Fairmile B (ML345)
Contents
Description
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The Fairmile B (ML345) is a rank II British motor gun boat
with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea" as part of the British fleet closed beta test.
General info
Survivability and armour
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Fairmile B (ML345) has the following armour layout:
- 47 mm 3 pdr QF Hotchkiss gunshield: 8 mm, anti-fragmentation armour
- 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II (single) gunshield: 12.7 mm, hardened armour
- 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V (twin) gunshield: 12.7 mm, hardened armour
- Hull: 28 mm, wood
- Superstructure: 15 mm, wood
Any gun in the game is able to penetrate anywhere on the boat, including the gunshields, at practically any range.
Fairmile B (ML345) can be hull-broken by any gun with a diameter greater than 4 inches (102 mm). Generally, hull-break triggers when a capable gun hits and destroys any hull compartment with HE, resulting in the instant destruction of the rest of the boat. At Fairmile B (ML345)'s battle rating, the only guns capable of hull-breaking her are the 8cwt QF Mk I (found on Dark Adventurer) and the 10.5 cm SK C/32 (found on AF D3. The ability to be hull-broken by guns larger than 4 inches is a trait that applies to the vast majority of boats in tier 1 and 2, so in that respect, Fairmile B (ML345)) isn't better or worse than most other boats.
Fairmile B (ML345)'s hull is split into four compartments. The first compartment starts at the bow and ends in front of the bridge, just aft of the pumps. The second starts at the bridge and ends at the funnel. The third starts at the funnels and ends in front of the aft twin 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V mount. The fourth starts at that gun mount and ends at the stern. With a crew complement of 18, overall survivability is average.
Fairmile B (ML345) has two ammunition storages. The first is located in the bow, below and in front of the fore 47 mm 3 pdr QF Hotchkiss cannon; it is emptied when there is only one round of ammunition remaining for that gun. The other ammunition storage is located in the stern, just above the waterline in front of the steering gear; it is emptied when the only remaining ammunition for the secondary gun mounts are in the guns themselves (i.e. the ammunition counter reads "x/0"). Destroying either ammunition storage will instantly destroy the rest of the boat.
Mobility
| Mobility Characteristics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | Turn Time (s) | Turn Radius (m) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||||
| AB | Stock | _ | _ | ~_ | ~_ |
| Upgraded | _ | _ | ~_ | ~_ | |
| RB/SB | Stock | _ | _ | ~_ | ~_ |
| Upgraded | _ | _ | ~_ | ~_ | |
Fairmile B (ML345) has a displacement of 65 tons.
Armament
Primary armament
For her primary armament, Fairmile B (ML345) has one 47 mm 3 pdr QF Hotchkiss cannon in a single mount, mounted centreline on the bow. It has 300 rounds of ammunition available for it. The mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 40°/s and vertically at a rate of 25°/s. The gun is single-shot and has a nominal rate of fire of 30 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 2.6 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 2 seconds.
| Guidance for the Primary Gun Turret | |
|---|---|
| Horizontal | Vertical |
| ±180° | -10°/+70° |
There is only one choice of ammunition available:
- 3 pdr Mk.2 HE
| Penetration Statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 100 m | 1,000 | 2,000 m | 3,000 m | 4,000 m | 5,000 m | ||
| 3 pdr Mk.2 HE | HE | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Shell Details | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type | Projectile Mass (kg) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosive Type | Explosive Mass (kg) | TNT Equivalent (kg) | Fuse Delay (m) | Fuse Sensitivity (mm) | Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||||
| 3 pdr Mk.2 HE | HE | 1.5 | 517 | TNT | 0.217 | 0.217 | 0.15 | N/A | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Secondary armament
For her secondary armament, Fairmile B (ML345) has one 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II cannon and two 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V cannons.
The one 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II cannon is fitted in a single mount, mounted centreline amidships behind the funnel. It has 2,040 rounds of ammunition available. The mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. The gun has a belt capacity of 60 rounds and has a rate of fire of 450 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 4 seconds; with an aced crew, it can be reloaded in 2 seconds. Its maximum range against surface targets is roughly 2.1 km.
