View source for SAS Assegaai


{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:New and old submarine.jpg|300px]]
|Ship caption=SAS ''Assegaai''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=[[South Africa]]
|Ship flag=[[Image:Naval Ensign of South Africa.svg|44px|South African Navy ensign]]
|Ship name=SAS ''Assegaai''
|Ship namesake=[[Johanna van der Merwe]]
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=South African Navy
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=10 February 1967
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Dubigeon-Normandy shipyard]], [[Nantes]]
|Ship original cost=
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|Ship laid down=24 April 1969
|Ship launched=21 July 1970
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=''Johanna van der Merwe'', S99
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship ordered=1967
|Ship commissioned=21 August 1971
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=23 November 2003
|Ship maiden voyage= 
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|Ship renamed=SAS ''Assegai''
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|Ship homeport=[[Simon's Town]]
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|Ship fate=
|Ship status=Decommissioned, museum ship
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}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Daphné class submarine]]
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=860 tons surface, 700 tons standard, 1034 tons submerged
|Ship tons burthen=
|Ship length={{Convert|57.8|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{Convert|6.75|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{Convert|5.23|m|ft|abbr=on}}
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|Ship power=2 SEMTPielstick 450kW diesel generators, 2 × 80 cell batteries
|Ship propulsion=2 Jeumont-Schneider elect propulsion motors
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed=13.5 [[knot (unit)|knots]] (25 km/h)surface, 16 [[knot (unit)|knots]] (30 km/h)submerged 
|Ship range={{Convert|4300|nmi|km}} at {{Convert|7.5|kn|km/h}} snorkelling, {{Convert|2700|nmi|km}} at {{Convert|12.5|kn|km/h}} surface
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|Ship complement=6 Officers and 45 Ratings, and 6 to 10 trainees
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|Ship armament=12×550mm torpedoes, 8 Forward and 4 Aft
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}}
|}

The '''SAS ''Assegaai''''', formerly known as the '''SAS ''Johanna van der Merwe''''', was a {{sclass|Daphné|submarine}} of the [[South African Navy]]. Decommissioned in 2003, the SAS ''Assegaai'' is the only one of the former 3 ''Daphné'' class submarines to have been retained for preservation as a museum boat, the other two have been cut up and sold for scrap. The ''Daphné'' class submarines have since been replaced by the [[Type 209 submarine|Type 209]], or {{sclass|Heroine|submarine}}.

==''Daphné'' Class submarines ==

On 10 February 1967, after nearly two years of negotiations, an order was placed with the French Government to provide three ''Daphné'' (Dolphinr) class submarines in addition to providing the training and infrastructure to run and maintain them. The first of these submarines, the [[SAS Maria van Riebeek|SAS ''Maria van Riebeek'' (S97)]], was launched on 18 March 1976 - the date accepted{{by whom}} as being the birth of the SAN's submarine service. The second boat was the {{SAS|Emily Hobhouse|S98}}, and the last of the three, the {{SAS|Johanna van der Merwe|S99}}.<ref>[http://newsite.ipmssa.za.org/content/view/97/72/1/5/ ''History of the Daphné class submarine''] from IPMSAA</ref>
In 1999 the three boats were renamed [[SAS Spear|SAS ''Spear'']], [[SAS Umkhonto|SAS ''Umkhonto'']] and SAS ''Assegaai'' respectively. In 2003, the SAS ''Spear'' was cut up for scrap, followed by the SAS ''Umkhonto'' in 2008 while SAS ''Assegaai'' is being preserved as a museum exhibit.<ref>[http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=884&catid=51:Sea&Itemid=106 SAS Assegaai to be preserved as museum] from DefenceWeb</ref>

==History==

Laid down at the Dubigeon-Normandy shipyard in [[Nantes]] on 24 April 1969, she was the launched on 21 July 1970.<ref>[http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=884&catid=51:Sea&Itemid=106 ''Defenceweb on the Daphné submarine''] from Defenceweb</ref> Commissioned under command of Lt Cdr Theo Honiball on 21 August 1971, she completed her workup training in the [[Mediterranean]], operating out of [[Toulon]], before sailing for home on 4 May 1972. During the long passage, she was escorted by the frigate [[SAS President Steyn|SAS ''President Steyn'']], and called at [[Cadiz]], [[São Vicente, Cape Verde|São Vicente]], [[Luanda]] and [[Walvis Bay]], before arriving in [[Simon's Town]] on 19 June 1972. Her arrival in South Africa marked the successful culmination of five years of construction, trials and training to establish South Africa's first ever submarine capability. It was not long before the submarines were involved in operations, and in 1975, just before [[Operation Savannah (Angola)]], the SAS ''Johanna van der Merwe'' was deployed into [[Angola]]n waters under [[Operation Yskas]] to prepare for the evacuation of SA military personnel. During the [[South African Border War]], she took part in some ten clandestine special operations.{{fact}}

During her career, she underwent four refits, which included installing additional fuel tanks, and the fitting of a locally developed RAKA combat suite in the 80s, which replaced a cumbersome plotting table. In the late 90s she received the South African developed NICKLES fully integrated software based combat suite and two state of the art rebuilt periscopes.<ref>[http://newsite.ipmssa.za.org/content/view/97/72/1/2/ ''History of the Daphné class submarine''] from IPMSAA</ref> With the acquisition of the new [[Type 209 submarine]]s for the SA Navy, SAS ''Assegaai'' finally paid off on 23 November 2003.

==Museum boat ==

The SAS ''Assegaai'' has been converted into a [[museum ship]] and is stationed in Simon's Town.<ref>[http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=884&catid=51:Sea&Itemid=106 ''Defenceweb article on the Daphné submarine''] from Defenceweb</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=S99 Museum Submarine|url=http://www.navy.mil.za/museum_submarine/Default.htm|publisher=[[Department of Defence (South Africa)]]|accessdate=16 November 2012}}</ref>  A project that has been spearheaded by the South African Naval Heritage Trust, the SAS ''Assegaai'' is a part of the [[South African Naval Museum]].<ref>[http://www.navalheritagetrust.co.za/Projects.html ''Naval Heritage Trust Projects''] from the South African Naval Heritage Trust</ref>

<gallery>
SAS Assegaai01.jpg|Lying alongside
SAS Assegaai07.jpg|Captain's chair at the periscope
SAS Assegaai11.jpg|Combat Suite
SAS Assegaai16.jpg|Interior
SAS Assegaai45.jpg|Torpedo tubes
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category| S99 Johanna van der Merwe (ship, 1971)}}
*http://www.navy.mil.za/equipment/submarines.htm
*http://www.sa-transport.co.za/military/navy/submarines_daphne_class.html
*http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=884&catid=51:Sea&Itemid=106
*http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=939247
*http://www.navalheritagetrust.co.za/Projects.html
* [http://www.navy.mil.za/museum_submarine/Default.htm Submarine museum page]

{{Daphné class submarines}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assegaai, SAS}}
[[Category:Submarines of the South African Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in France]]
[[Category:1970 ships]]
[[Category:Daphné-class submarines of the South African Navy]]