight over the region of the South Pole. Took up Station in position 50 degrees South and 18 Degrees East.

 

October to November

 

Deployed for local training on return from SAR duties.

 

December

 

Took part with other SAN ships in Bathymetric Survey in Indian Ocean as part of International Geophysical Year Project. During return passage one propeller shaft broke and repairs to hull were made by divers so that ingress of water could be prevented. Remainder of passage was made on one shaft.

 

 

1 9 6 4

 

January to July

 

Training duties in continuation after repair to shaft completed. Nominated to Pay-Off and transfer to Reserve.

 

August

 

18th - Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status

 

 

P o s t   S e r v i c e   N o t e s

 

SANS TRANSVAAL was laid-up in Reserve until 1978 when she was placed on the Disposal List. She was de-equipped and prepared for sinking. On 8th August 1978 the ship was towed to a position outside False Bay and sunk by gunfire. During service the ship steamed 170,000 miles and is recorded  as having been a true ambassadress of her country.

 

A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t

 

The details recorded were provided by the South African Naval Museum and by the Commanding Officer of the ship for its last commission. This information is gratefully acknowledged.

 

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revised 10/6/11
further editing is required