Allied Coastal Forces of World War II: Volume I: Fairmile Designs & US Submarine Chasers

The Fairmile Marine Company

This book is concerned principally with the well known wooden warships that stemmed from the Fairmile Marine Company of Cobham, Surrey. To the best of my knowledge the idea of mass-producing wooden minor warships in time of war was the unique idea of one man, Fairmile’s founder. Each type was designed and built in kit form, to be assembled at a multitude of small shipyards both at home and abroad, while at the same time freeing the few specialist producers such as Vosper, White and the British Power Boat Co to continue the construction of more specialist high-speed craft. The Fairmile designs also used basic materials, and relied on many new, non-naval industries to provide materials without interfering in the flow of products from those specialist manufacturers.

During World War I, the increasing success of German submarine attacks on shipping by torpedo, and an increase of minelaying in home waters, forced the Royal Navy to seek a method of combatting this threat. It led to a demand for large numbers of anti-submarine motor launches to reduce the threat of coastal attacks. With British industry fully committed, there was no additional production available, and the required numbers could not be found from home sources.

In the spring of 1915 an Admiralty delegation visited the United States and selected the Electric Launch Company (Elco) of Bayonne, New Jersey, to construct fifty wooden anti-submarine launches for the Royal Navy (MLs 1–50), with the Standard Motor Construction Company to build the engines. The British contract was signed on 9 April 1915, with the delivery of the first twenty-five, consigned through Canadian Vickers, promised for 30 November. Soon after the first vessels were completed, on 8 June, the Admiralty ordered a further 500 (MLs 51–550). All were to be ready for delivery by 15 November 1916. (Elso is still proud of this achievement –550 boats in 488 days.)

These Elco boats were designed by Irwin Chase, and their construction was supervised by Henry Sutphen, both men being active between the wars and much involved in the Elco PT boat programme of World War II.

The Admiralty required a speed of 19 knots fully loaded, with an endurance of 800 nautical miles at full speed (1000 miles at 15 knots, or 2100 miles at 11 knots). They were to be capable of keeping station in rough weather, but, because they could not cross the Atlantic under their own power, they were to be of a size capable of being shipped as deck cargo. As first designed, their length (overall) was 75ft, but after completion of the first few this was increased to 80ft. Powered by two six-cylinder Standard Motors petrol engines, they also carried a 4.5kW generator. The total fuel allowed a radius of action of about 750 nautical miles at 19 knots. On trials (before being armed) their speeds varied from 19.25 to almost 21 knots. They displaced some 42 tons and on their arrival in the UK were armed with a single 3-pounder gun, or on occasion a .303in Lewis gun as well. As they had entered service prior to the introduction of the depth charge, they were fitted with a number of primitive anti-submarine devices. These included towed explosive paravanes and small 14lb bombs attached to 4ft 6in long handles, and, ultimately, ten D type depth charges, which were dropped over the side.

While these boats provided a measure of anti-submarine defence, it was found that in truth they were not well suited to the weather conditions prevailing off the British coastline, being wet in any seaway, rather lively and somewhat uncomfortable. By 1916, with a number in service, the Royal Navy was committed to the craft, but considered them too small. It was felt that a boat of 100–120ft in length would have been more suitable. Soon after the hostilities ended they were sold out of service. These vessels were to help stimulate the imagination of the founder of the Fairmile organisation.

Noel Macklin (actually Albert Noel Campbell Macklin) was born on 28 October 1886, the son of Charles Campbell Macklin, a barrister, and Leslie Cordery. The son of a well-to-do family, Noel attended Lee’s School at Forest Row. He went to Eton in September 1899 (Broadbent’s House – where he is said to have kept a lion cub!), leaving at Christmas 1901. He later became a big game hunter, a first-class rifle shot and photographer. He decided to exploit these interests commercially, and produced a remarkable film on African wildlife, which he showed at the Stoll Opera House. The start of the 1914–18 War intervened in his commercial activities, however, and he joined up. Macklin served in France during the first year, but was wounded and invalided out as a captain in the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) in 1915. After convalescing, he became a lieutenant in the RNVR and served with the Dover Patrol from 1916 to 1918. This experience was no doubt formative to his activities in the later conflict.

Between the wars Macklin interested himself in flying, yachting and motor-car racing and engaged in a variety of commercial projects, with varying success. His interest in ballooning resulted in aerial advertising. Cadmium plating and bottling oxygen also caught his attention, while his interest in motor-cars resulted in the building of the Silver Hawk and the Invicta, which secured a number of world records but little or no profit. In 1933 he found a winner in the anglicised version of the Hudson car, called the Railton, designed by Reid Railton and built by the Fairmile Engineering Company. In this venture the chassis and engine were standard, and the customer chose his own coachwork. (There is still a thriving interest in this prestige car through an owners club, and some were used by the Metropolitan Police as plain-clothes police cars.)

