Hendrik Klopper

General Hendrik Balzazar Klopper (also Balthazar), DSO^[2] was a South African military commander. He commanded the 3rd Infantry Brigade and was later promoted to command the 2nd Infantry Division during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. He is best known for surrendering the Division to Rommel after the failed defence of the Tobruk harbour in June 1942. After the war, he became Army Chief of Staff from 1950 to 1953, and Commandant General of the Union Defence Force from 1956 until his retirement in 1958.

General Hendrik Balzazar Klopper DSO
Major General Hendrik Klopper in June 1942
Born	(1903-09-25)25 September 1903
Died	30 December 1977(1977-12-30) (aged 74)
Allegiance	South Africa
Branch	South African Army
Years of service	1924–1958
Rank	General
Service number	279249[1]
Commands	Commandant General of the Union Defence Force (1956–58) Army Chief of Staff (1950–53) Northern Command (1945–50) South African Army College (1944–45) 2nd Infantry Division (1942) 3rd Infantry Brigade (1942) 1 Special Service Battalion (1938–39)
Battles / wars	Second World War Western Desert Campaign
Awards

Military career

Klopper joined the South African Army in 1924.

World War II

During the Second World War, he commanded the 3rd Infantry Brigade in the North African Campaign,^[3] for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.^[4] He then briefly commanded 2nd Infantry Division. As fortress commander, Klopper was forced to surrender Tobruk and its garrison to Axis forces on 21 June 1942. He escaped from captivity in 1943 and was exonerated by a 1942 Court of Inquiry into the Tobruk disaster.^[5]: 138

South African Army College

Klopper was Officer Commanding the South African Army College from 1944 to 1945, before being appointed in command of Northern Command in 1945.^[6]

Post-war

Klopper served as Army Chief of Staff from 1951 to 1953, as Inspector-General from 1953 to 1956, and as Commandant General of the Union Defence Force from 1956 to 1958.