The major contribution made by Coastal Forces to the Allied war effort has had surprisingly little coverage in the literature of the Second World War. Motor torpedo boats, PT boats, motor gunboats, launches and submarine chasers served with distinction throughout the War, and in every theatre. They performed invaluable service as patrol boats, convoy escorts, minelayers and minesweepers, harbour defence vessels, light landing craft, RAF rescue boats and transports for agents and clandestine missions.Allied Coastal Forces, now a recognised classic work and first published in 1990, remains the only publication to deal comprehensively in words, photographs and drawings with the technical detail of all these boats. Design, construction and subsequent development are all covered, and the builders, construction lists, fates and the technical data are given for each type. Separate sections cover armament and equipment, sea-going qualities and habitability.This first volume covers all the designs of the Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped for Canada), together with the 72ft Harbour Defence Motor Launch and the US Navy 110ft subchaser.The authors, firmly established as the recognised authorities on small warships, unearthed a remarkable body of information now included in this major work, and their finely detailed drawings, redrawn form original builders plans, offer an unparalleled view of all these remarkable designs. The new editions of their work will be welcomed by naval enthusiasts and modellers alike.

The first volume in this series detailing all the designs for Motor Torpedo Boats, Motor Gun Boats and Motor Launches that served the Allied Forces in the period 1939-45. It covers all the designs of the British Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped in Canada), together with the 72ft Admiralty harbor Defence Motor Launch designs and the US Navy's 110ft submarine chaser. Separate sections deal with Coastal Forces armament and equipment in full, and appendices include further technical detail, production data, provisioning and typical service records.

The major contribution made by coastal forces to the Allied war effort has had surprisingly little coverage in the literature of World War II. Motor torpedo boats, PT boats, motor gunboats, launches, and submarine chasers served with distinction throughout the war, and in every theater. They performed invaluable service as patrol boats, convoy escorts, minelayers and minesweepers, harbor defense vessels, light landing craft, RAF rescue boats, and transports for agents and clandestine missions.

The major contribution made by Coastal Forces to the Allied war effort has had surprisingly little coverage in the literature of the Second World War. Motor torpedo boats, PT boats, motor gunboats, launches and submarine chasers served with distinction throughout the War, and in every theatre. They performed invaluable service as patrol boats, convoy escorts, minelayers and minesweepers, harbour defence vessels, light landing craft, RAF rescue boats and transports for agents and clandestine missions.Allied Coastal Forces, now a recognised classic work and first published in 1990, remains the only publication to deal comprehensively in words, photographs and drawings with the technical detail of all these boats. Design, construction and subsequent development are all covered, and the builders, construction lists, fates and the technical data are given for each type. Separate sections cover armament and equipment, sea-going qualities and habitability.This first volume covers all the designs of the Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped for Canada), together with the 72ft Harbour Defence Motor Launch and the US Navy 110ft subchaser.The authors, firmly established as the recognised authorities on small warships, unearthed a remarkable body of information now included in this major work, and their finely detailed drawings, redrawn form original builders plans, offer an unparalleled view of all these remarkable designs. The new editions of their work will be welcomed by naval enthusiasts and modellers alike.

This ambitious study provides the technical details of these boats in words, photographs, and hundreds of finely detailed, keyed line drawings.

“An inspirational/enjoyable book with excellent representations of a wide variety of [Motor Torpedo Boats] by various modelers in a variety of scales.”—ModelGeek The ShipCraft series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeler through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring color profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modeling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references—books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. This volume follows the format of the highly successful Flower Class Corvettes where the extent has been doubled to include far more detailed drawings of the many different designs of British MTBs and US PT-boats, including their fittings, sensors and weapons. “The content is packed with information that makes you want to turn a page, from the history of torpedo boats from 1915-1945, which then goes on to model products, showcase, construction, aftermarket products for scales 1-1200 to 1-100 . . . Not only a reference to torpedo boats, but a wonderful guide to building and getting the best out of a model.”—AutoModeler

A biography chronicling one man’s service during World War II as a Royal Navy commander and his career before & after in the tea business. Jake Wright’s initiation to war was on the beach at Dunkirk, helping evacuate stragglers. Then volunteering for Motor Torpedo Boats, he served with valor throughout World War II, becoming one of only forty-four officers in WWII to receive a DSC with two Bars . . . Derek Wright learned about small boats from his father, who tragically died when Derek was just fourteen years old. Sent away from his family to finish his education, he left school at sixteen to join the global tea trade. Soon after he finished his training with Brooke Bond, famous for their “Dividend” tea, Hitler invaded Poland and Britain was at war. By then known to his friends as “Jake,” he was one of the first Volunteer Reserves to be called up to fight for his country. Plucked from his naval training in HMS King Alfred, his warfighting initiation was on the beach at Dunkirk, helping evacuate stragglers after Operation DYNAMO. He then volunteered for Motor Torpedo Boats, where he served with valor and distinction. While Hitler’s U-Boats were torpedoing shipments of tea bound for Great Britain, Jake Wright reciprocated by torpedoing Axis coastal shipping off Europe. His first Command was MTB 331, trained for a daredevil mission to puncture German boom defenses protecting their battleships. In his next Command, MTB 32, he was wounded in action whilst torpedoing a German convoy, but kept his small ship fighting against the odds to win the action and sink his enemy; for his bravery he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Further acts of gallantry in action, combined with tactical innovation, saw him earn two bars to his DSC as well as a Mention in Despatches; he became one of only forty-four officers in the Second World War to receive a DSC with two Bars. After demobilization he returned to the tea trade, rising to become one of Brooke Bond’s senior directors supplying Britain’s beloved beverage. He even helped refine how to make the perfect cup of tea. This is the life story of a determined, brave, innovative, and decorated officer who has earned a place in the hearts of our nation. It is the story of Derek “Jake” Wright, DSC**. Praise for Torpedoes, Tea, and Medals “A must read . . . an enthralling look at motor torpedo boat operations off the coast of France and Belgium during World War II.” —Naval Historical Foundation “Wright clearly had a really action-packed war and this book skillfully combines his coastal forces experiences with his influential role in the tea business.” —Captain Andrew Welch, FNI, Royal Navy Retired