Motor torpedo boat


A motor torpedo boat is a fast torpedo boat, especially of the mid 20th century. The motor in the designation originally referred to their use of petrol engines, typically marinised aircraft engines or their derivatives, which distinguished them from other naval craft of the era, including other torpedo boats, that used steam turbines or reciprocating steam engines. Later, diesel-powered torpedo boats appeared, in turn or retroactively referred to as "motor torpedo boats" for their internal combustion engines, as distinct from steam powered reciprocating or turbine propulsion.
Though other navies built similar petrol-powered craft, the specific designation "motor torpedo boat", abbreviated to "MTB", is generally used for craft of the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy boats.
During the Second World War, the US Navy built several classes of marine V-12-powered PT boat, whose hull classification symbol "PT" stood for "patrol, torpedo", but which were grouped into motor torpedo boat squadrons. German diesel-powered torpedo boats of the Second World War were called S-boote by the Kriegsmarine and "E-boats" by the Allies. These large craft were not known as motor torpedo boats at the time, but later have been grouped with them by some. Italian MTBs of this period were known as Motoscafo Armato Silurante. French MTBs were known as vedettes lance torpilles.
The role of the motor torpedo boat has been absorbed in modern navies by the fast attack craft.

History

s were designed for missions that variously involved high speed, operating at night, low speed ambush, and manoeuvrability to allow them to get close enough to launch their torpedoes at enemy vessels. With no significant armour, the boats relied upon surprise and agility at high speed to avoid being hit by gunfire from bigger ships.
The Royal Navy started developing particularly small, agile, and fast petrol-powered torpedo boats in the early 20th century, shortly before the beginning of the First World War. Known as coastal motor boats, these were only around. They were joined by the Italian Navy's MAS boats, of displacement. MAS 15 was the only motor torpedo boat in history to sink a battleship, the Austro-Hungarian vessel Szent István in 1918. In the Second World War, Britain fielded a variety of motor launches, motor torpedo boats, motor gunboats and motor anti-submarine boats, which were operated by Coastal Forces. A similar size boat with a different role in the Second World War was the ft HSL|BPB ] high-speed launch used by the RAF for air-sea rescue operations. Diesel-powered MTBs entered the Royal Navy with the and fast patrol boats in 1954. The last MTBs in the Royal Navy were the two s of 1958, which were capable of.

Specifications

Many boats were designated MTBs. A variety of designs were adopted and built. For instance, a type, capable of, was shown in 1930.

British MTBs

The following is an incomplete list of British motor torpedo boats:

Vosper "private venture boat"

Commander Peter Du Cane CBE, the managing director of Vosper Ltd, designed a motor torpedo boat as a private venture in 1936. She was completed and launched in 1937. The vessel was bought by the Admiralty and taken into service with the Royal Navy as MTB 102.
  • Length:
  • Beam:
  • Draft:,
The installed powerplant of three Isotta Fraschini Asso V-18 57-litre petrol engines delivered which gave her a speed of light and when carrying a full load.
  • Crew: 2 officers, 10 men.
Armament was two torpedo tubes; depth charges, machine guns and 20mm Oerlikon were trialled on her.
MTB 102 was the fastest wartime British naval vessel in service. She was at Dunkirk in 1940 for the evacuation of British and French troops, where she served as Rear-Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker's flagship after the destroyer HMS Keith was sunk. She carried Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower when they reviewed the fleet before the Invasion of Normandy in 1944.

British Power Boat 60 ft MTB

They were based on the British Power Boat Company Type Two 63 ft HSL originally designed for the Royal Air Force for air-sea rescue but reduced to in length. They could carry two torpedoes and achieve a maximum speed of. The Royal Navy ordered their first in 1936. These entered service as MTB numbers 1 to 12 and 14 to 19. In the early days of the war, they were painted with different numbers and photos distributed to the press to give the impression the Royal Navy had more than they actually did. One photo was sent to the American monthly Popular Science showing the number twenty-three.

British Power Boat 72 ft MTB

Initially ordered as an MGB in 1941; they were converted to MTBs from 1942 by addition of two 18-inch tubes and a 6-pdr gun. Although 10 tons heavier after conversion they still made 39 knots. MGB 115130 were redesignated as MTB 434449 and MGB 131170 were completed as MTB 450489. In 1943 MTB 490509 were ordered.

