Motor Launches in Action - The Royal Navy's Small Submarine Hunters During the First World War

Adventures in the fast moving small motor boats of the Royal Navy

The Great War may well have seen the zenith of the huge battleship fleets, but was also the creation of new kinds of vessels for naval warfare. The Germans had refined the submarine and the U-Boat menace represented a severe threat for the sea-borne transportation of men and materiel across the Atlantic Ocean. Clearly counter-measures were required and among several suggested and adopted was the creation of a 'mosquito fleet' of small fast moving motor launches focussed on harbour defence and patrolling comparatively coastal waters, armed with quick firing guns and able to speed at 19 knots. In April 1915 work began on fifty 75ft motor launches fitted with 2200 HP engines. The days of the 'submarine chasers', of the RNVR had arrived. 'Motor Launch Patrol' is a creatively written book by a motor launch officer which combines his first hand experiences on patrol, his reveries and anecdotes, the everyday workings of the 'mosquito fleet' and its notable battles and services. The role the little boats played in the daring Zeebrugge and Ostend Raids is well covered as is perilous duty at Dunkirk and off the Belgian coast. The activities of the M.L.'s in the Mediterranean Sea off the coasts of Turkey and Palestine is also covered in some detail. The second piece in this book is an extract from, 'The Cinderellas of the Fleet' which provides an overview of the launches in Royal Navy service from design to manufacture and their time in action.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.