BNC Mersey-class, Patrouilleur A4 - The Gold Runner

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The A4 (ex-HMT John Ebbs), was a Mersey-class steam trawler built to a Royal Navy wartime standard and later employed by Belgium primarily as patrol craft. In Belgian service they typically carried a Cockerill 47 mm gun and two Maxim machine guns. A4 is particularly famous for evacuating part of Belgium’s gold reserves to Britain in May 1940 under the command of Sous-lieutenant Van Vaerenbergh.

TL;DR: compact WWI-era Admiralty trawler in Belgian service. Belgian fit = 1×C.47 mm + 2×7.92 mm Maxims. Historical fame: evacuated gold to Plymouth, May 1940.

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(A4 ex H.M.S. John Ebbs)

History

History

Belgian acquisition & the “A” series. After WWI, several Mersey trawlers were sold out of RN service; Belgium acquired three, receiving the wartime A-series patrol numbers (A4, A5, A6). In Belgian use they were armed modestly (47 mm + Maxims) and crewed by ~27. The “A” prefix denoted the older steam series (“ancienne série à vapeur”).

A4 (ex-HMT John Ebbs)—the gold run. Built by Cochrane & Sons (Selly) and launched 2 Oct 1917, A4 (Pilote 4 / Patrouilleur A4) was placed under the command of Sous-lieutenant Van Vaerenbergh in 1939. During the May 1940 campaign, she participated in patrols and evacuation operations along the Belgian coast.

Evacuation of Belgian gold. On 19 May 1940, A4 was tasked with evacuating ~500 million Belgian francs in unissued banknotes and printing matrices from Ostend. She coordinated with BNB inspector Hubert Ansiaux and Lieutenant René Jadot, escorted by the pilot boat n°16. After navigating mined waters and avoiding Luftwaffe bombardments, A4 reached Plymouth on 23 May 1940. The cargo was transferred to the Bank of England, with part later used to aid the Resistance.

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sous-lieutenant Van Vaerenbergh

Following the mission, A4 self-interned at Bilbao, Spain, from 26 June 1940 until her return to Belgium in 1946. She was scrapped in 1948. For her leadership during the mission, Van Vaerenbergh received the Chevalier de l’Ordre de Léopold II.

Service Timeline

  • 1917–1920: HMS John Ebbs – FY 3566 (Royal Navy service).
  • 1920: Sold to Belgium; renamed Pilote 4, under Navy Administration, Brussels.
  • 1939 (Mobilization): Recommissioned for Belgian Navy; refurbished and placed under Sub-Lt Van Vaerenbergh. Armed with 1× 47 mm + 2× Maxim MGs, patrolled territorial waters.
  • 10 May – 26 June 1940: Participated in the Belgian Campaign.
  • 17–20 May 1940: Escorted vessels to Dunkirk; evacuated part of the National Bank of Belgium’s gold reserves to England.
  • 29 May 1940: Ordered to La Panne for troop embarkation; redirected to Dartmouth, England.
  • 26 June 1940: Interned in Bilbao, Spain by Spanish authorities.
  • 1946: Returned to Belgium.
  • 1946–1948: Served briefly as Pilote 4; subsequently sold to Spain for scrapping.

Specifications

Belgian service (A4) N°3566
Complement: 27
Speed: 9–10 kn
Length: 42.0624 m
Beam: 7.0104 m
Draught: 3.9624 m
Displacement: 334 t

Armament (Belgian fit, A4) Amount & Type Location
Main Battery 1× 47 mm (C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31) Aft
MGs 2× 7.92 mm Maxim machine guns Mid-ship

Belgian munition types for the C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31 gun

Designation Gun Caliber Type Velocity Weight Penetration Notes Fire rate
O.E.A. C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31 47 mm HE 450 m/s 1,665 kg n/a TNT filler, Obus Explosif en Acier (O.E.A.)
O.R.A.Tr. C.47 F.R.C. Mod.31 47 mm APBC 675 m/s 1,578 kg 63 mm at 0 m, 0° Obus de Rupture en Acier Traçant (O.R.A.Tr.)

Builder: Cochrane & Sons, Selly, for Pickering & Haldane’s steam trawling co. LTD.

Place in War Thunder

A4 would slot at Rank I (BR ~1.0–1.3) in the Coastal Fleet, giving Belgium/BeNeLux an authentic 1939–40 patrol craft. The modest armament allows for light convoy defense, objective control, and historical immersion (evacuation mission).

Regarding nations

Could appear in the France BeNeLux subtree, an independent BeNeLux tree, or as a British event/premium due to its RN origins.

Pictures

Pictures

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Patrouilleur A4 (ex H.M.S. John Ebbs)

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A model of the A4 displayed at the Royal Military Museum in Brussels

Sources

Sources
1 Like
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+1 could be a nice premium