After serving in Toulon with the 7th and later 5th Submarine Squadrons, in 1937 Rubis was transferred to Cherbourg. During the Norwegian campaign, in May 1940, Rubis laid mines off the Norwegian coast; the boat's mines claimed four Norwegian vessels in May and June, and a further three merchant ships in July. At the time of the French surrender on 22 June 1940, the boat was in the port of Dundee, Scotland in the United Kingdom, where the boat promptly joined the pavilion of the Free French Forces. At that time, she was commanded by Capitaine de CorvetteGeorges Cabanier. Whilst minelaying off Norway in mid-1941, Rubis encountered and torpedoed a Finnish merchant ship. Later in the war, the boat laid mines in the Bay of Biscay, claiming three German auxiliary minesweepers, an armed trawler, and a Vichy Frenchtugboat in 1942, and a fourth auxiliary minesweeper in 1943. Operating off Stavangerin September 1944, the boat's mines claimed two auxiliary submarine chasers and two merchant ships. In October and November, Rubis continued in Norwegian waters, damaging but not sinking two vessels. On 21 December, the boat's mines claimed three auxiliary submarine chasers, a German merchant ship, and a minesweeper. Throughout the war, Rubis made 22 operational patrols, laying nearly 683 mines and sinking some 21,000 GRT of shipping. With 22 ships sunk, Rubis achieved the highest kill number in the FNFL. From 1946 to 1948, she was used as a school ship for rigging in Toulon. Rubis was struck on 4 October 1949, and was sunk on 31 January 1958 to be used as a sonar target. The wreck lies underwater between Cavalaire and Saint-Tropez, and has become a popular diving attraction.
Ships sunk or damaged
1940
26 May 1940: Norwegian transport Vansø hits a mine laid on 10 May and sinks at
28 May 1940: Norwegian sail shipBlaamannen, from Haugesund, hits a mine laid on 27 May and sinks at
31 May 1940: Norwegian merchant ship Jadarland, from Haugesund, hits a mine laid on 27 May and sinks at
10 June 1940: Norwegian merchant ship Sverre Sigurdssøn hits a mine laid on 9 June off Herdla and sinks at
7 July 1940: Norwegian merchant ship Almora, from Egersund, hits a mine laid on 10 May at. The ship survives.
24 July 1940: Norwegian merchant ship Kem, from Egersund, hits a mine laid on 10 May and sinks at.
28 July 1940: Norwegian merchant ship Argo, from Egersund, hits a mine laid on 10 May and sinks at.
1941
21 August 1941: Rubis torpedoes and sinks the Finnish merchant ship Hogland off Norway at.
1942
12 June 1942: German auxiliary minesweeper M 4212, 125 BRT, hits a mine laid on 5 June and sinks at.
26 June 1942: Vichy French tugboat Quand Même hits a mine laid on 5 June and sinks at.
10 July 1942: German auxiliary minesweeper M 4401, 339 BRT, hits a mine and sinks at.
18 August 1942: German VorpostenbootV 406, 464 BRT, hits a mine laid on 14 August and sinks at.
20 September 1942: German auxiliary minesweeper M 4448, 77 BRT, hits a mine laid on 5 June and sinks at.
1943
10 July 1943: German auxiliary minesweeper M 4451, 652 BRT, hits a mine off Arcachon and sinks at.
1944
26 September 1944: German auxiliary submarine hunter UJ 1106, 464 BRT, hits a mine laid on 24 September and sinks at.
27 September 1944:
* German auxiliary submarine hunter UJ 1715, 464 BRT, hits a mine laid on 24 September and sinks at
* German merchant ship hits a mine laid on 24 September and sinks at
* Norwegian cargo ship Knute Nelson hits a mine laid on 24 September and sinks at
27 October 1944: German Vorpostenboot V 5304 hits a mine laid on 18 October at. The ship survives with heavy damage.
24 November 1944: Norwegian merchant ship Castor, from Egersund, hits a mine laid on the same day and sustain damage.
21 December 1944, off Norway:
* German cargo ship , 3,654 BRT, hits a mine laid on 19 December and sinks
* German auxiliary submarine hunter UJ 1113 / KUJ 7, 970 BRT, hits a mine laid on 19 December and sinks
* German auxiliary submarine hunter UJ 1116 / KUJ 11, 970 BRT, hits a mine laid on 19 December and sinks
* German auxiliary submarine hunter UJ 1702 / KUJ 16, 970 BRT, hits a mine laid on 19 December and sinks
* German minesweeper R 402, 140 t, hits a mine laid on 19 December and sinks
