Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB's) were built for high speed and manoeuvrability and low speed night attack to get close enough to enemy vessels to launch their torpedoes. These were operated under the command of 'Coastal Forces'. Eight MTB's were ordered from Morgan Giles by the Admiralty in 1941 and 1942. These 72 ft boats were made to a Vosper design and powered by three Packard 1500 BHP engines. They had two torpedo tubes mounted forward and a power operated gun turret aft. On trials they achieved 40 knots.
A flotilla of MTB's were based at Kingswear and these also came to the yard for refits. At least one of these (MTB 96) was a Morgan Giles Boat manned by Free French crews. The 1st Lieutenant of one of these was the son of General de Gaulle.
The MTB's built by Morgan Giles were MTB 86, 95, 96, 240, 241, 360 and 361 all launched in 1942, and MTB 362 launched in 1943. These are known as the '72' type and 29 were completed in UK Yards in total. They had a complement of 13.
MTB 86 is believed to have been scuttled in the Mediterranean but there is a report on the BBC People at War website recounting action during the Bari Raid on 2nd Dec.1943 with Lt E Young RNVR in command as part of the 24th MTB Flotilla. Little records exist of MTB 95. MTB 96 was transferred to the Free French and returned to the RN in 1946 and sold on 27th Jan 1948.MTB 240 was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy on 6th June 1942 and returned to the Royal Navy in 1944 and sold in 1946. MTB 241 was lost during WW2 sunk by gunfire by German surface forces off Ijmuiden 31st March 1944. MTB 360 was lost from enemy action off Ijmuiden on 1st October 1944. MTB 361 and 362 were reclassified as target towing vessels CT36 and CT 37 in 1945. MTB 240 is shown below.
