SAS President Pretorius (F145)

History
South Africa
Namesake:	Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
Builder:	Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun[1]^:239
Laid down:	21 November 1961
Launched:	28 September 1962
Christened:	President Pretorius, F145
Commissioned:	18 March 1964
Homeport:	Simonstown
Nickname(s):	'PP'
General characteristics
Class and type:	President-class frigate[2]
Displacement:	2144 tons (2557 tons loaded)
Length:	370 ft (110 m)
Beam:	41 ft (12.5 m)
Draught:	18 ft (5.5 m)
Propulsion:	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines, 2 boilers, 25,000 shp (19 MW)
Speed:	28 knots (52 km/h)
Range:	4,500 nmi (8,300 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:	250
Sensors and processing systems:	Sonar, Radar
Armament:	Limbo mortar (originally 6 barrels, 3 barrels subsequently removed to make space for helicopter deck) 2 twin mount x 4.5 in (114 mm) guns 2 × Bofors 40 mm guns 2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Aircraft carried:	1 × Westland Wasp helicopter

The SAS President Pretorius was a frigate of the South African Navy, decommisioned in 1985.

History

SAS President Pretorius was one of three President-class type 12 frigates obtained by the South African Navy in the 1960s following the Simonstown Agreement with the Royal Navy. She was launced on 28 September 1962 by Mrs Mientjie Grobelaar, wife of General PH Grobelaar.^[1]:223 Her first captain was Captain James Johnson, later Chief of the Navy.

She was decommisioned in 1985 due to manpower shortages and lack of funds.^[1]:237

References

1. Du Toit, A (1992). South Africa's Fighting Ships Past and Present. Ashanti Publishing. ISBN 1 874800 50 2.
2. "Shipbuilding and Shipping Record: A Journal of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Docks, Harbours & Shipping". Shipbuilding and Shipping Record: A Journal of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Docks, Harbours & Shipping 100: 385, 449. 1962. Retrieved 14 October 2014.