The two 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V cannons are fitted in a twin mount, mounted centreline aft. It has 4,080 rounds of ammunition available, 2,040 rounds per gun. The mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 65°/s and vertically at a rate of 65°/s. Each gun has a magazine capacity of 60 rounds and has a stated rate of fire of 450 rounds/min, though in actuality, the gun on the gunner's right side has a slightly greater rate of fire, around 485 rounds/min. With a stock crew, the guns can be reloaded in 8 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 4 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 2.1 km.
|
Turrets are named sequentially, clockwise, starting at the bow |
| Guidance for the Secondary Gun Turrets | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.1 Turret (1x 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II) | No.2 Turret (2x 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V) | ||||||
| Horizontal | Vertical | Horizontal | Vertical | ||||
| ±147° | -5°/+60° | ±140° | -4°/+62° | ||||
All armament in the secondary armament group share the same ammunition choices, of which there are three:
- Universal: HEF-T/HEF-I/AP-T
- 20 mm HE: HEF-T/HEF-I/AP-T/HEF-I
- 20 mm AP: AP-T/AP-T/AP-T/HEF-I
| Penetration Statistics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | |
| Universal | 39 | 36 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 17 |
| 20 mm HE | 39 | 36 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 17 |
| 20 mm AP | 39 | 36 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 17 |
Anti-aircraft armament
For her anti-aircraft armament, Fairmile B (ML345) has four 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machineguns in two twin mounts, one on either side of the bridge. For each mount, there are 3,880 rounds of ammunition available, 1,940 rounds per gun, for a total of 7,760 rounds. There are no stated horizontal or vertical traverse rates given in-game, but the mounts handle very similarly, if not exactly, to other twin and quadruple 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machinegun mounts which can all traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. Each gun has a magazine capacity of 97 rounds and has a rate of fire of 550 rounds/min. With a stock crew, the guns can be reloaded in 18.2 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 14 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 1.6 km.
|
|
Turrets are named sequentially, clockwise, starting at the bow |
| Guidance for the Anti-Aircraft Gun Turrets | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.1 Turret (starboard) | No.2 Turret (port) | ||||||
| Horizontal | Vertical | Horizontal | Vertical | ||||
| -30°/+45° | -5°/+50° | -45°/+30°° | -5°/+50° | ||||
There are three choices of ammunition available:
- Universal: AP/T/AP/T
- 7.7 mm AP belt: AP/AP/AP/T
- 7.7 mm API belt: IT/IT/IT/AP
| Penetration Statistics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | |
| Universal | 20 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| 7.7 mm AP belt | 20 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| 7.7 mm API belt | 20 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
Special armament
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Fairmile A (ML100) can carry up to 14 Mk.VII depth charges and 6 Y-gun Mk.VII depth charges.
The 14 Mk.VII depth charges are mounted along the sides of the boat, 7 on either side with 3 in front of the aft gun mount and 4 behind. The depth charges are dropped one at a time in this order (see the image): foremost to aftmost, alternating port and starboard sides, starting with the foremost depth charge on the port side.
The 6 Y-gun Mk.VII depth charges are fired from a Y-gun depth charge thrower mounted in front of the aft gun mount. Aside from the 2 already on the Y-gun, there are an additional 4 depth charges stored just aft of the Y-gun, 2 per side; these lack a visual model but can still be damaged. In the hangar X-ray view, all 4 are viewable; however, in battle, the forward pair is missing. These disappear once two depth charges have been fired on their respective side, that is, there is only one depth charge remaining on that side. The Y-gun has one arm pointed to either side and will fire either the port or starboard depth charge depending on the direction the player is currently looking. After firing a depth charge, there is a reload of approximately 10 seconds.
