The Escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla

British Power Boat Company [Hythe, Hampshire, UK]

• Built: 1936-1939
• Length: 60 feet 4 inches [18.39m] LOA
• Width : 13 feet 10 inches [4.22m]
• Drought: 2 feet 10 inches [0.86m]
• Weight: 18 Tons [Standard]
• Fuel: Petrol
• Capacity: 960 Gallons [imperial]
• Engines: 3 x W12 Napier. Sea Lion XI ;24 Litre , 1500 HP  @2,300 RPM =  [1800 HP Max]
• Speed: Tested 35.3-38 Knots
• BSA .303 Lewis Guns: MTB's 01-12 = 1 pair fore, 1 pair aft mounted center line
• Torpedo Racks: 2 Stern 18 inch, 6 Depth Charges
• ]Compliment: 9

In 1933 Hubert Scott-Paine built and raced Miss Britain III, which used a Napier Lion engine, in the United States and Venice, setting world records for a single engined boat.

 

 

 

 

The 2nd MTB Flotilla on patrol in Tathong Chanell, Hong Kong

MTB 07 on patrol in Hong Kong Waters with the 2nd MTB Flotilla

 

 

 

MTB 07 alongside in Mirs Bay & on high speed patrol at Hong Kong.

MTB 07 on patrol in Tathong Chanell Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 08 on high speed trials over the measured mile in East Lamma Channel in 1941

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• Commander: Lt Laurence .D. Kilbee H.K.R.N.V.R.
• Was one of the 12 original HKRNVR's along with Ashby, formed in 1933
• CO of MTB 27 before commanding MTB 08
• After losing 08 Lt Kilbee was Base MTB Officer until 21st December
• Lt Kilbee was then appointed 1st Lt of MTB 10
• Lt Kilbee declined to escape on the 25th in order to be with crew & his wife who he had married the year before.
• MTB 08 blew up on the slip at Aberdeen Harbour

 

 

 

MTB 08 January 1938

Lt Laurence.D.Kilbee H.K.R.N.V.R. Commander of MTB 08 during the battle of Hong Kong drew this whilst in hospital in Argyle Street P.O.W. camp, Kowloon in Hong Kong 1942. MTB 08 was hit by a bomb while on the slip at Aberdeen on the 16th December 1941. Note the removable ports astern with the fold over racks above for torpedo launch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 09 on high speed patrol in HK waters; Spring 1940

• Commander: Lt Alexander Kennedy R.N.V.R.

• Called up in August 1939 as a Sub Lt R.N.V.R.

• On arrival in HK he was allocated as 1st Lt to Lt Cdr D. G. Clark RN [MTB 10]

• who was the Flotilla's Senior Officer since its formation in 1938

• Lt Kennedy took command of MTB 09 at the end of 1939

• Lt Kennedy kept a diary, and in 1946 wrote it up as Hong Kong Full Circle 1939-1945" which was privately published in 1969

MTB 11

MTB 11 on patrol in rough weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 12

• MTB 12 took a direct hit to the bridge and crashed into the sea wall while attacking Jap Invasion forces in Kowloon harbour 19th Dec 1941

• Telegraphist Alf Hunt [G3CHU](Chairman/Secretary Far East POW association [Birmingham] [Known survivor] )
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• Alf Hunt also survived the torpedoed Lisbon Maru while being transported to Japan
• Able Seaman: A Bartlett [Rumoured Survivor]
• MTB 26 was hit and blew up in Kowloon harbour 19th Dec 1941 The remaining 5 MTB's escaped on Christmas Day 1941

   

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• MTB's 07 & 09 under camouflage on Christmas Day 1941

  

  The Flotilla was over-painted with a mixture of dark camouflage colours on the 14th December 1941 in preparation for air attacks. Here MTB 07 is alongside a stone jetty at Telegraph Bay on Christmas Day with MTB 09 lashed alongside. The boats were covered with straw and branches for camouflage from air attack during daylight hours. Later in the day when Governor Sir Marc Young finally surrendered to the Japanese the boats rendezvoused south of Ap Le Chau Island and made good their escape with the Chinese liaison party headed by Admiral Chan Chak.

  1st MTB Flotilla escorting King George VI from Westminster to Greenwich

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  • MTB's 03-06 of the 1st MTB Flotilla escorting King George  VI with a young Princess Elizabeth
  • from Westminster to Greenwich to open the National Maritime Museum on  27 April 1937. This was the first public appearance of the post WW1 Scott-Pain MTB's
  • All boats including the Royal Barge were Scott-Pain.
  • The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich was the former home of the
  • Royal Hospital School which re-located to a 200 acre site at Holbrook
  • near Ipswich in Suffolk in 1933.

  MTB 01 during sea trials in 1937
  

  • The torpedo stern racks can be seen very clearly

   

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• The Lewis guns on MTB 18 of the 3rd/1st MTB Flotilla

  • British Power Boats 60-foot Type

  • MTB's 01-12 & 14-19 were the 1st RN MTB's since WW 1
  • MTB's 01-06 were 1st Flotilla
  • 07-12 +26 & 27 were 2nd Flotilla
  • 14-19 were 3rd Flotilla [Note the modified Lewis gun layout either side of the conning tower]
  • 1st Flotilla was based at Malta & later Felixstowe
  • 2nd Flotilla was based at Hong Kong
  • 3rd Flotilla was bound for Singapore, but joined the 1st en route at Malta
  • 01 - 19 were Hubert Scott-Paine boats built between September 1935-39

  The first two post WW1 Coastal Motor boats were ordered on 27th September 1935. By October another four Scott-Paine boats were ordered. The six boats were commissioned on 27th April 1937. The 1st Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla was born. The first public appearance was escorting King George VI and Queen Elizabeth I with Princess Elizabeth down the River Thames from Westminster to Greenwich to open the new National Maritime Museum housed in the former Royal Hospital School buildings.

  

  The 60 foot Scott-Paine boats carried two 18 inch aircraft torpedo's stored in the engine room on overhead rails, with two hinged lattice girders stowed on deck. The hinged lattice girders swung over the stern to form a continuation of the engine room overhead rails. The torpedo's fired forward from astern of the boat, and it took great skill in aiming the boat at the target, firing, then turning sharply away to avoid the torpedo.

  The boats were powered by three Power-Napier Sea Lion V8 petrol engines.

  The 1st MTB Flotilla shaped course for the Mediterranean on 22nd June 1937, calling in at Brest, Corunna, and Lisbon before arriving in Malta on 17th July 1937. Later it was increased by the 3rd Flotilla which was bound for Singapore originally. At midnight on the 11th November 1939 the 12 boats of the 1st MTB Flotilla shaped course to return to the UK via the French canals. MTB 06 was scuttled by HMS Dainty en route to France and the remnants were later stationed at Felixstowe. MTB's 01-05 were disarmed and used for other duties.

Left; Loading an 18 inch aircraft torpedo

into the engine room of a

Scott-Pain 60 foot MTB

of the 1st Flotilla at

 Felixstowe

HMS Dainty scuttled MTB 06 by ramming it in half.

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HMS Tern