Page 285 - Il Mediterraneo quale elemento del Potere Marittimo - Atti 16-18 settembre 1996

SOUTII AFRICA'S NAVAL ROLE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR 271

Despite these pressing air attacks, the supply line to Tobruk was maintained
due largely co the courage of the small escorting craft and minesweepers which we-
re hard put to keep the channel clear and run in the necessary supplies. The South
African whalers, Southern Maid, Southern Isles and Southern Sea were ''among the smaller
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vessels which distinguished themselves in these hazardous escorting duties" < >. Ac-
cording to Adm Cunningham, the losses in small ships and minesweepers was the
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price they had to pay for "che almost complete lack of air cover" < 5>.
So o n, however, che South Africa n shi ps received considerable praise for their
service and commitment co ducy. The Commanding Officer (CO) of the First Sub-
marine Flotilla was of che opinion that these ships ha ve "shown their mettle under
fire on many occasions. They normally operate without che support of other ships
and it says much for the leadership of their CO's that the spirit of ships companies
is so excellent throughout'' (46).
Tobruk was relieved on 8 December 1941, after 242 days of siege, during
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which a total of 27 ships were sunk and 27 damaged < >. In a speech on the sup-
plies at Tobruk in the House of Commons, the British Prime .Minister made no
mention of how che supplies reached Tobruk, or che hard cime small ships had
in carrying out this obligation. As a result Cunningham wrote to Sir Dudley Pound
(First Sea Lord) stating that the Prime Minister's speech had annoyed everybody
concerned and that the men in the small ships were "a bit sore-hearted at receiving
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no official recognition of what has been gallane work as has ever been done ... " < >.
Cunningham also sent a signa! co che Government of the U nion of South Africa
in which he stated that he had noted with great admiration the work South African
warships had performed under the most arduous conditions and that although " ...
they are rather out of the limelight, their excellent work and seamanlike handling
coupled with the courage and determination shown in che face of continuai air at-
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tack reflects the greatest credit on officers and men" < 9>.
Although che Southerns were to return to South Africa at the end ofMay 1941,
events in that theatre of war were so pressing that the Admiralcy not only requested
that the ships stay for another six months, but also asked for a replacement of the
Southern Floe. The replacement vessel, the HMSAS Protea, was an up-to-date whaling
ship, of a very similar design to the Southerns (50) and received a full mechanical
overall during her conversion <51). She sailed from Durban during August, joined
the 22nd Anti-Submarine Group in November and was soon in the thick of the
fighting in the Mediterranean.
At the end of 1941 the South African flotilla of four ships had already recei-
ved six DSO's, ten DSM's, one CGM, one DSM and five crewmembers were men-
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tioned in despatches < >. Trew, the first Senior Officer South African Ships was,
later in the war, also a warded the DSC for '' courage and devoti o n co ducy while
in command of a SANF whaler carrying supplies to Tobruk" (53>.
The South Mrican 22nd Anti-Submarine Group was to return to che Union
at the end of 1941. Adm Cunningham "was reluccant to see chese ships go particularly