"Home Waters Coastal Forces Flotilla size" Topic

Wondering if there was an authorized strength in boats for Home Waters Coastal Forces flotillas. From the material I've read, it appears that they rarely operated in units or more than six or eight, but one quote suggests that they had as many as twelve boats per flotilla. I know boats were often broken down or in for repairs of damage so could rarely operate at full-strength.

IIRC, you are right. 12 boats in a flotilla, but as many as 50% out of service at any time.

Varied quite a bit – 8 or 12 usually, but take a look here for plenty of examples:

link

Yes, at a minimum, 25% – 33% were out of service at any one time (especially during the early years), so the flotillas would often share assets in order to be able to conduct a sortie. Later, engine reliability was significantly improved, and the forces available were greatly expanded.

MGB's and MTB's were pressed into service together on purpose during the mid-war period. The MGB's were supposed to distract the enemy lookouts, while the MTB's pressed home with their attacks.

A bit later, it was decided that the MGB's should be armed with torpedoes as well (so some were retrofitted – 1944ish), in case they got lucky, and were able to get close in to attack the enemy vessels. For many, their light guns just served to annoy the enemy, and to cause some casualties, but really were ineffective in heavily damaging, or sinking all but the lightest targets.

A very good book writeen by a commander in the cooastal fleet wrote a very detailed book about british oeprations in the late 1940s or early 1950s. I got my copy from the interlibrary laon program.

Flag 4: The Battle of Coastal Forces in the Mediterranean By Dudley Pope

Home Waters MTBs at War: Channel and North Sea MTB and MGB Flotilla Operations, 1939-1945 (Hardcover)
by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian Oswald

Hold the Narrow Sea H/B 1984 (ISBN 0 86190 079 0) H/B (2) USA Edition (ISBN 0 87021 938 3); (3) New H/B Edition, Pen and Sword Publishing, Barnsely, published September 2007.

Small correction: the author of 'Home Waters MTBs at War: Channel and North Sea MTB and MGB Flotilla Operations, 1939-1945' is Leonard C. Reynolds (the foreward is by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Julian Oswald). Another good book (also by Reynolds) is 'Dog Boats at War'; covers the Fairmile D MTBs and MGBs.