Page 289 - Il Mediterraneo quale elemento del Potere Marittimo - Atti 16-18 settembre 1996

SOUTH AFRICA'S NAVAL ROLE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR 275

Ac about 07:15 the following morning, che Parktown was attacked by four or
five E-boats, considered co be ltalian. Both sides immediately opened fire: Park-
town with her 20mm Oerlikon and che other side with what appeared co be three-
pounder guns. Outgunned and outmanoeuvred, the Parktown was no match for her
agile opponents, attacking her from ali sides. Shells hit the engine and boiler room,
81
while another hit the bridge killing her CO Lt L.J. Jagger < > and several others.
The crew fought valiantly and her First Lieutenant, Sub-Lieucenanc (SLt) E.R. Francis,
chough severely wounded, manned a gun and cook charge until all ammunition
2
were expended (8 >. As chey abandoned their burning ship the E-boacs fired on the
men in che wacer but an aircraft, considered co be Allied (bue possibly German)
appeared, opened fire o n che E-boa es and drove them off<S3). Out of a tocal com-
plement of 21 che Parktown suffered 13 casualties: the survivors being rescued co-
wards the evening. SLt Francis, wounded in both legs, was subsequencly awarded
che DSO (84>, while the CO of che Bever, Lt P.A. North, was awarded the DSC < >.
85
With che Axis forces in possessi o n of Tobruk, conditions in Alexandria beca-
me more perilous. The Axis forces parachuted mines from aircraft and this kepc
che Souch African L.L. sweepers qui te busy. Following che stabilization of the land
front at che Alamein Li ne and the ensuing Allied advance, a number of che South
African sweepers assisted in minesweeping operations as the Allied forces advan-
8
ced westward across North Africa < 6>. At the same cime, some vessels were also
involved in the laying of dan-buoys, marking areas swept or about to be swept and
completed casks ranging from che ferrying of troops co the cowing of disabled
8
ships < 7>. These duties were vari ed by occasionai convoy protection, and South Afri-
can minesweepers were somecimes on che spoc when ships were torpedoed. This
was che case when che canker SS Crista was torpedoed and subsequendy exploded;
an d che Bokshurg ha d to pick up 31 survivors ouc of che inferno < >.
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During 1944, Souch African minesweepers were primarily involved in mine-
sweeping operacions in the Eascern Mediterranean and also served as convoy escorcs
between Alexandria and Porc Said. On 15 Occober 1944 five minesweepers (Bok-
shurg, Grihb, Treen, Seksern and Bever) sailed to participate in che liberation of Gree-
ce and became heavily involved in excensive minesweeping operations off the Greek
coasc. Minesweeping operacions were hectic and in December 1944 che Seksern de-
8
stroyed 97 mines in the Aegean in three days < 9>. Bue minesweepers sometimes had
co pay che price and on 30 November 1944 after striking a mine the Bever was
lost, in the Gulf of Nauplia, off Crete (90). The explosion had che inevitable effect
on such a small ship: with fragments flying in ali directions, she disincegrated and
sank wichin seconds. Considering the rapidicy of che Bever's destruction, it is re-
markable thac seven survivors, out of a crew of 23, were rescued <91).
The Treen was che nexc Souch African loss. She sank in che Trikeri channel,
2
in the Aegean, after striking a mine at 09:00, on 12 January 1945 <9 >. This hap-
pened while the ship was cowing a small vessel carrying high occane spiric and only