Canadians and Coastal Forces During World War II Page 1 of 6 _____________________________________________________________ Researched and Written by: Capt. (N) (Ret’d) Michael Braham Edited by Lt. (N) (Ret’d) Hugh J.M. Spence historical overviews of the Royal Canadian In the FCWM Research Paper Canada’s Navy Navy and have thus remained fairly unknown 1910-2010: The Ships , it is noted that “some to the majority of Canadians. of the lesser combatant ships” are omitted. This paper remedies that in part by describing The 29 th Canadian MTB Flotilla the role of Canadians in coastal fighting craft during World War II. The 29 th Canadian MTB Flotilla was formed in March 1944, and was equipped with 71.5 ft., As an organization, the Royal Canadian Navy “hard-chine” craft (angular hull components as takes somewhat of a back seat in this because, opposed to smooth or moulded,) built by as will be seen in the following text, the British Power Boats at Hythe on Southampton Canadian participation in these agile craft was Water. Originally designed as Motor Gun Boats conducted in fleet organizations run by the (MGBs), they were modified and re-designated Royal Navy. In a related vein, there is but as Motor Torpedo Boats. Driven by three Rolls passing mention of Canadians serving with the Royce or Packard V-12 Supercharged 1250 Royal Navy on RN small boat missions, such as H.P. engines, each with a 2,500 gallon capacity in the Adriatic. of 100 octane gas, these vessels had an operational radius of about 140 miles while This paper focuses on the various types of cruising at 25 knots, and a top speed of some Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) in which Canadians 40 knots. served. “Motor Torpedo Boat” may be an unfamiliar designation due to term the more The 29 th frequently heard, “PT Boat”. The latter, used Flotilla by the United States Navy for its Patrol Boats originally (Torpedo), has been popularized by Hollywood consisted of war movies, including one touching on the eight boats service of former U.S. President Jack Kennedy, (MTBs 459- PT 109 . MTB 459 of 29 th 466) and was Flotilla later Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) was the terminology augmented by used by the Royal Navy and latterly by the three more (MTBs 485, 486, and 491) from the Royal Canadian Navy, for those classes of Royal Navy, although the latter were also vessel employed for the same type of fast hit manned entirely by Canadians. and run raids associated with the “PT Boat”. Most of the Canadians serving in the coastal Overseas Service forces had considerable service experience in small craft with the Royal Navy in the Channel, In 1942, the British proposed that the Royal North Sea, and Mediterranean prior to the Canadian Navy form a British-based flotilla of formation of the Canadian small boat flotillas. MTBs, but this was not acted upon due to the lack of such vessels in the RCN inventory. A All Coastal Forces personnel were volunteers year later the Admiralty offered to supply and and had to undertake special training prior to maintain such boats if the RCN would man joining a flotilla. A number of spare officers them. This offer was accepted and two and ratings were borne at every MTB base, and Canadian-manned MTB flotillas of the Royal it became normal for one of these officers to Navy were formed – the 29 th and the 65 th . be carried in each boat, making a total complement of three officers - one in Notwithstanding the fact that they were command, one navigator, and one for general manned entirely by RCN officers and men, supervision; plus seven NCOs and ratings (this since these flotillas were part of the Royal number grew in the later stages of operations). Navy they have been largely overlooked in Fact Sheet # 34 Published by: The Friends of the Canadian War Museum Written to commemorate the Centennial of the birth of the Canadian Navy on May 4, 1910 Canadians and Coastal Forces During World War II Page 2 of 6 _____________________________________________________________ Navy 55th Flotilla, under LCdr D.G. Bradford, DSC, RNR, and the Canadian 29th Flotilla, MTB Specifications – under LCdr C.A. Law, DSC, bore the brunt of th 29 Flotilla: the fighting. Displacement (new & dry) - 47 tons On July 2, 1944, the 29 th Flotilla lost its first Added weapons & equipment, & boat when MTB 460 struck a mine and was lost soakage of timber - 55 tons plus along with 10 members of the crew. Overall length including 3 rudders - During an 72' 6" intense Beam - 20' 7" action off Draught (aft) - 5' 8" Trouville Full Speed - 38 to 41 knots on July 4, Armament - 6 pounder gun and two 1944, Torpedo tubes three boats of Other weapons - .303 machine gun; th .5 inch machine gun; 20 mm and 40 mm the 29 Flotilla guns engaged a German E Boat number of The first mission of the 29 th Flotilla on May 16, E-Boats 1944, assigned to boats 460, 462, 464 and and damaged two of them before a second 465, was to escort a mine gathering expedition flotilla of E-Boats joined the fray. In the to the coast of France. They proceeded to the confusion of the battle, the German designated D-Day beaches in company with newcomers wound up engaging the first flotilla two British MTBs, and protected them while of German vessels, causing further German volunteers were landed to lift sample mines casualties. Three, and possibly four E-Boats from the beach defences. were sunk in this action. All three Canadian boats were damaged but managed to return They completed their mission undetected, and home safely to Portsmouth. returned with the German mines. What was learned from the dismantling of these mines MTB 463 was sunk by mines on July 8; four prevented many casualties when D-Day finally wounded crew were taken off with the rest of came. the ship’s company by MTB 466. Most of the rest of May '44 was spent in Through the rest of July and until January th company with the 65 Canadian MTB Flotilla 1945 saw the Canadian Flotilla in almost and the Canadian Tribal Class destroyers continuous action inflicting damage on enemy marauding up and down the English Channel, convoys and their escorts. During this period, intercepting enemy coastal convoys, duelling MTB 459 was struck by shells from a shore with German E-boats, luring German battery and suffered two killed and one destroyers within gun range of the Tribals , wounded. The damage to the boat necessitated shooting up escort ships, and torpedoing that she be beached and abandoned in the merchant vessels. area of Le Havre. Recovered later, she was repaired and put back into service. th On D-Day, the primary duty for the 29 Flotilla, from the afternoon onward, was the In a separate action, MTB 464 was holed by close-in protection of the eastern side of the gunfire and in imminent danger of sinking but assault lines and anchorages. was saved by the quick thinking of Petty Officer F. Walden who patched the hole with a During the early hours of June 7, the MTBs large piece of wood and a turtleneck sweater, clashed with German E-boats that were out in which allowed the stricken vessel to be strength. There were no less than seven pumped out and kept afloat. encounters during the night, in which the Royal Fact Sheet # 34 Published by: The Friends of the Canadian War Museum Written to commemorate the Centennial of the birth of the Canadian Navy on May 4, 1910 Canadians and Coastal Forces During World War II Page 3 of 6 _____________________________________________________________ In January 1945, the 29 th Canadian Flotilla was On July 3, 1944, three MTBs of the 65 th transferred to Ostend, Belgium. Shortly attacked a convoy off St Malo, sinking two afterwards, on February 14, disaster struck ships and possibly a third despite receiving when an accidental fire spread rapidly to engulf considerable damage to themselves. the boats tied up alongside. Five Canadian and seven British MTBs were lost and many more After more than a year of almost constant damaged; 28 Canadians and 35 British sailors action with German E-boats, R-boats and were killed. armed trawlers up and down the English Channel before and after the invasion of This disaster signalled the end of the 29 th France, the Canadian 65th Motor Torpedo Boat Canadian MTB Flotilla. The remaining boats Flotilla, commanded by Lieutenant-Commander were turned over to strengthen other Royal J.R.H. Kirkpatrick, DSC, RCNVR, of Kitchener, Navy flotillas. Ontario, was de-commissioned at the end of the war. (On May 8, 2003, a memorial to remember this tragedy was dedicated in the city of Ostend by In the course of 464 actions in British home the Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs.) waters (North Sea and English Channel) British, light coastal forces, including Canadian, The 65 th Canadian MTB Flotilla were responsible for the destruction of 40 merchant ships of some 59,650 tons. The 65 th Canadian MTB Flotilla was equipped with the Fairmile Type "D", 115 ft, hard-chine, Fairmile Type “D” MTB pre-fabricated double mahogany hull vessel, whose hull was sub-divided into nine Specifications watertight compartments. Driven by Four Packard 12-cylinder 1250 horsepower Displacement designed - 85 Tons supercharged patrol engines, the boat carried Actual displacement - 105 Tons 5200 gallons of 100 octane gas for a range at Overall length - 115 ft maximum continuous speed of 506 nautical Waterline length - 110 ft miles.