When it became obvious that war was impending, the versatile Macklin reviewed the ways in which he could contribute to the war effort, and considered various possibilities from aircraft to boats.

The urgent need for anti-submarine vessels occurred to him after reading an article by Vice-Admiral CV Usborne, CB, CMG, and with his typical instant grasp of the requirements he immediately sought expert advice on design and method of construction, the engine power required and the possible sources of supply of materials and engines. Within days, the Fairmile Marine Company was in being and the services of a prominent naval architect secured. Admiral Usborne was asked to act as naval adviser. Macklin already had first-class engineers and technical staff associated with his car-building activities, which were carried out in the sheds behind his house, ‘The Cottage’, at Fairmile, Cobham.

It was from these premises that the whole of the vast Fairmile organisation was to be run. The result of Macklin’s activities was the design of a motor launch, subsequently to be known as the Fairmile A type, of between 50 and 60 tons displacement, 110ft long and propelled by three Hall-Scott Defender petrol engines, each of 600hp, giving a maximum speed of 25 knots. The hull form was based upon the fishery protection boat Vaila, but the Admiralty declined to place an order. Macklin was convinced that the idea was sound, and that the type would be required in considerable numbers if war broke out. He decided to proceed with the construction of a prototype – ML 100, as she was later numbered – and ordered her to be built at Woodnut’s yard at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. The work proceeded at some speed, and the vessel was half built when it became evident that war was indeed imminent. The Admiralty had second thoughts, decided that the new method of construction was sound, and placed a covering order for the new design on 27 July 1939, some two months before war was declared. This order was followed by another soon after the declaration of war, when on 22 September the Admiralty ordered a further eleven A types and thirteen of a new Admiralty design, the Fairmile B type.

80ft motor launch – general arrangement

1Forepeak

2Chain locker

3Anchor davit

4Crew’s WC

5Mess deck

63-pounder Hotchkiss OF gun

7Fresh water tank

8Fuel tank

9Store room

10 8in searchlight

11 Steering position

12 Engineroom

13 Six-cylinder standard petrol engine

14 Galley

15 Wardroom

16 Officers’ toilet

17 Officer’s cabin

18 14ft dinghy

19 Mushroom vent

20 Cowl vent

21 Hatch

22 Breakwater

23 Navigation lights

24 Pole mast

25 Hand pump

26 Step

27 Davit

28 Deck locker

29 Cordage reel

30 Towing bitts

31 Deck cap to lubricating oil tank

32 Ship’s wheel

33 Grating

34 Deck cap to fuel tank

35 Deck cap to fresh water tank

36 Locker seat

37 Locker

38 Wash basin

39 Lubricating oil tank

40 Air tank

41 Sink

42 Coal cooking range

43 Windlass

On receipt of the revised contract, Macklin realised that he did not have the required capital to order more material, and in discussion with the Admiralty came to the remarkable arrangement that the Fairmile Company should carry on business under an agency agreement, thus virtually becoming an Admiralty Department, yet should retain its original name and receive firm contracts from the Director of Navy Contracts. Macklin received a lump sum for his interest, and a substantial salary as chairman and managing director of the company, but before concluding the arrangement he made it quite clear that he would not be bound by Civil Service procedure. His staff then were virtually paid civil servants, but retained their commercial interests. They made purchases and carried out business generally to the company’s advantage, but no profit was made and overheads covering design, planning, supervision, handling and spare-parts service were kept below 4 per cent. These arrangements were not fully understood by some Admiralty departments and contractors, and some resentment existed for a time, due mainly to the apparent freedom with which the Fairmile organisation operated.

The staff amounted to approximately 550 people, with a variety of skills and imbued with an enthusiasm to get the job done depsite official red tape. Without this enthusiasm, stemming from Macklin himself, the success of the company would have been impossible.

In accordance with his undertaking not to impinge on other Admiralty programmes, Macklin made arrangements for the supply of required items through the most unlikely contacts, a great many with no previous Admiralty or nautical experience. A linoleum manufacturer turned all the propeller shafting, wire netting manufacturers produced rudders, a bell foundry cast propellers and a well known radiator manufacturer started a prosperous fuel and oil tank division.

The main job of cutting the material for the hulls was entrusted to the works of Alfred Lockhart Ltd, at Brentford. This was done on a very economical basis indeed, and there was little or no waste beyond the sawdust. All the Fairmile designs, from the A type through the B, C and D to the H and the one-off F type were laid off in the Lockhart lofts and the templates prepared there, including those required for the armour plating (when fitted). The templates were periodically checked for close accuracy.

