List of South African admirals explained

The following is an incomplete list of people who have attained admiral rank within the South African Navy (SAN).

Key

Abbreviation	Rank
Cdre	Commodore
R Adm (JG)	Rear Admiral (Junior Grade)
R Adm	Rear Admiral
V Adm	Vice Admiral
Adm	Admiral

The ranks of Flag Officers changed on 1 Apr 1998 when the rank previously called Commodore became known as Rear Admiral (Junior Grade).^[1] For the purposes of this list if they held the rank of Commodore before 1998 they are listed with that rank

List

Rank	Name	Last position held	Notes	Dates of service
Adm		Chief of the Defence Force	Only person to hold the rank of admiral
V Adm		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Flam" ^[2]
V Adm		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Fido"
V Adm		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Ronnie"
V Adm		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Dries"
V Adm		Chief of the Navy
V Adm		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Woody"
V Adm		Chief of the Navy
V Adm		Chief of the Navy
V Adm		Chief of the Navy
V Adm		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Zeph"
V Adm		Chief of the Navy		^[3]
V Adm		Chief of Defence Force Staff	Nickname "Bert"
V Adm		Chief of Corporate Staff	Nickname "Spook"
V Adm		Chief of Staff Finance	^[4]
V Adm		Chief of Staff Personnel		Web site: SANW stel 1ste swart swart generaals aan . Die Burger . June 29, 1994 . December 1, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150703015842/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1994/06/29/2/2.html . July 3, 2015 .	Now an author and lecturer
V Adm		Chief of Staff Logistics
V Adm		Chief of Human Resources^[5]
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff
-	-	R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff	Nickname "Rusty"
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm		Chief of Staff-Joint Operations Division, Flag Officer Fleet	Nickname "Bravo"
R Adm		Deputy Chief Joint Operations
R Adm		Deputy Chief of the Navy
R Adm		Deputy Chief of the Navy
R Adm		Director Maritime Warfare, Deputy Chief of the Navy
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff^[6]	First woman appointed full Rear Admiral
R Adm		Flag Officer Fleet
R Adm		Director Navy Reserves	^[7]
R Adm		FOC Fleet Operations
R Adm		Chief Director Maritime Strategy
R Adm		Commandant Defence College; Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel			-
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff Logistics
R Adm		Flag Officer Fleet	Brother of Alan Green
R Adm		Chief Military Policy, Strategy Planning	Brother of Eric Green
R Adm		Flag Officer Fleet
R Adm		Flag Officer Fleet, Inspector General of the Navy	Nickname "Kop"
R Adm		Chief Director Maritime Strategy	Nickname "Sarge"
R Adm		FOC Naval Command East
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm		Chief Director Operational Development, Joint Operations Division
R Adm		Chief Director Maritime Strategy, Chief Director Strategy and Planning SANDF
R Adm		Chief Director Maritime Warfare	Nickname "Chubby"
R Adm		Chief Director Maritime Strategy
R Adm		Chief Director Logistic Planning, Log Division	^[8]
R Adm		Deputy Chief of Staff, SADF
R Adm		Chief Director Manpower Provisioning and Development, SADF; Chief of Naval Staff Personnel^[9]
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff Intelligence,^[10] Chief of Naval Operations^[11]	Nickname "Gringo"
R Adm		Navy Inspector General	^[12]
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff Logistics^[13] ^[14] ^[15]	Nickname "Dick"
R Adm		Chief of Naval Staff	^[16]
R Adm		Chief Director Logistic Systems, SANDF^[17]
R Adm		FOC Navcom East,^[18] Chief of Naval Operations^[19]	Nickname Flip^[20]
R Adm		Chief of Staff, Training and Manning	Nickname "Chips"; Brother of Hugo Biermann^[21]
R Adm		Chief Director Defence Acquisition Management, Materiél Division	Nickname "Muggies"
R Adm		Chief of Military Legal Services
R Adm		on the staff of CSP 1986
R Adm		Director Naval Personnel, CD HR Strategic Direction & Plan^[22]
R Adm		Chief Director Acquisition; Director Weapon Systems	Nickname "Kek"
R Adm		Defence Advisor to Washington DC; Deputy Chief of Staff Intelligence; National Intelligence Service
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Naval Staff Finance
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Naval Staff Reserves
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Logistics c. 2001
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Acquisition, Acquisition & Procurement Division	Nickname "Ockie"
R Adm (JG)		Director Maritime Warfare
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Human Resources, Fleet Command	First woman admiral
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Human Resources	died 2021^[23]
R Adm (JG)	William Joubert	Director Naval Planning	Nickname "Bill"
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Reserves
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Policy and Doctrine
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Force Preparation
R Adm (JG)
R Adm (JG)		Inspector General (Navy)
R Adm (JG)		FOC Naval Base Simon's Town
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Force Preparation	Nickname "Angel"
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Force Preparation	Nickname "Solly"
R Adm (JG)		Director Performance Audit IG DoD^[24]
R Adm (JG)		Director Maritime Warfare
R Adm (JG)		Defense Legal Services^[25]
R Adm (JG)		Inspector General Navy; Defence Attaché in France
R Adm (JG)		Director Technology Development, Defence Materiél Division	^[26]
R Adm (JG)		Director Technology Development, Defence Materiél Division
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Acquisitions, Defence Materiél Division
R Adm (JG)		DFS, Defence Secretariat	1998
R Adm (JG)		Commandant Defence College	2nd woman admiral
R Adm (JG)		Director Force Preparation and Joint Operations, Joint Operations Division	Nickname "Lucky"
R Adm (JG)		Director Maritime Diplomacy and Strategy	^[27]
R Adm (JG)		Director Navy Transformation	^[28]
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Engineering Services
R Adm (JG)		Director Military Strategy, Military Policy Strategy & Planning
	R Adm (JG)		Director Supply Services Support Management at DOD LSF, Director Naval Logistics		^[29]
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Acquisitions
R Adm (JG)		Director Maritime Plans,^[30] Dir HR Formation StaffActing General Officer Commanding Training Command
R Adm (JG)		Director Maritime Intelligence
R Adm (JG)		Director Operational Law Support, Dir Mil Def Council^[31]
R Adm (JG)	Henry Morake	D HR Service Systems, HR Div
R Adm (JG)		Director Supply Services Support Management, DOD Logistic Support Formation
R Adm (JG)		Director HR Separation
R Adm (JG)		Provost-Marshal General
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Fleet Staff
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Reserves
R Adm (JG)		Director Capabilities, Joint Operations Division^[32]	Nickname "Joe"
R Adm (JG)		Director Counter Intelligence Collection
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Acquisition
R Adm (JG)		Commandant, SA National Defence College
R Adm (JG)		FOC Naval Base Durban
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Engineering, Fleet Command
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Force Preparation
R Adm (JG)		Navy Inspector General
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Transformation
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Fleet Staff
R Adm (JG)		Dir Mil Intelligence^[33]
R Adm (JG)		Director Maritime Warfare
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Acquisition	Nickname "Jonny"
R Adm (JG)		OC Naval Log Base^[34]
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Naval Staff Operations
R Adm (JG)		FOC Simonstown
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Personnel
R Adm (JG)		Director ETD Systems Integrity, Chief Director Human Resources Development
R Adm (JG)		Director Fleet Logistics, Fleet Command	Nickname "Papi"
R Adm (JG)		Director Engineering System Support, Logistics Division
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Reserves
R Adm (JG)
R Adm (JG)		Defence Advisor to Brazil
R Adm (JG)		Director Naval Personnel
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Naval Staff Operations
R Adm (JG)		Chief of Naval Staff Personnel	^[35]
R Adm (JG)		Commandant Military Academy; OC Naval Base Simonstown	^[36]
Cdre		Naval Officer in Command, Durban	Nickname "Sam"
Cdre			Recipient of Taiwanese Order of Resplendent Banner in 1980
Cdre		Chief of Naval Staff Planning
Cdre		Director Naval Reserves
Cdre		Commodore Superintendent Naval Dockyard Simonstown	(b. 26.07.1912)
Cdre		Chief of Staff, NAVCOM East
Cdre		Director Training & Manning, Navy HQ
Cdre		Military Aide to Pres P.W. Botha	Nickname "Ters"
Cdre
Cdre		D Kaart (Afr), Chief of Staff Operations	Nickname "Nick"
Cdre		Inspector General Navy	Nickname "Butch"; Naval Attaché to Berlin	^[37]
Cdre		Chief of the Navy
Cdre		Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Dizzy"
Cdre
Cdre		Commanded the SA base in France, later Chief of Naval Staff Finance
Cdre		OC Naval Base Simon's Town	Convicted Soviet spy^[38]
Cdre		Director Internal Audit, Military Inspectorate	1975-1984
Cdre
Cdre		Commander Naval Operations Command
Cdre		Deputy Chief of Staff Naval Operations; Commander Naval Operations Command
Cdre		Director at Chief of Staff Personnel	Nickname "Koos"; Alumni of the 6/79 joint staff course
Cdre			Alumni of the 4/78 joint staff course
Cdre			Alumni of the 6/79 joint staff course
Cdre
Cdre		Inspector General Navy
Cdre		Commodore Superintendent Naval Base Simon's Town
Cdre		COMNAVCAPE 1982^[39]
Cdre		Chief of Naval Staff Intelligence	^[40]
Cdre		Director Naval Operations, Chief of Staff Operations
Cdre		Commander Naval Training Command
Cdre		Director Naval Technology
Cdre		Chief of Naval Staff Operations (now known as Director Maritime Warfare)
Cdre		Chief of Naval Staff Operations
Cdre
Cdre		Commander Naval Operations Command
Cdre		Commander Naval Logistic Command
Cdre		COMNAVCAPE
Cdre		Commander Naval Logistics Command
Cdre		Director at Military Intelligence Division
Cdre		Director Naval Stores	Nickname "Tubby"
Cdre
Cdre		Chief of Naval Staff Operations, Director Maritime Warfare	^[41]
Cdre		OC Naval Base Simonstown	^[42]
Cdre		Director Resources	^[43]
Cdre		Formerly Dean Military Academy	Nickname "Hennie"
Cdre		OC Naval Dockyard Simonstown	c1990
Cdre
Cdre			Nickname "Ted"
Cdre		Director Naval Operations	Nickname "Skonky", 28/4/1920-12/8/1997
Cdre		Chief of Naval Staff Intelligence,^[44] FOC Naval Base Simonstown	^[45]

