Allied coastal forces of World War II

260 Pages·1994·32.57 MB·English

by  John Lambert

ALLIED COASTAL FORCES
‘Conway Maritime Press publish an
Unrivalled lst of books on naval history,
some of which are listed below.

ALLIED COASTAL FORCES OF
WORLD WAR II

‘Volume 2: Vosper MTBs and US. Eos

[ob Lambert ond Al Ross

Volume 2 ofthis ambitious three-volume
series covers sixteen Vosper MTB designs and
the US 70h, 77h and 60 ico designs. US
bull Vosper designs supplied under lease-end
are also covered while weapon systems and
machinery are deal within deal. Full
technical data, construction lies and fates are
all given in tabular form.

295 x 248mm (112° x 934), 256 pages,
700 ine drawings, 225 photographs.

ISBN 0.85177 6027 23500

CONWAY'S HISTORY OF THE SHIP
‘THE ECLIPSE OF THE BIG GUN:
“THE WARSHIP 1906-45

ator: D K Brown

‘This period saw the power of artillery at sea,
as embodied in the traditional capital ship,
challenged first by torpedo boats and
submarines and later by aireraft. This volume
takes as its central theme the decline in
significance ofthe al-big-gun battleship, and
describes the development of al the warship
‘ype of the period, from the aircraft carrier
down to the smallest coastal forces vessels.

295 x 248mm (112 x 924"), 224 popes,
275 photogrophs ond ine crowing.
ISBN 0 85177 566 7 £28.00

SOVIET WARSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Volume t 1917-1937

Seghed Breyer

“This book isthe ony comprehensive study of
‘the development of Soviet warship design and
‘onstruction, from the begining ofthe
twenceth cenury tothe preset. Based upon
all the avaiable sources, this ia reference
‘work which represents the most thorough
survey to date

270 x 200mm (1034x7347, 288 popes,

350 photogrophs, 280 ine drawings.

ISBN 0.85177 6043 635.00

ANATOMY OF THE SHIP
‘THE BATTLESHIP DREADNOUGHT
John Roberts

Launched in 1906, Dreadnought was the fist
“albig-gun’batleship and as such
‘evolitionised baedeship design and
‘construction, Her influence was profound and
she gave her name to tha class of ship which
‘was to dominate the high seas for more than a
generation.

240-x 254mm (912 x 10") landscape,

256 pages, 40 photogrphs, 650 drowings.
ISBN 0 85177 6000 2500

Priced in Gret Btn

Allied
Coastal
Forces

«: of World War II

Volume I:
, Fairmile designs and
US submarine chasers
Allied Coastal Forces
Frontispiece: A typical seene at HMS Hornet,
Gosport, in June 1944; MGB 317 is coming in ~ aC
type ofthe Ist Flotilla, HDMLs (1391 outboard)
‘and other Cs, including 330, are moored in the
stream. The D boats alongside are units of the 5th
MTB Flotilla (‘Shark's Teeth’), showing the
cluttered upper deck ofthe period.

Museum

© John Lambert and Al Ross, 1990

First published in Great Britain 1990 by
‘Conway Maritime Press Limited

24 Bride Lane, Fleet Street

London EC4Y 8DR

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Lambert, John
Allied coastal forces of World War IT
Vol. 1, Fairmile designs and US submarine chasers
1. Allied navies. Military equipment, 1939-1945
I. Title IL. Ross, Al
623,825

ISBN 0-85177-519-5,

All rights reserved. Unauthorised duplication
contravenes applicable laws.

