The British Navy developed the 70-foot MA/SB (Motor Anti-Submarine Boat) due to its lagging behind the German Navy in the construction of small armed coastal boats. These new boats were assigned a wide range of tasks, including patrolling the coastal zone, combating enemy submarines and light surface forces, and rescuing surviving pilots. British Power Boat manufactured the boats from 1939 to 1941. A total of 35 vessels of this type were built, 18 of which were transferred to the French Navy. In 1941, the boats were reclassified as artillery boats and renamed MGB (Motor Gun Boat).

The MGB-61 boat was ordered on July 3, 1940, and commissioned on December 4, 1940. Initially intended for the French Navy, it remained in the Royal Navy due to the German occupation of France. After serving nearly the entire war with the 6th Patrol Boat Flotilla, the MGB-61 was decommissioned in February 1945 and sold for scrap.

The MGB-61 was introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea". It has powerful artillery and good speed but does not stand out in terms of survivability due to its all-wooden hull.