WORLD WAR 2 IN REVIEW: Fairmile B: British Motor Launch

The Fairmile B motor launch (often abbreviated to 'ML') was a very numerous class of motor launch produced in kit form by British boatbuilder Fairmile Marine, and then assembled and fitted out by numerous boatyards during the Second World War to meet the Royal Navy's coastal operation requirements.

Design

While the Type A motor launch had been designed entirely for Fairmile by architect Norman Hart, the Type B design had come from Bill Holt, head of the Admiralty's DNC Boat Section. The hard-chine hull of the Type A had exhibited seakeeping and handling limitations, but Holt's round-bilged design for the Type B was found to be a far more seaworthy form.

Like all Fairmile boats, production of the Type B was based on total prefabrication so individual components could be contracted out to small factories for production and these arranged as kits that would be delivered in stages to various boatyards for assembly & fitting out on a 'just-in-time' basis. Accordingly, the detailed design work for the Type B was taken on by Fairmile and modified to suit their kit fabrication principle - they then also handled production of component parts.

Altogether approximately 650 boats were built between 1940 and 1945. Like the Type As, the Type Bs were initially intended as submarine chasers, so the boats were fitted with ASDIC (sonar) as standard.

Their main armament initially reflected their anti-submarine focus, with 12 depth charges, a single QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss gun forward, and one set of twin 0.303-in Lewis or GO machine guns (frequently increased in number by the crew); early boats often received a Holman projector amidships. A common upgrade to gun armament by 1942-43 in many early boats was to add an aft bandstand mounting for either a 2-pdr Rolls gun or a 20mm Oerlikon cannon. The specifications given are for the original 1940 British version.

As the war moved on, the vessels were adapted to other roles and the armament was modified and upgraded such as the replacement of the 3-pounder with one or more 20 mm Oerlikon cannon and removal of the ASDIC dome for more clearance as minesweepers. Some boats were configured as motor torpedo boats.

Boats

The Fairmile B type superseded the original Fairmile A type, which had been designed by Norman Hart.

First Batch (September 1939 Orders)

An initial batch of 24 of these (ML 101 to ML 124) was ordered by the Admiralty on 22 September 1939 from the Fairmile Marine company, of which the first eleven (plus the prototype ML 100) were completed to the Hart design (Fairmile 'A'); the remaining thirteen (ML 112 to ML 124) were completed to the new Fairmile B design. The first Fairmile B motor launch (actually ML 113 from Tough Bros, Teddington) was completed and delivered on 12 August 1940, with a further eleven from this first production batch entering service before the end of the year (the last of the batch to be completed - ML 123 - was delayed until 1941).

Name	Ship Builder	Completed	Fate
ML 112	Woodnutt & Co., St Helens, Isle of Wight	22 September 1940	Sold on 27 February 1946.
ML 113	Tough Brothers, Teddington	12 August 1940	Sold in March 1946 as Pendennis.
ML 114	Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft	24 August 1940	For disposal in 1946.
ML 115	Solent Shipyard, Sareisbury Green, Hants.	18 September 1940	Sold in October 1946.
ML 116	A. M. Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Argyllshire	14 September 1940	For disposal in April 1946.
ML 117	Lady Bee, Isleworth	26 October 1940	Sold in 1946, becoming yacht Savourna by 1959.
ML 118	Sussex Shipbuilding, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex	7 October 1940	Sold in 1946 as Marandis.
ML 119	Alexander Robertson, Sandbank.	12 September 1940	Lent to South African Navy 1945; for disposal later in 1945.
ML 120	Aldous Successors, The Shipyard, Brightlingsea	8 October 1940	Sold 1946 as Onetwenty.
ML 121	James A. Silver, Rosneath, Dumbartonshire	12 September 1940	Sold in Egypt ca. 1947.
ML 122	A. M. Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Gwynedd	16 October 1940	Lent to Royal Norwegian Navy from 13 December 1940 to 23 August 1941; for disposal in October 1945.
ML 123	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	May 1941	To Free French Navy as St Ronan from May 1941 to July 1942; sold 1946.
ML 124	A. M. Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Argyllshire	13 November 1940	To Ship Target Trials in 1946; for disposal in October 1947.

