uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Regulus (i) include:

The history of HMS Regulus as compiled on this page is extracted from the patrol reports and logbooks of this submarine. Corrections and details regarding information from the enemy's side (for instance the composition of convoys attacked) is kindly provided by Mr. Platon Alexiades, a naval researcher from Canada.

The page with the wartime history of HMS Regulus was created in January 2015.

This page was last updated in April 2023.

4 Sep 1939
Around 1530H/4, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Hong Kong for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Pacific to the East of Luzon Strait.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below.

(1)

15 Sep 1939
Around 0730H/15, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) ended her 1st war patrol at Hong Kong. (1)

21 Sep 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (1)

28 Sep 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Thracian (Lt.Cdr. H.G.D. de Chair, RN). (1)

2 Oct 1939
Around 1805H/2, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Hong Kong for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Bungo Channel, Japan.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below.

(2)

21 Oct 1939
Around 0750H/21, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) ended her 2nd war patrol at Hong Kong. (2)

26 Oct 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was docked at Hong Kong. (2)

27 Oct 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was undocked. (2)

30 Oct 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Thracian (Lt.Cdr. H.G.D. de Chair, RN). (2)

2 Nov 1939
Around 0920H/2, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Hong Kong for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol to the south of Honshu, Japan.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below.

(3)

25 Nov 1939
Around 0800H/25, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Hong Kong. (3)

27 Nov 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was docked at Hong Kong. (3)

29 Nov 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was undocked. (3)

5 Dec 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (4)

6 Dec 1939
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (4)

13 Dec 1939
Around 0910H/13, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Hong Kong for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Vladivostock, Russia.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below.

(4)

4 Jan 1940
Around 0730H/4, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) ended her 4th war patrol at Hong Kong. (5)

16 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (5)

17 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (5)

18 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (5)

19 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Kanimbla (A/Capt. F.E. Getting, RAN). (5)

23 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. Upon returning to harbour she collided with a junk. The damage to the junk was slight, Regulus was not damaged at all. (5)

24 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Thanet (Lt.Cdr. J. Mowlam, RN). (5)

25 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (5)

30 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong. (5)

31 Jan 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Moreton Bay (A/Capt. E.M. Haes, RN). (5)

1 Feb 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. R.T. Gordon-Duff, RN) and HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN). conducted exercises off Hong Kong with HMS Scout (Lt.Cdr. C.H. Holmes, RN). (6)

5 Feb 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was docked at Hong Kong. (7)

7 Feb 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was undocked. (7)

14 Feb 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Scout (Lt.Cdr. C.H. Holmes, RN). (7)

15 Feb 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong with HMS Pandora (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Linton, RN) and HMS Rainbow (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Luce, RN). (7)

20 Feb 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted exercises off Hong Kong together with HMS Thanet (Lt.Cdr. J. Mowlam, RN). (7)

4 Mar 1940
Around 0915H/4, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Hong Kong on a long endurance trial for her engines. She was to proceed to Saigon, French Indo-China and then back to Hong Kong.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during these trials see the map below.

(8)

9 Mar 1940
Around 1000G/9, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) arrived at Saigon. (8)

11 Mar 1940
Around 1400G/11, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Saigon to return to Hong Kong. (8)

15 Mar 1940
Around 0715H/15, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) arrived at Hong Kong. (8)

20 Mar 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was taken in hand for refit at Hong Kong. (8)

5 Apr 1940
During her refit HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was docked at Hong Kong. (9)

31 May 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) was undocked. She then continued her refit at Hong Kong. (10)

24 Jun 1940
With her refit completed HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) conducted trials and exercises off Hong Kong. (11)

26 Jun 1940
Around 0800H/26, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Hong Kong for Singapore. She was to proceed to Alexandria, Egypt to join the Mediterranean Fleet.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during the passage from Hong Kong to Alexandria see the map below.

