MAIDSTONE-Class
Submarine Depot ship built by John Brown of
Clydebank, Glasgow ands laid down
on 30th August 1936. The ship was
launched on 21st October 1937 as the 9th RN
ship to carry the name, introduced
in 1650 to
commemorate the
taking of the town by Fairfax in 1648 and
was
sold in 1929. Build was completed on 5th
May 1938 and deployed as Depot Ship
for the 1st Submarine Flotilla based in
Malta until the outbreak of war with
Germany in
Sept. 1939.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National
Savings Campaign in March 1942 she was
'adopted' by the
civil community of Maidstone, Kent.
B
a t t l e H
o n o u r s
SANTA CRUZ 1657 - QUIBERON 1759 - MEDITERRANEAN 1942-43
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue,
a Lion passant
Gold upon wavelets Silver and Blue.
M
o t t o
Urbis Fortuna Navis: ' The fortune of the city
is
the fortune of the ship ‘
S
u m m a r y
o f 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 8
April
Commissioned for trials.
May
5th Accepted
into service.
June
On completion of trials prepared
for service at Malta in support of 1st
Submarine Flotilla.
July
Deployed at Malta as
Depot Snip and took part in Fleet exercises
and visits
1
9 3 9
January
Mediterranean deployment in
continuation.
to
August
September
After outbreak of war deployed
in Atlantic
for support of submarines being used for convoy
defence.
to
Nominated for
deployment at Rosyth for support of
submarines.
December
1
9 4 0
Deployed at Rosyth
for support of submarines carrying patrol
duties in North Sea.
1
9 4 1
Home water
submarine support in continuation.
Nominated for
service in support of submarines at
Gibraltar
1
9 4 2
Deployed
at Gibraltar for
submarine support duties.
(Note: Many
operations were planned on board including
those which
were associated
with the
allied
landings in North Africa.
(Operation
TORCH. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett
and
the Naval Staff
History (HMSO).
1 9 4 3
Transferred to Qran
in continuation of submarine support duties.
Nominated for
service with Eastern Fleet submarines based
in Ceylon,
1
9 4 4
January
Took passage to Ceylon via Suez
and Aden.
February
18th At
Massawa
19th
Sailed from Massawa for Ceylon with call
at Aden.
March
3rd
Arrived at Trincomalee and joined Eastern
Fleet.
for support of 8th
Submarine
Flotilla.
(Note:
Flotilla then
comprised 8 S-Class submarines but increased
in July when four
T-Class, six S-Class and the Dutch 019 were
being
supported).
April
Deployed at Trincomalee.
to
July
August
Transferred to Fremantle to
support submarines of 8th Flotilla for
operations in sea areas
around Indonesia and
East Indies.
.
25th Sailed to
Fremantle.
September
4th
Joined US submarine tenders USS EURYALUS
and GRIFFIN at Fremantle.
11th HM
Submarine PORPOISE sailed for special
operation using submersible canoes to attack
shipping at
Singapore.
(Operation
RIMAU - This was a
failure and crews who survived were executed
after
being
captured by the
Japanese).
October
Submarine support at Fremantle in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Towed
from berth at Fremantle to avoid serious
damage when oil fuel caught fire on
the water.
February
Support of Eastern Fleet submarines
in continuation.
to
March
April
1st
Transferred to British Pacific Fleet as part
of reorganisation of Eastern
Fleet.
19th Took
passage to Subic Bay in support of
RN submarines operating in S. China Sea.
Called at Sydney on
passage.
May
Passage from Sydney to
Subic Bay with call at British Fleet Base at
Manus in Admiralty
Islands.
20th
Arrived at Subic Bay and joined US
submarine depot ships.
Provided support
for HM Submarines SOLENT, SLEUTH,
SPARK, SUPREME, STYGIAN
STURDY,
SEA SCOUT.
(Note: HM
Submarines SELENE, SPEARHEAD, STUBBORN and
SIDON joined later).
