MTB 670

[jonco]

David - glad your mum is still helping you out after all the years - that's what they do!

[CAM]

13 April 45 British motor torpedo boats MTB-670 and MTB-697 torpedoed and sunk the torpedo boat TA-45.
The London Gazette entry for the second of actions listed may be read online by clicking the link provided. The actual citation reads:

There is a report on this action? Participated in the action of the MGB-658 and MGB-643?

[jonco]

Hello Cam,

I confess I have not looked at this for sometime as I could not find any further information.
I have even had to read back through the post to refresh my memory. I don't recall finding an actual report of the action only the reference to the citation. I will keep looking in my records.

Your question may re-ignite the interest of other participants in the thread but if not maybe you could pm @croatian navy or @davidddnfp as they were doing a lot of research in this area.

Will let you know if I find anything

Cheers
Colin

[CAM]

Trying to reconstruct the course of this action. With the German and Croatian versions I know. Lacking only English descriptions best report.

[CAM]

For an attack on enemy forces in the Planinski channel on 12 Apr 1945
Temporary Lieutenant Eric Hewitt RNVR DSC
Able Seaman Thomas Conway C/JX 559543 RN MID
Able Seaman Henry Harrison C/JX 542116 RN MID
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant James Oliver Young RNVR MID

Means results in a German ship made ​​it MTB-670?
The whole group was commanded by Lieutenant-kommander Montgomery MGB-658, which, together with the MGB-643 fired a German survivor. Germans write that existing U.S. radar allowed the British to get close to 500m, and only time seen German flagship launch torpedoes allowed him at the last moment to evade them by passing them on the bow and stern.

[Peter]

The last post of MTB 670 was of great interest where it mentioned the Planinsky channel and the date April 12th 1945
it was only 2 days before on the 10th that we on MGB647 again with MGB 643 was in action with F Lighters where MGB 647 sustained serious above water damage and remarkably no causalties , and after temporary repairs by shipwrights on HMS Colombo in the port of Zara now Zadar we were able to make the long journey to Island of Ischia off Naples .
There is also a very detailed account of that action of MTB 670 and MGB 643 in Rover Reynolds book " Dog Boats at War " page 234 where he records the later information from German records of the action , and also a letter had received much later from a Yugoslav diving instructor re the siting of the wreck of a sunken German destroyer

[CAM]

There is also a very detailed account of that action of MTB 670 and MGB 643 in Rover Reynolds book " Dog Boats at War " page 234 where he records the later information from German records of the action , and also a letter had received much later from a Yugoslav diving instructor re the siting of the wreck of a sunken German destroyer

I am familiar with an excerpt from the diary of military Birnbaum and memories of one of the officers of the TA-45. Books Reynolds unfortunately I do not have, and the Internet, I found it too, but would like to know about the actions of British sailors from the English source.

[Stanbridge76]

Not sure how this works but here goes.I have been researching my dads war service on MTB670,his name was Bill Wright and he was a stoker.Sadly he died in 1976 aged 51 but I know that he lied about his age and signed up for the Royal Navy at 17 yrs and one of the places he served was in the med during 1943/44.I don't have much info directly from him but I think he was involved in the action when Lofty Turner got the DSM.I have some pictures of him with his shipmates including Lofty and also with others outside The Old Dun Cow Inn in Valetta Malta.I would love to know more so if anyone else is still interested please reply.
PS-I know he also served on MTB 350 in UK coastal waters
Bernie Wright

[retr]

Jonco
I think my Dad Able Seaman Joseph Vaughan DSM Is on the 4th photo fown and 3rd from the right. He was a gunner on MTB 670 +638 I posted in 2012 topic MTB 638. But, never saw a photo of him. My siblings are convinced its him, do you have any more info about the photos please?
Rita

[Peter]

Dear Stanbridge
I am happy to send to you the 2 pages of Dog Boats at War that gives details of the action of MGB 670 ' The pages also include the last action of MGB 647 on which served as Radar operator. I also new the author of that book
Cheers
Peter Bickmore

[Stanbridge76]

Hello Peter
Thanks for the info,I have the same book.I am hoping others will see my post so that I may be able to put names to his mates shown in the photo's I have found at my mums,still with us at 96,I am not very computer savvy but hope I can post them here later.Most of the info I have about where he served has come from the locations shown on his payment records sent to me by MOD Navy Command...I hope they are accurate!
I know my dad came back to England in Nov 1944 on compassionate leave to see his brother who was injured when Vauxhall in Luton was bombed but was too late to see him as he died the day before he arrived.My mum said that he was unable to rejoin MTB670 which upset him further and that's when I think he joined MTB350.
Bernie

