From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Page from a book detailing the arrival and early operations of Motor Gunboats during World War II.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 175\1\ img023 | |
| Date | 12th April 1943 guessed | |
| THE MOTOR GUNBOATS ARRIVE 33 he carried out, for fighting two destroyers with one M.T.B. were the sort of odds that Stewart Gould enjoyed. The merchant ship was successfully torpedoed, and the M.T.Bs.{A J. Barnes - Assistant Manager} made their escape, but they were promptly attacked by the fighter aircraft and suffered heavy casualties. One boat was sunk and Gould was killed. CHAPTER IV THE MOTOR GUNBOATS ARRIVE WHILE the Dover tradition was being founded in the winter of 1941-42, a new phase of Coastal Forces warfare was developing farther north on our coastal convoy route, which was becoming known as "E boat alley." The first E boat attacks on the East Coast convoys had been delivered in early September, 1940, and by February, 1941, the menace had become serious, but the new motor gunboats, converted from M.A./S.Bs.{A J. Barnes - Assistant Manager} were ready to enter the ring. The 6th M.G.B. Flotilla had been formed in December, 1940. It consisted of three boats previously converted, armed with four Lewis guns and one Oerlikon, and five boats built as M.A./S.Bs.{A J. Barnes - Assistant Manager} for the French Navy, and armed with four Lewis guns and a Boulton & Paul aircraft turret operating four .303 Browning machine guns. All these boats were the product of the British Power Boat Company. The flotilla, under the leadership of Lt. Peter Howes, R.N., formed up at Fowey. Many of its officers were later to become famous in the annals of Coastal Forces: Lt. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} K.{Mr Kilner} Richards, R.N.; Lt. R.{Sir Henry Royce} P. Hichens, R.N.V.R.; Lt. I. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Griffiths, R.N.; Lt. A.{Mr Adams} A.{Mr Adams} Gotelee, R.N.V.R.; Lt. L. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Campbell, R.N.V.R.; Lt. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Bailey, R.N.V.R.; Lt. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} F.{Mr Friese} Duncan, R.C.N.V.R.; Lt. R.{Sir Henry Royce} M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} Barge, R.N.V.R. Early in March, 1941, the flotilla was sent to H.M.S. Beehive, the Coastal Force Base at Felixstowe. On the way it was bombed ineffectively off Anvil Point by a single aircraft which dipped suddenly out of the clouds. When it arrived little was known about the best method of using it, and various types of patrols were tried out. At first the M.G.Bs.{A J. Barnes - Assistant Manager} operated with destroyers, but the noise of their engines gave away the presence of the patrol and the risk of being torpedoed made it impossible for the destroyers to lie stopped. By themselves, however, the M.G.Bs.{A J. Barnes - Assistant Manager} were too difficult a torpedo target with their small size and shallow draught; it was unlikely that an E boat would waste a torpedo trying to hit one, so they could, and did, lie stopped, waiting and listening for the E boats' approach. They began to operate in scattered patrols in likely spots for E boats, and before long they were given the freedom of the North Sea from the Humber to the Hook and from the Texel to the Thames. One of their first encounters with E boats came on the 29th April. Sub-Lt. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} W. Leaf, R.N.V.R., who was First Lieutenant of one of the two M.G.Bs.{A J. Barnes - Assistant Manager}, described the action in his diary: "Daybreak found us passing close to Brown Ridge Buoy. It was light enough to see two or three miles when we altered course for home and breakfast after a long night of waiting. Imagine our surprise at this late hour when we saw a German E boat approaching on a converging course on the starboard bow. He came nearer and opened fire with a long crackly burst as he crossed our bow about 75 yards ahead. We then shot him up from astern and turned to run alongside him. His tracers were fascinating. You could see them coming in little groups of eight or ten, mostly low overhead. One or two hit us and exploded. After B.N.S.—3 | ||