- Yes, as a tech tree vehicle
- Yes, as a premium vehicle
- Yes, as an event vehicle
- Yes, as a squadron vehicle
- No, I would not like to see P 5031 in game.
FPB 5031 underway in February 1953.
History
P 5031 was originally MTB 758, a Fairmile D Motor Torpedo Boat constructed by Alexander Robertson & Sons, Ltd. yachtbuilders in October 1944 for the Royal Navy. As one of the later constructed MTBs, she didn’t see much significant service in World War II. Even so, she was one of the few Fairmile Ds that managed to survive postwar economic woes. She was also one of the few Fairmile Ds to be retained that were not new builds from 1945. After the war, the 4.5" 8 cwt Mk.I cannon had finished development and became the standard armament for Royal Navy MGBs, replacing the 6 pdr. Mk.IIA that had previously been mounted to Fairmile D vessels.
FPB 5036 was originally a Fairmile D MTB just like 5031. In postwar service, they were given a sheer white coat of paint.
For simplicity, the MGBs and MTBs of yore were referred to as FPBs, or Fast Patrol Boats, regardless of their configuration. This was because the vessels could be converted from MTB to MGB relatively easily. This modularity allowed the Royal Navy to customize vessels for a particular purpose without needing to build new hulls, and the practice was done frequently in World War II. However, there is a rare, overlooked type of Fairmile D: the dual-purpose vessel. These vessels combined the facilities and armaments of both the MTB and MGB variants, as can be seen with MTB 697 in game. P 5031 was unique among her sisters, though, as the dual-purpose role had generally been dropped postwar. However, she retained two 21 inch torpedo tubes along with her impressive cannon armament, and was sailing with this configuration through 1953. By 1955, she had been standardized as a gun boat and the torpedo tubes were removed. One year later, she was sold off.
Despite not seeing combat use in her postwar configuration, P 5031 would be an excellent addition to War Thunder as a high-ranking British coastal vessel. Combining the fearsome 4.5" cannons with powerful 21 inch torpedoes gives her a level of firepower beyond any other Fairmile variant, and would make her effective against light and heavy targets alike.
Specifications
HMS P 5031
Dimensions:
- Length: 115 ft
- Beam: 20 ft 10 in
- Draught: 4 ft 9 in
Displacement: ~120 tons
Crew: ~30
Propulsion: 4 x Packard 12-cylinder petrol engine (1,250 hp each, 5,000 total)
Max speed: 30 kt
Armament:
- Primary: 2 x 1 4.5" 8 cwt 114mm cannon on Mk.I mounting
- Secondary: 1 x 2 Oerlikon 20mm cannon on Mk.XII mounting
- Torpedoes: 2 x 1 21" 533mm torpedo tube
Armor: None
Additional equipment:
- Surface radar
- 2" flare launcher on forward gun mount
Sources:
- Allied Coastal Forces of World War II, Volume I. John Lambert and Al Ross (1990)
- Looking in on the Navy – Spitfires of the Sea
- Lot 109 - δ RICHARD WILLIS (BRITISH, B. 1924) MTB 758
- Looking in on the Navy (1955)