Fairmile D motor torpedo boat

The Fairmile D motor torpedo boat was a type of British motor torpedo boat (MTB) and motor gunboat (MGB),Reynolds, Leonard C. Dog Boats at War: Royal Navy D Class MTBs and MGBs, 1939–1945. 2000. conceived by entrepreneur Noel Macklin of Fairmile Marine and designed by naval architect Bill Holt for the Royal Navy. Nicknamed "Dog Boats", they were designed to be assembled in kit form mass-produced by the Fairmile organisation and assembled at dozens of small boatbuilding yards around Britain, to combat the known advantages of the German E-boats over previous British coastal craft designs. At in length, they were bigger than earlier MTB or motor gunboat (MGB) designs (which were typically around ) but slower, at compared to .

Boats Holt combined a destroyer style bow with a Fairmile style stern, working with Fairmile from 1940 to develop a structure suitable for pre-fabrication. There was a supply of Packard engines due to lend-Lease and these were arranged as two pairs in the engine room expected to give a top speed of 31 knots.

1941 Original Programme The first twelve boats were ordered on 15 March 1941, becoming MGB 601 to MGB 612. Six weeks later, another 28 boats were ordered on 27 April 1941, as MGB 613 to MGB 616, and ML 617 to ML 640, although these MLs were quickly reclassed as MGBs. The prefix for all boats (except early losses 622, 631 and 639) was reclassed from "MGB" to "MTB" in September 1943.

Eight of these boats (nos. 618, 619, 620, 623, 625, 626, 627 and 631) were handed over to the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1942, manned by free Norwegian personnel and formed into the 30th MTB Flotilla under Lt. Ragnvald Tamber. After being worked up at HMS Bee shore base at Weymouth, they were based at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, and deployed for numerous operations along the Norwegian coast. MTB 631 was captured by the Germans in March 1943 and replaced by MTB 653.