Designed by John Mitchell
‘Typeset by Inforum Typesetting, Portsmouth
Printed and bound by ‘The Bath Press, Bath
Contents

Foreword
Author's note

Acknowledgements

‘Abbreviations

‘The Fairmile Marine Company
Equipment and training organisations

The vessels

‘The Fairmile A type motor launch

The Fairmile B type motor launch

‘The Canadian Fairmile B type ML

‘The Fairmile C type motor gunboat

The Fairmile D type MTB/MGB

‘The Fairmile F type MGB 2001

‘The Fairmile H type LCI (S) and LCS (L) (2)
‘The 72ft harbour defence motor launch

The SC 497 class 110ft subchaser

Equipment and details

Depth charges and anti-submarine equipment
British Coastal Forces radar

British Coastal Forces camouflage

Engines and engineering

Habitability

‘Selected weapons systems

‘The Holman projector
The PAC rocket

‘The 2in rocket flare

Smoke floats and smoke-making apparatus
‘The .303in Lewis machine gun

‘The .303in Vickers gas-operated machine gun
‘The 3-pounder Hotchkiss gun

‘The 2-pounder Mark XI and XII guns

‘The 2-pounder Vickers 40mm gun

Beaaw)s

18
29
69
79
90
124
125
128
147

163
168
173
178
190

191
193
194
195
196
199
202
206
208

Additional data

‘The 2-pounder Rolls-Royce 40mm SA gun

‘The 4.5in Sewt Mark I gun

Minelaying equipment in Coastal Forces craft

‘The US 3in/23 and 3in/50 guns

The US 20mm Oerlikon

‘The US 40mm Bofors Mark 3 gun

US Navy anti-submarine equipment

Disposition of motor launches 1939-45

Coastal Forces depot ships and shore bases
1939-45

‘The survivors

Appendices

Appendix I: Schedule of British builders
of Fairmile Marine Company designs

Appendix II: Fairmile production analysis
Oct 1939-Oct 1945

Appendix III: Yard analysis

Appendix IV: Fairmile consumption of
major materials

Appendix V: Area comparisons

Appendix VI: Building times

Appendix VII: Provisions to be supplied to
Fairmile motor launches on commissioning

Appendix VIII: Fairmile designed classes ~
performance data

Appendix IX: Tough Brothers Limited ~
production analysis 1940-45

Appendix X: Service summary ~
Norwegian-manned MTB 618

Appendix XI: Engine trials of MTB 780,
fitted with VP propellers

Appendix XII: Service summary ~
HMIML 440

Bibliography

210
213
222
226
228
231
232
234

235
237

241

243
244

245,
246
247
248
248
249
250
251
254

256
Foreword

As National President of the Coastal Forces Veterans Association, it gives me
great pleasure to recommend this first volume of John Lambert's detailed
account of all the craft in which we served. I know that it has been a labour of
great love for him; nevertheless a glance at the contents is enough to show one
that a great deal of thought and careful work has gone into the preparation of
all the details and all the drawings ~ it really is a tour de force.

‘The Fairmile boats with which this book is largely concerned — the A and B
Class MLs, the C Class MGBs and the D Class M'TBs and MGBs ~ formed a
considerable part of the Coastal Forces organisation, and served in all theatres
of the war. This book, giving details of all the boats and their armaments, also
explains the organisation of their production, and sets out their service and
achievements. It will be of permanent value to all historians of the Coastal
Forces.

‘The next volume of John Lambert's trilogy will cover the Vosper 7Oft
MTBs, and this will be of the greatest interest to me, since I spent almost all
my seagoing time with Coastal Forces in Vosper boats (and then served in the
Vosper company for twenty-one years after I was invalided out of the Royal
Navy). It would also have been of greatest interest to my illustrious predecess-
or as CFVA President. The great Peter Dickens spent all his time in MBs
commanding the 21st Flotilla of Vosper 70ft boats.

‘The final volume will take care of the British Power Boat 70ft MTBs/
MGBs, of which the 71ft 6in MGBs, which began to come into service early in
1942 under Robert Hichens, were superbly successful boats.

John Lambert has done us all a great service.

Commander Christopher W Dreyer
DSO, DSC, RN (Rtd), President CFVA
Author’s note

T have been researching the subject of this book for a number of
years, The idea was first mooted about six years ago, in correspon-
dence between myself and Dr Al Ross of Bangor, Maine, USA, We
share the same interests (producing accurate detailed drawings of
small warships), both served in our nations’ respective navies (nei-
ther of us in Coastal Forces, as it happens), and we have both
produced books and many articles. The object of this joint venture
is to describe in detail the vessels, armament and equipment used
by the Allied Coastal Forces during World War II.

Dr Ross and I have exchanged ideas frequently and freely since
about 1983, and I was able to visit him in the United States in the
summer of 1987. We discussed the project in great detail and ex-
changed drawings and photographs, and I returned to my side of
the ‘pond’ with many new ideas and much new information that I
wished to include

Originally our research was to have been published in one large
volume in the spring of 1988, but the amount of work involved and
the amount of information obtained quickly exceeded by far the
scope of my provisional synopsis of May 1986. With a great many
subjects drawn, we felt jointly that the whole project would be
better presented as three smaller, though still substantial, books.

Much thought has gone into the content of each book, and each
will add to an overall picture of Allied Coastal Forces. Each will
deal with a particular design, company or class of warship, with
details of selected weapons systems in use on those units (though
‘common to many types), main engines and other equipment. The
layout is based upon the Conway Anatomy of the Ship series,
adapted to cover greater and more varied subject matter.

‘The decision to cover the Fairmile Marine Company in this first
along with a wooden United States Submarine Chaser de-
sign, was mine, One of the reasons for this is that the Pairmile
organisation seems to represent a particularly coherent subject.
‘These books are about the vessels built and how they developed,
and in the case of the Fairmile boats the initial development was
completed without the benefit of war experience; the A and B
classes went straight into service. This contrasts directly with the
process outlined in Book 2, which will describe pre-war Vosper

ideas and show their evolution during hostilities.

Despite a great deal of research, however, much remains
obscure. Ihave never found trials reports or ‘ship’s covers’ for
Fairmile boats — it would seem that none exist. I have checked
through the mass of original drawings held at the National Mar-
itime Museum archives at Woolwich, and found little that was new
to me. There was nothing at all on the A, C or F classes. Neverthe-
less, the Fairmile methods of construction are well shown in the
drawings that I have obtained, from a variety of both official and
unofficial sources, of the well-known B type.

‘The Coastal Forces Veterans Association has been an excellent
source of information. I have been in correspondence with more
than eighty members over the years, many of whom have been kind
enough to record thoughts and memories of their vessels, as well as
provide details of the armament and equipment of the period.

am grateful to many, many individuals who have assisted me in
my research (their names are listed in the Acknowledgements). A
number of Fairmile drawings have been provided from private
sources, and I have been able to borrow a copy of the Fairmile MI.
Engineering Handbook. In the case of the A and C classes, I have
been able to provide only a general arrangement layout and con
struction from the MoD (Navy) lists, but I have been able to follow
the development of the types with help from Mr Geoffrey Hudson,
CFVA’s historian, and other members.

Eton College has provided additional facts about the founder of
Fairmile, and the Public Record Office and the Naval Historical
Branch have provided additional background information. ‘The
ships and weapons are the meat of this study, however, and 1 am
grateful to be able to record the wartime efforts of the draughtsmen
of the period.

‘The vast majority of the drawings shown here are available on
large sheets, in some cases with several sheets per subject (the
Fairmile B requires nine). Copies of these may be purchased from
tyvo outlets: David MacGregor Plans, 99 Lonsdale Road, London,
SW13 9DA; and Marine Modelling Monthly, ‘Traplet Publications
Limited, ‘Traplet’ House, Severn Drive, Upton-on-Severn,
Worcestershire WR8 OSL.
Acknowledgements Abbreviations
‘A great many people, both here and abroad, have assisted with this
project over the past five years. I have met many, and spoken on the SL Air Safety Launch
telephone or have been in correspondence with many more, which ash AirfSea Rescue
has added to my depth of knowledge. Without their help this vol- ay Broken up
ume would pethaps not be as comprehensive as itis. Their names Gr. Controled Target
are shown in no order of precedence. cm Constructive Total Loss

