RN Subs

Regent (N 41)

Regent

Regent (N 41)

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Commanders

Served in Chinese waters until being sent to the Mediterranean in 1940.

1930-1931: Portsmouth.
1931-1935: Mediterranean.
1935-1940: 4th Flotilla. HMS Medway, China Station.
1940: 1st Flotilla. HMS Medway, Alexandria.
1941: 10th Flotilla. Malta.

It should be noted that although some boats were attached to HMS Medway at Singapore, they often operated in a detached mode covering the China Station such as Hong Kong and even to the point of patrolling the Siberian Coast and boats attached to 1st Flotilla in Alexandria were likely to spend much of their time at Malta, even though Malta had been given up as a submarine base due to the air attacks. Although submarines did still operate from Malta during this period the 10th Flotilla was not recognised as such until September 1941.

Sank the Silvia Tripcovich 2,400 tons

Mystery of British submarine that vanished in World War 2 may have been solved

Story by Ian Randall (Dec 2022)

Divers have located a wreck off of Italy’s Adriatic coast that they believe may be HMS Regent, a submarine that vanished during April 1943, in the middle of World War 2. Experts believe that the 62-man sub sank after striking a mine off of the coast of Monopoli on April 18 that year. Historical accounts note that an unidentified submarine attacked an Italian convoy that afternoon, and later that day an explosion was heard off the same coast.

The Navy assumed the Regent was lost when she failed to return to her base in Beirut, Lebanon, to refuel and take on supplies as expected by May 1, 1943. In the following weeks, four bodies, three of which were dressed in the Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus used by British submariners were washed ashore south of Monopoli. However, the individuals, who were buried in the Bari War Cemetery, were not identified.

The newly identified wreck, located off of the coast near Villanova di Ostuni, some 19 miles from Monopoli, was discovered by divers with the Italian Naval League. Marine explorer Fabio Bisciotti leads the underwater study group at the Italian Naval League. He said:

The wreck lies at a 75 metre [246 foot] depth and it's upside down.

"When we arrived on this wreck, in the first moment, it was difficult to understand that we were talking about the Regent. But if you study the hull, the composition of the steel, and the stern and the bow, we have seen that we are talking about a British design.

The dimensions of this wreck match with a British design and, of course, on the bow we are talking about six torpedo tubes, three per side.

If we are talking about a German U-boat or an Italian submarine, we are talking about four torpedo tubes, so, two per side.

Mr Bisciotti's team, which includes Acquelibere Sub Diving Club of Padua members Stefania Bellesso and Michele Favaron, were able to obtain footage of the wreck. In this video, there is evidence that the vessel was the victim of an explosion.

The blast damage seen on the wreck would fit the theory that the Regent sank after striking a mine in April 1943. Given this, the location of the wreck and the recorded submarine deployments of the time, Mr Bisciotti is emphatic that there is only one possible candidate that could have produced the wreck in question.

He explained:

Mathematically, it's not an opinion. If we want to talk about this wreck, it's surely the Regent, because nobody else was in this area. "In April 1943, watching all the diaries of the submarines from Great Britain in the Mediterranean Sea, only the Regent was patrolling the area.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said that, with the wreck being upside down and having key sections buried in the sea-floor, it would not be possible at present to confirm the discovery. However, they added, this could change as and when more information comes to light. They added:

We appreciate the efforts to locate the wreck of HMS Regent which, even after the passage of eight decades, would bring a sense of closure to the families and descendants of those tragically lost when she sank.

We are also especially grateful for all the efforts made in protecting the last resting place of those who gave their lives in the service of our country.

One family who are hoping to locate the Regent are those of William Trice, the submarine's CERA. The trauma of William's death, they explained, has reverberated down through the generations.

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R2 Specification

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X 8 (Expectant)

Class:	1942 - 1946: X Class
Built By:	Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group:	X
Fate:
Scuttled en-route to Norway to attack Lutzow on 17 Sept 1943

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For many years submariners produced local newspapers, reporting from the deep with a unique take on their unusual lifestyle. Held in much affection by submarine crews, they enjoyed a long period of popularity from the 1970s-1990s for their irreverent and decidedly un-PC approach to underwater living.

In this entertaining book, author Keith Hall examines the development of this strange branch of underwater journalism, collating the articles and anecdotes, jokes cartoons and stories that have been published over the years to brighten up the lives of submariners far from home, providing an insight into the bizarre self-contained world of the submariner.

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