The Fairmile C motor gunboat MGB 314
Class overview
Name	Fairmile C motor gunboat
Preceded by	Fairmile B motor launch
Succeeded by	Fairmile D motor torpedo boat
Completed	24
Lost	5
Retired	19
General characteristics
Displacement	72 tons
Length	110 ft (34 m)
Beam	17 ft 5 in (5.31 m)
Draught	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Propulsion	Three 850 hp (630 kW) supercharged Hall-Scott petrol engines
Speed	26.5 knots (49.1 km/h; 30.5 mph)
Range	500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (Bunkerage: 1,800 gal + extra 2,600 gal)
Complement	2 officers + 14 crew
Armament	(As designed) 1 × QF 2-pounder (40mm) Mark IIC gun 1 x Rolls-Royce QF 2-pounder Mark XIV gun 4 × .50 (12.7mm) Vickers machine guns (2 × 2) 4 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers G.O. machine guns (2 × 2) (Later) 2 × 2-pounder (1 x Mk. IIC, 1 x Mk.XIV) 2-4 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannon (2 × 1/2 × 2) 1-2 × 20mm Oerlikon (1 × 1/1 × 2) 4 depth charges

The Fairmile C motor gun boat was a type of motor gunboat designed by Norman Hart of Fairmile Marine for the Royal Navy. An intermediate design, twenty-four boats were ordered on 27 August 1940 and were completed in 1941; they were initially rated as Motor Launched (ML), but received the designation Motor Gun Boats (MGB) on 1 August 1941, being numbered MGB 312–335.

Design

The Fairmile type C was a re-use of the hull form of the type A but with the lessons learned from the type A incorporated in terms of steering and deck layout.

Boats

Service

The boats were initially classified as Motor Launches and early units initially carried 'ML' pennant numbers. These were then changed to 'Q' pennant numbers in late 1941 after the boats were reclassified as MGBs (a prefix also used by numerous up-gunned Type 'B' MLs). MGB 335 was photographed at some point in her career wearing an 'MGB' pennant number.

The class was mainly involved in close escort work with east coast convoys, and some boats were engaged in clandestine operations. MGB 314 took part in Operation Chariot, the daring raid on the St Nazaire docks (the only facility on the axis-held Atlantic coast suitable to refit Bismarck-class battleships). MGB 314 served as Commander Robert Ryder's command boat for the operation and exchanged heavy fire with the German shore batteries in order to provide cover for the other landing forces as well as for self-defence. In the course of these intense exchanges of fire, the gunner of the forward pom-pom (Leading Seaman William Savage) was mortally wounded but stood by his gun and continued to fire, earning a posthumous VC for his action. Ryder also received the VC for the same battle. As the British assault force was withdrawing after the battle, the heavily-damaged MGB 314 was scuttled after her crew were taken off.^[1]

Of the twenty-four boats built, five were lost to enemy action. Two survive to this day, one at Hayling Island and the other in Bembridge Harbour, Isle of Wight, although now sunk and due to be broken up 2018. A third survived in Shoreham until 2002.

• 
  MGB 328 (nearest camera) and MGB 330 off the coast near Dover

• 
  MGB 316 at speed
• 
  MGB 316 at rest

See also

• Fairmile A motor launch
• Fairmile B motor launch
• Fairmile D motor torpedo boat
• Fairmile H landing craft
• Steam Gun Boat
• Coastal Forces of the Royal Navy

Notes

References

• Norman Friedman, British Coastal Forces: Two World Wars and After 2023, Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978-1-3990-1858-6
• John Lambert and Al Ross, Allied Coastal Forces of World War Two, Volume I : Fairmile designs and US Submarine Chasers 1990, Conway Maritime Press ISBN 978-0-85177-519-7
• A. J. D. North, Royal Naval Coastal Forces 1939-1945 1972, Almark Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-85524-068-4

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairmile C Motor Gun Boats.

• Great Britain's motor gun boats^[usurped]
• National Historic Ships
• Raid on St. Nazaire