The idea of developing a new torpedo boat first emerged among British designers in the late 1930s. They recognized the potential of German boats with powerful armaments and high speeds at relatively low costs. Following the outbreak of World War II, development accelerated with Noel Maclean's proposal. Maclean was a former cavalryman and member of the Dover Patrol from 1916 to 1918. In 1939, he founded Fairmile Marine and submitted a design for a wooden boat to the Admiralty. The boat could be built in piano and furniture workshops. Within a year, this led to the creation of the Fairmile A, followed by the Fairmile B and Fairmile C.

However, by the end of 1940, it became apparent that the new British boats were vulnerable compared to the German ones. They were slower and had more expensive but weaker armaments. Additionally, their torpedoes were ineffective against small, mobile targets. To remedy this, the Admiralty recalled Maclean's longer designs, which had been rejected for minor reasons. By March 1941, the designs had been modified to resemble a destroyer's stern. Almost a year later, the first Fairmile D-class boat, MGB 601, was ready. The early series (601–616) lacked torpedoes but had an improved weapon layout and higher maximum speed compared to the C variant. MGB 601 was commissioned on March 9, 1942, but was lost in port on July 24 due to an explosion caused by damage sustained in an encounter with enemy boats on July 20–21.

The Fairmile D (601) was introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea". It has numerous and powerful weapons but does not stand out in terms of survivability due to its large, wooden hull. For this reason, the ship is best suited for quick, sudden attacks on enemy torpedo and artillery boats. The complete absence of torpedo armament makes the boat ineffective against enemy destroyers.