For each new design, mock-ups were made at the Lockhart works of deckhouses and bridges, for approval by the service departments concerned. Each new development and request was fed into the production lines with minimum fuss. The average monthly consumption of timber was as follows:

Effective co-operation was received from members of the Timber Control Office staff handling the supplies. The acquisition of logs suitable for keel sections was always difficult due to the required size; on occasion, when they were received from locations which had suffered bombing raids, pieces of metal were embedded in them – an annoying state of affairs at a time when the supply of broad bandsaws was particularly difficult.

The acquisition of mahogany for planking in adequate quantities was a problem, too, as the daily consumption of planking and decking was about 1000 cubic feet. Timber which failed to pass inspection for use as planking was utilised in the making of furniture for boats. The planking section also handled divisional bulkhead and cabin sole material.

Wood for stringers was also a problem to acquire in sufficient lengths – many were therefore made with scarfed joints, various types of resin glue being employed (see the Fairmile B class construction drawings).

When the production of a new Fairmile type was contemplated, the Timber Control Office and Lockhart staff collaborated to decide on a construction for which the requisite timbers would be available in sufficient quantities. Each type went straight into full production; by the time the prototype had been finished, many others were approaching completion and any initial mistakes would have meant a serious delay in production and waste of materials.

Short cuts were taken in equipping for changes in operational duties. A system of steel strips, suitably drilled and tapped, allowed a variety of special armaments to be fitted with limited notice, such as American torpedo tubes removed from some of the fifty ex-American destroyers acquired early in the war, or the 18in or 21in British-design tubes fitted to the later Fairmile Ds when used for minelaying later in the war. The A type was easily adapted, using the same system, when used for minelaying.

The joinery was prefabricated down to the smallest item, and was designed to use up rejected wood and off-cuts from the hull parts. Each type of craft required at least 100 different joinery items per boat, with the D class requiring over 200. Each item was delivered complete with fittings and battens for hull attachment.

The delivery of ML parts was ultimately divided into six 15-ton lorry loads per boat. They were so arranged to supply the parts or kits in the correct order for building, at intervals based on actual building times. A record was kept showing the required delivery date of any part for any boat. In addition to sets of parts for new boats, many orders for replacements for battle damage or sea damage had to be supplied.

The Lockhart yard also held the central stores to which all parts connected with the hulls were delivered, and the kits made up for despatch to the boatbuilders at home and abroad. It was fortunate indeed that the yard was not subject to enemy air attack, although a number of subsidiary stores had been established around the country. These parts were manufactured in prefabricated sections by furniture producers at factories far from the sea, such as the Mullard Company (now MFI), Gee, Parker Knoll and Heals, as well as piano makers and manufacturers of greenhouses and garden furniture.

Hardware, including engines (supplied under Lend-Lease from the USA) were stored in No 4 Store, built within the perimeter of the old motor racing track at Brooklands.

The different designs will be described more fully below, but briefly the A type MLs were severely criticised for a number of reasons, though they served a useful purpose. Besides the type’s yeoman service as a minelayer in home waters, the production of the A type showed that the Fairmile scheme worked well and could produce boats in large numbers very rapidly and cheaply. It was practical and could adapt to modifications brought about through war expenence.

Anticipating future demand for a general-purpose vessel, the Admiralty instructed Fairmile to proceed with the construction of MLs with a round bilge form, designed and tank-tested by the Admiralty, with the company to arrange the framing to suit their prefabricating methods. I have noted above that the first thirteen of these, the B types, were ordered at the same time as the repeat As. The hull, though originally designed to accept three engines, was fitted with two 600hp Hall-Scott Defenders, the loss of speed being accepted in order to allow half as many boats again from the limited supply of these engines from the USA.

The B type design proved to be thoroughly sound and produced a very versatile craft, capable of a multitude of uses in every theatre of war. Special training programmes were introduced to get them into service as soon as possible, and they were soon constructed worldwide, as shown below.

In late 1940, despite the criticism of the A type, it was decided to build more hulls powered by three main engines, this time the more powerful supercharged Hall-Scott Defender of 900hp. These vessels, the C type, were fitted as motor gunboats, and twenty-four were built for use in convoy escort work, mainly on the East Coast. As their designed speed was only 26 knots, it was recognised that they would be ineffectual against the German E-boat, and the Admiralty therefore had to prepare a different design, as the standard Vosper short boats did not carry sufficient firepower to destroy them, and in heavy seas could not sustain the necessary high speed.

