User:Ranger Steve/Sandbox3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Motor Gun Boat 81 (MGB 81) is a restored Second World War motor gun boat of the Royal Navy. Built by British Power Boat and launched in 1942, MGB 81 was one of eight new motor gun boats built by the firm in response to the increased need for small, fast vessels equipped with sufficiently heavy firepower to engage German S-boats and convoy escorts.
MGB 81 on the Beaulieu River after restoration, prior to the fitting of replica weapons | |
History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | MGB 81, MTB 416 |
Builder | British Power Boat Company |
Laid down | 16 December 1941 |
Launched | 26 June 1942 |
Commissioned | 11 July 1942 |
Fate | Heritage vessel |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | 71ft 6in MkV |
Type | Motor Gun Boat |
Displacement | 46 tons |
Length | 71 ft 9 in (21.87 m) |
Beam | 20 ft 7 in (6.27 m) |
Draught | As MGB: 3 ft 1.5 in (0.953 m) forward, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) aft As MTB: 3 ft 1.5 in (0.953 m) forward, 5 ft 8.5 in (1.740 m) aft |
Propulsion | 3 supercharged Packard petrol engines: 3,600 hp |
Speed | As MGB: 42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph) As MTB: 39 knots (72 km/h; 45 mph) |
Endurance | 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Complement | As MGB: 2 officers, 10 men As MTB: 2 officers, 15 men |
Armament | As MGB: 1x QF 2-pounder gun; 2x Oerlikon 20 mm cannon in twin turret; 4x Lewis guns in 2 twin mountings; 1x Holman Projector; 2x depth charges As MTB: 2× 18 in (46 cm) torpedo tubes; 1x QF 2-pounder gun; 2x Oerlikon 20 mm cannon in twin mount |
MGB 81 was designed by George Selman and constructed at British Power Boat’s yard in Hythe, Hampshire. Taking into account the experience of serving Royal Navy crews, the eight new boats were the first to be designed as true MGBs, rather than vessels that had been converted from a previous design. MGB 81 had a hard chine planning hull design and was powered by XXX. It was fitted with a 2-pounder 'pom pom’ gun and a twin Oerlikon 20 mm cannon in a power operated turret.
After its launch in June 1942, MGB 81