History of South Africa in the Second World War

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Military history of South Africa during World War II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Political choices at outbreak of war

On the eve of World War II the Union of South Africa found itself in a unique political and military quandary. While it was closely allied with Great Britain, being a co-equal Dominion under the 1931 Statute of Westminster with its head of state being the British king, the South African Prime Minister on September 1, 1939 was none other than Barry Herzog - the leader of the pro-African and anti-British National party that had joined in a unity government as the United Party.
Herzog's problem was that South Africa was constitutionally obligated to support Great Britain against Nazi Germany. The Polish-British Common Defence Pact obligated Britain, and in turn its dominions, to help Poland if attacked by the Nazis. After Hitler's forces attacked Poland on the night of August 31, 1939, Britain declared war on Germany within a few days. A short but furious debate unfolded in South Africa, especially in the halls of power in the Parliament of South Africa. It pitted those who sought to enter the war on Britain's side - led by the pro-Allied/pro-British African General (later Field Marshal) and former Prime Minister Jan Smuts - against Herzog, who wished to keep South Africa "neutral", if not actually pro-Axis.

Declaration of war against the Axis

On September 4, 1939, the United Party caucus refused to accept Hertzog's stance of neutrality in World War II and deposed him in favor of Smuts. Upon becoming Prime Minister of South Africa, he declared South Africa officially at war with Germany and the Axis. Smuts immediately set about fortifying South Africa against any possible German sea invasion because of South Africa's global strategic importance controlling the long sea route around the Cape of Good Hope.
John Vorster and other members of Ossewabrandwag strongly objected to South Africa's participation in World War II and actively carried out sabotage against Jan Smuts' government. Smuts took severe action against the pro-Nazi South African Ossewabrandwag movement and jailed its leaders - including Vorster - for the duration of the war.



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South African Army - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

World War II

Main article: Military history of South Africa during World War II
South Africa's contribution to World War II consisted mainly of supplying troops, men and material for the North African and Italian campaigns. Numerous volunteers also flew for the Royal Air Force.
The South African 1st Infantry Division took part in several actions in North Africa in 1941 and 1942, including the Battle of El Alamein, before being withdrawn to South Africa.
The South African 2nd Infantry Division also took part in a number of actions in North Africa during 1942, but on 21 June 1942 two complete infantry brigades of the division as well as most of the supporting units were captured at the fall of Tobruk.
The South African 3rd Infantry Division never took an active part in any battles but instead organised and trained the South African home defence forces, performed garrison duties and supplied replacements for the South African 1st Infantry Division and the South African 2nd Infantry Division. However, one of this division's constituent brigades - 7 SA Motorised Brigade - did take part in the invasion of Madagascar in 1942.
The South African 6th Armoured Division fought in numerous actions in Italy from 1944 to 1945.
Of the 334,000 men volunteered for full time service in the South African Army during the war (including some 211,000 whites, 77,000 blacks and 46,000 "coloureds" and Asians), nearly 9,000 were killed in action.

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South African Air Force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

World War II

Despite the expansions, the start of World War II in 1939 caught the SAAF unprepared. This caused the establishment of the Joint Air Training Scheme (JATS) in order to train Royal Air Force, SAAF and other allied air and ground crews at 38 South African-based air schools. This expanded the number of military aircraft in the SAAF to 1,709 by September 1941, with a personnel strength of 31,204 (956 pilots).

• Home defence (1939-45): Patrols of South African waters, where German U-boats and Japanese submarines were active.
• East Africa (1940-41): 2 Wing fought in British-led operations against Italian Somaliland and Italian-occupied Ethiopia.
• North Africa (1941-43): 3 and 7 Wings fought as part of the Desert Air Force, in operations in Egypt, Libya and Tunis.
• Madagascar (1942): A detachment took part in the British-led occupation of this French-ruled island.
• Atlantic (1943-45): Two squadrons patrolled convoy routes off West Africa and Gibraltar.
• Sicily(1943): 3 Wing provided air support during the Allied seizure of the island.
• Italy (1943-45): 2, 3 and 7 Wings fought in operations to liberate Italy from German occupation.

March/April 1942, Landing Ground 121, Egypt. Lieutenant Robin Pare (left), Major John "Jack" Frost (centre) and Captain Andrew Duncan (right) of 5 Squadron SAAF, part of the Desert Air Force. All three had been killed in action by the end of June. Frost, the squadron commander, was the highest scoring ace in an SAAF unit during World War II.

• Yugoslavia (1943-44): 7 Wing supported partisan operations against German occupation forces.
• France (1944): A detachment took part in the Franco-American invasion of southern France.
• Balkans (1944-45): Some squadrons served with the Balkan Air Force in operations over Hungary, Romania and Albania.
• Warsaw (1944): 2 Wing air-supplied Warsaw while the city was under siege.
• Greece (1944): 2 Wing supported British operations to liberate Greece and suppress the communist coup.

In particular, the SAAF played a major role in North Africa, where its fighter, bomber and reconnaissance squadrons enabled the Allied Desert Air Force to attain air superiority over the Axis air forces by the beginning of 1942. Between April 1941 and May 1943 the eleven squadrons of the SAAF flew 33,991 sorties and destroyed 342 enemy aircraft, producing a number of SAAF WWII air aces in the process.

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South African Navy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

World War II

In January 1940 a new naval unit, called the Seaward Defence Force, was formed. This unit was to be responsible for operating the minesweepers, anti-submarine services and the other examination and signalling duties in South African waters.
The Seaward Defence Force and the South African RNVR were amalgamated on 1 August 1942 to form the South African Naval Forces (SANF).