Coastal Forces was a division of the Royal Navy established during World War II under the command of Rear Admiral Coastal Forces. [1]
Contents |
The Royal Navy had previously operated flotillas of small torpedo- and depth-charge-armed craft (Coastal Motor Boats) during the First World War[2]
The first Headquarters was set up at HMS Vernon in 1940. The Chief Staff Officer to the Admiral was Augustus Agar VC who had commanded Coastal Motor Boats during the First World War and British operations in the Baltic in support of the White Russian forces.
Post war MTBs and MGBs were all renamed as fast patrol boats. The Brave class fast patrol boats were the last to be built for the Coastal Forces and the Coastal Forces were disbanded as a separate unit and their last base (HMS Hornet) decommissioned in 1956.
The last sailors to wear the 'HM Coastal Forces' cap tally were the ships companies of HMS Dittisham and HMS Flintham on being taken out of reserve in 1968, before individual cap tallies for these inshore minesweepers had been manufactured and issued.
It included the following types of coastal defence craft: [3]
| Type [4] | Designation | Built | Lost | Designed purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Launches | ML, HDML ASR | Harbour defense and submarine chasing or for armed high speed Air Sea Rescue. | ||
| Motor Gun Boats | MGB | |||
| Steam Gun Boats | SGB | 7 | 1 | Hunting down German E-boats |
| Motor Torpedo Boats | MTB |
At the outbreak of war there were three flotillas of Motor Torpedo "short boats" between 60 ft (18 m) and 72 feet (22 m) long. These could typically maintain 40 knots and were armed with two torpedo tubes. They were built mainly by the British Power Boat Company, Vospers and Thornycroft.
In 1940 a modified craft, the Motor Gun Boat, was introduced. These were armed with weapons such as the 0.5 in Vickers machine gun, 2 pounder "pom pom", a single or twin 20 mm Oerlikon and ultimately the autoloader fitted 6-pounder gun.[5]
It was also apparent that larger craft were needed as the operational capability of the short boats was too restricted by sea conditions. Fairmile designed a series of larger coastal craft, up to 120 feet (37 m) long. The Fairmile A Type and B Type were Motor Launches and the C Type was a Motor Gun Boat.[6]
In 1943 the Fairmile D Type appeared. It was a motor torpedo boat – nicknamed the Dog Boat – and was designed as a counter to the German E-boat. It could be fitted as either a gun or a torpedo boat, so the designation MGB disappeared and all the craft were labelled MTBs. It was a good sea boat and could maintain 30 knots (56 km/h) at full load. The later D types carried four 18-inch (460 mm) torpedo tubes.[7]
The Vosper Type I MTB appeared in 1943. This was a 73-foot (22 m) craft with four 18-inch (460 mm) torpedo tubes and was capable of 40 knots (74 km/h) maximum.
British "Coastal craft operated mainly in the English Channel and North Sea waters, especially in the build up to the Normandy invasion of 1944. They were also used in the Mediterranean and Norwegian campaigns." They raided St Nazaire and Dieppe. They were used to attack German convoys and their E-Boat escorts, "carry out clandestine raids and landings and pick up secret agents in Norway and Brittany." "The coastal craft were manned by various Allied nationalities including Dutch, Norwegian, Canadian, Australian and New Zealanders."[8]
A number of Captain-class frigates were adapted to operate as coastal force control frigates.[9] These control frigates were involved in the destruction of at least 26 E-Boats,[10]
By 1944 Coastal Forces numbered 3,000 officers and 22,000 ratings. Altogether there were 2,000 British Coastal Forces craft. Affectionately known as the Navy's "Little Ships", they fought over 780 actions and sank 800 enemy vessels, including 48 E-boats and 32 midget submarines. They fired 1169 torpedoes, shot down 32 enemy aircraft and carried out many mine laying operations. 170 of the "Little Ships" were sunk or destroyed.[11]
The Coastal Forces bases were around the British coast and at major locations overseas. [12][13][14][15]
|
|
Although British Commonwealth coastal forces operated independently from Britain, they used similar vessels:
| Coastal forces of | Type | Built | Lost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Fairmile B motor launch Fairmile D motor torpedo boat BPB Motor Torpedo Boat |
80 [18] 10 [19] 11 [20] |
||
| Australia | Harbour Defence Motor Launch Fairmile B motor launch |
31 [21] 35 [22] |
||
| New Zealand | Harbour Defence Motor Launch Fairmile B motor launch |
16 [23] 12 [24] |
| Vessel | Description | Built | Builder | In the care of | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDML 1387 Medusa | Harbour Defence Launch which took part in the Normandy landings. [25] | 1943 | R.A.Newman & sons | Medusa Trust [26] | restored to original condition |
| MTB102 | prototype for WW2 MTBs [27] | 1937 | Vosper | MTB102 Trust [28] | still seaworthy |
| MTB 331 | 55 ft (17 m) stepped hull motor torpedo boat - sole survivor [29] | 1941 | Thornycroft | British Military Powerboat Trust [30] | Intention to get her seaworthy |
| MGB 81 | 71.5 ft (21.8 m) Motor Gun Boat | 1942 | British Power Boat Company | British Military Powerboat Trust [31] | fully operational |
| HSL 102 | 64 ft (20 m) High Speed Launch, formerly RAF [32] | 1936 | British Power Boat Company [33] | [34] | fully operational |
| MTB 71 | 60 ft (18 m) Motor Torpedo Boat | 1940 | Vosper | static exhibit |
Some surviving motor launches in British waters were taken on as pleasure boats and a number of them are on the National Register of Historic Vessels.