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.)
