A motor gunboat was a British Second World War small high-speed military vessel armed, in contrast to the physically similar motor torpedo boats, with a mix of guns instead of torpedoes. Their small size and high speed made them difficult targets for German E-boats, though, like these opponents, they were limited by heavy weather, when they did not provide a stable enough platform to aim the guns. The large number of guns meant the crew was relatively large, numbering as high as thirty men on the largest boats.
Description
MGBs were extremely heavily armed for vessels of their size. By 1945, MGB 658 carried two power-mounted QF 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.
Service
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. Robert Ryder used an MGB for command of the St Nazaire Raid, Ryder and William Savage, the gunner of the 2-pdr on MGB 314, received Victoria Crosses for their part in the raid. In the Mediterranean, they were used offensively to sink Italian and German shipping. They were formed into flotillas which often operated alongside motor torpedo boats and helped interdict supplies being sent from Italy to Axis forces in 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 boats, not ships, and instead used the prefix "HMMGB" on formal occasions. The crews generally referred to them by their numbers. In 1947, MGB 2009 was fitted with a Metrovickgas turbine, thereby becoming the world's first gas turbine powered naval vessel.
Types
British Powerboats
BPB built 34 72-ft MGBs. Capable of 40 knots they carried a 2pdr gun for engaging other vessels with twin 20mm and two twin.303-in machine guns for defence from aircraft.
MGB 509 was powered by three Packard supercharged petrol engines giving a total output of and a maximum speed of 31 knots. Later re-numbered MGB 2009, the central engine was replaced with a Metrovick F.2 gas turbine engine in 1947.
