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.
S u m m a r y of
S e r v i c e
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
Repatriation deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 6
January
Repatriation duties in continuation.
to
March
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
July Deployed for local training.
to
December
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 SAN deployment in continuation
to Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander J
Fairbairn appointed in July
November
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 by weather conditions.
(Note : Brass {late 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 Deployed for training exercises and visits with SAN
frigates.
to
October
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
SAN local duties and exercises in continuation
to
June
July Visited Durban.
August
SAN duties in continuation.
September
Deployed at Saldadana Bay.
to
October
November
4th Taken in hand for refit
December
12th Refit completion and commenced post refit trials
1 9 5 0
January
Resumed SAN local duties on completion of trials.
to Nominated for reduction to Reserve status
June
July Paid-off and reduced to Reserve. Laid-up at Durban
August
September
Brought forward for service and deployed for exercises in Cape area.
to Commanding Officer: Lt. Cdr J Johnson.
October
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 Resumed local duties
to
July
August
Took part in SAN exercises in Cape area.
to
September
October
Visited Marion Island.
November
Under refit
to
December
1 9 5 2
January
SAN routine deployments and exercises.
to Commanding Officer : Lieutenant Commander R C
Cousens.
February
March
Visited Marion Island and South Africa ports during patrol.
to
July
August
Visited Diego Suarez, Madagascar,
Mombasa and Dar es Salaam during
to cruise programme in Indian Ocean.
September
1 9 5 2
October
Deployed for exercises with SAN ships.
Routine docking at Simonstown.
November
Docking and refit in continuation.
to
December
1 9 5 3
January
Resumed local duties
to
March
April Visited East London and Port Elizabeth
May Took part in SAN exercises at Saldahana Bay and visited
East London.
June Deployed locally in Cape area.
to
October
November
Carried out SAN exercises in Saldahana Bay and visited Cape
Town,
to New Commanding Officer : Lieutenant Commander B V
Hegarty DSC SAN
December
1 9 5 4
January
Local duties including exercises in continuation.
to
March
April Visited Marion Island
May Took part in exercises in Saldahana Bay and visited
Capetown.
June SAN exercises and visits.
July Under interim refit and periodic docking.
to
August
September
Deployed for SAN exercises at Saldahana Bay, patrol and visits
to
to
Marion Island, Capetown and Port
Elizabeth.
December
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 Local deployment in continuation
to
July
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 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
Modernisation in continuation
to
December
1 9 5 8 t o 1 9 5 9
Modernisation in continuation
1 9 6 0
January
Modernisation in continuation
to
July
August
Post refit harbour trials.
23rd Dockyard work completed.
24th Commanding Officer Commander B V Hegarty DSC
September
Post refit sea trials.
to
December
Reduced to Reserve status and laid-up on completion of trials.
1 9 6 1
January
Laid-up in Reserve
to Nominated for service
July
(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
Deployed with san ships to assist in the aftermath of a volcanic explosion
to at Tristan da Cunha. This involved evacuation of
the population who were
December
later taken to UK for temporary stay until they could return.
1 9 6 2
January
SAN local duties in continuation.
to
March
April Deployed to take members of a British Royal Society
Scientific Party
to to Tristan da Cunha to carry out an inspection
prior to the restoration of
August
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
Under refit
to (Note : One source suggests the forward single 4in
mounting was
December
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
Training deployment in continuation.
to New Commanding Officer : Commander W D Hogg
(March).
August
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
Deployed for local training on return from SAR duties.
to
November
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
Training duties in continuation after repair to shaft completed.
to Nominated to Pay-Off and transfer to Reserve.
July
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
SAS 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 170,00 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.