Second Batch (January 1940 Orders)

The Admiralty placed a massive order for a second batch of Fairmile Bs - 120 vessels in total - on 8 January 1940. These were numbered ML 125 to ML 244. Of these, 37 were delivered by the end of 1940 and the other 83 during the first half of 1941.

Name	Ship Builder	Completed	Fate
ML 125	J. S. Doig (Grimsby), Grimsby Docks	9 November 1940	Lent to Royal Norwegian Navy from 23 December 1940 to 23 August 1941; for disposal in October 1945.
ML 126	James N. Miller & Sons, East Shore, St Monance, Fife	19 September 1940	Sunk 27 November 1943 after torpedo attack by U-boat.
ML 127	Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft	7 November 1940	Mined on 22 November 1940 in the Thames Estuary.
ML 128	P. K. Harris & Sons, New Quay Dry Docks, Appledore, Devon	October 1940	Lent to Royal Norwegian Navy from 13 December 1940 to 23 August 1941; for disposal in January 1946.
ML 129	Mashford Brothers, Cremyll Yard, Cremyll, Plymouth, Devon	14 October 1940	Sunk by bombing on 22 March 1942 off Algeria.
ML 130	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	9 October 1940	Sunk off Malta on 7 May 1942 by gunfire from E-boats.
ML 131	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	12 December 1941	Sold in March 1947.
ML 132	Itchenor Shipyard	9 November 1940	Became constructive total loss by bombing on 21 March 1942 at Bone (Annaba), Algeria, and interned on next day.
ML 133	Lady Bee, Isleworth	12 December 1940	Lost on 11 May 1943 by fire off west coast of Scotland.
ML 134	Solent Shipyard, Sarisbury Green	29 October 1940	For disposal in October 1946; became Egyptian Hamza.
ML 135	Dorset Yacht, Hamworthy	10 October 1940	Lent to South African Navy 1945; sold at Malta in November 1946.
ML 136	Alexander Robertson, Sandbank.	26 November 1940	Sold in Holland in March 1947, becoming Y861.
ML 137	Boat Construction Company, Falmouth, Cornwall.	26 November 1940	For disposal in October 1945.
ML 138	Aldous Successors, The Shipyard, Brightlingsea	19 November 1940	Lent to Royal Netherlands Navy from 10 November 1945 until 1953, then sold.
ML 139	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	17 December 1940	For disposal in October 1945.
ML 140	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	31 January 1941	For disposal in October 1945.
ML 141	Mashford Brothers, Cremyll Yard, Cremyll, Plymouth, Devon	23 December 1940	For disposal in October 1945.
ML 142	Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft	26 November 1940	Sold 1946, becoming Tregarth.
ML 143	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	13 February 1941	Lent to Royal Netherlands Navy from 10 November 1945 until 10 April 1946, then sold as Gay Tulip.
ML 144	Dorset Yacht, Hamworthy	12 November 1940	Sunk by mine on 22 September 1941 in the Channel.
ML 145	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	25 March 1941	Became ML(A)1 from July 1945, sold 1946.
ML 146	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	1 March 1941	For disposal in October 1945.
ML 147	Brooke Marine, Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft	December 1940	Constructive tptal loss on 3 November 1944 off Portsmouth; for disposal in April 1945.
ML 148	Sussex Shipbuilding, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex	10 December 1940	Became ML(A)2 from July 1945, sold 1946.
ML 149	Vosper & Company, Portsmouth	20 February 1941	Became ML(A)3 from July 1945, sold 1946.
ML 150	Sheerness Dockyard	6 March 1941	Sold March 1948.
ML 151	Sheerness Dockyard	25 February 1941	For disposal in October 1945.
ML 152	P. K. Harris & Sons, New Quay Dry Docks, Appledore	18 December 1940	Became ML(A)4 from July 1945, for disposal in June 1946.
ML 153	H. J. Percival, Horning, Norfolk	19 January 1941	For disposal in July 1946, becoming yacht Ginasal.
ML 154	James A. Silver, Rosneath, Dumbartonshire	5 November 1940	Became ML2154, then Squirrel in 1956, taken to pieces in June 1958.
ML 155	Woodnutt, Bembridge, Isle of Wight	11 December 1940	Became ML2155, sold 1961.
ML 156	Wallasea Bay Yacht Yard, Rochford, Essex	18 December 1940	Scuttled at St Nazaire on 28 March 1942, salved and became ML2156, sold 1951.
ML 157	John I. Thorneycroft & Company, Hampton, London	9 October 1940	Sold February 1946.
ML 158	John I. Thorneycroft & Company, Hampton	5 May 1941	Sold 27 February 1946.
ML 159	James N. Miller & Sons, East Shore, St Monance, Fife	23 November 1940	Sold February 1946.
ML 160	Alexander Robertson, Sandbank.	27 December 1940	Bombed on 6 May 1942 at Brixham.
ML 161	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	10 April 1941	To Royal Netherlands Navy from 4 January 1945 to 28 August 1946; sold in 1946.
ML 162	A. M. Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Argyllshire	3 December 1940	To Royal Netherlands Navy from 4 January 1945 to 10 April 1946; sold September 1946.
ML 163	Leo Robinson, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft	12 February 1941	Sold in 1947, becoming Armanda.
ML 164	Boat Construction Company, Falmouth, Cornwall.	18 December 1940	To Royal Netherlands Navy from 4 January 1945 to 10 April 1946; sold September 1946.
ML 165	Kris Cruisers, Riverside Yard, Isleworth, London.	10 December 1940	For disposal in October 1946.
ML 166	J. W. & A. Upham, Brixham	1 January 1941	To War Department as Hambledon in January 1945; for disposal in May 1947.
ML 167	J. W. & A. Upham, Brixham	January 1941	To War Department as Iffley in January 1945; for disposal in May 1947.
ML 168	William Weatherhead, Cockenzie	23 November 1940	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 169	William King, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex	27 November 1940	Lost by fire on 15 February 1942 at Gibraltar.
ML 170	Aldous Successors, The Shipyard, Brightlingsea	January 1941	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 171	Tough Brothers, Teddington	21 October 1940	To War Department as Richmond in June 1945; for disposal in May 1947.
ML 172	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	16 March 1941	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 173	Frank Curtis, Looe, Cornwall	17 January 1941	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 174	William Osbourne, Littlehampton	December 1940	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 175	James A. Silver, Rosneath, Dumbartonshire	20 January 1941	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 176	Solent Shipyard, Sarisbury Green	December 1940	For disposal in May 1946.
ML 177	Wallasea Bay Yacht Yard, Rochford, Essex	December 1940	Lost at St Nazaire on 28 March 1942.