Fortunately, more powerful engines were now available in the shape of the American 1250hp Packard petrol engine, and the Admiralty had already developed the lines and model-tested a hard chine hull of a size suitable to take four of the new engines. Proceeding as with the design of the B type, Fairmile worked on the D type combined MGB/MTB in March 1941. The first boat, MGB 601, built by Tough Bros on the Thames at Teddington, ran trials in February 1942. As they were first ordered as MLs, the first group were listed as gunboats, but then two 21 in torpedo tubes were added. Later units had four 18in tubes and minelaying equipment. Later still a number were converted and built as long-range air-sea rescue craft; these, too, are fully described below. The D class proved to be the most heavily armed craft in coastal forces worldwide, apart from the steam gunboats which were produced in very limited numbers and constructed of steel.

Large numbers of experiments were carried out on Fairmile craft in addition to the vast production programme, and some of these are mentioned below. Perhaps the most notable were trials with the variable-pitch propeller and the Bristol air-cooled radial engine. Many trials were carried out with the former; the culminating triumph, albeit expensive, was the linking of the throttle control of a supercharged engine to the pitch mechanism of the propeller, such that, whatever the revolutions, load and sea conditions, the propeller pitch adjusted itself so that the main engines did not overboost.

To increase the speed of the overloaded D type, which could just make 31 knots with its powerful armament and increased displacement, the company considered the 1750hp Bristol Centaurus engine (later fitted to the Hawker Sea Fury aircraft). As this was in very limited supply, and not immediately available for trials, Fairmile decided as an interim measure to use the 1350hp Hercules to assess the problems of an air-cooled installation, with the intention of replacing it when the larger unit became available. The arrangements were successful despite the problems associated with the large air intakes and exhausts, which took up considerable deck area, for the large volume of cooling air required; the fan itself required over 400hp. The more powerful engines did not materialise, but Bristol later built a private-venture design powered by the Centaurus after the war; this, however, failed to arouse sufficient interest from the Admiralty to result in a purchase. Despite a search of the Fairmile drawings collection, I have been unable to come up with even a G/A drawing of this vessel, although one photograph of the F type, of which there are very few, is included below.

In the United Kingdom, Fairmile craft were built on 140 slip-ways in 45 yards, most of which were very small indeed. Many had to be extended, and slipways and boatyard facilities supplemented by Fairmile before construction of new boats could commence. It is worth noting that, from Fairmile’s own figures for the number of boats built per annum, per slip, of the principal boatbuilders in the UK, the Royal Dockyards were rated lowest. These were each permitted to build a few vessels, presumably simply to allow them some insight into Fairmile methods. Fairmile also accummulated a large quantity of hand-held electric tools for loan to small shipyards to facilitate the assembly work. The work itself was overseen by the company’s own foremen, and the Fairmile transport division organised all deliveries of material. Urgent demands were met by a squad of motor cycle despatch riders and a fleet of forty small cars, while larger equipment and the bulky sets of prefabricated parts were delivered by Fairmile lorries.

In all, 883 new boats were built, 703 in the UK, while 180 boat sets of parts were shipped abroad for construction worldwide (see the lists below). In 1941 one boat was completed every 36 hours. Average building times were as follows: A type, 22 weeks; B type, 24.8 weeks; C type, 29 weeks; D type, 43.3 weeks. The H type Landing Craft–Infantry was also designed and constructed using Fairmile methods. In addition a large number of 45ft Motor Fishing Vessels (MFVs) and Harbour Service Launches (HSLs) were built by the company.

A total tonnage of 66,636 tons was built, involving 2560 cubic feet of timber, 207,505,000 fastenings, 418 miles of piping, 2,207 miles of wiring and 309,050 gallons of paint. (This total includes fifty of the H type landing craft.)

UK Ports at which Fairmile boats were built

To deal with the maintenance of craft in service, the Fairmile company evolved a service offering replacement parts within 24 hours (in the UK), often anticipating a vessel’s return to base. For engine overhaul and servicing of components, a local firm of motor engineers, well known in connection with motor racing, was employed. Fairmile also set up a training establishment for ERAs and motor mechanics, as well as issuing the Fairmile Motor Launch Engineering Handbook in February 1941, which detailed the various engineering systems and running routines, and gave much useful information.

Unlike the Packard engines, the Hall-Scott engines were always in short supply, and bottlenecks were avoided only because of the very great reliability of the engine, provided that maintenance was carried out.

In 1944 Noel Macklin was knighted for his services and awarded a substantial sum of money, which nevertheless can only have been partial compensation for the loss of profits which the company might have made, had it retained its commercial status.

