HMS Regent (N41)

Regent was commissioned for service in the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station. She was deployed at Hong Kong until 1940. There Medway, the Royal Navy's first purpose-built submarine depot ship, supported her and her classmates, Rainbow, Regulus, and Rover.[1] Lieutenant Commander Browne RN assumed command of Regent on 9 April 1939.[1] Between April and May 1940, Regent and the other boats of the 4th Submarine Flotilla transferred to the 1st Submarine Flotilla, based in Alexandria, Egypt. There she received pennant N41. She initially laid mines off North Africa.[1] From June to December, Regent deployed in the eastern Mediterranean with the 1st Flotilla. While conducting interception patrols, in October Regent sank two merchant vessels off Durazzo, Albania. The vessels had a total tonnage of 6068 tons.[1] One vessel was an Italian sailing vessel, Maria Grazia, of 188 GRT. Regent sank Maria Grazia by ramming her on 5 October off Bari at 41°05′N 17°45′E. Four days later, Regent claimed her second victim, an Italian merchantman of 5,900 GRT. Regent torpedoed Antonietta Costa at 41°05′N 17°45′E. Antonietta Costa managed to run aground, but proved unsalvageable.[2]

On 14 or 15 January 1942, Regent was off Benghazi, Libya. There she sank the MV Città di Messina, with the loss of 432 men.[3] Citta di Messina, of 2,742 tons, was under escort by the Italian torpedo boat Centauro, which was able to rescue 166 survivors.[1] The incident took place 45 nautical miles (83 km) east of Tripoli, Libya, at 32°59′N 14°11′E.[2] On 21 February, Regent attacked three merchant vessels at 33°41′N 12°48′E, which is about 55 nautical miles (102 km) north-northwest of Tripoli, Libya. She damaged the German vessel Menes, of 5,609 tons, but Seatta, one of the three destroyers escorting the merchantmen, took that vessel into tow.[1] Before Saetta took Menes into tow, she dropped depth charges which damaged the submarine.[2]

On 11 April 1943, Regent sailed to patrol the southern Adriatic. She was lost with all hands at some point in April. The loss was discovered when the submarine failed to return to its base in Beirut, Lebanon, to re-fuel and take on supplies by 1 May 1943.

In 2014, Regent's wreckage was believed found at a depth of 28 metres (92 ft) at 41°29′N 16°16′E, some 10 miles (16 km) north of Barletta, on Italy's Adriatic coast.[2] This is now known to be incorrect, the wreck called "Regent" is in fact a small Italian submarine called Bausan, that had its conning tower, propellers and controls removed, and was used as an oil carrying hulk. she was moored up and her position was recorded by the Royal Navy while doing a survey of the area with the view of future amphibious landings. Later she was used as target practice. Her recorded position by the Royal Navy matches the position of the declared Regent wreck. Bausan sank and her wreck incorrectly recorded as HMS Regent.

One theory, which has gained credence, is that on 18 April Regent struck a mine north of Barletta, after attacking an Italian convoy.[2] It was reported that earlier that day an unidentified submarine had attempted to torpedo the small Italian tanker Bivona, of 1,646 GRT, and the submarine in question may have been Regent.[2]

A second theory was that on 18 April the submarine was north of Monopoli, further along the same coast, where she fired a torpedo at the merchant vessel Balcic, but missed. The Italian corvette Gabbiano was escorting Balcic and immediately launched a depth charges attack, which it was thought could have destroyed Regent.[1]

The most likely theory is that on 16 April 1943, she was attacking a railway line with her gun along the Gulf of Taranto. The Italian corvette Gabbiano engaged her and falsely claimed her loss, and Regent entered the Adriatic. On the afternoon of 18 April 1943, she attacked a convoy off Monopoli, her torpedo missed and struck the shore. Later that evening an explosion was heard off Monopoli. She most likely struck a mine. Over the following month, four bodies were found at various places south of Monopoli, three of which wearing Davis escape gear. The bodies were later buried at the Bari war graves cemetery. Two of the head stones say HMS Regent but have the incorrect date of the 16 April 1943.

• Admiralty, Admiralty Staff (1997) His Majesty's Submarines. (Merriam Press). ISBN 9781576380215
• Caruana, Joseph (2012). "Emergency Victualling of Malta During WWII". Warship International. LXIX (4): 357–364. ISSN 0043-0374.
• Kemp, Paul (1993) Friend or Foe: Friendly Fire at Sea 1939-1945. (Pen and Sword). ISBN 978-0850523850
• Mason, Lt. Cdr. Geoffrey B RN (Rtd) (2006) Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2: HMS Regent (41 R) - R-class Submarine - accessed 2 January 2014.

• Facts and Figures on Regent
• Information and Photos of the Regent