HMSMaidstone(1937)

For other ships with the same name, seeHMS Maidstone.

HMSMaidstonein the harbour of Algiers. Alongside areHMSSafariandHMSSahib
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSMaidstone
Namesake	Maidstone,Kent
Builder	John Brown & Company-Clydebank
Laid down	17 August 1936
Launched	21 October 1937
Commissioned	5 May 1938
Reclassified	Internment Holding area, 1970s
Fate	Scrapped May 1978
General characteristics
Type	Submarine depot ship
Displacement	8,900 tons
Length	497 ft (151 m)
Beam	73 ft (22 m)
Speed	17knots(31 km/h; 20 mph)
Complement	1,167 men
Armament	8 × 4.5 in (110 mm)DP guns(4×2) 8 ×2-pounder AA guns(2×4)

HMSMaidstonewas asubmarine depot shipof theRoyal Navy.She operated in theMediterranean Sea,Indian OceanandPacific Oceanduring theSecond World War.She was later used as abarracks shipand then aprison shipinNorthern Ireland.

Facilities

She was built to support the increasing number of submarines, especially on distant stations, such as theMediterranean Seaand the PacificFar East.Her equipment included afoundry,coppersmiths, plumbing and carpentry shops, heavy and lightmachine shops,electrical andtorpedorepair shops and plants for charging submarinebatteries.She was designed to look after nine operational submarines, supplying over 100 torpedoes and a similar number ofmines.Besides large workshops, there were repair facilities for all materiel in the attached submarines and extensivedivingandsalvageequipment was carried. There were steamlaundries,acinema,hospital,chapel,twocanteens,abakery,barber shop,and a fully equippedoperating theatreanddental surgery.

Career

Second World War

Maidstonein Algiers Harbour

Winston Churchillmeets submarine commanders in Algiers aboardMaidstoneduring the War

In September 1939Maidstonewasdepot shipto the ten submarines of the 1st Submarine Flotilla. In March 1941 she went toGibraltar.From November 1942,Maidstonewas based at Algiers Harbour, the mainAlliedbase in the Mediterranean. In November 1943 she was assigned to theEastern Fleet.In September 1944Maidstoneand the 8th Submarine Flotilla were transferred fromCeylontoFremantlein Western Australia to operate in the Pacific.

In late 1945Maidstoneleft Fremantle, and en route to the UK, docked in theSelborne dry dockat Simonstown, South Africa. While on passage, she was diverted to Macassar to pick up 400 British naval prisoners of war fromHMSExeter,HMSEncounterandHMSStronghold.In November 1945, she arrived at Portsmouth.

During the warMaidstonewas adopted by the Borough ofMaidstoneas part ofWarship Week.The plaque from this adoption is held by theNational Museum of the Royal Navyin Portsmouth.

Postwar

In 1946Maidstonebecame mother ship to the 2nd and 7th Submarine Flotillas. The 2nd Flotilla comprised operational boats, the latter a trials and training squadron.Maidstonehad a semi-permanent mooring off Monkey Island (Portland) but often put to sea with its subsidiary ships. In 1951Maidstonecalled briefly atCorunnato land a sick crewman. This was not classified an official visit, although it was the first time a British warship had entered a Spanish harbour since the end of theSpanish Civil War.In 1953, she took part in theFleet Reviewto celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

On 16 June 1955 the submarineHMSSidonsank in Portland harbour alongsideMaidstone20 minutes after an explosion in the forward torpedo compartment. A rescue party fromMaidstonesaved a number of theSidon's crew, but 13 died. A week later, the submarine was raised and the accident was found to be caused by thehigh-test peroxidefuel in a torpedo.Surgeon Lieutenant Charles Rhodeswas posthumously awarded theAlbert Medalfor his part in the rescue.

In 1956Maidstonewas theflagshipof the Commander-in-Chief,Home Fleet.In September 1957, the Soviet Union protested whenMaidstoneaccompanied the training aircraft carrierHMSOceanon a visit toHelsinki.In 1959Maidstonereceived an extensive refit to accommodate nuclear submarines and the 2nd Flotilla was then moved to Devonport. In 1961Maidstonesailed toFaslane,on Gareloch, where she was the depot ship to the 3rd and 10th Submarine Squadrons. In 1965, she undertook a trip toLiverpool,and she visited the same port one year later. She also undertook a trip toRothesayduring this period and then, in 1968, she sailed toRosyth Dockyardto undertake preparations to permanently retire it. The Norwegian navy considered buying it, as did HM Prison Service, who decided the facilities onboard, used by hundreds of sailors, were only suitable for 50 or so prisoners.

Belfast

In October 1969Maidstonewas refitted and re-commissioned as accommodation for 2,000 troops and sent toBelfast.In 1969, she arrived under tow at Belfast to serve as barracks for the increased security forces in the area.In 1971, she was used as aprison shipinOperation Demetriusas a place to holdinterneeswithout trial, includingGerry Adams.The holding area itself was at the stern and consisted of two bunkhouses, one up, one down, and two mess rooms. Above these were the rooms of the governor and his staff (previously the captain's cabin) and above this was the deck, used twice a day for exercise. The deck was surrounded by 10-foot (3.0 m)-high barbed wire. She was moored in Belfast harbour 20 feet (6.1 m) from the land, entry to the jetty being guarded by sand-bagged army emplacements.Maidstonewas also notable for the escape of seven Provisional IRA members on 17January 1972. The men swam close to 300 yd (270 m) through icy water and evaded army and police and later held a press conference.On 9 April 1972 all internees were moved to Long Kesh prison (HM Prison Maze).

The presence of the ship inBelfast Harbourdrew attention to the constitutional status ofNorthern Ireland's territorial waters,which had long been a point of contention with the Irish government.By early 1975 the ship remained at Sydenham Wharf in Belfast as part of the Royal Naval Operation in Northern Ireland, to provide immediate short-notice accommodation for the Army, should significant reinforcements be required and to provide ad-hoc accommodation for UK Service Personnel visiting the Province.

Fate

On 23 May 1978,Maidstonewas broken up for scrap at theThos. W. Wardscrapyard inInverkeithing.The ship's bell is now located atMaidstone Grammar School,where it is rung to signify the start of assemblies.

See also

• HMSAl Rawdah(1911)
• HMSArgenta
• HMSMedway(F25)

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.;Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy(Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN978-1-86176-281-8.