Browsing by Author "Potgieter, Thean"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The secret South African project team : building strike craft in Israel, 1975-79
    (Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy), 2004) Potgieter, Thean
    Though the history of the South African Navy (SAN) only dates back to 1922, for most of its history it depended on Britain for warships. The British Royal Navy on the other hand had an unbroken involvement with maritime defence along the South African Coast and the protection of the Cape Sea Route from 1806 to 1975 (when the Simon’s Town Agreement was cancelled). However, political tension between South Africa’s apartheid government and Britain caused a break in this relationship, forcing the SAN to acquire warships from alternative sources. A number of South African efforts to acquire corvettes failed during the 1970s, leaving the strike craft project as the only major warship project of the SAN to succeed for close to three decades. This project had an overseas as well as a local building phase. As part of the overseas phase, a project team was dispatched to Israel in 1975 to oversee the building and commissioning into the SAN, of three strike craft. The project team consisted of the Armaments Board (AB, Armscor after 1977) team as well as the SAN project team. While the AB/Armscor had to oversee the building process, the SAN team had to prepare to take the vessels into service.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Verdediging van die Kaap in 1795 : vir Kroon of Patria?
    (Historical Association of South Africa, 2001) Potgieter, Thean
    Defending the Cape in 1795: for king or country? The strategic location of the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa made it a priced possession and vital for maritime communications to the East. With the growth of British global commercial interest control of the sea route to the East and a safe base along this route became essential. But, the Cape was in Dutch hands and in 1795 (after France invaded the Netherlands) Britain decided to prevent the Cape from falling into French hands. An expeditionary force sailed for the Cape and the Prince of Orange (then a refugee at Kew) supported the idea that the Cape be placed "under the protection" of the British. Local opinion at the Cape was severely divided. Some Orange supporters demanded immediate adherence to the Prince of Orange's request while supporters of the Patriot Party threatened to defend the Cape to the last. As the rulers of the Cape and many officers were Orange supporters and the burghers and soldiers were Patriot supporters, the Cape Military Commander Colonel Gordon, was in a difficult position. Should he defend the Cape or capitulate? Meanwhile, the British landed successfully in False Bay and because of the poor defence they forced the Dutch back. Many of the burghers and soldiers were furious with the weak defence, but when British reinforcements arrived, the military situation changed in favour of the British. the Cape capitulated.