Robey Leibrandt the former heavyweight boxing champion returns to South Africa as a German
agent with orders to assassinate Prime Minister Smuts. He is betrayed, captured and sentenced to
death for High Treason.
The blow delivered by Imperial Japan at Pearl Harbour on the 7th December 1941 is devastating.
Over 350 aircraft from six Japanese carriers decimated the American Pacific Battle Fleet to inflict
the worst military defeat on the United States in its 200-year history.
As predicted by Smuts; on the 10th of December, just three days after Pearl Harbour, HMS Prince
of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk off Malaya.
At the same time on the other side of the world, the Germans, after massive victories, suffered a
severe reverse before the gates of Moscow.
1942: Started With a Series of Disasters for the Allies.
At Singapore on15th February, the greatest ever defeat of British arms occurs when 130 000
British troops surrendered to 30 000 Japanese. The Americans capitulated in the Philippines and
the Dutch in Indonesia.
South Africa earned the first of four Victoria Crosses of the Second World War when Squadron
Leader John Nettleton led a raid of Lancaster bombers on Germany.
At Tobruk, Major General Klopper, surrendered with 30 000 men, including 10 000 South Africans.
Durban and Pietermaritzburg are “blacked out” following sightings of Japanese sea planes.
The first 1 000 bomber raid is mounted by the RAF on Cologne; Colonel Doolittle bombs Tokyo and
the US fleet sinks four Japanese aircraft carriers at Midway. South African troops invade
Madagascar.
For the South African forces, the great event is at El Alamein where they fought with Montgomery’s
eighth army in what Churchill described as the “End of the Beginning”.
A South African was awarded the second VC of the war for his country. Sergeant Quenton Smythe
of the Natal Carbineers was decorated for conspicuous valour at Alem Hanza in North Africa on 5th
June1942.
In November the Russians launched their counter attack at Stalingrad, and the Anglo Americans
landed in North Africa.
The tide of war was turning with the enemy forced onto retreat. Tragically, outstanding South
African General, Dan Pienaar was killed in an air crash on his way back to South Africa.
1943: The Year of Recovery for the Allies.
The German sixth army surrendered at Stalingrad with the loss of a quarter million men. At
Casablanca the Allied powers proclaim “Unconditional Surrender,” and in May the Afrika Korps in
Tunisia surrenders bringing the end to the war in Africa. Many South African troops arrive home on
leave to a rousing welcome and Brigadier Evered Poole is promoted to Major General; Field
Marshall Smuts wins the South African General election.
The U-Boats are defeated in the Atlantic and the Germans are defeated in the largest tank battle in
Russia; the Allies invade Sicily in July and the Italian mainland in September. The air battle over
Germany intensifies leading into the “Dambuster Raid” with the specially designed “bouncing
bomb” led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC of 617 Squadron.
Benito Mussolini is deposed in Italy and imprisoned, only to be rescued by Nazi special troops and
