R-Class Patrol submarine ordered on 28th February 1929 from Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow with HM Submarines REGENT and ROVER. This submarine was laid down on 17th July 1929 and launched with HMS REGENT and HMS ROVER on 11th June 1930. She was the 3rd RN warship to bear use the name, that of the Roman who in 251 returned to Carthage after sabotaging a peace mission to Rome and cruelly killed. Introduced for a 5th Rate in 1785 broken up in 1816 and last used when given to the French Privateer PRINCESS CHARLOTTE captured in the West Indies in 1806. Build was completed on 17th December 1930 and this submarine was then commissioned for service in the 4th Submarine Flotilla for service on the China Station where she was deployed until 1940.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

EGYPT 1801

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge :On a Field Blue, a  Demi-lion Gold holding a Star Silver.

M o t t o

                                                                 In Primis Pro Patria : 'For the fatherland first'

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 Flotilla supported by HM Depot Ship

                                MEDWAY. (Note : Other submarines in Flotilla included HM Submarines RAINBOW, 

                                REGENT and ROVER 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 after fall of Hong Kong .

1 9 4 0

January                  Flotilla deployment in continuation based at Singapore

February                Transferred to East Indies Station before fall of Singapore

March                    Deployed for patrol and convoy defence in Indian Ocean based at Colombo

to                            (Note : To be confirmed.)                   

April                       Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean.

to                            Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to N88.

June

July                         Passage to Alexandria for service with 1st Submarine Flotilla based at Alexandria and

                                supported by HM Deport Ship MEDWAY.

August                  Deployed for Flotilla duties in eastern Mediterranean based at Alexandria.

to

October

November              Nominated for interception patrol south of 18 Degrees North in Adriatic.

                18th        Sailed from Alexandria for patrol.

                26th        Sunk by mine in Straits of Otranto.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

This name was re-introduced in 1943 when given to a Canadian built ALGERINE Class Minesweeper intended to be named LONGBRANCH but renamed before completion of build in 1944. Whilst serving in the Mediterranean this minesweeper was sunk, also by a mine, on 12 January 1945.