June
Deployed at Subic Bay for
support of 8th Submarine Flotilla in
continuation.
to July
August
15th
Reverted to RN control after end of
hostilities with Japan.
Nominated
for service in Task
Group 112.2 for re-occupation of Hong Kong.
27th
Joined m Aircraft Carrier INDOMITABLE, HM
Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier
VENGEANCE, HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, EURYALUS
and HM Canadian Auxiliary
PRINCE ROBERT
screened
by HM Destroyers
KEMPENFELT, URSA,
WHIRLWIND
and HM Australian
Destroyer QUADRANT
as Task Group
112.2.
Submarines of 8th
Flotilla also joined this Group.
Took passage with
Group for Hong Kong.
30th
Remained at sea during operations to
ensure safe passage to harbour.
September
Assisted in re-occupation of Kowloon.
Nominated
for transport of repatriated POW from East
Indies camps.
-
\
Took passage to
Macassar, Celebes
.
24th
Embarked
459 POW at Celebes
30th
Arrived at Fremantle.
October
On release from repatriation
duties took passage to return to UK.
to
December
1
9 4 6 t o
1 9 5 5
After
refit resumed submarine support duties in
Home waters, based at
Portland.
Took
part in Home Fleet exercises and visits with
attached submarines.
1
9 5 5
During service at
Portland took part in rescue operations
after an explosion of a
torpedo on
board
m Submarine SIDON.
(Note:
This was caused by leakage of hydrogen
peroxide whilst weapon
was in the
torpedo tube.
Hydrogen
peroxide was being used for trials of a new
design of torpedo
and the
explosion removed both tube door and
bow cap
allowing the direct access
of
water into the submarine which sank.
She
was later salved but found beyond economic
repair and sunk as a target off
Portland)
1
9 5 6
t
o 1 9
5 7
Became Flagship
of the Commander in Chief Home Fleet and
took part in the Visits
and
Exercise
programmes.
Visited Helsinki
with HM Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier OCEAN.
1
9 5 8
Home Fleet
duties in continuation.
Selected for
modernisation to enable provision of support
for nuclear submarines.
April
Paid off into Dockyard Control at
Portsmouth
Taken in hand for modernisation.
May
In Dockyard hands.
to
December
1
9 5 9 t o 1
9 6 1
Modernisation
in continuation.
4.5in
armament
removed.
Additional
facilities provided in mid-ships structure.
Surface warning
radar fitted.
Workshop
arrangements modified to provide suitable
repair and support for nuclear
powered
submarines.
1
9 6 2
Post repair
trials and work-up prior to deployment in
Clyde
.
Provided support
for 3rd Submarine Squadron at Faslane.
1
9 6 3 t o 1 9
6 7
Clyde
deployment in continuation.
Nominated for
reduction to Reserve status after Clyde
Submarine Base, HMS NEPTUNE
became
operational and
support base for submarines based at
Faslane.
1
9 6 8
January
23rd
Took passage to Rosyth to pay off
into Reserve
February.
Paid
off and destored.
March
Reducing
to Reserve
April
Laid up at Rosyth.
to
December
1
9 6 9
January
Laid-up
at Rosyth
to
August
September
Selected
for use as an Accommodation
Ship for troops sent to Belfast
to support
local
authorities during civil unrest.
October
Re-commissioned
at Rosyth.
November
Deployed
at Belfast as an Accommodation
Ship.
December
1
9 7 0
t o 1 9 7 6
Deployed
at Belfast and also used as a
Prison Ship.
1
9 7 7
On
release from duties at Belfast by
military authority reverted to RN control.
Towed
to Rosyth to re-enter Reserve
Fleet.
Reduced
to Reserve Status
1
9 7 8
Placed
on Disposal List and sold to
BISCO for demolition by TW Ward.
May
23rd
Towed
to breakers’ yard at Inverkeithing
near Rosyth.