The last eight of the programme (boats nos. 633 to 640) were chosen for Mediterranean operations; they were worked up at HMS Bee at Weymouth before proceeding to Milford Haven, where they were formed into a new 32nd MTB Flotilla under the command of Lt. P. E. Stewart Gould; they were fitted with extra temporary fuel tanks bolted to the upper deck (raising their fuel capacity by 3,000 gallons to 8,000 gallons of 100 octane petrol for the long passage to the Mediterranean), and proceeded in groups to Gibraltar in March/April 1943. NameShip BuilderDeliveredFateMGB 601Tough Bros, Teddington Wharf, Manor Road, Teddington9 March 1941Sunk in action on 24 July 1942 in the Dover Strait.MGB 602Kris Cruisers (1934), Riverside Yard, Ferryll Road, IsleworthAugust 1942To Sea Cadet Corps in October 1945; sold 21 February 1956.MGB 603Tough Bros, Teddington Wharf, Manor Road, Teddington25 July 1942For disposal October 1945.MGB 604A. M. Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Gwynedd24 July 1942For disposal October 1945.MGB 605William Osbourne, Littlehampton16 June 1942Sunk 17 February 1945 in collision with a wreck off Ostend.MGB 606Wallasea Bay Yacht Station, Wallasea Bay, near Rochford7 July 1942Sunk in action on 3/4 November 1943 off the Dutch coast.MGB 607James A. Silver, Rosneath, DunbartonshireJune 1942For disposal October 1945.MGB 608James A. Silver, Rosneath, DunbartonshireAugust 1942For disposal in January 1946.MGB 609William King, Burnham-on-Crouch9 June 1942To Sea Cadet Corps in October 1945; sold ca. 1952.MGB 610Woodnutt & Co., St Helens, Isle of Wight30 June 1942To Sea Cadet Corps at Falmouth in April 1946; to Weymouth August 1950; for disposal in January 1964.MGB 611Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft15 September 1942Sold for disposal in 1946.MGB 612S. B. Hall, Galmpton, Brixham10 July 1942To Sea Cadet Corps in December 1945; for disposal in July 1948.MGB 613S. B. Hall, Galmpton, Brixham9 September 1942For disposal in October 1946.MGB 614Woodnutt & Co., St Helens, Isle of Wight6 August 1942For disposal in November 1945.MGB 615A. M. Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Argyllshire24 July 1942For disposal October 1945.MGB 616William Osbourne, Littlehampton19 August 1942To Sea Cadet Corps at Exeter in 1947; for disposal in 1955.MGB 617William Osbourne, Littlehampton8 October 1942To Sea Scouts in 1946; sold 7 July 1953.MGB 618P. K. Harris & Sons, New Quay Dry Docks, Appledore, Torridge27 June 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy June 1942 to 1944; for disposal in January 1946.MGB 619Dorset Yacht Company, Lake Road, Hamworthy, Poole23 August 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy August 1942 to July 1944; for disposal in October 1945.MGB 620A. M. Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Gwynedd6 September 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy November 1942 to August 1943; for disposal in March 1946.MGB 621James A. Silver, Rosneath, DunbartonshireOctober 1942To Sea Cadet Corps in April 1946, sold on 10 February 1955.MGB 622Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft10 November 1942Sunk 10 March 1943 by German destroyers off Terschelling.MGB 623Wallasea Bay Yacht Station, Wallasea Bay, near Rochford27 August 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy 1942 to 1944; for disposal in May 1947.MGB 624Dorset Yacht Company, Lake Road, Hamworthy, Poole19 October 1942To Sea Cadet Corps at Aberystwyth in December 1945; for disposal in May 1964.MGB 625Alex Robertson (Yachtbuilders) & Sons, Sandbank, Argyllshire4 September 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy 1942; lost 1944 in Scottish waters.MGB 626Tough Bros, Teddington Wharf, Manor Road, Teddington24 July 1941To Royal Norwegian Navy in June 1942; lost 22 November 1943 by explosion off Lerwick.MGB 627P. K. Harris & Sons, New Quay Dry Docks, Appledore, Torridge7 October 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy September 1942 to 1944; for disposal in April 1945.MGB 628J. W. & A. Upham, Brixham, DevonNovember 1942For disposal in October 1945.MGB 629A. M. Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Argyllshire1 December 1942For disposal in October 1945.MGB 630Alex Robertson (Yachtbuilders) & Sons, Sandbank, Argyllshire5 November 1942To Sea Cadet Corps 1945; sold by 1949.MGB 631William King, Burnham-on-CrouchAugust 1942To Royal Norwegian Navy in 1942; stranded 14 March 1943 on Norwegian coast and captured by Germans.MGB 632Kris Cruisers (1934), Riverside Yard, Ferryll Road, IsleworthDecember 1942For disposal in October 1945.MGB 633Dorset Yacht Company, Lake Road, Hamworthy, Poole23 November 1942Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 634William Osbourne, Littlehampton27 November 1942Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 635Boat Construction Co., FalmouthNovember 1942Damaged in 1944 and reported in July 1945 as sunk as target off Malta.MGB 636James A. Silver, Rosneath, DunbartonshireJanuary 1943Sunk in error by MGB 658 in action off Elba.MGB 637Alex Robertson (Yachtbuilders) & Sons, Sandbank, ArgyllshireJanuary 1943Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 638A. M. Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Gwynedd14 December 1942Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 639Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft9 March 1943Sunk 28 April 1943 by Italian torpedo boat Sagittario off Pantellaria.MGB 640Wallasea Bay Yacht Station, Wallasea Bay, near Rochford1 November 1942Sunk by mines 26/27 June 1944 off Vada, Italy.

1941 Supplemental Programme A further 60 boats were ordered in November 1941, numbered from 641 up to 700, of which 16 ordered on 18 November had the prefix of "MGB" (numbers 641 to 648, 657 to 663, and 674), and 44 ordered on 28 November originally had the prefix of "ML" (numbers 649 to 656, 664 to 673, and 675 to 700), although the MLs were quickly reclassed as MGBs. All of these (except early losses) were reclassed as "MTB" in September 1943. However, from No. 697 onwards, the boats were classified as combined "MTB"/"MGB"s.

