 HMS Regent underway | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rainbow class |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Parthian class |
| Succeeded by | S class |
| In commission | 1930–1946 |
| Planned | 6 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Cancelled | 2 |
| Lost | 3 |
| Retired | 1 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 287 ft (87 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Draught | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Complement | 53 |
| Armament |
|
The Rainbow-class submarine or R class was a quartet of patrol submarines built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s.
The Rainbow-class submarines were designed as improved versions of the Parthian class and were intended for long-range operations in the Far East. The submarines had a length of 287 feet 2 inches (87.5 m) overall, a beam of 29 feet 10 inches (9.1 m) and a mean draft of 13 feet 10 inches (4.2 m). They displaced 1,772 long tons (1,800 t) on the surface and 2,030 long tons (2,063 t) submerged. The Rainbow-class submarines had a crew of 56 officers and ratings. They had a diving depth of 300 feet (91.4 m). [2]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 2,200- brake-horsepower (1,641 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 660-horsepower (492 kW) electric motor. They could reach 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) on the surface and 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 7,050 nautical miles (13,060 km; 8,110 mi) at 9.2 knots (17.0 km/h; 10.6 mph) and 62 nmi (115 km; 71 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged. [2]
The boats were armed with six 21-inch 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 (120 mm) Mark IX deck gun. [3]
Six boats were ordered in February 1929 but, following the May 1929 general election, the new government suspended the construction of two boats in August due to economic considerations; they were subsequently cancelled. [4]
| Name | Builder | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow | Chatham Dockyard | 14 May 1930 | Sunk 4 October 1940 in collision with the Italian merchant ship Antonietta Costa [5] |
| Regent | Vickers, Barrow in Furness | 11 June 1930 | Sunk 18 April 1943 by mines near Barletta, Apulia, Italy |
| Regulus | Vickers, Barrow in Furness | 11 June 1930 | Sunk 6 December 1940 by mines near Taranto, Apulia, Italy |
| Rover | Vickers, Barrow in Furness | 11 June 1930 | Scrapped 1946 |
| Royalist | Beardmore, Dalmuir | Cancelled 1929 | |
| Rupert | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | Cancelled 1929 |
It is often stated that the Enrico Toti sank HMS Rainbow. However, the submarine Enrico Toti sank was HMS Triad. [5]
HMS Spiteful was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Enrico Toti was one of four Balilla-class submarines built for the Regia Marina during the late 1920s. The boat played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. She was the only Italian submarine to have sunk a Royal Navy submarine during the Second World War.
HMS Saga was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal.
HMS Scythian was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1960.
HMS Seneschal was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1965.
HMS Sentinel was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She was not completed until after the war and was sold for scrap in 1962.
HMS Solent was a S-class submarine built by Cammell Laird and launched on 8 June 1944 of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She spent most of her career in the Pacific Far East, often in company with her sister ship, HMS Sleuth. Together they sank fifteen Japanese sailing vessels and the Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 3. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1961.
HMS Surf was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1948.
HMS Sleuth was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1958.
HMS Spur was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal in 1948.
HMS Spearhead was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal. She was scrapped in 1967.
HMS Supreme was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1950.
HMS Spirit was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1950.
HMS Spark was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1950.
HMS Stoic was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1950.
HMS Sturdy was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1958.
HMS Subtle was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1959.
HMS Sea Devil was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1966.
HMS Regulus (N88) was a Rainbow-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s.
HMS Rainbow was a Rainbow-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s.
