Page 287 - Il Mediterraneo quale elemento del Potere Marittimo - Atti 16-18 settembre 1996

SOUTH AFRICA'S NAVAL ROLE IN THE MEDJTERRANEAN DURING THE SECOND WORLD \V/AR 273

During March 1943, in a "gruelling hunt in heavy seas lasting more than three
days·· <64> the Protea participated in a hunt fora submarine. Two ships in the con-
voy (Deflia and Kaiyang) were torpedoed and the crews were intermittently at AS
stations for days o n end <65). During the action the ships carne un der torpedo at-
tack but on the last day, following an AS contact, a considerable amount of diesel
and oil bubbled to the surface. This gave reason to presume that the submarine
was badly damaged or destroyed.
Ships of the 22nd Anti-Submarine Group also participated in the invasion
of Sicily. In August 1943 during Operation Husky, they escorted a convoy which
included landing craft. At this time a convoy system, extending over the whole length
of the Mediterranean was created, and South African ships escorted convoys from
Gibraltar to Port Said, a passage of nearly 2000 miles. En route ships arrived and
were detached to numerous destinations such as Malta, Sicily, and about eight North
African ports. This meant that the size of the convoys was continuously changing
and occasionally convoys were rather large, consisting of as many as 80 ships with
about five escorc vessels <66>.
These convoys carne frequently under attack, on many occasions while South
African ships acted as escorts. On 27 October 1943 for example, a convoy carne
under submarine attack while che Southern ls/es and the Fleet Minesweeper HMS
Hythe were on convoy duty. Torpedo's aimed at vessels in che convoy, hit and sank
the Hythe. The Southern Is/es immediately counter-attacked with dept charges, and
no ocher vessels in che convoy w ere sunk. After briefly sighting che submarine' s
stern and some oil on the surface, she lost contact with the submarine bue managed
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to rescue the 19 survivors of the Hythe < >. Arduous convoy èluty between Alexan-
dria and Gibraltar continued; although, owing to che loss of their ltalian bases and
other supply difficulties the German submarine threat was decreasing. A modesc
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air offensive against che convoys, however, continued <6 >.
While che Protea, Southern Sea and Southern IsleJ were still involved in escare
duties between Port Sai d an d Gibraltar, the Southern Maid was performing similar
6
duties in che Levant < 9>. O ne of Southern Maid's more unusual experiences was a
spirited engagement on 2 October 1944 with a German shore battery on Aegina
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island < >. After departing from the Island of Poros she carne under fire from che
shore battery on Aegina fo about 30 minutes. She immediately fired back, her gun-
nery officer utilising che upward role of che ship co try and add extra discance, but
the range of her 4'' guns was too limited. A number of shots fell quite dose to
ship bue, with the exception of a bridge window broken by shrapnel, she suffered
7
no damage< l). In November 1944, while che Protea was busy with escort duties
in the Aegean an d along che Greek coasc, she assisted che evacuation of hard-pressed
British and Indian croops from Krioneriin. These troops encountering ELAS (Na-
tional People's Liberation Army) opposition co che Allied reoccupation of Greece
and had co be evacuated <72>.
In December 1944, the Southern Sea and the Southern lsles were recalled back
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to South Africa < >. They arrived in Durban shortly before Christmas 1944; che