Third Batch (May 1940 Orders)

An order for a third batch, this time of 65 boats, was placed on 21 May 1940; these were numbered ML 245 to ML 309, and were all delivered during 1941, as were two extra units (ML 310 and ML 311) ordered on 28 June 1940 for Singapore to be assembled by the Singapore Harbour Board; this last pair were delivered to Singapore on 29 November 1941, only to be lost in February 1942 to the Japanese (who re-used ML 310 under the name Suikei 12).

Name	Ship Builder	Completed	Fate
ML 245	Sheerness Dockyard	14 July 1941	To Free French Navy as St Guenole from July 1941 to July 1942; sold 11 June 1947 at Singapore.
ML 246	Sheerness Dockyard	21 July 1941	To Free French Navy as St Ives from July 1941 to July 1942; to Burmese RNVR in November 1945; for disposal in January 1946.
ML 247	J. W. & A. Upham, Brixham	19 July 1941	To Free French Navy as St Alain from July 1941 to July 1942; to Burmese RNVR in November 1945; for disposal in January 1946.

Fourth Batch (August 1940 Orders)

The fourth batch of 24 boats was ordered on 28 July 1940 as ML 312 to ML 335. However, these were altered to be completed instead as Motor Gunboats, re-classed as Fairmile C motor gun boats, and the prefixes to their numbers changed from "ML" to "MGB", retaining the same numbers. In their place, a new batch of 50 Fairmile Bs was ordered on 21 August, and these became ML 336 to ML 367 (the last six of these for assembly by the Singapore Harbour Board) and ML 372 to ML 389.

