MTBs at Littlehampton, Sussex

Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB)
Popeye
Seaman
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:22 pm

MTBs at Littlehampton, Sussex

Postby Popeye » Fri May 18, 2012 6:29 pm

Does anyone have any details of Coastal Forces boats being based at Littlehampton in 1942?
My father spoke of being based there for a short time, in a torpedo boat I think. When I was a child we would visit the town and he would show us where they would be berthed near the mouth of the River Arun. Apart from learning that a few rescue launches were based there in January 1942 I have no other information or documentation. I think it was while based there that he was wounded when an enemy plane straffed the boat while it had stopped to pick-up an airman.

I am aware that this is a Coastal Forces site, but would anyone have any information of armed merchant cruisers carrying a short MTB to help in any action with a German surface raider. My father served on HMS Alcantara for eight months in 1942/43 in the middle of his service in Coastal Forces and I recall him mentioning this, although no surface raiders were encountered. It was all such a long time ago and I only have my recollections of the little detail he gave. I have wondered if the AMC carried an MTB as deck cargo for delivery to a port in Africa or Asia.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Stephen Ferriter

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

Re: MTBs at Littlehampton, Sussex

Postby Admin » Sat May 19, 2012 3:01 am

Dear Stephen

Thank you for your interesting enquiry.

The obvious candidates for the MTBs carried on davits on larger warships would have been the Thornycroft boats, built to the earlier design of Coastal Motor Boat which saw service in the First World War, and originally designed with this purpose in mind. There were a number of different lengths including 44' 6" (MTB 107), 45' (MTB 345–346), 50' (MTB 104) and 55' (MTB 26–27, MTB 67–68, MTB 105–106, MTB 213–217, MTB 327–331).

Most of these boats were either experimental types or had been building for foreign navies and requisitioned, and those which weren't lost, were nearly all disposed of at an early date, as they did not prove particularly sea worthy. I'm not sure how many of these craft were actually embarked aboard larger warships, but it is known that MTB 105 was embarked on HMS Fidelity which was sunk in the English Channel on 1 January 1943, and was floated off at first, but then scuttled by HMS Woodstock, so there may have been others of these 'short' boats that were used as originally intended.

As far as an actual Coastal Forces base at Littlehampton is concerned, again I'm not sure if there was one or what it may have been called, but there were two boat builders based there: William Osborne who constructed some 25 Fairmiles, including 'Dog' Boats — that is MGBs and MTBs — and Hillyard, who constructed some 17 HDMLs. It was commonplace for crews to assemble at yards to take over new boats and participate in their trials prior to their being formally commissioned and then worked-up, so it's possible that may have been when your father was there.

Regards
Admin

Popeye
Seaman
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: MTBs at Littlehampton, Sussex

Postby Popeye » Sun May 20, 2012 5:40 pm

Many thanks for your very prompt reply.

Stephen Ferriter


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