See also

• List of South African military chiefs

Notes and References

1. Book: Bennett, C. H. . Söderlund, A. G. . amp. South Africa's navy : a navy of the people and for the people. 2008. 978-0-620-41446-3. 185.
2. Web site: Fact file: Chiefs of the South African Navy . Defenceweb . January 21, 2010 . October 15, 2014 . Engelbrecht, Leon.
3. Web site: Lobese is new SAN Deputy Chief . DefenceWeb . September 6, 2021 . September 13, 2021.
4. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,28 Julie 1990 bladsy 1:Liebenberg word nuwe hoof van Weermag. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006103629/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1990/07/28/1/8.html. 6 October 2014.
5. Web site: New chiefs of SA Army, Joint Operations, SAMHS announced . Defence Web . October 11, 2019 . November 13, 2019.
6. Web site: New SANDF two-stars named . Defenceweb . May 27, 2020 . May 28, 2020.
7. Web site: Die Burger 04 Julie 2000 Oos Kaap Metropool Bladsy 7: Forsyth lei Vloot reserwemag. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150703011934/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/2000/07/04/7/3.html. 3 July 2015.
8. The SADF: Supplement to the Financial Mail . Financial Mail . July 1987 . 14.
9. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,6 Desember 1990 bladsy 4:'Nuwe eise ook aan SAW gestel'. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022719/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1990/12/06/4/3.html. 4 March 2016.
10. Web site: Ons Vloot vandag 70 jaar stokoud / Our Navy turns 70 . Die Beeld . April 1, 1992 . December 9, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150702233707/http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1992/04/1/13/2.html . July 2, 2015 .
11. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,18 Maart 1997 bladsy 15:Vlote hou weer oefening in gemeenskaplike agterplaas. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205033816/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1997/03/18/15/1.html. 5 December 2014.
12. Web site: SA duikbootmatrose 'se vader' sterf/ Death of father of South African submariners . Die Burger . December 24, 1996 . January 19, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141205033523/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1996/12/24/5/15.html . December 5, 2014 .
13. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,13 Julie 1994 bladsy 2:Persoonlik. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205033929/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1994/07/13/2/23.html. 5 December 2014.
14. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,25 Julie 1994 bladsy 2:Kleurvolle weermag-ingenieur in Kaap oorlede ná beroerte. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022905/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1994/07/25/2/10.html. 4 March 2016.
15. Web site: Magazine facsimile . 1988. www.sun.ac.za . 2019-08-21.
16. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,8 Oktober 1988 bladsy 8:Persoonlik. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205032507/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1988/10/08/8/26.html. 5 December 2014.
17. Web site: Four generals promoted . Beeld . June 15, 1998 . January 25, 2016 . Gibson, Erika . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160130183442/http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1998/06/15/6/2.html . January 30, 2016 .
18. Book: South African naval events : day-by-day, 1488 to 2009 . Naval Heritage Trust . Bennett, Chris . Chris Bennett (admiral) . 2011 . 9780620430142.
19. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,17 Februarie 1992 bladsy 2:Persoonlik. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205033813/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1992/02/17/2/7.html. 5 December 2014.
20. Web site: DIE BURGER LAASTE,19 Desember 1989 bladsy 4:PERSOONLIK. 18 October 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022607/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1989/12/19/4/15.html. 4 March 2016.
