River Gunboat
ordered
from Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun
Glasgow on 16th January 1933. Laid down
later that
year she was designed by the shipbuilder and
one of six other warships of this type
required to
replace the INSECT Class built during WW1
and still in
service. See the General
Information. The ship was launched on 7th
March 1934 and the build components had been
designed to enable sections to be dismantled
for transportation to Hong Kong by ship for re-assembly
locally. She was the fourth RN ship to bear
this name, which was introduced for
a River
Gunboat also built by Yarrow’s in 1897 and
sold in1928. It had
also been borne
by a trawler and
a Drifter requisitioned during WW1. Build of
this ship was completed on 23rd
July 1934 and
after acceptance from the builder the ship
was dismantled and prepared for
shipment on a
merchant ship to Hong Kong.
B
a t t l e H
o n o u r s
None
have been awarded.
H
e r a l d i c
D a t a
A
Robin on a branch, proper.
M
o t t o
Audaciter:
Audaciously
S
u m m a r y
o f P r e - W a r S
e r v i c e
1
9 3 4
July
Contractors trials and
commissioning
23rd
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
August
On completion Sections dismantled
and prepared for shipment.
to
December
1
9 3 5
Sections
embarked in merchant ship for transit to
Hong Kong.
On arrival
Sections taken to commercial shipyard at
Taikoo for
re-assembly
1
9 3 6
Assembled
in Taikoo Dockyard
Contractors
trials.
1
9 3 7
Commissioned
for service and carried out Acceptance
Trials.
Construction
was overseen by personnel from HM
Dockyard
Hong Kong.
Recommissioned
for service in West River Flotilla.
1
9 3 8
Deployed
with HM River Gunboats TARANTULA,
SEAMEW
and FALCON
in West
River for
trade protection and aid to any
British
subjects in the event of a local
emergency.
(Note:
Refits were carried out by HM Dockyard,
Hong Kong
and for
Local Leave to Ship’s Company.
1 9 3 9
January
West River deployment in
continuation with Flotilla.
to
Nominated for War Station as
Depot Ship for Boom Defence
August
D
e t a i l s 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
September
West River Flotilla deployment in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 0
Took up service as
Boom Defence Depot Ship at Hong
Kong
1 9 4 1
January
Deployed as Boom Defence Depot
Ship
to
November
December
8th
After Japanese declaration of war deployed
for assistance with
RN ships remaining
in Hong Kong for defence of the Colony.
Colony under first
of Japanese air attacks which continued.
13th
Personnel from mainland evacuated
to Hong Kong Island.
18th
Japanese troops began landings on Hon Kong Island
25th
Deployed in support of landing
party on west coast of Hong
Kong
island and under
sustained and heavy air attacks.
(Note: Naval
party including men from HM River Gunboat
CICALA
were attacking Japanese troops attempting to
occupy
Bennetts Hill area.
Disabled during
attacks and unable to provide further
assistance.
Ship scuttled
after destruction of classified documents.
Note: Naval
landing party were evacuated by Motor
Torpedo Boats
of Hong
Kong Flotilla which took them to Mirs Bay. After the
MTBs
were scuttled some of the RN personnel made
their
way
to Rangoon where they arrived on 14th
February 1942.
This
may well have included some personnel from
the ship.)