This clip ^^ is the departure of the Klipfontein carrying Saint Nicolaas (The Dutch Santa Claus) in December of '52. This would probably be it's final departure. (The saint would have left the ship only a few miles from were it left)
Thanks Sbrenn. We would like to know more about the Klipfontein as there is little on the web. Do you have any first or second hand accounts as to what it struck. Was it really a U boat or just rocks. Thanks
I have some newspaper clippings articles from the time.
The telegram from the captain reads:
"Around 11.18 GMT, the Klipfontein struck an object below the waterline near Zavora point."
Another paper from the time states that with the navigational equipment on board it is not likely that a reef was this unknown object. The region has a couple of sunken ships from the war. All are in "save" deep waters. According to reports, only a german U-boat was torpedoed in shallow waters. Never charted.
The story in the family goes that the captain was partly to blame, because he had to make up for lost time and "knew a shortcut". I cannot verify that but that's the story.
It took 4,5 hrs to transfer all the people from the Klipfontein to the Bloemfontein Castle.
Some more headlines:
- "We thought it was a realistic drill".
- " Was it a wreck?"
- "The most comfortable shipwreck".
Cargo was 1000 tons of Copper and 100 bales of wool. My father claimed it was Manganese ore btw.
watch?v=-l8THbDrLig
This clip ^^ is the departure of the Klipfontein carrying Saint Nicolaas (The Dutch Santa Claus) in December of '52. This would probably be it's final departure. (The saint would have left the ship only a few miles from were it left)
sbrenn 6 days ago
My father was onboard this ship in 1953.Amazing to see what has become of the wreck.
46elisabeth19 1 year ago
Thanks Sbrenn. We would like to know more about the Klipfontein as there is little on the web. Do you have any first or second hand accounts as to what it struck. Was it really a U boat or just rocks. Thanks
Stewart
Fubshuck 2 years ago
I have some newspaper clippings articles from the time.
The telegram from the captain reads:
"Around 11.18 GMT, the Klipfontein struck an object below the waterline near Zavora point."
Another paper from the time states that with the navigational equipment on board it is not likely that a reef was this unknown object. The region has a couple of sunken ships from the war. All are in "save" deep waters. According to reports, only a german U-boat was torpedoed in shallow waters. Never charted.
sbrenn 2 years ago
PT.2
The story in the family goes that the captain was partly to blame, because he had to make up for lost time and "knew a shortcut". I cannot verify that but that's the story.
It took 4,5 hrs to transfer all the people from the Klipfontein to the Bloemfontein Castle.
Some more headlines:
- "We thought it was a realistic drill".
- " Was it a wreck?"
- "The most comfortable shipwreck".
Cargo was 1000 tons of Copper and 100 bales of wool. My father claimed it was Manganese ore btw.
sbrenn 2 years ago
The ship stuck the object at 11:18 GMT
The ship sunk at 14:22.
All passengers were aboard the Bloemfontein Castle at 15:45.
234 people (all) were saved.
sbrenn 2 years ago
My father was a survivor of the Klipfontein. Amazing and chilling to see a film about iit on YouTube. Thanks a lot for uploading.
sbrenn 2 years ago
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looks amazing going back to zavora 2010 hope the still got this tour, didnt have it in july 2008
CABMACKAB 3 years ago
looks amazing going back to zavora 2010 hope the still got this tour, didnt have it in july 2008
CABMACKAB 3 years ago