When Rear Admiral Bernhard Teuteberg leaves the Navy office in Pretoria at month-end it will mark the end of 39 years of sterling service in the majority of SA Navy disciplines.
But his retirement will not mean the end of the association between the maritime arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Teuteberg name.
Bernhard’s brother, Hanno, currently a rear admiral (junior grade), will move into the chief director: maritime strategy seat vacated by the rear admiral.
From February 1 Hanno will lead the strategic direction of the Navy and will also be responsible for naval policy and doctrine as well as co-ordinating collaborative efforts to create a common maritime defence for the SADC region. The strategic direction covers provision of combat ready ships and submarines as well as logistic support.
He will also build on the effort expended by Bernhard to make the Navy an effective, efficient and economic organ of State reflecting all the imperatives of a democratic South Africa.
Prior to being the maritime strategy brain of the Navy Bernhard was in charge of the Navy planning process and before this served in a number of posts exposing him to the full spectrum of organisational processes in the naval domain.
This saw him spending time in education training and development with a command period at the SA Naval College in Gordon’s Bay. Additionally, he was extensively utilised in the seagoing component of the Navy, in his specialist sphere as a hydrographic surveyor, where he commanded the SAS Protea, the Navy’s hydrographic survey operations platform, and after this as SA Navy Hydrographer, representing South Africa at the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), and more broadly within the combat component of the Navy including command of the minesweepers SAS East London and SAS Walvisbaai. Bernhard has rounded Cape Horn (not under sail) and has sailed extensively, with the crossing of the South Atlantic, in the 1979 South Atlantic Race, with the late Bertie Reed, as a particular highlight. He is a past President of the Hydrographic Society of South Africa.
His decorations include the Southern Cross, Southern Cross Medal (twice), Military Merit Medal and the Brazilian Order of Naval Merit.
Hanno currently has 35 years’ service in the Navy and is currently director: joint force preparations and training with Chief Joint Operations in Pretoria. Prior to this he was chief of fleet staff at Fleet Command in Simon’s town.
His first naval qualification was a submariner and he served on all the Daphne submarines in addition to having command of one. He also served on a number of surface ships and has held the posts of, among others, director: fleet quality assurance, director: fleet force preparation and director: maritime warfare.
He was defence attaché in Berlin from 2003 to 2006 during which time the German defence industry delivered four Valour class stealth frigates to the Navy as part of the strategic arms acquisition package.
A keen yachtsman, Hanno has participated in ocean races including the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet series. He has also won the Cape to Rio race, line honours once and twice in the handicap class.
His military decorations include the Southern Cross and Military Merit Medal.
