SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
July 6:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1833: Reform, this wooden cutter was driven ashore and wrecked on Dassen Island in the Western Cape.
1889: ST, this iron British schooner (possibly a 3-masted barquentine) wrecked in Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape after having struck a rock in the channel leading to the jetty. Although some sources suggest that the wreck lies further south than Port Nolloth.
The Nivonia (1935) being claimed by the sea after wrecking
1935: Nivonia, this British/South African whaler wrecked after stranding on Pumela Rocks, at the mouth of the Ntshambili River in KwaZulu-Natal, at night in rainy and misty conditions.
What remains of the Nivonia (1935) today above the water - the winch apparatus for its harpoon gun (on the right) as well as the bow section (on the left)
Other sources list the wrecking as July 2nd 1936. Today some of its remains are visible on the rocks, slowly being reclaimed by the sea with its boiler just beyond, in deeper water. The Port Shepstone Maritime Museum has an exhibition on the Nivonia.
The SS Mundra (1942) sunder its own steam, date and location unknown
1942: Mundra, this British steam-powered ship was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-18 about 40 km east of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal. It had on board survivors from the ship de Weert, which was sunk by the I-18 nine days earlier near modern-day Maputo, survivors from the Goviken, which was sunk by I-20 seven days earlier as well as survivors from the Eknaren which was sunk by I-16 five days earlier. In total, 94 lives were lost to this attack with 155 lives surviving it.
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| Remains of the Nivonia (1935) |
1993: A Transkei Defence Force Casa 212 Aviocar 200 (registration no. TDF-01) crashed about 10 km from Umtata Airport in the Eastern Cape during a take-off for a training flight, resulting in the death of both pilots.
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