Fairmile C motor gun boat

The Fairmile C motor gun boat MGB 314
Class overview
Name:	Fairmile C motor gun boat
Preceded by:	Fairmile B motor launch
Succeeded by:	Fairmile D motor torpedo boat
Completed:	24
General characteristics
Displacement:	72 tons
Length:	110 ft (34 m)
Beam:	17 ft 5 in (5.31 m)
Draught:	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Propulsion:	Three 850 hp (630 kW) supercharged Hall-Scott petrol engines
Speed:	26.5 knots (49.1 km/h; 30.5 mph)
Range:	500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (Bunkerage: 1,800 gal + extra 2,600 gal)
Complement:	2 officers + 14 crew
Armament:	(As designed) 1 × QF 2-pounder (40mm) Mark IIC gun 1 x Rolls Royce QF 2-pounder Mark XIV gun 4 × Vickers .50 (12.7mm) machine guns (2 × 2) 4 × Vickers .303 in (7.7 mm) G.O. machine guns (2 × 2) (Later) 2 × 2-pounder (1 x Mk. IIC, 1 x Mk.XIV) 2-4 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannon (2 × 1/2 × 2) 1-2 × 20mm Oerlikon (1 × 1/1 × 2) 4 depth charges

500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)

The Fairmile C motor gun boat was a type of Motor Gun Boat designed by Norman Hart of Fairmile Marine for the Royal Navy. An intermediate design, twenty-four boats were built in 1941 receiving the designations MGB 312 - 335.

The Fairmile Type C was a reuse of the hull form of the Type A but with the lessons learned from the Type A incorporated in terms of steering and deck layout.

Five boats of the twenty-four built were lost to enemy action.

The class was mainly involved in close escort work with east coast convoys, and some boats were engaged in clandestine operations. MGB 314 took part in Operation Chariot, the daring raid on the St Nazaire docks (the only facility on the axis-held Atlantic coast suitable to refit Bismarck-class battleships).

Only two survive to this day, one at Hayling Island and the other at Bembridge (UK). A third survived in Shoreham until 2002.

MGB 316 at speed

MGB 316 at rest