Hugo Hendrik Biermann,[needs Afrikaans IPA] (6 August 1916 – 27 March 2012) was a senior officer in the South African Navy.

[1]: page 5 After two years training on the General Botha from 1932 to 1933,[4] Biermann entered the British Merchant Navy as a cadet and served until 1938, when he was transferred to the Maritime Department of the South African Railways and Harbours.

The Gamtoos went on to salvage the Sidi Aissa, towing it away to clear the valuable graving dock at La Ciotat by 14 December 1944.

This earned Biermann appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (Military Division).

[9] The citation for his OBE reads: On the recommendation of the British Admiralty, the then Lieutenant-Commander H. H. Biermann, an officer in the South African Naval Forces [SANF], was appointed an Officer of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire "for distinguished service during the invasion of Southern France.

In 1950, Biermann was transferred to Defence Headquarters and served on the staff of the then Director-General of the South African Naval Forces.

[12] In 1952, Erasmus posted Brigadier Pieter de Waal as a Military attache to the United States, replacing him with Biermann,[12]: 59  one of only seven Afrikaans officers in the navy in 1948.

He held commodore rank until 1 April 1957, with the handing over of the Simon's Town Naval Base, he was promoted to rear admiral.

[5] He was the very first recipient of the Southern Cross Decoration, which he received upon his retirement as Chief of the South African Defence Force in 1976.