Shipping on the Cape Route: South Africa’s Unexpected Triumph

Abstract

This chapter explores South Africa’s maritime contribution to the Second World War, something that is often completely omitted from existing accounts. Despite the limitations of its economic development, South Africa functioned as an important imperial shipping hub on the Cape Route, feeding the North African front with supplies, and Britain with cargo brought from the eastern portions of the empire. South Africa was drastically unprepared for the sudden displacement of shipping from the Suez Canal that sent vast numbers of vessels to its ports. Although Pretoria exploited its strategic importance for financial gain, its attitude should not obscure the level of its achievements. Johnston argues that South Africa produced a Herculean effort, repairing over 13,000 ships and servicing 400 convoys that carried six million troops.