South Africa's Frigates and Destroyers 1944 - 1985

Mar 7, 2006
Author: P&S

South Africa's frigates and destroyers 1944-1985 has been published by the Naval Heritage Society of South Africa as their Naval Digest number 11. The author is André Wessels, a Professor of History at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. Professor Wessels was born in Durban, grew up in the city, and matriculated at the Port Natal High School. Although he has been working away from Durban for more than two decades, he still has a keen interest in the history of and developments in Durban, and naval history is one of his fields of research.

In South Africa's frigates and destroyers 1944-1985 the service lives of the South African Navy's "Loch" class frigates (HM)SAS Good Hope, (HM)SAS Natal and (HM)SAS Transvaal are reviewed, as well as that of the Type 15 frigate SAS Vrystaat, the Type 12 frigates SAS President Kruger, SAS President Steyn and SAS President Pretorius, and the "W" class destroyers SAS Jan van Riebeeck and SAS Simon van der Stel.

Copies of André Wessels' South Africa's frigates and destroyers 1944-1984 can be purchased at the South African Naval Museum, St George's Street, Simon's Town; or ordered from the Naval Heritage Society of South Africa, P.O. Box 521, Simon's Town, 7995; telephone 021-7874635; fax 021-7873999. The publication comprises 94 pages, including 24 pages of photographs. Several photographs have never before been published. Price: R75 per copy