- Yes
- No
About this ship and its interest in War Thunder
This small ship is fairly well armed and has the advantage of being (a little) armored, so it may be a viable choice as an early low tier brawler, despite its relatively slow speed. Besides, the base vehicle was already added in game in the form of the ML 1383. Putting a slight variant with a couple more armore railings would be perfect for the French coastal tree.
About the HDML
The Harbour Defense Motor Launch was a small class of all-wood small British ships designed as defenders, against submarines or any kind of small craft trying to infiltrate ports. They were designed to handle strong sea, but also had to be able to out-turn any kind of ships (at least enough to be able to circle in side the turn radius of a submarine). The result was an extremely manoeuvrable but somewhat instable ship. 400 of them were built between 1939 and 1945, and they ended up in many navies, mostly among the Commonwealth, but also the Free French Naval forces, and, after the war, the Marine nationale.
About the VP (Vedette de port/patrouille)
The French HDML, first renamed “Vedette de port” (harbour boat) then “Vedette de patrouille” (Patrol boat) were received starting 1943, and were tasked with defending Free French harbor in Africa, and after the end of the war, French ports. A total of 35 VPs were purchased between 1943 and 1948. They were praised for their comfort, miles away from the overhauled LCVPs used in the Indochina rivers, but also because they were relatively silent and manoeuvrable. However, the French didn’t just purchased the VPs, they also overhauled them to suit their needs on the Indochina rivers. Most were reinforced with armor plates, and the weaponry was improved. This affected their overall performances and handling, but it was not that important in the context of River warfare. There were two variants used in Indochina : The “VP blindées” (Armored patrol boats), used for patrolling the river, and the “VP de mer” (Sea patrol boats), used for harbor defense. Their quality, as well as their efficiency, earned them the nickname of “Queens of the Mekong”.
Specifications (Armored VPs)
DIMENSIONS
Total length : 22m
Total width : 4.9m
draught : 1.5m
displacement : 40t (full charge 52t)
crew : 13
ENGINE
type : 2 x Gardner 150 HP diesels (300HP total)
max speed : 12 knts
ARMAMENT AND ARMOR :
HDML 1943-45
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Armor : none
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2 x 20mm Oerlikon canons (bow and stern)
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2 x 12.7mm Mgs OR 2 x 2 Vickers 7.7mm Mgs
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Depth charges (some of them)
VP BLINDÉES (Indochina, 1945/48-1954)
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Armor : 10mm plate (bridge, turrets, hull rails)
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2 x 20mm Oerlikon canons (bow and stern)
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2 x 12.7mm Vickers OR M2 machineguns (on each sides)
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1 x 60mm mortar (some of them)
Photos
PLANS of the HDML
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PHOTOS OF FRENCH HDML DURING WW2
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PHOTOS OF THE VPs IN INDOCHINA
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Heavily armored VP with added armor on the railings, the turrets, the sides and with shielded 12.7mm over the bridge.
Here you can also clearly see the added armor on the turret and the side
Two VPs on the Mekong river
Here the 20mm are not shielded, but you can see the added armor on the sides.
One of the VPs seen from the bow on the Mekong.
SOURCES :