2nd MGB Flotilla

Motor Gunboats (MGB) & Steam Gunboats (SGB)
Guthlac
Able Seaman
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:04 pm

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby Guthlac » Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:09 pm

Checking back with the photo my father took of "the mad Scotsman Macnair and his Oerlikon" , I think it must have been taken on his other boat, MTB 731. This would date from 1944 or 1945. And yes, the other photo does look like it could show a 2 pounder.
The Mad Scotsman Macnair and his Oerlikon.jpg

CAM
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:49 am

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby CAM » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:27 pm

What types of shells "Oerlikon" British gunners used MGB?

cdsc123
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 76
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:38 pm

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby cdsc123 » Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:20 pm

TITS.

Tracer, Incendiary, Tracer, Semi-armour-piercing.

Gunners found it easy to remember the mnemonic TITs for some reason, in order to load the shells in the correct order.

TITS.

CAM
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:49 am

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby CAM » Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:24 pm

Thank you. And of 2-pounders what projectiles fired?

Guthlac
Able Seaman
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:04 pm

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby Guthlac » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:59 pm

Angus Konstam's book British Motor Gun Boat 1939-45 (published in 2010) shows on page 8 MGB 8 armed with a Rolls Royce 2 pounder. This is an illustration but there is a photo on page 38 of MGB 10 in Dover Harbour "in early 1942" with a Rolls Royce 2-pdr aft. He also notes (page 31) that "the Rolls Royce 2-pdr was introduced in mid-1940; although an improvement on the existing hand-loaded 2-pdr as it was faster to use, it was awkward to operate, but it had a slightly higher rate of fire". He says that the weapon "was capable of firing High Explosive (HE) rounds and had an effective range of 1,500 yards".

CAM
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:49 am

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby CAM » Sun Jun 08, 2014 6:54 pm

The National Archive has an account of the sinking of MTB 220 by one of its crew. This has not been digitised but a copy could be ordered on-line. Here is the link : http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.u ... i=C7429601
Unfortunately, for me it is problematic. Let us hope that someone will read this and spit out a report. The strange thing, but the only English paper on the most successful attack Coastal Forces has not yet been published and is interested in this feat of British sailors, people are forced to use or truncated information or data Germans.

GCU Grey Area
Seaman
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu May 22, 2014 9:47 am

Re: 2nd MGB Flotilla

Postby GCU Grey Area » Mon Dec 22, 2014 6:28 pm

Guthlac: Those photos really are superb. I used to live in Weymouth, and the coastline visible behind the three-quarter view of 16 looks to me like the coast between Bowleaze Cove and Ringstead.

Are there any more?

I ask because I am currently drawing colour profiles of British Power Boat Company MGBs, MTBs and MA/SBs for a book due out next year. This will be a sister volume to one on Vosper MTBs which was published last month.


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