Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy

Motor Torpedo Boats in the Mediterranean, February 1945

Coastal Forces was a division of the Royal Navy established during World War II under the command of Rear Admiral Coastal Forces.[1]

History

The Steam Gun Boat Grey Goose
Crewmen with a Molins Molins autoloading 57-mm gun on a Fairmile D motor torpedo boat during World War II

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.

Craft types used

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.

Operations

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 900 actions and sank around 400 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]

Bases

The Coastal Forces bases were around the British coast and at major locations overseas.[12][13][14][15]

South coast
West coast
East Coast
Mediterranean
Indo-china
Other

Commonwealth coastal forces

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]

Surviving craft

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.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Royal Navy Coastal Forces
  2. ↑ These were used as much in actions against the enemy coast as in defence of the British coast
  3. ↑ The Coastal Forces Heritage Trust: Our Objectives
  4. ↑ Note that minesweepers, trawlers and landing craft are not included.
  5. ↑ Allied Coastal Forces of World War II - Volume II: Vosper designs and US Elcos - by John Lambert and Al Ross, 1993 ISBN 0-85177-602-7
  6. ↑ Allied Coastal Forces of World War II - Volume I: Fairmile designs and US Submarine Chasers - by John Lambert and Al Ross, 1990 ISBN 978-0-85177-519-7
  7. ↑ The Fairmile D Motor Torpedo Boat (Anatomy of the Ship's series) by John Lambert, 1985 ISBN 0-85177-321-4
  8. ↑ Coastal Forces of World War Two (Royal Naval Museum)
  9. ↑ Donald. The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War. pp. p31.
  10. ↑ Donald. The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War. pp. pp124 and p139.
  11. ↑ The Coastal Forces Heritage Trust: Coastal Forces Achievements
  12. ↑ Coastal Forces Shore establishments
  13. ↑ Combined Operations Training Establishments
  14. ↑ List of Royal Navy shore establishments
  15. ↑ Western Approaches Command Bases
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ "Things to Do – Dartmouth Museum". Dartmouth Museum. Retrieved 23 August 2011. The Royal Dart Hotel between the ferries played a vital role in the Second World War. It was called HMS Cicala then.
  18. ↑ Canadian Fairmile Bs
  19. ↑ Canadian Fairmile Ds
  20. ↑ BPB Motor Torpedo Boat
  21. ↑ Australian HDMLs
  22. ↑ Australian Fairmile Bs
  23. ↑ New Zealand HDMLs
  24. ↑ New ZealandFairmile Bs
  25. ↑ HDML 1387 Medusa
  26. ↑ Medusa Medusa Trust
  27. ↑ MTB102
  28. ↑ MTB102 Trust
  29. ↑ MTB-331 - 55 ft (17 m) coastal motor torpedo boat
  30. ↑ British Military Powerboat Trust MTB 331
  31. ↑ British Military Powerboat Trust MGB 81
  32. ↑ National Historic Ships MGB 81
  33. ↑ British Power Boat Company
  34. ↑ HSL 102 for sale

Bibliography

External links