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272 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s new entity was created as the Air Services of the Union of South Africa Defence Force on 1 February 1920 after Britain donated about 100 First World War vintage aircraft (including 48 DH9s, 30 Avro 504s and 22 SE5s) with workshop machinery and spare parts, to South Africa. Consequently Pierre van Ryneveld (later General Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld) was appointed at its head as Director Air Services and the service was listed as a Permanent Force unit on 1 February 1923. 4 Van Reyneveld had an outstanding career in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, was well respected as a leader and, amongst others, saw deployment in Egypt, Palestine and Salonika before commanding 78 Squadron (Home Defence) in Britain, one of the first night-fighter units, as well as the 11 th Army Wing. Sadly, the new air force’s first operational experience was internally as it was used against striking gold miners on the Witwatersrand in 1922. When the strikes turned violent, General Jan Smuts (South African Prime Minister) declared martial law and used the air force to bomb the miners’ positions. Two aircraft were shot down (killing two crew members and injuring two others). Shortly afterwards (in 1922, 1925 and 1932) it also played an important part in suppressing ethnic rebellions in the former German Southwest Africa (currently Namibia). Amongst these clashes was the infamous crushing of the Bondelswarts revolt in southern Namibia, which led to internal and international criticism for the Smuts government. In the next challenge the SAAF had to face it came of second best. In line with the global depression of the time its budget was severely slashed in the early 1930s, which resulted in a substantial scaling down. However, as the maintenance of an air force was still regarded as important to South Africa, some progress still took place. Pilots were kept active (by even doing crop spraying) and a Central Flying School was established at Zwartkop in 1932 which was the beginning of long professional tradition. 5 After the economic recovery in 1936 government approved the creation of a reserve of 1000 pilots and 1700 mechanics to be trained over the next six years, while new bases were created in Bloemspruit, Durban, Waterkloof and Cape Town. 6 The Second World War and its aftermath The Second World War caught the SAAF by surprise. At its outbreak it had a mere 1500 men. Though it had 104 aircraft, only eight of these (six Hurricanes, one Fairy Battle bomber and one Blenheim bomber) were up to date. 7 These shortcomings were quickly addressed and top priority was given to training and equipment. At the war’s height in 1944 SAAF was at a peak with 45 000 members (including 4 L. Steyn, A short history of the South African Air Force, 1920-2010, Unpublished brief history, SAAF Museum, Pretoria, 2010, p. 1. 5 H. Heitman, Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygsmag, CNA, Johannesburg, 2001, p. 53. 6 Ibid. 7 P. Moorcraft, Africa’s Super Power, Sygma/Collins, Johannesburg, 1981, p. 134.
tH e so u t H af r i C a n air fo r C e: Hi s t o r i C a l notes a n d in v o lv e m e n t in t H e ko r e a n wa r 273 6500 Women’s Auxiliaries), had 35 operational squadrons and operated 33 different aircraft types. As part of the Allied Joint Air Training Scheme, more than 33 347 pilots were trained at the 38 air schools set up around Southern Africa. Of these 12 221 flew for the SAAF while many South Africans also served in the British Royal Air Force. 8 Operationally a high priority was awarded to control over the vital sea route around the Cape. The SAAF provided valuable assistance to naval units in keeping the strategic shipping lanes clear of Axis warships and submarines and flew more than 15 000 coastal patrol missions during the war. The SAAF first went into action against the Italians in the Horn of Africa (Abyssinia), moving from there to the Western Desert theatre in North Africa. In Abyssinia SAAF set about neutralising the Italian air force in the area (Italy was then part of the Axis Forces) flying 5000 sorties, destroying 71 enemy aircraft in combat and at least 70 in attacks on airfields, while their losses were 79 pilots and aircrew dead and 5 missing in action. 9 South African pilots established a reputation for valour and determination and their valuable contribution to the Desert Air Force (North Africa) in 1942 can be judged from the fact that on D+1 of the El Alamein attack, No 3 Wing of the SAAF flew 133 of the 174 bomber sorties, while the four fighter squadrons flew 1 377 sorties (106 a day) between 19 and 31 October. 10 In addition the SAAF also made vital contributions to the campaigns in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Italy and flew very demanding missions, parachuting supplies to the Polish Home Army in Warsaw during August and September 1944. As a result of the altered strategic situation after the end of the war, the Russians closed all access to West Berlin in June 1948 and the vast amounts of provisions the city required had to be provided by air. From October 1948 onwards 20 SAAF aircrews joined other air forces in the “Berlin Air Bridge” (which lasted into 1949) flying thousands of tons of food and coal into Berlin. 11 The Korean War After open conflict broke out in Korea in 1950 the South African government availed 2 Squadron of the SAAF (with 49 officers and 157 airmen) to serve with the United Nations forces in Korea. The “Flying Cheetahs” as they were called, left South Africa on 27 September for the Johnson Air Force Base in Tokyo, where they converted to F-51D Mustangs before travelling on to Korea. In 1953 they traded their surviving Mustangs for the F86F Sabre. 12 During the Korean conflict the Flying Cheetahs carried out 12 405 operational flights with Mustang and Sabre aircraft while aircraft losses amounted to 79. In total 826 South Africans served in Korea, of 8 H. Heitman, Suid-Afrikaanse Krygsmag, p. 57. 9 K.A. Maxwell and J.M. Smith, SA Air Force Golden Jubilee Book, p. 42. 10 H. Heitman, South African Armed Forces, Buffalo Publications, Cape Town, 1990, p. 55. 11 P. Moorcraft, Africa’s Super Power, p. 138. 12 H. Heitman, South African Armed Forces, p. 57.
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National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

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