Six days later another six were ordered, ML 368 and ML 369 to be built in Bermuda for the Royal Canadian Navy, ML 370 and ML 371 for assembly in Jamaica for Caribbean service, and ML 390 and ML 391 intended for assembly at Singapore, although this last pair was switched to Bombay Dockyard on 22 February 1942 following the fall of Singapore.

Name	Ship Builder	Completed	Fate
ML 336	Boat Construction Company, Falmouth, Cornwall	12 September 1941	To Italian Navy on 3 December 1945.
ML 337	A. M. Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Argyllshire	18 November 1941	Later renumbered ML 2337; sold 25 September 1956.
ML 338	Risdon Beazley, Clausentum Yard, Northam Bridge, Southampton	28 September 1941	Later renumbered ML 2338; sold 17 December 1955.

Later Batches (1941 to 1942 Orders)

Further batches followed, producing ML 392 onwards, many assembled in Overseas yards, with a final total of about 650 boats of this Type eventually assembly worldwide, including 60 in Canada.

All boats were essentially the same, although they could be adapted to serve in several roles by the expedient of having pre-drilled rails on their decks spaced to allow the fitting of various types of armaments. Although their armament initially reflected their main anti-submarine mission, nine of them were fitted with 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes taken from ex-US Town-class destroyers; they formed the 2nd ML Flotilla tasked with anti-invasion duty, until the threat had passed.

Service

During the Siege of Malta, they were used to sweep a narrow channel ahead of heavier minesweepers which widened the channel. The heavier minesweepers were initially the remnants of the Malta trawler force, then fleet minesweepers that arrived with a convoy from Gibraltar. The launches were able to pass over the mines whereas many trawler losses had been caused by the leading ship hitting a mine.

A number served in the St Nazaire Raid as assault transports, but their light construction meant that they suffered heavily; 12 B motor launches were lost in the action, out of 16 deployed.

During the Normandy landings a number of MLs were designated as navigation launches. These motor launches guided the landing craft onto the correct beaches. For this task the craft were fitted with splinter mats at the front for added protection. An Oerlikon 20 mm cannon was fitted amidships and a Bofors 40 mm gun was installed at the stern. Smoke canister apparatus was installed at the rear of the craft and the number of depth charges was reduced. See main picture above of ML303 in this configuration.

Many were built as rescue motor launches with small sickbays aft of the engine room coaming, and classified as RML (rescue motor launch). These were numbered in the series RML492 to RML500, and RML511 to RML553. Several more were converted to use as War Office ambulance launches with larger sickbays.

British Colonial or Commonwealth-built Fairmile B Motor Launches

Canadian Built Fairmiles

Originally designed for the Royal Navy (RN) by W.J. Holt of the British Admiralty and built by British boatbuilder Fairmile Marine, during the Second World War 88 Fairmile B motor launches, with slight modifications for Canadian climatic and operational conditions, were built in Canada for service with the RCN in home waters. The first thirty-six Canadian Fairmile B type were designated and painted up as CML 01-36 (coastal motor launch). Eight Canadian Fairmiles (Q 392-Q 399) were built by Le Blanc for the RN and were transferred under Lend-Lease to the US Navy. The US Navy used the Canadian-built Fairmiles as submarine chasers (SC1466-1473).

Other British Colonial or Commonwealth Built Fairmiles

At least two (ML 368 and ML 369) were built in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, home to the base, dockyard and Admiralty house of the America and West Indies Station, by what was to become Burland, Conyers & Marirea, Ltd.

New Zealand ordered on 4 September 1941 twelve boats for assembly from the Fairmile kits by four separate boatbuilders in Auckland, of which the first two (MTB 403 and MTB 400) were delivered in October and November 1942 respectively and the following ten (MTB 401, MTB 402, and MTB 404 to MTB 411) during 1943. These were used in New Zealand waters and around the Solomon Islands, and included HMNZS Maori and Kahu (ii). All were sold in 1947 except for MTB 411 (which became the Kahu (ii)).

In Australia 35 boats entered service from October 1942. They were employed on routine patrols, convoy escorts, running special forces in and out of Japanese-held areas, in Papua New Guinea, boom defence patrols in harbours at home and abroad, courier operations, survey work, and raiding Japanese-held coasts. Of note the surrender of Japanese forces in the South West Pacific. On 10 September 1945, Rear-Admiral S. Sato, commanding officer of Kairiru and Muschu Islands, New Guinea, surrendered the Japanese forces on the islands to Major-General H. C. H. Robertson, commander of 6th Division on board the ML 805.

