Greetings Gents ! looking for info on the April 7, 1945 engagement of two KM S-Boots, S-176 and S-177 by MTB 493, 494 and 497. Both S-Boots were sunk, one during an intentional ramming on one MTB. interested in the total outcome and what happened to the 3 MTB's if possible. thanks all Erich ~
Hi Erich, MTB's 493, 494 and 497 were 71 foot British Powerboat Company boats, built at Hythe and commissioned between October and November 1944. They were part of the 22nd MTB Flotilla, based at HMS Mantis, Lowestoft. It looks like MTB 494 was lost on 7 Apri 1945 when rammed by S Boat 176 in the North Sea. All three officers onboard were KIA along with ten ratings, only two men survived. The two other MTB's survived the war. There is a picture of MTB 494 underway here: MTB 494
This is a photo of an action between MGB's and E Boats, but its from 1942. James, did you know that link for 494 also opened up a porn advert????
Erich , this is from M.Whitley's "German Coastal Forces of WW2" "On the following night six boats left Den helder to lay mines off the east coast.They were , as usual now shadowed continuously and intercepted in the early hours of the 7th off Smiths Knoll.In an hour and a half's close engagement , S176 and S177 were ramed and sunk by MTB's 494 and 493 and MTB 5001 was sunk by gunfire.MTB494 sank as a result of her damage and MTB493 could only make harbour stern first." When you look st the S boats they were much more buisness like than our own forces , heavier armed and armoured with diesel engines - much less risk of fire and explosion. The close quarter action would must been frightening , there would be no where to hide on the decks of these small craft and the volume of small arms , 20mm and 37mm exchanged would have been withering from both sides.
HI guys, thanks for the link I noted it and bookmarked it and when time permits want to go through slowly from late last night and the German reports I own I must confess Whitley is incorrect in his findings to the ramming(s). S-176 actually took on all 3 MTB's and in the close proximity Stockf. decided to ramm the closest MTB to supress fire on his own S-Boot along with the sister S-177 which was engaged heavily with MTB 493. Stockf. ripped the MTB 494 to pieces and as he came out the other side if you will found that his own ship was battered beyond recognition thus using the self-explosives to eliminate the Boot to fall into British hands. S-177 shot up MTB 493 and possibly rammed her as well, but in exchange was hit heavily by fire from MTB 497 and had to be blown up by it's crew. the link on 494 brings out the demise of her and really the 493 so the German records are pretty much inline with the British first hand experiences. MTB 497 was able to bring back the two KM crews and aided 493 as much as possible, but it appears to me the small vessel was pretty much a write-off............yes ? the melee caused so much confusion the rest of the 2nd S-Flottille Boots laid mines (LMB's) and then proceeded back to Holland's protective coast line. E ~
Sounds like quite an exchange , at dark of night and at point blank range , thanks for the details on it Erich
it is a wonder that any S-boot from any flottille made it out of the area, so sophisticated was British anti-radar and it's jamming the intel was able to track the S-Boots before they even left harbor through noise; just how many were going on a "nightie". Yes close range approximation seemd to be the usual per norm on sea ops in 45, both sides taking it in the shorts and awfully too close a range. the Km usually taking it far worse and then of course the bombing of the Dutch harbors with the KM having no recourse but to lastly take it's Boots to the Ostsee for the final evacuation of the German public from the invading Soviets. E ~
