HMS Regulus (N88)


HMS Regulus was a built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s.

Design and description

The Rainbow-class submarines were designed as improved versions of the and were intended for long-range operations in the Far East. The submarines had a length of overall, a beam of and a mean draft of. They displaced on the surface and submerged. The Rainbow-class submarines had a crew of 56 officers and ratings. They had a diving depth of.
For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of at and at submerged.
The boats were armed with six British 21 inch torpedo| torpedo tubes in the bow and two more in the stern. They carried six reload torpedoes for a grand total of fourteen torpedoes. They were also armed with a QF 4.7-inch Mark IX deck gun.

Construction and career

Regulus was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness and launched in 1930. Before Second World War she was stationed with Submarine Flotilla #4 on the China station, based out of Hong Kong.
Regulus left Alexandria to patrol in the southern Adriatic on 23 November 1940. She was lost with her entire crew on 6 December 1940 whilst on patrol off Taranto, Italy. In all probability she hit a mine.