Vosper 45 ft MTB

Built as a private venture, the 45-ft MTBs were scaled down versions of larger Vosper design and intended to be carried by larger vessels. As MTB 104 to 107, these were taken up by Admiralty but found to be poor seakeeping and not used for combat.
MTB 105 was carried aboard the Special Service Vessel HMS Fidelity after her conversion to a Commando carrier for service in the Far East with T Company, 40 Commando. Fidelity was torpedoed and sunk with great loss of life as part of Convoy ON 154. The eight crew of MTB 105, along with two from one of Fidelity's floatplanes were the only survivors from the sinking.

Vosper 70 ft MTB

Although various boat lengths were produced by Vosper for the Royal Navy, the "70 ft" boat was produced from 1940. The design was produced with modifications as MTBs 31-40, 57-66, 73-98, 222-245 and 347-362.
Using three Packard V1-12 marine engines, they were capable of around. Early models carried two torpedo tubes, twin machine guns in a "bin" behind the bridge and two machine guns. They could also carry four depth charges.
The Vosper 70 was also used in other navies, such as Romania's, which acquired three in 1939, with NMS Viscolul the lead ship of the class.

Vosper 73 ft (Type I and Type II)

Between 1943 and 1945, the "Vosper 73ft" design appeared; this was a flush-decked type with a slight sheer forward, dispensing entirely with the low forecastle and scalloping of the majority of '70-footer' types. The type II differed from the Type I in that it carried a heavier gun armament at the expense of two torpedo tubes. Boats produced to this design carried pennant numbers MTB 380-395 and MTB 523-537. The Type II did not enter service before the end of the war but was in use after the war.
;Type I
;Type II
  • Length 73 ft
  • Engine 4,200 hp
  • Speed
  • Range at
  • Displacement 49 t
  • Armament
  • * Two torpedoes
  • * 57mm QF 6-pdr Mark IIA gun on powered mounting
  • * Twin 20mm Oerlikon aft
  • * Two 0.303 Lewis Guns
  • Crew 13

    Thornycroft 75 ft MTB

The first two were actually 74 ft prototypes for the design ordered in 1938. Powered by three Isotti-Franschini engines they could reach 37 knots. The later ones, MTBs 49-56, had four Thornycroft RY12 engines but were too slow for operations.

J S White 75 ft MTB

A development of the Vosper designs, White had been building under sub-contract. After construction passed to Polish Navy as S5-S10.
Armed with two 18-inch torpedoes, 6-pounder gun forward, twin 20mm Oerlikon aft and two twin.303 machine gun mountings.

Fairmile D MTB

The Fairmile D was a very large British MTB designed by Bill Holt and conceived by Fairmile Marine for the Royal Navy. Nicknamed "Dog Boats", they were designed to combat the known advantages of the German E-boats over previous British coastal craft designs. Larger than earlier MTB or motor gun boat designs, the Fairmile D was driven by four Packard 12-cylinder 1250 horsepower supercharged petrol engines and could achieve 29 knots at full load. The boat carried 5,200 gallons of 100 octane fuel for a range, at maximum continuous speed, of 506 nautical miles. Armament varied according to role but could include four 18-inch or two 21-inch torpedoes, 6-pounder and 2-pounder guns, Oerlikons, multiple machine guns and depth charges.

Canadian MTBs

These boats were designed by Hubert Scott-Paine for the Canadian Power Boat Company, and used by the Royal Canadian Navy 29th MTB Flotilla. Originally designed as motor gun boats, carrying a 6-pounder to engage enemy small craft, they were re-designated MTBs.
Scott-Paine type G 70 foot boat
three shafts
After the end of World War II a number of Royal Navy vessels were stripped and sold for use as houseboats. These included MGBs as well as MTBs. Many of these were moored in maritime locations such as Chichester Canal, Langstone Harbour, Littlehampton, Hayling Island and Wootton Creek, although most have now disappeared from these locations. More MTB houseboats can be found at Shoreham-by-Sea, Cobden Bridge and Bembridge.