At least six boats (ML380-383,829 and 846) were built by South Africa and commissioned during November 1942. These were sent as the 49th Fairmile Flotilla (SANF) to Burma and deployed along the Arakan coast. The boats saw much action in support of ground forces and disrupting Japanese supply lines.

The Imperial Japanese Navy salvaged two that had been sunk and placed them in service.

A number of boats were built in Egypt by Thomas Cook & Son, who had a Cairo shipyard for constructing Nile tourist craft. Armament was fitted in Port Said. The first three to enter service in 1942 were MLs 355, 353 and 348. Post war they were often taken on as pleasure boats and a number of Fairmile Bs are on the National Register of Historic Vessels.

Fourteen Fairmile B were operated by the Italian Guardia di Finanza naval service, between 1947 and the 1980s.

References

Allied Coastal Forces of World War Two, Volume I : Fairmile designs and US Submarine Chasers - by John Lambert and Al Ross – 1990.

War at Sea - South African Maritime Operations during World War II : CJ Harris - 1991

Hudson, G. M. (2001). "Question 52/00: US Army Fairmile "B" Molor Launches". Warship International. XXXVIII (4): 335.

Fairmile 'B' Class Launches Accessed 28 November 2007

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/14515.html ML347 built by Risdon Beazley Ltd NR Southampton became Eastern Princess at Great Yarmouth after the war and last heard of as a ferry in Skiathos.

HMC ML Q055, April 1, 1941. Large black flag indicates ASDIC contact. [Royal Canadian Navy]

British ML303 during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. With the motor launch ML 303 in the foreground, a large number of landing craft approach the beaches during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. Several other large ships can be seen in the distance. June 6, 1944. [Imperial War Museum A23877]

HMC ML Q055, November 6, 1941. [Royal Canadian Navy]

The Canadian Fairmile B motor launch ML-Q056 on November 10, 1941. [Department of National Defence]

HMC ML Q054, October 17. 1942.

RCN Fairmile B ML Q052, March 3, 1941. [Royal Canadian Navy]

HMC ML Q057 Fairmile B Motor Launch, October 28, 1941. [Department of National Defence]

Minister of Munitions and Supply C.D. Howe and Capt. Joseph Heenan, Captain of the ML's, aboard ML Q050, March 9, 1942. [Royal Canadian Navy]

Built by Mac-Craft Ltd., Sarnia, Ontario, she was delivered to the RCN on 18 Apr 1942. While she flew the White Ensign, she was not commissioned into the RCN but instead was listed as a tender to HMCS Sambro, the depot ship for escorts (tenders were not commissioned vessels). Q062 was a "B" Type ML, Displacement: 79 tons, Length: 112 ft, Beam: 17.9 ft, Draught: 4.9 ft, Speed: 20 kts, Complement: 3 officers, 14 men, Armament: 3-20mm. She served with the free French Navy out of St. Pierre et Miquelon (renamed Langlade V112) on the South Coast of Newfoundland from 15 Jan 1943, until the end of the war. After the was she was sold to Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., New York. Q062 was re-acquired by the navy and became HMCS Wolf 762 in 1954. She was purchased by Orrville Gold in 1964 and was used as a break wall behind the Gold residence on the north shore of Lake Eire where it was destroyed by winter ice in the 1970s. Photographed on February 12, 1941. [Government of Canada]

ML Q050 off Gaspé, July 1, 1942. [Royal Canadian Navy]

Launching of the first Fairmile of Royal Canadian Navy at Midland Boat Works, Midland, Ontario on August 28, 1941 and commissioned November 18, 1941. [Department of National Defence]

HMC ML Q050 sails past an iceberg, August 1, 1945. [Department of National Defence]

ML Q050 off St-Margaret’s Bay, N.S., March 2, 1943. [Royal Canadian Navy]

HMC ML 051 on June 30, 1941. [Department of National Defence]

HMC ML Q053 was a wooden Fairmile B Motor Launch (ML) upgunned submarine chaser delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on November 17, 1941. [Department of National Defence]