[retr]

Stanbridge76
Link below photo of my Dad AB Joseph Vaughan DSM he is on right end and think its in Malta. He served on MTB 670 +638 topic in MTB 638 in forum.

download/file.php?id=401&mode=view

If you have any photos to share it would be great.
Thanks Rita

[retr]

Hi Jonco sorry we have been a long time getting in contact went to visit my mother yesterday bless her at the ripe old age of 84 years old she still remembers various things dad spoke to her about concerning mtb 670 as she has just bought a new laptop i was able to show her this site she looked at the photos you posted out came the magnifying glass fourth photo down of the crew second man in from right with all the black hair [got told off , 'what's up with you boy don't you regonise your father when you see him? sorry mum apparently his hair would stick up like that after they had been swimming they would play a lot of water polo to try and take their minds of things 'i know my cecil when i see him she said, ok mum. cecil was dad's nickname] so we now know dad is in the photo also she said that dad often spoke about lofty must be lofty turner she pointed out there were some funny times one being that dad and lofty had to cook baked beans on toast for everybody 27 people all told so they put the tins of beans in pans of hot water to heat them up but failed to pierce the cans the obvious happened and the cans exploded covering the gally walls in baked beans needless to say the skipper was not very happy ,nice to hear these stories, i am going to see her again in a couple of weeks and have asked her to try and remember what she can and take notes she says she will do her best our researcher is still hard at it moaning about people who think they know and they don't but we will keep persevering best regards david

David
My Dad is 3rd from right next to your Dad AB Joseph Vaughan DSM he was a pom pom gunner and served on many MTB'S including 670. I did a topic on MTB 638 in 2012 but this is the first photo I have seen of him on oard eith his crew mates. Do you have any more info/photo's

Retr - Rita Moylan

[Peter]

It is with great interest I view the picture of that Radar equipment on a platform supported by 4 legs on what was a D Boat perhaps doing trials
This Radar type was designed for small ships in the 1970's by the Company that I was working after my release from the RN, Kelvin Hughes later Smiths Industries, and also Decca Industries. The attached picture was taken in 1989 aboard MTB102 (whom we CFVA knew very well) , it shows a similar outline to that shown in the picture in the blog ,these aerials could be 4ft or 6ft in length.
So may the picture be a Radar during trials. I am sure time will tell

[retr]

I have previously posted questions under ML's 122 and 563 in relation to the service record of my late father William Aubrey Jones JX 300350. His service record showed him on numerous bases but only on tenders ML122(Home Waters), ML 563 ( Mediterranean) and HMS Grecian ( Home Waters - post hostilities). There are a number of gaps between the the service record and verbal recollections and war-time photographs which have intrigued me. On the suggestion of Admin I applied for his full service records. Unfortunately the reply only showed the same tenders served on above. However, his medals record shows him on MTB 670 from Oct 44 to Jun 45 which ties in with a number of photos in his war-time album. These photos also include MTB 697 and MTB 634 and some crew members including ¬Lofty'Turner, Terry Feenan and Alf Cook . Refer to samples at the end of this post.

The following entry appears in war diaries :

13 April 45 British motor torpedo boats MTB-670 and MTB-697 torpedoed and sunk the torpedo boat TA-45.

Admin/Brian Holmes has kindly supplied the following info in a separate topic:
MTB 670

Design Type: Fairmile D, Motor Torpedo Boat
Construction Yard: Wallasea Bay Yacht Yard of Rochford, UK
Completion Date: Mar 1943
Notes: Lost on passage Malta-Alexandria 30 January 1946

For operations ln the Adriatic and the Aegean
Temporary Lieutenant Eric Hewitt RNVR DSC
Able Seaman Wilfred Turner C/JX 374043 RN DSM
Able Seaman Leslie Byhurst Boswell C/JX 301773 RN MID
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant John King Finlay RNVR MID
Petty Officer Motor Mechanic Andrew Newall Goplen P/MX 117307 RN MID
Able Seaman James Thomas William Holdway C/JX 373750 RN MID

For an attack on enemy forces in the Planinski channel on 12 Apr 1945
Temporary Lieutenant Eric Hewitt RNVR DSC
Able Seaman Thomas Conway C/JX 559543 RN MID
Able Seaman Henry Harrison C/JX 542116 RN MID
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant James Oliver Young RNVR MID

For the surrender of German naval forces in the Adriatic
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant John King Finlay RNVR MID