When hostilities ended, with large numbers of D types being made ready for service against the Japanese, the gigantic task of disposing of the numerous Coastal Forces craft and the vast quantity of engines, installation equipment and spares which had accumulated was entrusted to Sir Noel, who was appointed the Director of Small Craft Disposals at the Admiralty 1945–46. He died on 10 November 1946.

An officer who knew him well paid a fitting tribute:

The most impressive moment I can remember, in connection with Macklin, was during a large conference attended by much top ‘brass’, including several Admirals and Departmental heads. Macklin had been confined to an invalid chair owing to his failing health, but as he was wheeled into the conference, which had been in progress for some time, everyone stood, as a unanimous, instinctive compliment to real presence in this frail invalid.

The Department of Small Craft Disposals was closed down in 1947. The Fairmile designs, still in use worldwide as houseboats and pleasure craft, survive in small numbers. Fairmile (Marine Consultants) Ltd remained for a long time at Cobham, Surrey, but finally closed down in about 1984.

Equipment and training organisations

The Director of Naval Stores received the completion schedule for Fairmile launches with some apparent alarm on 30 December 1939:

It is understood that 145 Motor A/S Launches of the Fairmile type have now been ordered, the first of which, ML 100, proceeds on trials in January 1940, the remainder completing twenty-five by the end of May, and then at a rate of twenty a month.

He was obviously concerned about the organisation of stores required, and was provided with a specification by Fairmile. The boatbuilders would supply the anchor and chain cable gear, 12ft dinghy, fire extinguishers (both fitted and portable), compass equipment and navigational lanterns. The Admiralty had to supply the lifefloat (pattern 20), lifejackets, Asdic gear and W/T gear. The contractors would supply the necessary consumable stores for the trials, and the only additional items required from the Admiralty would be signalling flags, binoculars, a portable electric signalling lantern and an Aldis lantern, a ship’s log, and clocks or watches.

The DNS was aware that no provision had been made to boat-builders for forms or special stores lists for the new craft, and he requested that arrangements be made as early as possible for the contracts for the 145 boats to include the provision of those forms in accordance with the usual practice.

He also observed that, as the boats were to be distributed around the coast, it would be necessary for stocks of Naval stores to be maintained at various dockyards and bases. He proposed that the establishment to be drawn up should include (in the same manner as that for MTBs) an allowance of stores for the base for each six boats attached. The maintenance of these stocks of special stores would depend in the first instance on the preparation of the form D.127b, and that it was essential for those forms to be provided to the boatbuilders at a very early date.

On 16 January 1940 proposals for equipping and training crews of MLs were outlined. It was foreseen that the delivery of Fairmile boats from the builders would be as follows: January (1), March (1), April (3), May (12), and thereafter about 20 per month. The organisation for equipment and training would therefore need to be in working order by mid-April 1940 (that is, within three months). A Motor Launch Section would therefore be established at each of the three home ports (Portsmouth, Chatham and Devonport) under a Commander (Motor Launches). His duties would be the formation and training of crews, the equipping of the boats, and their trials. It was proposed that at each port there should be one Fairmile manned with an active-service crew as soon as possible, so the first three to be completed were earmarked for that duty. Each Cdr-ML would also require a small permanent staff to assist him.

The first engine room crews were to receive preliminary training at the Fairmile Company’s works at Cobham, for which a detailed training scheme had been prepared on Form N.603/40. Antisubmarine (A/S) ratings were to receive preliminary training at HMS Osprey at Portland, and when training was complete, both engine room and A/S ratings were to proceed to the appropriate home port, where they would be formed with the officers and remaining ratings into a crew, and would carry out training in a Fairmile under the Cdr (ML). When training was completed to his satisfaction the whole crew would transfer with its officers to the building yard to join its designated boat.

It was proposed that the Fairmile Company should provide a skilled coxswain and engine room rating to navigate the boat and deliver it to one of the three home ports. The crew of the boat would be aboard to assist and to gain experience, but would not be in charge. Two immediate problems that arose from this proposal were the questions of who would be responsible for any loss which might occur during the passage, and who would provide the essential victuals and navigating stores.

On arrival at the home port, the boat was to be equipped under the general supervision of the Cdr (ML). The major items to be fitted would be the Asdic oscillator, the 3-pounder gun and the anti-aircraft Lewis guns. Stores, too, would have to be embarked. The Dockyard Department had been approached informally as to how this work could be undertaken, and it was understood that the equipment could be fitted as convenient by the dockyards or by local contractors within easy reach of the naval depot (each boat had to be slipped or docked to fit the Asdic oscillator).

Trials of the boat