Craft

A list of the major types of coastal forces craft…

Craft

Major types of craft including Motor Launch (ML), Coastal Motor Boat (CMB), Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB), Motor Anti-submarine Boat (MASB), Motor Gunboat (MGB), Steam Gunboat (SGB), Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) and Fast Training Boat (FTB).

ID = Identity/ Pennant No. of Craft

World War I

1915

ML 75 ft and 80 ft. ELCO. Prefabricated in USA, assembled in Canada, shipped to UK and elsewhere. 580 built

1916

CMB 40 ft, 55 ft and 70 ft. Thornycroft design. 116 built 1916-1922

CMB 1 on Admiralty Trials. These were 40′ Thornycroft designs and were the type used by Augustus Agar in the Kronstadt raid

55ft CMB. These were used in the second Kronstadt Raid – Claude Dobson won his VC driving one.

70ft CMB – these were commissioned towards the end of WW1 and several remained in service until 1945 – mostly as minelayers

1935

MTB 60 ft. British Power Boat (BPB). 19 built. IDs 1-12, 14-19, 100

1938

MASB 60 ft. BPB. 5 built. IDs 1-5
MTB 68 ft. Vosper Private Venture (PV). Later MTB 102

MTB 70 ft. BPB PV. Later to Canadian Power Boat. Became MTB 332
MTB 70 ft and 60ft. Vosper. 10 built. IDs 20-23, 29, 30, 69-72
MTB 72 ft. Thornycroft. 3 built. IDs 24, 25, 28

World War II

Short (under 100 foot) Boats – MTBs, MASBs and MGBs

1939

MASB 70 ft and 63 ft. BPB. Later MGBs. 41 built. IDs 6-21, 46, 50-67, 40-45
MASB 63 ft. BPB. Remained MASBs. 18 built. IDs 22-39
MTB 71 ft. Vosper. 24 built. IDs 31-40, 57-66, 218-221
MTB 72 ft. J S White. 8 built. IDs 41-48
MTB 74 ft Thornycroft. 8 built. IDs 49-56

1940

MGB 69 ft. BPB. 5 Later MTBs (412-416). 8 built. IDs 74-81

MGB 69 ft. Higgins. Purchased USA. 12 built. IDs 69-73, 100-106
MTB 71 ft. Vosper. 26 built. IDs 73-98
MTB 71 ft. J S White. 12 built. IDs 201-212

1941-2

MGB 71 ft. BPB. 30 later MTBS (417, 418, 430-457). 32 built. IDs107-138
MTB 71 ft. Vosper. 40 built. IDs 222-245, 347-362
MTB 71 ft. Vosper. Lease-Lend USA. 48 built. IDs 275-306, 363-378
MTB 71 ft. White. 12 built. IDs 246-257

1943

MTB 71 ft. BPB. 40 built. IDs 458-497
MTB 73 ft. Vosper. 16 built. IDs 380-395
MTB 71 ft. Vosper. Lease-Lend USA. 16 built. IDs 396-411
MTB 71 ft. White. 6 built. IDs 424-429
MTB 78 ft. Higgins. Lease-Lend USA. 5 built. IDs 419-423

1944

MTB 71 ft. BPB. 16 built. IDs 498-509, 519-522
MTB 73 ft. Vosper. 16 built. IDs 523-538

Motor Launches and Long (over 100 foot) Boats – MGBs and MTBs

1939-43

ML 72 ft. HDML 494. IDs 1001-1494. Click on this link to see footage of HDML 1387 – HMS Medusa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgalE6tGeQo

ML 110 ft. Fairmile A. 12 built. IDs 100-111

ML 112 ft. Fairmile B. 604 built. IDs 112 > 4004

MGB 110 ft. Fairmile C. 24 built. IDs 312-335

MGB/MTB 115 ft. Fairmile D. 229 built. IDs 601-800, 5001-5029

GB/MTB 117 ft. Camper & Nicholsons. 17 built. ID 501-509, 511-518
SGB 146 ft. GREY class. 7 built. ID 3-9

Post War

1947

FPB 123ft. BOLD, PIONEER & PATHFINDER. Served 1953-1962

HMS Bold Pathfinder – a development from the Steam Gun Boats and trials platform for gas turbines

1950

FPB 75ft. GAY class. 12 built. Served 1953-1956

FPB 71ft. DARK class. 18 built. Served 1955-1960

1954

FPB 99ft. BRAVE, BORDERER & SWORDSMAN. Served 1960-1970

HMS BRAVE BORDERER, FIRST OF THE BRAVE CLASS FAST PATROL BOATS ACCEPTED FOR SERVICE BY THE ROYAL NAVY. JANUARY 1960, DURING TRIALS IN THE SOLENT. SHE WAS BUILT BY MESSRS VOSPERS LTD, AND HAS A TOP SPEED OF OVER 50 KNOTS. (A 34261) HMS BRAVE BORDERER, a fast patrol boat, during trials in the Solent, January 1960. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205164370

1968

FPB 102ft. SCIMITAR, CUTLASS & SABRE. Served 1970-1981

1975

Large Patrol Craft 123ft. Bird Class Kingfisher, Cygnet, Peterel, Sandpiper, Redpole. Served 1975 to 1996

1985

P2000 ‘Archer’ Class Fast Inshore Patrol Boats. Served 1985 to present day.

2003

Batch 1 River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels. Served 2003 to present day.

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