Submarine Depot Ship built by Vickers
Armstrong at Barrow and laid down in April 1927. The
ship was launched on 19th July 1928 as the 10th RN ship to carry
the name, introduced in 1693 for a 3rd Rate and was last used for a
destroyer sold in 19221. The ship went to the China Station early in
1940 and became the Depot Ship for the 4th
Submarine Flotilla at Hong Kong
until being transferred to the Mediterranean
B a t t l e H o n o
u r s
AIX 1758 - QUEBEC 1759 -
GRENADE -
MARTINIQUE 1780
H e
r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Silver, a Lion black upon a Bridge Red.
(Note: The
Badge derives from the Arms and Seal
of the Rochester Bridge Commissioners)
M o t t o
In medio Tutissmuss: 'Midway (Medway) you will be safest'
S u m m
a r y o f W
a r S e r v i c
e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 3 9
September Under refit by
HM Dockyard Singapore.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Under refit
to
February
March On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Hong Kong.
Nominated for service in the Mediterranean with submarine Flotilla.
April
2nd Sailed
from Hong Kong for passage to Mediterranean with calls at Singapore, Trincomalee
and
Aden.
May
3rd Arrived at
Alexandria for support
of submarine operations in eastern
Mediterranean.
June
Deployment at Alexandria for support of 1st Submarine Flotilla in continuation
December
1 9 4 1
Support of Mediterranean submarines in continuation at Alexandria.
1 9 4 2
January Deployment
at Alexandria in continuation.
to
April
May Nominated
for transfer to Beirut in the event of threat of invasion of
Egypt by enemy forces.
Remained at Alexandria for submarine support.
June
29th Embarked
stores and 1,135 personnel for transfer to new base at
Beirut.
Took
passage to Beirut escorted by cruiser and seven Fleet destroyers.
30th Sunk by
torpedoes fired from U372 off Alexandria.
Only
30 personnel were lost. (Casualty
List -
note on casualties)
See HITLER'S U-WAR by C Blair for details.
(Note:
During later salvage operations 47 of the stock of 90
torpedoes carried were recovered.
HM Destroyers SIKH, ZULU, CROOME and TETCOTT sank U372
on 4th August in
position 32.28N 34..37E.
47
personnel from the submarine were rescued including a Lebanese civilian whose
presence on board has never been explained and may have been an Agent for German
intelligence.)
Later
in 1942 HMS MEDWAY II was commissioned at Beirut for submarine support.
Accommodation was provided in HM Coastal Minelayer MEDUSA for personnel
employed in facilities ashore. Later support was transferred to Malta remaining
designated as HMS MEDWAY with accommodation provided in HM Minesweeper
BAGSHOT.