List of vessels of Royal Navy Coastal Forces

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Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy operated Motor Launches (ML), Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB) and Motor Gun Boats (MGB) during Second World War and after.

Contents

The vessels were made by several manufactures and the designs varied.

MTBs were intended for attacking enemy shipping while MGBs were armed for combat with other fast attack craft. Motor Launches were used for harbour defence and anti-submarine operations.

Motor Torpedo Boats

List of MTBs [1]
VesselTypeBuilderIn serviceNotes
MTB 160ft BPB British Power Boat Company (BPB)June 1936
MTB 2
MTB 3
MTB 4
MTB 5
MTB 6
MTB 7 - MTB 12Lost in December 1941 during Japanese attack on Hong Kong
MTB 13Pennant not used
MTB 1460ft BPBBPB
MTB 1560ft BPB
MTB 1660ft BPB
MTB 1760ft BPB
MTB 1860ft BPB
MTB 1960ft BPB
MTB 2070ft Vosper To Romanian Navy
MTB 2170ft
MTB 2270ftRN
MTB 2370ftTo Romania
MTB 24, MTB 2574ft Thornycroft Prototypes for 75ft design
MTB 2655 ft CMBThornycroftOctober 1939From order for China. MTB 26 sunk December 1941

MTB 27 was scuttled in December 1941 during the Japanese attack on Hong Kong

MTB 2755 ft CMBThornycroftOctober 1939
MTB 28,70 ftVosper (sub contracted to Thornycroft)Replacements for 20, 21, 23. MTB 30 lost to mine in North Sea December 1942 [2]
MTB 29, 3070 ftVosper (sub contracted to Camper and Nicholsons)
MTB 31-4070ftVosperFrom September 1940changed to Hall Scott Defender engines from No. 35 onwards. MTB 33, 37, 39 and 40 wer lost to a bombing raid during construction. MTB 35 out of service in 1943 [2] MTB 32 became a target boat ("Controlled Target) CT 24 in 1942 [3] MTB 31 and MTB 34 were converted to CT 22 and CT 23 in 1943 [4]
MTB 41-48Vosper 72ftJ S WhiteFrom September 1940
MTB 49 -5675ftThornycroft
MTB 57-66Vosperordered 26 February 1940. [5]
MTB 67-68Vosper
MTB 69-7070 ftVosperIntended for Greek Navy (as T3 and T4). [5] Two engines instead of three limited top speed to 27 knots [6]
MTB 71-7260ftVosperoriginally built for Norway (as No.7 and No.8) [5]
MTB 73-9972ft 6 in [a] Vosperdelivered January 1941 to January 1942Ordered 14 May 1940 [5] . Construction subcontracted to various yards. Packard engines. Six supplied to Free French forces [6] MTB 74 Special modification, 70 ft long with torpedo tubes on fo'castle. to fire over anti-torpedo nets. Used in St Nazaire raid

MTB 75 destroyed in German bombing raid while being built [7] MTB 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, and 98 trasnferred to Free French in 1942 [7]

MTB 102 68ftVosperPrivate venture designed by Peter du Cane. Preserved
MTB 103experimental 70ft, used as target tow
MTB 108MTB 'small type'Destroyed by bombing before complete [8]
MTB 201-212 J. Samuel White Built to Vosper design
MTB 218-22170ft VosperVosperOrdered for Greek Navy in 1940. Requestioned be UK in 1941 [9] Same design as MTBs 69-70

MTB 218 sunk by mine and "German surface craft" in the Dover Strait 18 August 1942. [10]

MTB 222-24572ft 6 inVosperSimilar to MTB 73 series but with 20mm cannon added [6] . Two to Free French and two to Royal Netherlands Navy [6] MTB 242 to 245 built by J Samuel White as replacements for MTBs 33, 37, 39, and 40 [7]
MTB 246-25773ft WhiteVosper design. MTB 248 lost following collision June 1944 [11]
MTB 258
MTB 259-26870ft Elco Elco 1941Supplied under Lend-lease. Armed with two 21-inch torpedo tubes [12] Formerly USN PT-10 to 19 [13]
MTB 275-282Vosper design built by Annapolis Yacht Yard in USALend-Lease production
MTB 307-31677ft Elco
347 - 36270ftVosperordered April 1942
MTB 363-37072ft 6in VosperVosper built by Annapolis Yacht YardTransferred to USSR
MTB 371-37872ft 6in VosperVosper built by Annapolis Yacht YardBritish use
MTB 37970ft scale test of 73 ft design for MTB/MGB
MTB 380-395 73ft Vosper Type 1 Vosper73ft Type 1 [14] Four 18-inch torpedo tubes [6]
MTB 396-41172ft 6in Vosper
MTB 412-41872ft BPBBPBInitially MGB 74-81
MTB 419-42378ft Higgins
MTB 424-42973ft White
MTB 430-500BPB 72 ftFormer MGBs [15] 436,437 and 453 transferred to RCN [15]
MTB 501-509Camper & Nicholson 117 ft MTB/MGBFebruary 1941 [15]
MTB 510Vosper 100ftDecember 1943 [15] Experimental 100 ft design to test gearbox, not used in combat [8]
MTB 511-518Camper & Nicholson 117 ft MTB/MGB"Summer" 1944 [15]
MTB 519- 522Pennants assigned but not used. [15]
MTB 523-52773ft Vosper Type 2post war73ft Type II with heavier gun armament (additional 6-pounder (57mm) gun and 20 mm cannon [6] ) than the Type 1. Carried two 21-inch torpedo tubes
MTB 528-53073ft Vosper Type 2
MTB 532-53373ft Vosper Type 2

