MGB 112

Hello 'pondskater'

Welcome aboard.

MGB 112 has been a difficult boat to trace - it was a BPBco Mk 5 build and had been renumbered from the 74- 81 series (not sure which one (but not 81 I would suggest)

She formed part of the 8th MGB Flotilla, based as you say at Hornet - Felixstowe and Dartmouth - the 8th Flotilla Senior Officers were Lt Cdr  R Hichens - Lt T Mathias  -and Lt F Stephenson RN. 

The DSM was awarded to AB L D Conroy while on board MGB 112 as was a Bar to DSC to Lt D C Sidebottom. I shall try and trace some other info - meanwhile is there anything you can 'Post' here (pictures etc?)

Regards

74-81 built 1942 by British Power Boat, first boats designed as M.G.B.'s rather than conversion's from M.A.S.B.'s, 3 Packards, converted to M.T.B.'s in 1943.  76&78 lost in 1942, 79 lost in 1943.

Hi Pioneer,

From Fast Boats and Flying boats BPB Co build lists;

Surviving MGBs from the 74-81 group became MTBs 412-416, and MGBs from the 110-122 group became MTBs 430-441.  

Edited by Christian

Hi Pioneer, perhaps you are on p197, where it states that the 8th MGB flotilla was made up of MGBs 74-81, later 111,112,115. What LC Reynolds is trying to say is that newly built MGBs 111,112,115 joined older boats 74-81, as evidenced on p91;

"Hichens was embarked on MGB 112, a newly commissioned boat commanded by Lt DC Sidebottom....They fought two enemy vessels which had clearly not sighted the four gunboats. Approaching from the port quarter, they sped along parallel to the enemy and hit them both very hard. As they drew ahead the enemy fire increased but was generally inaccurate. Suddenly, however, a single burst of cannon shell struck the bridge of 112, with terrible results. Hichens was killed immediately-the only fatal casuualty-and both the CO and the first lieutenant were wounded." This action is retold in more detail on p134-135 of Coastal Forces At War by D Jefferson. The other 3 boats were MGBs 74,75 and 111. 

A picture of a close sister vessel from Lt Cdr Ben Warlow's book to help with the model;

 

Edited by Christian

As Christian has said the re-designation of some craft is a bit confusing and these groups of boat are a a good example, they were the first group of B.P.B. boats built as M.G.B.'s and within a year had two 18" torpedo tubes fitted and re-designated M.T.B.'s with a different number, that seems straightforward however, some boats were redesignated as M.T.B.'s and re-numbered but never had the torpedo tubes fitted, but a superb looking boat on full trot you must agree.