Fairmile C motor gun boat

The Fairmile C motor gun boat was a type of motor gunboat designed by Norman Hart of Fairmile Marine for the Royal Navy. An intermediate design, twenty-four boats were ordered on 27 August 1940 from Fairmile Marine in kit form and were assembled at multiple boatbuilders' yards and completed in 1941; they were initially rated as Motor Launches (ML), but received the designation Motor Gun Boats (MGB) on 1 August 1941, being numbered MGB 312–335.

Design
The Fairmile type C was a re-use of the hull form of the type A but with the lessons learned from the type A incorporated in terms of steering and deck layout. They were constructed with hard chine prefabricated double diagonal mahogany hulls over plywood frames. The hull was subdivided into nine watertight compartments. Steering was originally by inside hydraulic steering, then changed to dual steering, with upper bridge steering; they had two underslung rudders.

Service
The boats were initially classified as Motor Launches and early units initially carried 'ML' pennant numbers. These were then changed to 'Q' pennant numbers in late 1941 after the boats were reclassified as MGBs (a prefix also used by numerous up-gunned Type 'B' MLs). MGB 335 was photographed at some point in her career wearing an 'MGB' pennant number.

The class was mainly involved in close escort work with east coast convoys, and some boats were engaged in clandestine operations. MGB 314 took part in Operation Chariot, the daring raid on the St Nazaire docks (the only facility on the axis-held Atlantic coast suitable to refit Bismarck-class battleships). MGB 314 served as Commander Robert Ryder's command boat for the operation and exchanged heavy fire with the German shore batteries in order to provide cover for the other landing forces as well as for self-defence. In the course of these intense exchanges of fire, the gunner of the forward pom-pom (Leading Seaman William Savage) was mortally wounded but stood by his gun and continued to fire, earning a posthumous VC for his action. Ryder also received the VC for the same battle. As the British assault force was withdrawing after the battle, the heavily-damaged MGB 314 was scuttled after her crew were taken off.

Of the twenty-four boats built, five were lost to enemy action. Two survive to this day, one at Hayling Island and the other in Bembridge Harbour, Isle of Wight, although now sunk and due to be broken up 2018. A third survived in Shoreham until 2002.