Before spawning, the detonation time delay for both types of depth charges can be set anywhere between 3 seconds and 10 seconds.
| Depth Charge Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass (kg) | Explosive Type | Explosive Mass (kg) | TNT Equivalent (kg) |
| 196 | TNT | 130 | 130 |
Usage in battles
The Fairmile B (ML345) is a capable vessel when used appropriately and the right targets are prioritised. Ships of equal size using large guns with a slow rate of fire are easy targets for the Fairmile B to target. Ships with multiple guns and a rapid rate of fire should be avoided as these will target the vulnerable hull of the Fairmile B, resulting in fires or sinking.
Engaging these boats should be at a distance and sailing at an angle will allow the gunners to also fire at the target, but these need to be toggled to target ships. Keeping the correct distance on the rangefinder is essential if shooting over long distances as there is some considerable drop off of the rounds.
Modules
| Tier | Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Dry-Docking | Tool Set | 20 mm HE | Anti-Air Armament Targeting | ||
| II | Rudder Replacement | Fire Protection System | Smokescreen | 20 mm AP | Auxiliary Armament Targeting | |
| III | Propeller Replacement | Improved Rangefinder | Primary Armament Targeting | Depth Charges | ||
| IV | Engine Maintenance | New Pumps | Artillery Support | Bomb mortar | ||
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good firepower
- Secondary armament: great damage output; large magazine size
- Large amount of depth charges
Cons:
- Ammo rack in the bow
- Primary armament: low damage output; low muzzle velocity; low accuracy
- Anti-aircraft armament: very low damage output; long reloads; poor against aircraft
- Poor top speed and manoeuvrability
History
The Fairmile B first left the production line in September 1940 and entered service shortly after.[1] These motor-launched boats served in many invasion operations, such as the D-Day landings at Normandy, and the St Nazaire Raid.[2]
Some Fairmile B vessels were designated as medical ships attached to marine invasion infantry units and underwent modifications to expand their sickbays to accommodate more casualties.[3]
The Fairmile B was operated by Commonwealth nations during and after the Second World War. Bermuda, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa used the Fairmile B, primarily as patrol boats.[4] The Fairmile B also served up to the 1980s with the Guardia di Finanza, an Italian naval gendarmerie.[5]
The rockets stowed alongside the bridge and the launchers forward of it are Mk 2 Rocket Flares and their projectors.[6]
Media
An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.
See also
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- encyclopedia page on ship;
- other literature.
| Britain boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | Brave Borderer · Dark Aggressor · Dark Aggressor TD · Fairmile D (617) · Fairmile D (697) · Fairmile D (5001) · HMS Gay Archer |
| MTB-1(1) · MTB-1(2) · MTB Vosper · MTB Vosper(2) · MTB-422 | |
| Motor gun boats | Dark Adventurer · Fairmile A (ML100) · Fairmile B (ML345) · Fairmile C (312) · Fairmile C (332) · Fairmile D (601) · Fairmile H LCS(L)(2) |
| HMAS Arrow · HMAS Fremantle · MGB-61 · MGB-75 · ML 1383 · SGB Grey Fox · SGB Grey Goose | |
| Gunboats | HMS Spey |
- ↑ Konstam, A. and Bryan, T., 2010. British Motor Gun Boat. Oxford: Osprey Publ.
- ↑ Wright, M., 2014. British And Commonwealth Warship Camouflage Of WWII. Seaforth Publishing, p.137.
- ↑ Lenton, H. and Colledge, J., 1973. Warships Of World War II. 2nd ed. I. Allan, pp.523–530.
- ↑ Seapower Centre, 2005. The Navy Contribution To Australian Maritime Operations. Canberra: Defence Publishing Service.
- ↑ oceania.pbworks.com. 2010. Oceania / Italian Financial Guard. [online] Available at: <http://oceania.pbworks.com/w/page/8465167/Italian%20Financial%20Guard> [Accessed 11 April 2020].
- ↑ John Lambert - Allied Coastal Forces of World War II: Volume I: Fairmile Designs & US Submarine Chasers Pen and Sword, 2018