21. News: Chips Biermann obituary . Cape Argus . Feb 21, 2003 . October 23, 2014.
22. Web site: More generals and admirals for the SA national defence force . DefenceWeb . October 29, 2021 . October 31, 2021.
23. C Navy calling . Hlongwane, Mosiwa . Navy News . January 2022 . XLI.
24. Web site: Magazine facsimile . 2007. www.dod.mil.za . 2019-08-21.
25. AllRise . Baatjes, Judy . Navy News . 2012 . XXXI . 5 . 17.
26. Web site: Archived copy . 2014-11-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150703001709/http://www.saimena.org.za/Docs/Table%20Talk/Nov10.pdf . 2015-07-03 .
27. Web site: Courtesy visit to Navy Headquarters by Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba of the Indian Navy. 18 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092006/http://www.navy.mil.za/archive/1405/140515_courtesy_visit_indian_navy/article.htm. 4 March 2016. dead.
28. SA Navy Youth and Gender Seminar 2014 . Mokoka, Prudence Reneilwe . SA Soldier . August 2014 . 21 . 8 . 29.
29. Web site: SANDF PROMOTIONS & APPOINTMENTS FOR 2016/17 . Olivier . Darren . December 1, 2016.
30. Web site: Navy to return to Durban's Salisbury Island. Independent Newspapers Online. Independent Online. 18 October 2015.
31. Web site: PROMULGATION: APPOINTMENTS AND/OR PROMOTIONS OF BRIG GENS/R ADM (JG) FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2020/21 . Dept of Defence . Feb 17, 2021 . April 19, 2021.
32. Web site: SANDF adds to its one-star numbers . DefenceWeb . Feb 18, 2021 . February 19, 2021.
33. R Adm (JG) Mfanelo Bongco . Navy News . October 2021 . XL . 5 . 15.
34. 2008 . Sadly Missed . Navy News . Simon's Town . 28 . 2 . 5.
35. Web site: Simpson-Anderson word nuwe Hoof van die Vloot . Beeld . December 2, 2014 . Lötter, Francois . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141009160413/http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1992/08/6/6/9.html . October 9, 2014 .
36. Web site: Vlootbasis onder nuwe bevel . Die Burger . December 30, 1995 . December 2, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402160704/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1995/12/30/7/1.html . April 2, 2015 .
37. Web site: Muster List by Name - S.A.T.S. General Botha Old Boys Association. generalbotha.co.za.
38. Book: Trahair, R.. [{{google books|tFJLIIGVk10C|plainurl=y}} Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies, and Secret operations]. Greenwood Publishing Group. Westport. 2004. 9780313319556.
39. Web site: GENERAL BOTHA OLD BOYS' ASSOCIATION . 2011. generalbotha.co.za . 2019-08-21.
40. Skout-admiraal (JG) André Burgers se vlootherinneringe aan die jare van die. December 1, 2006. Journal for Contemporary History. 31. 3. 304–325. journals.co.za.
41. Web site: Path: /Published/Volksblad/2006/07/10/VB/Texts/teggenls.xml. https://web.archive.org/web/20150704011217/http://152.111.11.6/argief/berigte/volksblad/2006/07/10/VB/5/teggenls.html. dead. 4 July 2015. 18 October 2015.
42. Web site: Jeugleiers hoor van Vloot se rol in nuwe Suid-Afrika . Die Burger . December 7, 1991 . December 2, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150703002544/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1991/12/07/17/2.html . July 3, 2015 .
43. Web site: Toekennings op voorstellingsparade gedoen . Die Burger . June 11, 1993 . December 2, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150703023643/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1993/06/11/3/24.html . July 3, 2015 .
44. Web site: Vloot kry nuwe operasionele stafhoof / Navy gets new Operational Head . Die Beeld . March 19, 1996 . December 10, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141210125216/http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1996/03/19/4/13.html . December 10, 2014 .
45. Web site: Drie vlootlede verdink van slag by Simonstad . Die Burger . March 3, 1998 . December 2, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141210130300/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1998/03/03/9/19.html . December 10, 2014 .