The London Gazette entry for the second of actions listed may be read online by clicking the link provided. The actual citation reads:
For courage, audacity and skill shown whilst serving in the 59th M.T.B. Flotilla, in an engagement with a superior German force on the I2th-13th April off the coast of Jugoslavia during the course of which an enemy destroyer was sunk.
MTB 670 - Ancona.jpg
MTB 670 - Ancona - `loading fish'.jpg
MTB 670 in dry dock Ancona.jpg
MTB 670 - Some of the crew on the foc'sle.jpg
Lofty Turner on MTB 670.jpg
Terry Feenan - MTB 670.jpg

Hi Jonco
Retr here from 2012 researching my Dad's Naval history. AB Joseph Vaughan DSM.
I was looking recently and saw him in your photo of "some of the crew on foc'sle" he is 3rd from right with his cap on back of his head.
1st photo I have seen of him on his MTB with crew members! Amazing.
Any further info would be really helpful and my relative is trying to make the photo a bit clearer so I will let you know how it goes.

[jonco]

Hello Retr,
Well spotted. Sorry I do not have any additional information. My father died in 2002 and as I have said previously it was his medals record that tied him to the photos. Good Luck with the photo enhancement.

Regards

Colin

[retr]

Hi Colin

Thanks for the reply! Just clutching at straws!

Cheers
Rita

[Stanbridge76]

I am searching for info on the service of my dad Bill Wright who served as a stoker on MTB670.Thinking about the actions he and his shipmates may have been involved in at such a young age led me to wonder if there was a process of selection in order to be assigned to Motor Torpedo Boats during WW2.ie volunteer or go were your sent.

[Stanbridge76]

https://cfv.org.uk/forum/download/file. ... ew&id=1500
This is my dad Bill Wright on the left with Lofty Turner on MTB670 in the Med 1942.

[Stanbridge76]

https://cfv.org.uk/forum/download/file. ... ew&id=1502
My dad Bill Wright is on the left taken somewhere in the Med,does anyone recognise the others.

[Stanbridge76]

https://cfv.org.uk/forum/download/file. ... ew&id=1503
My Dad Bill Wright and his mates at The Old Dun Cow in Valetta Malta 1943/44.Any on recognise the others?

[retr]

Guy on right resembles my dad, able seaman Joe Vaughan but if he has glasses on my dad did'nt wear them. He was on mtb 670. And 638 in Adriatic he was a pom pom gunner. Not certain its him though.

[Stanbridge76]

Hi Retri
Lets see how many react to this and hope we can identify them.
Bernie

[retr]

Dad was a gunner and insignia on his right arm shows that so it must be him. He is also on page 1 of this post on 670 with crew at back of boat he is 3rd from right with white cap tilted back. Is your dad there too!?

[Stanbridge76]

Hi Retri
No can't see my Dad in the pic,do you know which year?
Bernie

[Stanbridge76]

Some more pics of my Dad Bill Wright and/or some of his mates when he served on MTB 670 in the Med 43/44.

[retr]

Great photo's
i am still not sure if that is my dad. He is on the bottom left in last photo.
Do you have your dads service record as this will show dates.
My dad was on several MTB'S, ML'S + MGB'S the main one was MTB 638 for which he received the DSM for action in Oct 44 in Adriatic. I found out so much on this site but the service record is essential.
Good luck! + keep posting those lively pics, someone will know who they are.

[Stanbridge76]

Hi Retri
My Dads service history shows him on MTB 670 from 7/3/43 to 18/11/44 then back to England [HMS Hornet base].Next was MTB 350 21/3/45 to 14/6/45 based at Lowestoft [HMS Mantis].Not sure what he was doing but next ship on his record is Loch Archaig 4/11/45 to 14/2/46 and finally HMS Cockatrice 13/3/46 to demob 30/10/46.
I hope all of this is accurate as some of the details can be a bit sketchy.
The time in the Med should line up with Dads if you know the dates he served on MTB 670.
Regards
Bernie.

[retr]

Thanks for that, I will look at dads service record to check dates (it was 2012 when I did my research). I know he was moved about a lot....seems they all were at some point. Lovely pics Bernie was your dad from the midlands?

[Stanbridge76]

Hi Rita
Thanks for the reply, I have some more pics to post but not sure if they are when he was on Minesweepers.
Dad was born and lived all his life in Luton and never travelled abroad again and just lived a simple life, unfortunately he died at only 51 and never spoke much about his time in the Navy.
Regards
Bernie