School of Armour (South Africa)

School of Armour

Country	South Africa
Branch	South African Army
Type	Training Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Tempe, Bloemfontein
Motto(s)	Scientia vires est
Colors	unit: blue and orange beret: black
Mascot(s)	mother tank of WW1 era
Equipment	Olifant Mk.2 main battle tank
Website	www.saarmour.co.za
Insignia
Beret badge
Beret Colour	Black
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992

The South African School of Armour (Afrikaans: Pantserskool) is the training institute of the South African Armoured Corps located at Tempe, Bloemfontein.

History

Origins

The Artillery and Armour School, at Potchefstroom was established on the 1st February 1964, forming two separate schools on the same site.

Tempe, Bloemfontein

The School of Armour was then subsequently re-sited to Bloemfontein on the 1st April 1966, co-locating with the then 2nd Armoured Car Regiment at Tempe.^[1]

Operational Wing

Whist primarily a Training unit, varying in a number of squadrons and roles, the School of Armour also maintained an operational capability in the form of a Tank Wing.

Border War

From this Wing, the School deployed a tank Squadron to operations in Angola in late 1987.^[2]

The first operational use of Olifant tanks was carried out by the School in South-West Africa (Angola), acting as a defensive option against potential Cuban or Angolan incursions into that territory. The first actual engagement occurred during Operation Modular, with Echo Squadron. Fox Squadron later also became operational as well with Operation Hooper.

Function

The School of Armour trains regular and reserve tank crews, drivers and maintenance instructors for the SANDF, SAAC leader group and conducts research and development.

Olifant Mk 1 A de Brug Training Area 1993

Olifant Mk 2 night shoot at de Brug Training Area

Rooikat armoured car (1990)

Olifant Mk 2 and Shongololo carrier

Insignia

SADF School of Armour Flash version 1

SADF School of Armour version 2 Flash

SADF School of Armour Stable belt

Fleet

Tank Variants

Armoured Car Variants

Armour Museum

The idea of instituting a Museum and Research Library for the South African Armoured Corps ^[3]started as early as 1994 and was officially approved by the Chief of the SA Army on 12 October 1995. Approval for the use of a historical building located in the lines of the School of Armour, Tempe was granted in April 1995. A number of fund raising projects was launched and donations was raised to manufacture a number of showcases and other items. An appeal to all members of the Armoured Corps and other interested persons resulted in a number of different items being donated to the museum. The museum was officially opened by the Chief of the Army on 13 September 1996 to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the South African Armoured Corps.

SADF Comet Armour Recovery Vehicle

Adjacent to and part of the museum is the research library, which specialises in the gathering of information, documents, periodicals, books, etc with emphasis on armour warfare and equipment. The library also accumulates information on personnel, vehicles and archive books of the South African Armour Corps in particular. The library is in possession of a vast quantity of books, periodicals, documents, etc for research purposes. This library also responds to requests from around the world concerning equipment and history of the South African Armour Corps.

"Hull-Down" was officially opened on 2 September 1999 by Brig Gen Fido Smit (Honorary Colonel 1 Special Service Battalion) and houses additional equipment and training aids that cannot be housed in the museum building due to limited space.

Armour Museum Lesakeng

Within the lines of the School of Armour and 1 South African Tank Regiment, some sixty plus armoured, tracked and wheeled vehicles are displayed. Other equipment such as guns, radar, mine rollers and ploughs are also displayed.

"Lesakeng" (the Corral for old Horses) houses numerous armoured, tracked and wheeled and other vehicles, mainly runners.

References

South African Army Units

Department of Defence, South African National Defence Force, South African Army

Divisions and Brigades

Brigades	43 South African Brigade 44 Parachute Brigade 46 South African Brigade

Armoured Formation (SAAAF)

Training	School of Armour

Tank	Regular 1 South African Tank Regiment Reserve Pretoria Regiment Natal Mounted Rifles Regiment President Steyn

Armoured Car	Regular 1 Special Service Battalion 1 SSB ARTICLES SHOULD BE MERGED Reserve Umvoti Mounted Rifles Regiment Oranjerivier Regiment Mooirivier Light Horse Regiment

Infantry Formation (SAAIF)

Training	South African Infantry School

Parachute Infantry	Regular 44 Para 1 Para 44 Pathfinders 13 Signal Squadron 18 Light Regiment 44 Medical Task Group 101 Air Supply Unit SAOSC 44 Training Wing Parachute Packing Wing Reserve 2 Para 3 Para

Air Assault Infantry	Regular 6 SAI Reserve First City Regiment Prince Alfred's Guard

Seaborne Infantry	Regular 9 SAI Reserve Cape Town Rifles ("Duke's")

Light Infantry	Regular 21 SAI Reserve Rand Light Infantry Regiment Oos Rand Regiment Paul Kruger

Mechanised Infantry	Regular 1 SAI 8 SAI Reserve Regiment De La Rey Regiment Northern Transvaal Cape Town Highlanders Regiment Western Province Witwatersrand Rifles