My thanks first are due to the Coastal Forces Veterans Associa- ae Distant Controlled Target Boat
tion officers and members of the executive committee, to their pres- OY Dockyard
ident, Commander Christopher W Dreyer DSO, DSC, RN (Red), fe Fleet Cratt (Harbour Service)
to Len Bridge, their secretary, and to Geoffrey M Hudson, their Fos Fast Despatch Boat
honorary historian; many other members are listed below. re Free French

Other sources include: Leslie Brown of Vosper ‘Thornycroft; He Handed over
Robert Tough of Tough Brothers; Len ‘Rover’ Reynolds (author iol Harbour Service Launch
‘of Gunboat 658); Sandie Armstrong of Brixham; Graham ‘Dave! LRRC Long Range Rescue Craft (RAF)
Davis and Dave Fricker, both of the Medusa Project; RG Morley C Mac Motor Attendant Craft (lr MIS)
Eng, MI Mech E; DK Brown RCNC; OA Goulden (author of My ML (Air Service)
From Trombay to Changi); George Sidney Selman MRINA; Edwin aed Mediterranean Survey Unit
‘Bert’ West, late of Fairmile; Alain Rainville of the Public Archives 10 Paid off
in Ottowa; Alan Francis of the Naval Historical Branch; William far Royal Air Force
‘Bill’ Hollick C Eng, FI Mech E; The World Ship Society; Petty RAN Royal Austraian Navy
Officer (Diver) P McCabe; the staff of the Draught Room and the Mesiey Remote Controlied (Target) Boat
Brass Foundry of the National Maritime Museum; the ed si cue. Naw
Photographic Library of the Imperial War Museum; and Priddy’s dpradbresd
Hard Naval Armament Museum, PML. Rescue Motor Launch

Others with whom I have corresponded on one or more occa- RNemN Royal Netherlands Navy
sions are: Bertie Beavis, AA Beven, John Boscott, John Buckley, ANN Royal Norwegian Navy
George Burrows, Donald A Campbell, Cedric Cannon, Ken C: FAVE Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
sells of New Zealand, LD Conquest, Bill Darracott, J Davies, PR FEN Royal Pakistan Navy
Davis, A Disney, GL Dooley, Alex Dowling, Ralph Eastwood, SAN ‘South African Navy
Ray Ellis, GO Evans, KS Fisher, GA Flamank, JR Fletcher, ‘ Sualacs Craft
‘Spike’ Gill, Bill Hall, FGH Hawkins, Dorrien L. Hill, George e0e: Sea Cadet Corps
Hobbs, Ron Hobbs, Len Hughes, DEJ Hunt, CW Jamson, Errol out ‘Survey Motor Launch
'W Keenan, James Kinross, George Lay, H Maxwell Lewis, Edwin apt Site Larpet Tats
Mayer, GS Mizon, Bob Morgan, Guy Moss, Peter I Munnock, we Training Craft
Bob Parker, Douglas E Pigg, RV Price, P Redhead, Eileen J ek United States Navy
Robertson, KD Ross, Ernest Scott, Frank R Shaw, John D Smale, wo War Department (RASC)

‘Mac’ Macdonald Spencer, Leslie J Sprigg JP, HW ‘Tomlinson,
CH Turner, Charles Turner, Roy ‘Tyldesley, Ken Upperton, Hal
Venables of Australia, Sir Nigel Vernon Bt, Oscar de Ville, Cecil
Watkins of Australia, Joe Welch, Dr RTC Worsley of Canada, AE
Wouton, and Peter Wyllie

My thanks to you ail

Finally, my thanks to Sheila, who read through my masses of
bumph, made some light of my thoughts and retyped everything,
with some spelling improvements.