Many thanks Simon ! The last three images you posted do indeed seem to show one of the type S-151 E-Boats. This series of boats was actually built at the Dutch Gusto Schiedam shipyard (in occupied Holland) according to German Kriegsmarine sepecifications : https://werf-gusto.com/?page_id=6779 Regard...

I've found another image of the Schnellboot that I thought surrendered at Valletta (notice the torpedo targeting gear, someone seems to have removed the binoculars): https://i.imgur.com/YlaTOal.jpg https://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/526/198/mid_000000.jpg?action=e&cat=Photographs GERMAN SMALL SHIPS ...

That's an interesting photo book ! Perhaps you could make a scan of the E-Boat pics on page 20. I've seen the top left one before but I don't think I have ever seen the other two. These photos show S-151, S-152, S-155 or S-156. Here you can also find a photo of these particular vessels after having ...

A pic of MTB 670 with a surrendered Schnellboot can be found here (scroll down to the bottom):

http://www.s-boot.net/englisch/sboats-k ... icsea.html

By the way, the pic on the previous page of a crew member holding a grenade probably shows a German 88 mm round.

Arjan

Simon, although I'm not completely sure I think the E-Boat (Schnellboot) in this pic is S-61 :



Captured Schnellboote at Valletta (scroll down almost to the bottom of the page) :

http://www.s-boot.net/englisch/sboats-k ... icsea.html

Regards,

Arjan

Hi Peter, I don't know where these particular Jacob's Vospers were commissioned. The torp loading pics were I think taken at Valletta or Ancona. All I know is that these Vospers were at HMS Gregale on VE day. This photo shows the Vospers decked out in bunting : https://i.imgur.com/u5oeNec.jpg Some m...

Hi Peter, I don't know where these particular Jacob's Vospers were commissioned. The torp loading pics were I think taken at Valletta or Ancona. All I know is that these Vospers were at HMS Gregale on VE day. This photo shows the Vospers decked out in bunting : https://i.imgur.com/u5oeNec.jpg Some m...

Great photos, thanks for sharing. It seems the pic of the German E-boat bridge was also taken at Valletta.

Regards,

Arjan

Thanks for posting these really interesting pics ! They show a lend lease Vosper (probably built by Jacob's). Any idea where these photos were taken ?

Regards,

Arjan

Today I've found another pic taken at Terneuzen. It's definitely not a great pic and unfortunately only three digits of the boat number are visible. Perhaps yet another pic of ML 1409 :



Arjan

Apparently the Higgins boats of the 45th MGB Flotilla were manned by the African Coastal Force :



Arjan

I'm not sure, though, if any of the RN Higgins MTB s were stationed at Vis. I don't know anything about MGB s but the RN also used some former US Higgins boats as gun boats (45th MGB Flotilla).

Arjan

Douglas, the MTB with the Bofors gun was a Higgins MTB. This means that your dad (if he is indeed the man in the pic) served on MTB 419, 420, 421, 422 or 423. My guess is that it may have been MTB 422 because there are some action pics of this vessel taken from a Vosper (also IWM I think) . These pi...

Hi Michael, welcome on board ! Of course we are interested in the photos you have. I think I only know this pic of MTB 226 (Hvar):



Regards,

Arjan

I sent you a private message containing my email address so drop me a mail and I will send you what I've got. An acquaintance of mine has better quality images of the parade footage. This video should be interesting for you : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbkMRQxBMIc Some rare pics : https://i.img...

Your certainly have excellent eyesight Stephen ! Chipmunk, I've got many period pics of Terneuzen showing VE day, the clearing of the Scheldt etc. There are quite a few IWM pics showing Terneuzen and the type of activities your dad may have been involved in : https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/searc...

The colored men were probably Dutch marines from the former Dutch colonies and comrades of Frank Koulen : "England In England Frank Koulen, and probably also his fellow marines, are stationed aboard the Marine Depot ship ‘Oranje Nassau’ and after that on the Hr. Ms. ‘Jacob van Heemskerck’. From...

Your second pic can also be found here (scroll down), it is suggested it may have been taken in Terneuzen or England. I think the former is very likely (I know the Terneuzen region well), it would would also explain the colored men.

https://www.bevrijdingintercultureel.nl ... iname.html

Arjan

What strikes me as odd is that the motor bike in the first pic has a "KM" marking which stands for Koninklijke Marine. I assume that motor vehicles assigned to foreign volunteers in the RN would have had RN markings. If this is indeed the case, the pic was probably not taken in England . G...

Hi, the pic you posted definitely shows the Fortezza Vecchia (old fort) in Livorno (Leghorn). Compare these pics : https://i.imgur.com/Al4i64f.jpg https://i.imgur.com/D66XCbN.jpg https://i.imgur.com/xVeiGUd.jpg https://i.imgur.com/YLP489P.jpg Needless to say I would be interested to see the pics of ...

To correct my mistake, the last photo I posted does show a Vosper after all .

Arjan

Nice to see you have found the answer to your main question !

Regards,

Arjan

I think MTB 245's forward Oerlikon guard probably had splinter mattresses on the inside and a spray cover on the outer side. Photo doesn't show a Vosper :



Arjan

You're welcome Matt . I have been wondering about the canvas guard around the Oerlikon. It was probably anti shrapnel padding rather than a simple spray screen but I'm not sure. A clear example of the padding used on a Vosper MTB :



Regards,

Arjan

The vessel I marked with a red dot might also be MTB 245. At any rate, she has the same distinguishing features : - Single 20mm Oerlikon gun on the fore deck with what appears to be a canvas spray screen. - Carley float attached to the port side of the pilot house. https://i.imgur.com/4gphylK.jpg ht...

Two photos showing MTB 245, or part of the vessel, can be found here :

http://www.rodericktimms.royalnavy.co.u ... hotos.html




Regards,

Arjan

Hi, the best I can do is give you the measurements of one of my 3d printed 1/35 scale ones (bought at Shapeways).

Height : 22 mm ( excluding the feet)
Length : 24 mm
Width : 17 mm

Regards,

Arjan

Thanks Kevin ! In the pdf file (Chapter 6) you sent me Don Bradford gives an account of Operation Premium (he commanded MTB 682 during this operation). Source combinedops.com : "Operation Premium Date commenced: Sunday, February 27, 1944 Units: 10 Commando A raid on the Dutch coast near Wassena...

Apparently MTB 621's plaque was sold on ebay earlier this year :



By the way, I wonder if anyone knows which MTBs were involved in the Normandy Tarbrush operations ?

Arjan

Thanks for your input ! Looks like MTB 621 is in the background of this photo (quite an elaborate camo pattern) : https://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/453/24/mid_000000.jpg?action=e&cat=Photographs BRITISH MTB'S SHOOT UP NAZI CONVOY. 11 MARCH 1943, YARMOUTH, BRITISH LIGHT NAVAL FORCES ATTACKED AN ENEM...