R-Class Patrol submarine ordered on 28th
February 1929 from Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow with HM Submarines REGENT and REGULUS. This submarine was laid down on 24th July 1929 and launched with HMS
REGENT AND REGULUS on 11th June 1930. She was the 10th RN warship to bear use
the name introduced in 1777 when given to a captured US Brig and last used in
1909 until renamed ROLLICKER in 1929 so it could be given to this submarine in
June 1930. Build was completed on 29th January 1931 and she then
commissioned for service in the 4th Submarine Flotilla for service on the China Station where she was deployed until 1940. After a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in December 1941 this submarine was adopted by the civil community
of Winchester, Hampshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge :On a Field White, a Fleur-de-Lys under a crown all Gold.
M o t t o
Pro glora passim : 'Everywhere for glory'
S u
m m a r y o
f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
August Deployed at
Hong Kong with 4th Submarine Flotille supported by HM Depot Ship
MEDWAY.
(Note: Other submarines in Flotilla included HM Submarines RAINBOW,
REGENT and REGULUS
of the Class.)
Took
passage to take-up war Station.
September Deployed for
Flotilla interception patrol duties based at Hong Kong.
to
November
December Transferred to
Singapore with
Flotilla .
1 9 4 0
January Deployed at Singapore.
to Nominated for refit
by HM Dockyard.
April
May Under refit.
to Pennant Number for
visual signalling purposes changed to N62.
June
July On completion
transferred to 1st Submarine Flotilla and took passage to Aden
August Deployed at Aden for
exercises.
September Carried out exercises in
Red Sea
Passage to join
Flotilla at Alexandria.
October Deployed at Alexandria
for interception patrol south of Messina.
to November
December Carried out two
interception patrols in eastern Mediterranean off coast of North Africa
1 9 4 1
January Commanding Officer Lieut
Cdr Marsham, RN
7th During patrol off
Tobruk sustained damage from depth charges by Italian torpedo boats
CLIO and
CASTORE in defect of convoy being attacked.
9th Sank sailing vessel
by surface gun action.
Returned to
Alexandria for repair to batteries.
February On completion resumed
operational service by patrol off Calabria
8th Carried out
unsuccessful torpedo attacks on both a mercantile and a submarine.
14th Damaged tanker CESCO
of 6,160 tons in a torpedo attack.
(Note : This ship
later sank.)
March Deployed at Suda Bay for
support of convoys taking troops to Greece.
April
30th Provided electric power supplies
to HM Cruiser YORK which had been damaged at
Suda
Bay by
an explosive motor boat launched from an Italian destroyer.
(Note
: This cruiser had been at anchor and later beached to prevent sinking.
Later sustained
damaged in an air raid at Suda Bay and disabled.)
May Taken in tow by HM
Netlayer PROTECTOR and towed to Alexandria for repair.
to Under temporary
repair by at Alexandria and later in drydock at Port Said to enable
June passage to be made to
Singapore for permanent repair .
July Passage to Singapore
with call at Aden.
August Taken in hand for repair
and refit by HM Dockyard, Singapore.
September Under refit.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Refit work stopped and
arrangements made for tow away from area because of threat of
Japanese
invasion.
February Taken in tow to Tanjon
Priok
(Note : Much of
the propulsion machinery was left ashore in Singapore.
Joined Convoy SJ1
and towed to Trincomalee.
21st Arrived in Ceylon
March Arrangements made for
repair work to be completed at Bombay
to Under repair by HM
Dockyard, Bombay.
December
1 9 4 3
January Under repair.
to Nominated for
service in East Indies on completion of dockyard work.
November
December Deployed at Trincomalee to
work-up for service.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed at Trincomalee
for work-up.
Nominated for
East Indies Fleet anti-submarine training duties.
February Deployed at Bombay for
anti-submarine training of escorts in Indian Ocean.
to
June
July Deployed at Mombasa
to
August
P o s t W a r N o
t e s
HMS ROVER returned to Ceylon after
VJ Day and was Paid-off. Laid-up until placed on the Disposal List this
submarine
was sold for demolition by Messrs Joubert on 30th
June 1946 and towed to the breaker’s yard in Durban.
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