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.