HS0004

Did You Know?

The Heliograaf at Sandfontein, Namibia, is a historical site associated with the use of heliographs during the early stages of World War I in German South West Africa. In 1914, the German colonial forces utilized heliographs—a signaling device that reflected sunlight using mirrors to transmit Morse code over long distances—for communication across the arid and rugged terrain. The site near Sandfontein was likely part of a network of heliograph stations used by the German Schutztruppe to coordinate military movements and relay intelligence, particularly during the Battle of Sandfontein (26 September 1914), where German forces defeated a Union of South African invasion column. The heliograph was crucial in this theater due to the lack of telegraph lines and the vast distances involved.

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