(11)

1 Jul 1940
In the evening, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) arrived at Singapore. (12)

3 Jul 1940
Around 1200G/3, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Singapore for Colombo. (12)

9 Jul 1940
In the morning, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) arrived at Colombo. (12)

10 Jul 1940
Around 1630EF/10, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Colombo for Aden. (12)

20 Jul 1940
Around 1200C/20, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) arrived at Aden. (12)

23 Jul 1940
Around 0900C/23, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) departed Aden for Alexandria. (12)

28 Jul 1940
HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) passed the Suez Canal northbound. (12)

30 Jul 1940
Around 1000C/30, HMS Regulus (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN) arrived at Alexandria. (12)

30 Aug 1940
Around 2000C/30, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) departed Alexandria for her 5th war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol off Benghazi, Libya.

For the daily and attack positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below.

(13)

17 Sep 1940
At 2324A/17, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) sighted an enemy destroyer bearing 015° at a range which was thought to be about one mile. HMS Regulus dived and the destroyer commenced to drop depth charges.

The destroyer was the Italian Turbine (Capitano di Fregata R. Caruel). She had sailed from Benghazi at 2027B/18 bound for Tripoli. At 0030B/18 [note the 1 hour time zone difference], in Italian Grid 5371 [about 40 miles west of Benghazi], she sighted a submarine proceeding on the surface on course 270° at 12 knots. She tried to ram it but as she had closed to 100 metres, the submarine dived [Regulus reported the position as 32°02'N, 18°54'E or about 60 miles west of Benghazi]. Turbine immediately dropped a pattern of five depth charges [Regulus reported six, causing minor damage], three 50-kg set 25 metres, two 100-kg set at 50 and 75 metres. Turbine then returned for a second run, this time dropping nine depth charges [Regulus heard five, perhaps some failed to detonate]. C.F. Caruel claimed the submarine probably sunk and, at 0100B/18, Turbine resumed her passage to Tripoli where she arrived at 1613B/18. (14)

25 Sep 1940
At 2145B/25, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) fired four torpedoes at an unidentified ship. All missed. At 2150B/25 another two torpedoes were fired which also missed. Position was to the North of El Alamein, Egypt.

It was fortunate the torpedoes missed since the unidentified ship was the light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN) returning from operations off Cyprus. (15)

26 Sep 1940
Around 0900C/26, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) ended her 5th war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean) at Alexandria. (15)

11 Oct 1940
Around 1730B/11, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) departed Alexandria for her 6th war patrol (2nd in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol in the central Mediterranean. Later she shifted patrol to the Gulf of Sirte.

For the daily positions of HMS Regulus during this patrol see the map below. No positions are known to us from 30 October 1940 onwards, therefore this map is incomplete.

(16)

2 Nov 1940
Around 0830B/2, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) ended her 6th war patrol (2nd in the Mediterranean) at Alexandria. (17)

18 Nov 1940
Around 0905B/18, HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) departed Alexandria for her 7th war patrol (3rd in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol off the Gulf of Taranto.

23 Nov 1940
HMS Regulus (Lt.Cdr. F.B. Currie, RN) was ordered to patrol in the lower Adriatic and Straits of Otranto.

30 Nov 1940
At 0613B/30, the Italian transport Veloce (5437 GRT, built 1911) in convoy reported an explosion a few miles off Otranto (it was not clear if she was torpedoed or mined although the Italians seemed to believe she was mined). She was in convoy with the Albano (2358 GRT, built 1918) and Ninuccia (4583 GRT, built 1910). They were escorted by the armed merchant cruiser Città di Tunisi (5419 GRT, built 1930) and were en-route to Brindisi. The vessel was abandoned in heavy weather, Città di Tunisi attempted to tow her but the cable broke. She was finally beached and the tugs Ursus (354 GRT, built 1918) and Ercole (480 GRT, built 1928) were sent to her assistance to free her and she was eventually towed to harbour. The whole crew of 39 was saved. It is not impossible that she was the victim of a torpedo attack from HMS Regulus but we have no positive proof as the submarine did not return from her patrol.