Fairmile Type-B motor launch, ML 283

nathanclawfish · July 20, 2023, 12:15am

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Fairmile Type-B motor launch, ML 283

Vehicle Design:

Unlike the Type A design, that had been done entirely in house by Fairmile. the Type B design, came from the design office of Bill Holt of the Admiralty, based more along the lines of a destroyer hull, with only the more detailed design and production undertaken by Fairmile. The ship followed most of the design conventions Fairmile was known for including total prefabrication, so individual components could be subcontracted out to small factorys, to creat knockdown kits that could be assembled and fitted out by various boatyards, as demand dictated. Because of this ease of manufacture around 650 boats of this clas were built between 1940 and 1945 across the common wealth. Like the A type, the B was initially intended to soley be a submarine chaser, so the boats were fitted with ASDIC (sonar) as standard and their main armament reflected this anti submarine role, featuring . 12 depth charges, a single QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss gun aft, and one set of twin 0.303-in machine guns. Like most classes of small boat in british service though this original specification soon changed, and as the war moved on many vessels were adapted to serve in other roles and as such their armament was modified and upgraded accordingly. Common modifications included the removal of the ASDIC dome for more clearance in minesweepers, and the replacement of the long outdated 3-pounder with one or more 20mm oerlikons, as the boats were adapted into more fearsome MTBs as the war progressed.

Vehicle history:

ML 283 was fitted out as a gunboat, and was used prolifically in the mediterranian theater for convoy escort roles, To forfill this role she was equipt with more cannon armament to protect against harrassment by aircraft, E boats, and submarines. To this end she was given a bofors 40mm on the bow, and two 20mm oerlikons on the rear of the vessel, along with the normal depth charges and lewis/ vickers .303 machine guns commonly found on the class. She would take part in several convoys, including one in support of operation torch, and would survive the war, going on to be sold to the Italian navy after the end of the war.

Vehicle Specification:

Displacement: 85 tons

Length: 112 ft (34 m)

Beam: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)

Draught: 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m)

Propulsion: Two 650 bhp (480 kW) Hall-Scott Defender petrol engines

Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)

Range: 1,500 mi (1,300 nmi; 2,400 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)

Complement: 16

Sensors and processing systems: ASDIC

Armament: 1 × 40mm bofors cannon

2 × 1 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon