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HMS ''Medway'' was the first purpose-built submarine depot ship constructed for the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness during the late 1920s. The ship served on the China Station before the Second World War and was transferred to Egypt in early 1940. Ordered to evacuate Alexandria in the face of the German advance after the Battle of Gazala in May 1942, ''Medway'' sailed for Lebanon at the end of June, escorted by a light cruiser and seven destroyers. Her strong escort could not protect her; on 30 June a German submarine torpedoed and sank her. ==Description and construction== ''Medway'' was designed to support up to 18 and s in peacetime and an additional three submarines during wartime. She carried three QF 4-inch Mk IV deck guns as spares together with 144 torpedoes to resupply her submarines.〔 The ship proved to be less top-heavy than anticipated and had the enormously high metacentric height of at full load. Built with bilge keels only deep, ''Medway'' once rolled 42° each way with a period of nine seconds, losing her main topmast. Her bilge keels were subsequently increased in depth to .〔 She was long overall and had a beam of and a draft of .〔Lenton, p. 587〕 The ship displaced at standard load and up to at (full load).〔Chesneau, p. 79〕 Her crew numbered 400 officers and enlisted men; she could also accommodate up to 1,335 additional men.〔 The ship was powered by MAN diesel engines rated at , driving two shafts, and had a top speed of about . ''Medway'' carried of diesel fuel for herself and an additional for her submarines. Figures for her range are not available. The ship had five diesel generators for electrical power and special provisions to recharge submarine batteries.〔 She was armed with two low-angle guns in single mounts〔 and four quick-firing Mk V 4-inch anti-aircraft guns, also in single mounts. The latter guns were controlled by a High-Angle Control System mounted above the bridge. ''Medway'' was protected by an internal anti-torpedo bulge which incorporated a water jacket of . Amidships a torpedo bulkhead was located 13 feet inboard that inclined outwards above the waterline.〔 The main deck was 1.5 inches thick amdiships.〔 ''Medway'' was ordered on 14 September 1926 as part of the 1925/26 Naval Estimates.〔Lenton, p. 591〕 The ship was laid down in April 1927 by the Vickers Armstrong shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, launched on 19 July 1928, and completed on 3 July 1929.〔Osborne, p. 22〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「HMS Medway (1928)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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