The design came about from a requirement that British motor torpedo boats should be better able to fight other small craft, which was the job of motor gun boats (MGB). To this end Vospers built on their existing 70 foot designs, and the design was trialled with MTB 379.[3] Sixteen (MTB 380-345) were ordered in 1943. A second contract for five more (MTB 523-527) with heavier gun armament was placed in December.[3]
The boats carried four 18-inch torpedo tubes as their major offensive armament along with Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and some defensive armament (two twin Vickers K machine guns, one either side) for protection against enemy aircraft. The type II gave up two torpedo tubes, but gained a QF 6 pounder gun which displaced the Oerlikon to the aft deck. This made it more capable of performing the MGB role.
Service
The first of the type Is entered service in 1944 but the type II wasn't introduced before the end of the Second World War.[4] Of the 29 built to this design none survives, although a slightly earlier model 60 ft example has been saved and resides at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. MTB382 was sold (minus the three Packard engines) in 1947 and converted into a houseboat, berthed on the Chelmer & Blackwater canal at Heybridge Basin, Essex. She was renamed 'M.Y. Vixen' and remained in use as such until late 1953. She laid empty in the canal through the 1953 east-coast storm and tide-surge which broke the banks of the canal, but left the flat planing-hull quite unaffected. All attempts to sell the boat thereafter failed, so she was subsequently broken up for scrap over the next year or so on the mud-flats of the River Blackwater outside the Heybridge Basin sea-lock.
Notes
^ abcdHelgason, Guðmundur (2012). "Vosper 73 feet-type class Motor Torpedo Boats". uboat.net. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
^Davies, James (2012). "Vosper MTB". ww2ships.com. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
vosper, motor, torpedo, boat, vosper, foot, motor, torpedo, boat, twentieth, century, british, motor, torpedo, boat, designed, vospers, that, served, royal, navy, coastal, forces, during, second, world, vosper, type, mtbclass, overviewbuildersvosper, company, . The Vosper 73 foot Motor Torpedo Boat was a mid twentieth century British motor torpedo boat MTB designed by Vospers that served in the Royal Navy Coastal Forces during the Second World War MTB 382 a Vosper 73 ft type I MTBClass overviewBuildersVosper amp Company PortsmouthOperators Royal NavyBuilt1943 1945Planned32 1 Completed29 17 type I 12 type II 1 Cancelled3 type II 1 Lost1 MTB 530 28 March 1952 1 Preserved1General characteristics 2 TypeMotor torpedo boatDisplacementType I 44 5 long tons 45 t Type II 48 75 long tons 50 t Length73 ft 22 m Beam19 ft 6 in 5 94 m Draught3 ft 0 91 m Propulsion3 1 400 hp 1 000 kW Packard petrol enginesSpeed40 knots 74 km h 46 mph Complement13ArmamentType I 4 18 inch 450 mm torpedo tubes 1 20mm Oerlikon gun 4 303 Vickers K machine guns Type II 1 QF 6 pounder gun 2 18 inch torpedo tubes 1 20mm Oerlikon gun 4 303 Lewis gunsArmourArmour plate around the bridgeAt 73 ft 22 m long they were considered small boats compared to longer designs such as the Fairmile D Contents 1 Development 2 Service 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksDevelopment EditThe design came about from a requirement that British motor torpedo boats should be better able to fight other small craft which was the job of motor gun boats MGB To this end Vospers built on their existing 70 foot designs and the design was trialled with MTB 379 3 Sixteen MTB 380 345 were ordered in 1943 A second contract for five more MTB 523 527 with heavier gun armament was placed in December 3 The boats carried four 18 inch torpedo tubes as their major offensive armament along with Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and some defensive armament two twin Vickers K machine guns one either side for protection against enemy aircraft The type II gave up two torpedo tubes but gained a QF 6 pounder gun which displaced the Oerlikon to the aft deck This made it more capable of performing the MGB role Service EditThe first of the type Is entered service in 1944 but the type II wasn t introduced before the end of the Second World War 4 Of the 29 built to this design none survives although a slightly earlier model 60 ft example has been saved and resides at the Imperial War Museum Duxford MTB382 was sold minus the three Packard engines in 1947 and converted into a houseboat berthed on the Chelmer amp Blackwater canal at Heybridge Basin Essex She was renamed M Y Vixen and remained in use as such until late 1953 She laid empty in the canal through the 1953 east coast storm and tide surge which broke the banks of the canal but left the flat planing hull quite unaffected All attempts to sell the boat thereafter failed so she was subsequently broken up for scrap over the next year or so on the mud flats of the River Blackwater outside the Heybridge Basin sea lock Notes Edit a b c d Helgason Gudmundur 2012 Vosper 73 feet type class Motor Torpedo Boats uboat net Retrieved 14 November 2012 Davies James 2012 Vosper MTB ww2ships com Retrieved 14 November 2012 a b Konstam 2003 p 14 Konstam 2003 p 15 References EditKonstam Angus 2003 British Motor Torpedo Boat 1939 45 Osprey ISBN 978 1 84176 500 6External links Edit Torpedo Boat Model Vosper MTB 379 Museum Victoria Archived from the original on 24 April 2010 This article about a specific naval ship or boat of the United Kingdom is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vosper 73 ft motor torpedo boat amp oldid 1098556661, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
