It is known that German surface raiders were operational in the South Atlantic, and that these held a definite threat to merchant shipping. As early as 1939, the Graf Spee, a "pocket battleship", managed to sink five merchantmen in South African waters and German raiders sunk 11 ships during the period 1940-1942. German minefields were also laid on the main shipping route around the Cape. One German raider laid 60 mines only 35km west of Table Bay harbour and another laid 92 mines between 8km and 37km from Cape Agulhas.
Coast counter bombardment battery carrying two and later three 9.2-inch guns were located at Scala (Simon's Town), Apostle (Llandudno), Robben Island, Lion Docks battery and Fort Wynyard (near the Waterfront). The purpose of this network was to protect the shipping lanes around Cape Town.
Due to fear that the Steenbras reservoir (built in 1941) was not adequately protected, a battery was built in 1943 near the mouth of the Steenbras River, armed with two 6-inch breech loading guns.
Steenbras Dam Filtration Plant (John Shorten via Artefacts)
Smaller 6-inch batteries at Noah’s Ark...