As with the final eight boats of the preceding programme, 24 boats were chosen for Mediterranean operations; they were worked up at HMS Bee at Weymouth before proceeding to Milford Haven, where they were formed into three new flotillas as follows (with initial flotilla commanders in parentheses): 19th MGB Flotilla (under Lt E.M. ("Mickey") Thorpe): boats nos. 641 to 648 inclusive. 33rd MTB Flotilla (under Lt-Cmdr Ronald R. W. Ashby): boats nos. 649, 651, 654, 655, 656, 665, 667 and 670. 20th MGB Flotilla (under Lt-Cmdr Norman H. Hughes): boats nos. 657 to 663 inclusive, plus 674 (although 674 only joined later). As before, they were fitted with extra temporary fuel tanks bolted to the upper deck (raising their fuel capacity by 3,000 gallons to 8,000 gallons of 100 octane petrol for the long passage to the Mediterranean), and proceeded in groups to Gibraltar in March/April 1943. +Motor Gun BoatsNameShip builderDeliveredFateThomson & Balfour, Victoria Saw Mills, Bo'ness29 December 1942Sunk in action on 14/15 July 1943 by shore batteries in the Strait of Messina.MGB 642P. K. Harris & Sons, New Quay Dry Docks, Appledore, Torridge7 March 1943Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 643Woodnutt & Co., St Helens, Isle of Wight22 December 1942Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 644Tough Bros, Teddington Wharf, Manor Road, TeddingtonDecember 1942Mined 26 June 1943 off Sicily and scuttled.MGB 645S. B. Hall, Galmpton, BrixhamDecember 1942For disposal in August 1945.MGB 646Risdon Beazley, Clausentum Yard, Northam Bridge, Southampton19 November 1942For disposal in August 1945.MGB 647A. M. Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Gwynedd24 February 1943Scuttled in September 1946 off Malta.MGB 648Dorset Yacht Company, Lake Road, Hamworthy, Poole10 January 1943Bombed 14 June 1943 in Central Mediterranean.MGB 649Risdon Beazley, Clausentum Yard, Northam Bridge, Southampton7 January 1943For disposal in September 1945 in the Mediterranean.MGB 650Boat Construction Co., FalmouthJanuary 1943To Royal Air Force in 1945 as Long Range Rescue Craft LRRC 020.MGB 651Tough Bros, Teddington Wharf, Manor Road, TeddingtonJanuary 1943For disposal in September 1945 in the Mediterranean.MGB 652S. B. Hall, Galmpton, Brixham25 January 1943For disposal in October 1945 in the Mediterranean.MGB 653Alex Robertson (Yachtbuilders) & Sons, Sandbank, ArgyllshireMarch 1943To Royal Norwegian Navy 1943 to 1944; for disposal in December 1945.MGB 654Lady Bee, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex19 February 1943Damaged 1944 and for disposal in January 1945.MGB 655William Osbourne, LittlehamptonJanuary 1943Mined on 22 March 1945 in the Mediterranean.MGB 656Wallasea Bay Yacht Station, Wallasea Bay, near Rochford24 December 1942For disposal in September 1945 in the Mediterranean.MGB 657Woodnutt & Co., St Helens, Isle of Wight9 February 1943Constructive total loss by mine 11/12 September 1943 in the Mediterranean; broken up in December 1944.MGB 658J. W. & A. Upham, Brixham, DevonApril 1943Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 659Boat Construction Co., FalmouthMay 1943Lost on 30 January 1946 on passage from Malta to Alexandria.MGB 660Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft21 April 1943For disposal in February 1946.MGB 661Alex Robertson (Yachtbuilders) & Sons, Sandbank, ArgyllshireMay 1943For disposal in June 1946.MGB 662Dorset Yacht Company, Lake Road, Hamworthy, Poole8 April 1943For disposal in February 1946.MGB 663William Osbourne, Littlehampton8 March 1943Mined on 10 October 1944 in the Adriatic.MGB 674 (a) Tough Bros, Teddington Wharf, Manor Road, Teddington6 May 1943For disposal in June 1946. Note: (a) 674 was the final boat ordered as a MGB, and is thus shown out of numerical sequence.