Motorised Infantry	Regular 2 SAI 4 SAI 5 SAI 7 SAI 10 SAI 14 SAI 15 SAI 121 SAI Reserve Regiment Botha Regiment Christiaan Beyers Johannesburg Regiment South African Irish Transvaal Scottish Tshwane Regiment Buffalo Volunteer Regiment Durban Regiment Durban Light Infantry Kimberly Regiment Natal Carbineers Regiment Bloemspruit Regiment Piet Retief

Artillery Formation

Training	School of Artillery (South Africa)

Regular	HQ Artillery Mobilisation Regiment 4 Artillery Regiment

Reserve	Cape Field Artillery Natal Field Artillery Transvaal Horse Artillery Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit Transvaalse Staatsartillerie Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment Pretoria Highlanders 18 Light Regiment

Air Defence Artillery Formation

Training	School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)

Regular	HQ 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment 44 Parachute Anti-Aircraft Regiment

Reserve	Cape Garrison Artillery Regiment Vaalriver Regiment Oos Transvaal 7 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (1969–97) Regiment Overvaal

Engineer Formation

Training	South African Army Engineer School

Regular	HQ 2 Field Engineer Regiment 35 Engineer Support Regiment 1 Construction Regiment Engineer Terrain Intelligence Unit

Reserve	3 Field Engineer Regiment 19 Field Engineer Regiment 44 Parachute Engineer Regiment

Training Formation

3 SAI (Training Depot)
SAACTC
Army Gymnasium
Army College
de Brug Training Area
Wallmannsthal Training Area

Support Formation

Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga)
Mobilisation Centre
Main Ordnance Depot
National Ceremonial Guard
15 Maint Unit
Other Maintenance Units
37 Field Workshop SAOSC
Other Field Workshops

Signals Formation

Regular	1 Sig Regt 2 Sig Regt 3 Sig Regt 4 Sig Regt 5 Sig Regt

Reserve	6 Signal Regt 7 Signal Group 11 Field Postal Unit 71 Signals Unit 84 Sigs Unit

Disbanded or Amalgamated Units

Commands	Eastern Province Command (Port Elizabeth) Natal Command Northern Transvaal Command Northern Cape Command Orange Free State Command (Bloemfontein) Western Province Command (Cape Town) West Transvaal Command Witwatersrand Command (Johannesburg) Far North Command

Corps	I South African Corps Cape Corps

Divisions	1st South African Infantry Division 2nd South African Division 6th South African Armoured Division 7th South African Infantry Division 8th South African Armoured Division 9th South African Division 10 South African Division (Operation Prone)

Brigades	16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade) 17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade) 18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade) 19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade) 20 Brigade 60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla) 71 Motorised Brigade 72 Motorised Brigade 73 Motorised Brigade 74 Brigade (see 8th Armoured Division) 75 Brigade (see 9th Division) 81 Armoured Brigade 82 Mechanised Brigade 83 Brigade (planned but never existed) 84 Motorised Brigade 10 Artillery Brigade Other brigades

Battlegroups	Combat Group Juliet 61 Mech 62 Mech 63 Mech

Regiments	Artillery Locating Regiments Regiment Algoa Bay Regiment Congella Regiment Dan Pienaar Regiment De Wet Regiment Groot Karoo Regiment Highveld Regiment Hillcrest Regiment Langenhoven Regiment Louw Wepener/Oos Vrystaat Regiment Molopo Regiment North Natal Regiment Port Natal Regiment Pretorius Regiment Springs Regiment Skoonspruit Regiment University of Cape Town Regiment University of the Free State Regiment University of Pretoria Regiment University of Stellenbosch Regiment Vanderbiljpark Regiment Vrystaat 5 Forward Air Delivery Squadron 6 Field Artillery Regiment 7 Medium Artillery Regiment 10 Armoured Squadron 14 Field Artillery Regiment 19 Rocket Regiment 24 Field Artillery 25 Field Artillery 26 Field Artillery SA Army Troop Information Unit

Battalions	32 Battalion 2 Special Service Battalion 11 SAI 12 SAI 13 SAI 111 Battalion 112 Battalion 113 Battalion 115 Battalion 116 Battalion 117 Battalion 121 Battalion 151 Battalion

Military Areas	Walvis Bay Military Area Soutpansberg Military Area

Commando System	South African Commando System

State Presidents Guard	State Presidents Guard

SWATF	Regular Infantry Battalions 31/201 Battalion 33/701 Battalion 34/202 Battalion 35/101 Battalion 301 Battalion 36/203 Battalion 37/102 Battalion 41/911 Battalion/Regiment Windhoek 912 Battalion/Regiment Erongo 913 Battalion/Regiment Namutoni Modular Infantry Battalions 51 Battalion 52 Battalion 53 Battalion 54 Battalion 55 Battalion SWATF Brigade 91 Reaction Force Brigade Support Structures Logistics Brigade SWA Mil School Special Forces 1 SWA Specialist Unit 2 SWA Specialist Unit 1 SWA Parachute Battalion Air Component 1 SWA Commando Squadron

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