Fairmile B motor launch

The Fairmile B motor launch was a type of Motor Launch built by Fairmile Marine during the Second World War for the Royal Navy for coastal operations.

Design

While the Type A had been designed entirely by Fairmile, the Type B design had come from Bill Holt of the Admiralty based on the lines of a destroyer hull and the detailed design and production was taken on by Fairmile.

Like all their designs it was based on total prefabrication so individual components could be contracted out to small factories for production and these arranged as kits that would be delivered to various boatyards for assembly and fitting out.

Altogether approximately 650 boats were built between 1940 and 1945. Like the A Type, the B Type were initially intended as submarine chasers, so the boats were fitted with ASDIC (sonar) as standard. Their main armament initially reflected their anti-submarine focus, with 12 depth charges, a single Hotchkiss 3-pounder gun aft, and one set of twin 0.303-in machine guns. The specifications given are for the original 1940 British version. As the war moved on, the vessels were adapted to other roles and the armament was modified and upgraded such as the replacement of the 3pdr with one or more 20 mm Oerlikon cannon. Some boats were configured as Motor Torpedo Boats.

ervice

All boats were essentially the same, although they could be adapted to serve in several roles by the expedient of having pre-drilled rails on their decks spaced to allow fitment of various types of armaments. Many were later converted to Rescue Motor Launches with small sickbays aft of the funnel, and several more were converted to use as War Department Ambulance Launches with larger sickbays.

Canada built eighty boats. These were built in thirteen different boatyards to slightly different specifications and used as escort vessels. Eight of these (ML392-399) were built by Le Blanc for the Royal Navy. These eight boats were transferred under Lend-Lease to the US Navy, because US coastal protection had been depleted by transferring ships to the Royal Navy for convoy work. The US Navy used them as submarine chasers (SC1466-1473) until their forces could be built up.

New Zealand built twelve boats. These were used in New Zealand waters and around the Solomon Islands, and included HMNZS "Maori" and "Kahu"

A number served in the St Nazaire Raid where their relatively light construction meant they suffered heavily.

Post war they were often taken on as pleasure boats and a number of Fairmile Bs are on the National Register of Historic Vessels

Four currently survive in the UK, two of which are in excellent condition. Many others of the type are known to survive around the world, some still in commercial service as tourboats.

Notes

References

* "Allied Coastal Forces of World War Two, Volume I : Fairmile designs and US Submarine Chasers" - by John Lambert and Al Ross - 1990, ISBN 978-0851775197
* [http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Fairmile-B_Header.html Fairmile 'B' Class Launches Accessed 28th November 2007]

ee also

* Fairmile A motor launch
* Fairmile C motor gun boat
* Fairmile D motor torpedo boat
* Fairmile H landing craft
*Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy

External links

* [http://www.junobeach.org/e/4/can-tac-fai-e.htm Fairmile Motor Launch at Juno Beach Centre "Canada In WWII" junobeach.org]
* [http://www.ww2ships.com/britain/gb-sc-001-b.shtml Fairmile B motor launch]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/WH2Navy-fig-WH2Nav21b.html "A Fairmile Submarine Chaser" (photo of Fairmile B motor launch)]
* [http://www.nzshipmarine.com/pubs/detail.aspx?id=15 Book on New-Zealand built Fairmiles used in New Zealand and the Solomons]
* [http://jproc.ca/rrp/fairmile2.html The Fairmiles, Canada's Little Ships by Spud Roscoe]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/WW2MemoirAndSo05.htm Stoker Harold Siddall Royal Navy, his service in ML.1030 and capture in Crete 1941 at naval-history.net]
* [http://www.webshots.com/search?query=fairmile Pictures of Fairmile models]
* [http://www.pt-boat.com/books/books.html List of books at PT-boats.com]
* [http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~lenshome/littleships.htm Little ships]