Motor Gun Boats

List of MGBs [16]
VesselTypeBuilderEntered serviceNotes
MGB 1-3960ft and, 70ftBPBconverted from MA/SBs in 1940. MGB 1, 2, 4, 5, 22-39 converted to Air Sea Rescue launches in 2941-42. [17]
MGB 40-4560ftBPBDutch navy MTBs converted. MGB 44 and 45 transferred to Polish Navy in 1944 [17]
MGB 4670ftBPB
MGB 47, 4875ftWhite
MGB 4960ftWhite
MGB 50-67
MGB 6881ftHigginsApril 1941Formerly USN PT-6
MGB 69-7370ftHigginsJune 1940built for Finland but transferred to UK instead
MGB 74-81
MGB 82-9370ftElco1941USN PTC 1-12 supplied under lend lease from US. Fitted with 20mm Oerlikon and two twin 0.5-inch Vickers heavy machine guns in British service. [18]
MGB 98-9965ft 7in AC de Loire Built for France as VTB-11 and 12. Requisitioned
MGB 100-10670ftHigginsbuilt for Finland but transferred to UK instead
MGB 177-19278ftHigginsbuilt for USN but transferred to UK instead
MGB 312–335 Fairmile C Fairmile Marine 1941 onwards110 ft design
MGB 336-500not used
MGB 501110ft Camper and Nicholson 1942prototype for 502-509 and 511-518
MGB 502 to 509117 ft Camper and Nicholson 1941Under construction for Turkey. Taken over in 1941 [19]

Five converted to blockade runners to transport ball bearings from Sweden, 504 became Hopewell, 505 became Nonsuch, 506 became Gay Viking , 507 became Gay Corsair and 508 became Master Standfast. Gay Corsair converted back to MGB 507 then renamed HMGB 2007

MGB 51073ftVosper1943Experimental MGB based on 73ft Vosper Mtb
MGB 511-518117 ftCamper and Nicholson1944dual MTB/MGB design
MGB 519-600designation not used
MGB 601-800 Fairmile D 1942-1945
MGB 801-2000designation not used
MGB 2001Fairmile FFairmile1943Single prototype
MGB 2002-5000designation not used
MGB 5001-5029Fairmile D1944-1945dual MTB/MGB configuration

Motor Launches


Steam Gun Boat

SGB4, later named Grey Fox, was one of the seven Steam Gun Boats completed Grey Fox FL4636.jpg
SGB4, later named Grey Fox, was one of the seven Steam Gun Boats completed

The Steam Gun Boats were a class of nine high speed 145 ft (44 m) vessels intended to combine the functions of an MTB and an MGB comparable to a German "E-boat". They were powered by steam turbine engines due to lack of suitable internal combustion engines. Only seven of the nine ordered out of a planned 52 boats were completed. [20]

Operated as a single flotilla in the Channel, SGB7 was lost in the 1942 Dieppe Raid [21] The five remaining were converted to minesweepers in 1944.


VesselBuilderIn serviceNotes
SGB 1 & 2ThornycroftCancelledConstruction stopped after damaged in air raid [21]
SGB 3 to 9Thornycroft, Yarrow, Hawthorne Leslie, Denny, J Samuel White 1941 onwards.Later given names starting with 'Grey'

Notes

  1. ↑ Fitted with Type 286 radar in 1941. 20mm Oerlikon mounted ahead of the bridge late in the war. [7]
  1. ↑ Konstam 2003, p. 38-39.
  2. 1 2 Connelly 2000, p. 8.
  3. ↑ Connelly 2000, p. 43.
  4. ↑ Connelly 2000, p. 44.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Connelly 2000, p. 9.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Davies 2012
  7. 1 2 3 4 Connelly 2000, p. 10.
  8. 1 2 Konstam 2003, p. 15.
  9. ↑ Connelly 2000, p. 45.
  10. ↑ Connelly 2000, p. 47.
  11. ↑ Konstam 2003 p40-42
  12. ↑ Konstam 2003, p. 18.
  13. ↑ Konstam 2010, p. 10.
  14. ↑ Konstam 2003.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Konstam 2003 p44
  16. ↑ Konstam 2010, p. 46.
  17. 1 2 Konstam 2010, p. 36.
  18. ↑ Konstam 2010, pp. 10–11.
  19. ↑ "MGB 502 Gunboats". NAVYPEDIA. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  20. ↑ Konstam 2010, p. 19.
  21. 1 2 Konstam 2010, p. 20.

References

Further reading

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