Navy warship fires on Cape fishing boat

[Von Tonner]

A German Navy Task Group arrived in Simon's Town Monday to participate with the South African Navy in "Exercise Good Hope V1".

One of the main objectives of the Task Group is to train officer cadets of Crew VII/2014. Having already completed a five week workup, the German Task Group, in the words of its Commander, Captain Andreas Seidel, “arrived in order to continue the trusted South African/German cooperation at sea.”

The SA Navy participants include the Valour Class frigate SAS Spioenkop (F147), the Heroine Class submarine SAS Manthatisi (S101) and the River Class coastal minehunter SAS Umzimkulu (M1142).

The SA Air Force’s (SAAF) contribution comes in the form of a Super Lynx embarked aboard the frigate, a pair of Oryx medium transport helicopters and a C-47TP maritime patrol aircraft.

The most exciting tactical phase as well as missile firings will be held from 23 to 26 March. It is during this phase that the Germans will not only fire their surface-to-air missile systems, but also take the opportunity to shoot at surface targets.

Thanks for all the help guys but could you please not fire at our fishing boats

"The skipper of a fishing boat has told how he and his crew panicked when they were accidentally fired upon by a warship during a naval exercise near Cape Agulhas. ... Commercial fisherman Anthony Day told the newspaper he and nine crew members set off from Struisbaai harbour at about 02:30 in his 28-foot ski boat. ... and came under fire...

"Day said the shots were so loud his ears rang, and he could smell gunpowder.

Although he had his navigation and anchor lights on, he immediately switched on his deck lights so they could see it was a fishing vessel. He tried to radio the ship but got no response, and then radioed Cape Town Radio telling them he'd been shot at.

Cape Town Radio apparently made contact with the ship and told him the commander had said the shots had been fired in error."

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