Fairmile H landing craft
The Fairmile H Landing Craft were British landing craft of the Second World War. Initially designed for commando type raids from a base in Britain as a way of probing enemy defences and tying down additional troops, some were converted into fire support vessels.
Two variants were developed:
The Fairmile H – LCI (S)
This was the Landing Craft Infantry "LCI" boat. Forty of this type were built from 1942 onwards and numbered "LCI 501" to "LCI 540". Eight of them were wartime losses – 511, 512, 517, 524, 531, 532, 537 and 540.LCI 501 – Tough Brothers, Teddington Wharf, Teddington.LCI 502 – Cadnell Brothers, Maylandsea, Althorne, near Chelmsford.LCI 503 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 504 – W. Weatherhead and Sons, West Harbour, Cockenzie.LCI 505 – John Sadd & Sons, Maldon, Essex.LCI 506 – Solent Shipyards, Bursledon Bridge, Sarisbury Green.LCI 507 – Austins of East Ham, Twinn Wharf, Barking.LCI 508 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 509 – Thomson and Balfour, Victoria Saw Mills, Bo'ness.LCI 510 – J. S. Doig, Grimsby Docks.LCI 511 – Leo A. Robinson, Broadside Launch Works, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft.LCI 512 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 513 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 514 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 515 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 516 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 517 – W. Weatherhead and Sons, West Harbour, Cockenzie.LCI 518 – Southampton Steam Joinery Company, Southampton.LCI 519 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 520 – Collins Pleasurecraft Company, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 521 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 522 – W. Weatherhead and Sons, West Harbour, Cockenzie.LCI 523 – Cadnell Brothers, Maylandsea, Althorne, near Chelmsford.LCI 524 – Thomson and Balfour, Victoria Saw Mills, Bo'ness.LCI 525 – Tough Brothers, Teddington Wharf, Teddington.LCI 526 – Itchenor Shipyard, Itchenor, near Chichester.LCI 527 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 528 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 529 – Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall.LCI 530 – W. Weatherhead and Sons, West Harbour, Cockenzie.LCI 531 – J. S. Doig, Grimsby Docks.LCI 532 – Collins Pleasurecraft Company, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft.LCI 533 – Leo A. Robinson, Broadside Launch Works, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft.LCI 534 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 535 – W. Weatherhead and Sons, West Harbour, Cockenzie.LCI 536 – Solent Shipyards, Bursledon Bridge, Sarisbury Green.LCI 537 – H. T. Percival, Horning, Norfolk.LCI 538 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 539 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCI 540 – W. Weatherhead and Sons, West Harbour, Cockenzie.The Fairmile H – LCS (L)(2)
This was a Landing Craft Support boat fitted with extra weapons to give fire support to landing craft particularly in being able to provide some anti-tank capability. This was achieved by the simple expediency of mounting a tank turret complete with its 57 mm 6-pounder gun on the forward deck. Ten of this type were ordered from May 1942 onwards, assembled at the boatyards of six separate contractors from the kits provided in the same way as with other Fairmile craft and numbered "LCS 251" to "LCS 260". Three of these were war losses – 252, 256 and 258.LCS 251 – Austins of East Ham, Twinn Wharf, Barking.LCS 252 – Solent Shipyards, Bursledon Bridge, Sarisbury Green.LCS 253 – H. T. Percival, Horning, Norfolk.LCS 254 – A. M. Dickie & Sons. Bangor, North Wales.LCS 255 – Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft.LCS 256 – John Sadd & Sons, Maldon, Essex.LCS 257 – Austins of East Ham, Twinn Wharf, Barking.LCS 258 – Solent Shipyards, Bursledon Bridge, Sarisbury Green.LCS 259 – H. T. Percival, Horning, Norfolk.LCS 260 – Austins of East Ham, Twinn Wharf, Barking.The usual Fairmile construction techniques were used with all items prefabricated and supplied in kit form to boatyards for assembly and fitting out.