The Canadian Fairmile B was a Motor launch (naval), motor launch built during the World War II, Second World War for the Royal Canadian Navy. They were adaptations of the British Fairmile B motor launch design incorporating slight modifications for Canadian climatic and operational conditions. Eighty-eight were built in Canada for service with the Coastal Forces of the Royal Canadian Navy in home waters, of which eight were supplied to the United States Navy. They were known by their crews as "The Little Ships", "Little Fighting Ships", "Q-Boats", "MLs" or "Holy Rollers" (due to their violent pitching and tossing),

History

In the spring of 1940 Canada's Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Naval Staff realized that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) needed more vessels equipped with Sonar, ASDIC sets for Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine patrols in the Saint Lawrence River, St. Lawrence River and British Columbia Coast, Pacific Coast. Learning "that the British Admiralty, Admiralty was planning to build Type "B" Fairmile motor launches for such work in British waters", the RCN began to investigate the comparative advantages of building and employing the Fairmile B Motor launch (naval), motor launch (ML) in Canadian waters. By the end of 1940 with the first British Fairmile B motor launches completed, performance figures and a complete set of drawings and specifications were sent to Canada. Although unimpressed with the trial results that showed that the Fairmile B was not quite maneuverable at slow speeds required for the ASDIC to work correctly, the need for more anti-submarine vessels was so great that the Naval Staff proceeded with the program. By April 1941, contracts for the first twenty-four Fairmile B boats was signed with seven builders in Ontario, three in British Columbia, and one in Nova Scotia for a "standard price for each vessel of $85,000 in the east and $76,000 in British Columbia." It was expected that the twenty-four boats would be delivered by the end of 1941 but shortages of resources and components delayed builders efforts. As such, only thirteen Fairmiles built in the Great Lakes region were delivered in 1941; nine in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and four laid up at Sarnia and Toronto, Ontario, due to winter storms. Once in Halifax, only four of the Fairmiles could be kept operational due to a general shortage of naval personnel and all other available crews being prioritized to corvettes and minesweepers. In July 1941 the Naval Staff let out another contract for twelve MLs in order to help provide for the defence of Dominion of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and adjacent waters. Intended for anti-submarine patrols at St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Botwood, and at Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Red Bay on the Strait of Belle Isle, continuing material shortages delayed the commissioning of these vessels to May and June 1942.

Design

Originally designated and painted up as 'Coastal Motor Launch' (CML) 01–36, the Canadian Fairmile B was built of double mahogany wood with an oak keel. Based on a line of destroyer Hull (watercraft), hulls, they arrived in prefabricated kits, ready to be assembled for the RCN by a number of different boatyards. In contrast to the British built boats, the Canadian Fairmile was narrower, had a greater Draft (hull), draught, and were slightly more powerful giving the Canadian boats a speed advantage over the British boats. As one former Fairmile Captain described them, "sheathed for operation in ice and displacing 100 tons, they were indeed veritable 'Little Fighting Ships'." Crewed by two or three officers and 14 sailors, accommodation on the Fairmile B was thought to be "cramped but comfortable".

Propulsion

With a fuel capacity of 2,320 gallons of 87 octane gasoline, the early Fairmiles (''Q050'' to ''Q111'') were powered by two engines, could reach a speed of maximum, sea speed and had a range of at . Later versions (''Q112'' to ''Q129'') were fitted with larger engines able to achieve a top speed of with an identical range.

Armament

A unique design feature of the Fairmile B was that with forty-eight hours notice each boat could be reconfigured to serve in a different role. Fitted with steel strips and tapped holes to ease equipment swaps, weapons and specialist gear such as torpedo tubes, Naval mine, mines, depth charges, and guns could be quickly stripped and attached to the boat. In two days, a Fairmile could have its weapons and equipment reconfigured to serve as an escort, minesweeper, minelayer, navigation leader, coastal raider, patrol boat, ambulance or rescue launch. Small arms for the crew were a 9 mm Sten, Sten submachine gun, two .303 rifles, and three .45 revolvers Each boat was equipped with sonar, radar and wireless telegraphy.

Fairmile flotillas

During the Second World War the Canadian Fairmile B of the RCN played a vital role escorting shipping along the St. Lawrence River, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and between Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland and the mainland of Canada. Regularly deployed in flotillas of six "The Little Ships" relieved larger escort craft urgently needed elsewhere by carrying out anti-submarine patrols, port defence and rescue duties. Based out of shore establishments on the St. Lawrence River, Halifax, Saint John, Shelburne, Sydney and on the West Coast; at sea the RCN Fairmile Fleets were accompanied by two "mother ships" and providing fresh water, fuel and medical services.

Vessels in class

Canadian Fairmile Bs in foreign service

French Free Forces Fairmiles

In February 1943, ''ML Q052'', Q''062'' and Q''063'' were transferred to the Free France, Free French Forces and stationed at St. Pierre and Miquelon under the command of Flag Officer, Newfoundland. After the war, the French Fairmiles were returned to the RCN.

United States

Eight Canadian Fairmiles (''Q392'' through ''Q399'') were built by Le Blanc for the Royal Navy (RN) and were transferred under Lend-Lease to the United States Navy (USN) as US coastal protection had been depleted by transferring ships to the RN for convoy work. The USN used the Canadian-built Fairmiles as submarine chasers giving them the hull codes SC-1466 to SC-1473.

Surviving examples

References

External links

Fairmile Motor Launch at Juno Beach Centre "Canada In WWII" junobeach.org

Canadian Fairmile Q105 presently under restoration

{{WWIICoastalForces Gunboat classes, Fairmile B motor launch (Canada) Military boats, Fairmile B motor launch (Canada) Patrol boat classes, Fairmile B motor launch (Canada) Submarine chaser classes, Fairmile B motor launch (Canada) Torpedo boat classes, Fairmile B motor launch (Canada)