WW2 service details of MTB 341

[jabdc5]

I'm struggling to find any details of the wartime activities of MTB 341. There is just very basic information of U-boat.net saying she was built in Canada and commissioned in the Royal Navy on the 1st of May 1942. It then shows her being transferred to the RAF as an ASR in 1943 and decommissioned in 1945. Does anyone have any more information on this boat?
thanks,
J

[John110547]

Hi J

Hope this helps.

• MTB 341 was one of seventeen boats ordered from the Canadian Power Boat Company on 18 July 1940 by the Canadian Government; eleven MTBs for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN MTB 001 to 012) & six Rescue Launches for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF Ms 203, 231 to 235). This boat was designated as MTB 010(2). The build programme from the start had problems due to shortages, including power turrets, weapons, engines, & ASDIC equipment, among other things. Additionally, the changes to the build specification caused numerous delays. The MTB order in January 1941 was reclassified as a harbour defence vessel with the designation V; Hence, MTB 010(2) was redesignated V 259. On 19 September 1941, V259/MTB 010(2), whilst under construction, was transferred from the Royal Canadian Navy to the Royal Navy & was redesignated MTB 341. MTB 341/V259/MTB 010(2) was launched on 10 October 1941. The boat’s length was 70ft, the beam was 20ft 6ins, the draught was 4ft & its displacement was 44 tons. It was powered by three Packard 4M-2500 1200/1350hp Petrol Engines, achieving a speed of 42 knots & armed with two twin 0.5"/62(12.7mm) Vickers Mk III Machine Guns, four 18" Mk XV Torpedoes & four Mk VII Depth Charges.

• MTB 341 on 4 November 1941 was towed by the Canadian Navy from the CPB Co factory in Montreal for St John’s, Newfoundland.

• MTBs 341, 340, 342, 343 in May 1942 were commissioned by the Royal Navy & assigned to the 19th MTB Flotilla based in the West Indies with a crew of two officers & ten other ranks. The 19th MTB Flotilla's role was to carry out antisubmarine & rescue duties. Therefore, their torpedo tubes were removed & the boats were fitted with additional depth charges.

• MTB 341 in 1942 was adopted by the town of Sedgefield, County Durham; this was one of the one hundred-ninety-four Light Coastal Forces boats (thirty-seven MGBs, one hundred-sixteen MTBs & forty-one MLs) to be adopted & sponsored by villages, towns, cities or specific areas in Britain. The money raised by public donations through this adoption programme, 'Fund a Warship', went to the Royal Navy to help fund the building of Royal Navy warships.

• MTBs 341, 340, 342, 343 19th MTB Flotilla) on 27 May 1942 arrived at HMS Benbow, Trinidad.

• MTBs 341, 333, 334, 337, 340, 342, 343 (19th MTB Flotilla) on 1 June 1942 were operating from Trinidad.

• MTBs 341, 333, 334, 337, 340, 342, 343 (19th MTB Flotilla) on 8 June 1942 were operating from Trinidad.

• MTBs 341, 333, 334, 340, 342, 343 (19th MTB Flotilla) on 22 June 1942 were operating from Trinidad.

• MTBs 341, 333, 334, 340, 342, 343 (19th MTB Flotilla) on 29 June 1942 were operating from Trinidad.

• MTBs 341, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 339, 340, 342, 343 (19th MTB Flotilla) in December 1942 returned to the Canadian Navy. Note: During the 19th MTB Flotilla time in the West Indies, it was unable to carry out any antisubmarine duties because none of the boats had been fitted with submarine detection equipment. However, during their eight months of existence, they did rescue over 600 survivors whose ships had been torpedoed.

• MTB 341/V259/MTB 010(2) on 1 January 1943 was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force as a rescue launch & was redesignated HSL 341.

Best regards
John

[jabdc5]

excellent!!! thank you so much for that. Now I just have to find a picture of her.

J

[jabdc5]

just an update on MTB 341 , I've not found any confirmation that it became a Canadian Air Force HSL. I did find info that it was transferred to the RAF becoming HSL 341. I got the record card of HSL 341 from the microfilm held at the RAF Museum and it shows in to be an ex-MTB with a Packard engine, so hopefully it is the same boat. After becoming HSL341, it was based at Bombay and Calcutta, before being written off on 1st of November 1945. Unfortunately, much of the wording on the microfilm copy is unreadable, so I've asked the Air Historical Branch who hold the original if they can send me a better copy.