MTB 715

Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB)
Bob Pearson
Able Seaman
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:16 pm

MTB 715

Postby Bob Pearson » Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:35 pm

By chance, does anyone know the nick-name given to MTB 715? This boat served out of Lerwick on ops in to Norway.

Many thanks in advance,

Bob

Pioneer
Moderator
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:48 pm

Re: MTB 715

Postby Pioneer » Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:32 pm

Hello Bob

I was hoping that you would have had a reply to your query by now.
I am not aware of any 'nick-names' given to boats except that this particular boat joined the rest of the Fairmile 'D' class to become known as a 'Dog' boat.
Regards

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: MTB 715

Postby Brian Holmes » Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:39 pm

MTB_715 Woodnut & Co Ltd, St Helens, Isle of Wight 9/12/43

For an action in northern waters 11/44
MID Lt Finn Nord Stenersen RNorNR

For an attack on a U Boat in home waters 25/4/45
DSC Lt Finn Nord Stenersen RNorNR
DSM PO Karl Johan Wahlgren 2702
MID AB Olav Bentsen 10271

Known Crew
Lt P Danielsen RNorN Commanding Officer MTB 715
Lt Finn Nord Stenersen RNorNR
PO Karl Johan Wahlgren 2702
AB Olav Bentsen 10271

Wartime Activities
1944 Royal Norwegian Navy
54th MTB Flotilla
MTB 618, MTB 619, MTB 623, MTB 625, MTB 626, MTB 627, MTB 653, MTB 688, MTB 709, MTB 712, MTB 715, MTB 722, MTB 711, MTB 713, MTB 716, MTB 717, MTB 723, MTB 704, MTB 719, MTB 720, MTB 721
Based at Lerwick
Sank M382 N of Molde 63-06N 07-23E
10-1/4/44 MTB 618, MTB 623, MTB 653 and MTB 715 intercept and attack a German Convoy off the Dutch coast
12-3/5/44 MTB 715, MTB 627, MTB 653 and MTB 688 make an unsuccessful attack on a convoy off Hook of Holland
10-1/6/44 MTB 712, MTB 715, MTB 618, MTB 623 and MTB 688 the Norwegian 54th MTB Flottilla (LCdr. Monssen) are in action off the Hook of Holland with M 348, M 307, M 347, M 264 and M 131 of the German 11. M Flottilla (KKpt. Seifert) moving westwards from Borkum. MTB 712 is damaged. MTB 715 claims a torpedo hit on an armed trawler.
11/44 An action in northern waters
27-8/11/44 MTB 623 and MTB 715, in an inconclusive action with V5514, V5527 and RA 203 off Sognefjord. MTB 715 fires torpedoes and misses. MTB 623 and MTB 715 attack with gunfire. MTB 623 has one man killed. Two coastal batteries engaged and MTB 623 and MTB 715 withdrew.
Two hours later, MTB 627 and MTB 717 attack a convoy MTB 717 fires a torpedo and sinks Welheim (5455 tons). MTB 627 fires torpedoes and a near miss damages Vp 5303. The escorts, Vp 5303, Vp 5312 and R 312 engage MTB 627 and MTB 717.
25/1/45 MTB 709, MTB 715 and MTB 716 found their operational area occupied by a herring fishing fleet so they decide to return to base. On leaving the coast, they encounter the large Norwegian trawler SS Nordholmen. MTB 716 puts a boarding party aboard and she is escorted back to Lerwick.
31/1/45 MTB 717 and MTB 715 depart Lerwick for an operation off Ravnefjord south of Trondheim
Arriving at the Inner Leads, they spent a day under camouflage, but encounter two M class minesweepers M 381 and M 382 going north to Trondheim. MTB 717 attempts to fire torpedoes at M 381 but has two misfires. MTB 715 hits MTB 382 with two torpedoes and she breaks in two and sinks.
25/4/45 MTB 711, MTB 715 and MTB 723 attack U 637 (Kptlt. Riekeberg †) on a minelaying operation off Newcastle. U 637 is damaged and returns to Stavanger under the command of Oblt.(Ing) Weber
19/5/45 Sunk after an explosion at Fosnavaag, Norway

Bob Pearson
Able Seaman
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:16 pm

Re: MTB 715

Postby Bob Pearson » Thu May 24, 2012 8:11 pm

Dear Brian,

many thanks for your most informative reply - much appreciated. Apologies for not getting back to you sooner, but I have had difficulties logging on, but thanks to Kevin all is now well.

The following may be of interest to you.

Recently, The Daily Telegraph listed an obituary of Major Ian Smith:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... Smith.html

It states that this officer was in Norway spying on German shipping having being taken to his ob point by Norwegian MTB. This could well have been roughly the same time that Patrick Dalzel-Job, an RNVR officer who worked closely with the Norwegian Flotilla - was spying on an island on the west coast near Bergen. By chance, do you know of any ops that involved a Major Ian Smith? Possibly the ops could have been the VP ops that PDJ was involved with.

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: MTB 715

Postby Brian Holmes » Fri May 25, 2012 5:47 pm

The May 16th operation looks like Operation Tarbrush 8 which involved MTB 354 and MTB 359

Bob Pearson
Able Seaman
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:16 pm

Re: MTB 715

Postby Bob Pearson » Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:32 pm

Dear Brian,

thanks once again for your help. I see the Tarbrush ops are listed in the TNA. I will copy these when next there. If you would like a copy then just ask away and I'll gladly post them to you.

I have just returned from researching in Norway. I climbed the mountain that Dalzel-Job chose as his spying spot overlooking the anchorage at Askvoll. He arrived there in early October 1943 (no exact date is given) via a British MTB commanded by a ' a big, humorous Northern Irishman'. He was supposed to be extracted by Nov 4th, but in fact was collected by Lt Bøgeberg of MTB 626 on October 19 at 01:40, who was on another mission to collect two Norwegians dropped off to the island earlier. It's possible they may have been SIS men acting as coast-watchers or similar.

By chance, do you happen to know who the Northern Irishman could have been and what boat did he command?

Kind regards,

Bob

Bob Pearson
Able Seaman
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:16 pm

Re: MTB 715

Postby Bob Pearson » Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:03 pm

Further to my last post. Patrick Dalzel-Job was dropped off on the island of Atleø on Oct 14th 1943. No time can be ascertained at present, but highly likely during the hours during the hours of darkness.

Kind regards

Bob

Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 501
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:40 pm

Re: MTB 715

Postby Admin » Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:36 pm

I happened to come across this reference to a sister ship of MTB 715, so am adding it here out of interest. Perhaps some other nicknames may emerge in time that can be added to the thread too.
Early that morning, cousins Jack Larssen and Arnold Hovland had gone ashore at Kviksodden in S.W. Norway to resume their roles as agents in their occupied country, charged with reporting enemy coastwise shipping movements to London by radio. They had crossed from Aberdeen in M.T.B. 718 (Lieut. R.F. Seddon D.S.C. R.N.V.R.) It had been their third trip aboard Lone Wolf, the nickname bestowed by the ship's company because of her solo ferrying operations between Scotland and Norway with agents and stores.
From CFVA Newsletter No 35 for September 1983


Return to “Motor Torpedo Boats”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests