Coastal Defence Forces at Dartmouth

[Jonathant]

I am researching Coastal Defences Forces at Dartmouth/HMS Cicala, with a focus on the Flotillas of MGB/MTBs. We are familiar with 15th Flotilla and the 23rd Flotilla - the Free French, but there are many more mentioned with connections to Dartmouth: the 12th: for 3 months training vs submarine nets?; the 18th MGB also for a short time; 21st MGB ?from October 43; 65th. Does anyone have a listing of them? Has any research been published on this? Also i saw on this forum that Cicala was renamed HMS Dartmouth II - is that correct? Many thanks for any guidance or information. Jonathan

[Admin]

Hello Jonathan

According to Ben Warlow (Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy) Dartmouth II was commissioned on 1 February 1942 having previously been Britannia II, and was renamed Cicala in August 1943.

1942

2nd MGB Flotilla
MGB 6, 7, 8, 10, 13

The 2nd M.G.B.Flotilla is temporarily re-allocated to Dartmouth. V.A. Dover is requested to sail all available boats as soon as possible. (D.D.O.D.(C) 1652A/3).
Source: Admiralty War Diary: 3 December 1942

3rd MGB Flotilla
S1, 2 & 3 were manned by elements of the Polish Navy
The flotilla is listed under Dartmouth in December 1942 but is noted as having being temporarily reallocated to Dover
MGB 40, 41, 42, 43, S1, S2, S3

15th MGB Flotilla
MGB 318
MGBs 502, 503, 507, 509 join on completion. Allocated to N.I.D.(C).
Source: November 1942 Red List: MGBs 318 & 502, 503, 507 & 509 are shown against Dartmouth for the 15th MGB Flotilla in the 1 November 1942 Red List which, given its absence in the Coastal Forces Information Sheet for September 1942, may be the first officially recorded mention of the 15th MGB Flotilla. The 22 November 1942 Red List qualifies this position stating MGBs 502, 503, 507 & 509 will join on completion, though 507 was converted to function as a blockade runner in the end, and 509 did not complete until April 1945.

7th ML Flotilla
MLs 118, 153, 155, 157, 159, 163, 195, 304, 491


1943
9th MTB Flotilla (Anglo-Dutch) The Dutch were ordinarily based at Dover but were relocated to Dartmouth for a time in Spring 1943 on account of German minefields laid in their usual patrol areas that prevented operations there. Source: Christopher Dreyer: S.O. 9th MTB Flotilla: IWM Oral History: Part 3/5

MTB 229, MTB 231, MTB 235, MTB 236, MTB 240, MTB 201, MTB 202, MTB 203, MTB 204

1944
1st MTB Flotilla (This was the third iteration of this flotilla)
MTB 412, MTB 413, MTB 414, MTB 415, MTB 416, MTB 430, MTB 431, MTB 434

23rd MTB Flotilla (French)
MTB 90, MTB 91, MTB 92, MTB 93, MTB 94, MTB 96, MTB 98, MTB 227, MTB 239

52nd MTB Flotilla
MTB 620, 664, 672, 673, 676, 677, 678, 679, 713, 716, 717, 719

65th MTB Flotilla (Canadian)
MTB 726, MTB 727, MTB 735, MTB 736, MTB 743, MTB 744, MTB 745, MTB 746, MTB 748

15th MGB Flotilla
MGB 318, 502, 503, 718

14th ML Flotilla
MLs 155, 190, 191, 195, 490, 591, 905, 1295, 1309, 1389, 1409, 1421, 1422

62nd RML Flotilla
RMLs 497, 522, 523, 532

69th RML Flotilla
RMLs 520, 547, 550, 553

By late 1944 Dartmouth had pretty much emptied out as the D-Day anchorages were secured and the fight against the E-Boats had shifted further east towards Dover and the continent off of Belgium and Holland. By 1945 it was used as a mooring area for boats decommissioning in increasing numbers.

[Jonathant]

Thanks for your very fast response! It is very much appreciated, and this information will be very helpful context for us, to know Units and if possible the dates, so we can understand how many boats were in the harbour, roughly, at any point in the war. Some Flotillas visited for a short time, some came twice, while others were based in Dartmouth after their arrival, while others were simply renamed post-fitting with torpedos as MTBs - so it would be good to get this clarified! Many thanks Jonathan

[Admin]

Hello again Jonathon

I have amended my earlier entry above to include some additional units known to have been at Dartmouth but I am also emailing you with some additional resources for you to look through at your leisure for such detail as may be useful to you.

I would also draw your attention to the digitised Admiralty War Diaries now available to download from the Royal Naval Historical Branch web site. These contain details of daily patrols for the whole of the war from which you may be able to determine other units that were at Dartmouth temporarily.

One of the entries, which you might like to follow up on, contains an unusual report of an incident that had a rather unfortunate outcome:

N.O.I.C. Dartmouth report:- M.G.B. 324 reports that at 1057 today 35 rounds were accidentally fired from the after 2 pounder pom-pom shortly after clearing the boom. Projectiles landed ashore doing superficial damage to houses and inflicting the following casualties to civilians:- one man killed, one woman wounded.
2. Board of inquiry is being convened.
(C in C Plymouth, 061209).

Source: Admiralty Diary: 6/9/1943 p170

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission database of civilian deaths contains the following entry which may be the casualty concerned:

HAROLD DAVEY
Died 05 September 1943
Age 59 years old
Husband of Marian Davey, of 5 Board School Steps. Died at Board School Steps.

[Jonathant]

Thank you very much indeed. What you have sent is invaluable. I have still to look at the diaries which also look fascinating. I am afraid that this will uncover more questions which i hope the forum will find interesting and build our knowledge of what happened in Dartmouth during the war from a CF POV... we have tended to focus on the higher profile Flotillas: 15th MGB RN SIS and 23rd MTB CF/Free French, and rather played down the bigger picture.

[Jonathant]

It would be good to understand the implications of the difference names for Dartmouth as a Coastal Forces Base, as it appears to have changed through the war.
While Dover was a base from Sept 1940, Dartmouth appears to have been incorporated to CF later in May 1941.. is that accurate/significant?
From To
Coastal Forces base, HMS Britannia III 01/05/1941 23/12/1942
Coastal Forces base, HMS Dartmouth II 23/12/1942 21/08/1943
Coastal Forces base, HMS Cicala 21/08/1943 31/12/1944

It only adopted the Cicala name in Aug 1943, coming into line with other CF bases with buzzing insect names - is this significant or not?

It also seems that Dartmouth ceased being a CF base in Dec 1944, though many boats would have been moored in the harbour, having been paid off or mothballed. Some were broken up locally Distin's yard in Old Mill Creek, beyond Britannia.

Many thanks for any guidance,
Jonathan