Motor gunboat

MGB-81 in Beaulieu River

MGB-81 in Beaulieu River

Motor Gun Boat was a Royal Navy term for a small military vessel of the Second World War. They were physically similar to the Motor Torpedo Boats but equipped with a mix of guns instead of torpedoes. Their small size and high speed made them difficult targets for E-boats or torpedo bombers, but they were particularly vulnerable to mines and, indeed, heavy weather. The large number of guns meant the crew was relatively large, numbering as high as thirty men.

In the early years of the war they saw action defending shipping against enemy torpedo boats such as the German E-boats on the southern and eastern coasts of the UK. MGBs were also involved in the protection of shipping after D-Day.

In the Mediterranean they were used offensively to sink Italian and German shipping. They were formed into flotillas which often operated alongside MTBs (or US PT boats) and helped interdict supplies being sent from Italy to North Africa in 1943. After this campaign they moved northwards and assisted with the invasion of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Elba. From island bases they patrolled along the western coast of Italy attacking small coastal ships and E-boats until mid-1944. As Italy was progressively liberated certain flotillas, such as the 56th, were sent around to the Adriatic to assist partisans in the islands off Yugoslavia.

They did not take the prefix HMS as they were only boats and instead used the prefix "HMMGB" on formal occasions. The crews generally referred to them by their numbers.

Example MGB

CAMPER AND NICHOLSON MGB Pennants: MGB 502 to MGB 509

• Length: 117 ft 0 in.
• Beam: 20 ft 3 in.
• Draught: 4 ft 1 in.
• Displacement: 95 tons
• Propulsion: 3 x Paxman VRB diesel engines
• Total power output: 3000 bhp
• Speed:
  • Maximum: 28 knots ()
  • Continuous: 25 knots ()
• Complement: 21
• Endurance: 2,000 nautical miles (4,000 km) at 11 knots ()

Note: MGB 509 was powered by three Packard supercharged petrol engines giving a total output of 4,050 bhp and a maximum speed of 31 knots (27 knots continuous).

General Notes

MGB's were extremely heavily armed for vessels of their size. By 1945 MGB 658 carried two power-mounted 6-pounders in the A and Y turret positions, a twin 20 mm Oerlikon cannon in the X turret position, a single 20 mm Oerlikon on either side forward of the bridge and two twin .303 Vickers machine guns on the bridge wings. They were also equipped with smoke-making equipment, basic radar and depth charges.

See also

• Motor Launch
• Harbour Defence Motor Launch
• Motor Torpedo Boat

References

• Motor Gunboat 658 LC Reynolds (Cassell Military Paperbacks, London, 2002) ISBN 0-304-36183-6

External links

• - British Military Powerboat Trust
• - Whaleback MGB