I've just managed to find a 2nd hand copy of a nice little book entitled "War at Sea - South African Maritime Operations during World War II".
Of particular interest is a chapter on the Burma campaign and how naval warfare was conducted along the Arakan Coast. It goes something like this: During the early part of 1942, two 72 foot Diesel powered motor launches were built in Durban with money donated by citizens of that city. These were prepared for war at Simonstown naval base and then sent on a 6000 mile voyage up the east African coast to the Persian gulf via a number of Indian Ocean islands. They were later joined by six Fairmile (probably 112 foot)launches assembled in Knysna, South Africa and deployed as the 49th ML Flotilla to Burma early in 1944.
They operated very succesfully against the Japanese, disrupting supply lines by destroying several supply boats, barges and their motor gunboat escorts on the many rivers (Chaungs) along the Arakan and became known as the "Chaung Chasers". There is mention of a 36th and 56th Flotilla and the support given by the Indian Navy sloop HMIS Narbarda and the supply vessel HMS Barracouda. There existed close cooperation between Indian, Burmese, British and South African naval forces.
Other chapters deal with convoy duty, the training of defensive gun crews on merchant ships and references to post war Dutch Indies, Hong Kong and Japan.
The book was written by Capt. C.J.Harris and published by Ashanti in 1991.
Jacques.
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