The Canadian Fairmile B was a motor launch built during the Second World War for the Royal Canadian Navy. They were adaptations of the British Fairmile B motor launch design incorporating slight modifications for Canadian climatic and operational conditions. Eighty-eight were built in Canada for service with the Coastal Forces of the Royal Canadian Navy in home waters, of which eight were supplied to the United States Navy.

They were known by their crews as "The Little Ships", "Little Fighting Ships", "Q-Boats", "MLs" or "Holy Rollers" (due to their violent pitching and tossing),

History In the spring of 1940 Canada's Naval Staff realized that the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) needed more vessels equipped with ASDIC sets for anti-submarine patrols in the St. Lawrence River and Pacific Coast. Learning "that the Admiralty was planning to build Type "B" Fairmile motor launches for such work in British waters", the RCN began to investigate the comparative advantages of building and employing the Fairmile B motor launch (ML) in Canadian waters. By the end of 1940 with the first British Fairmile B motor launches completed, performance figures and a complete set of drawings and specifications were sent to Canada. Although unimpressed with the trial results that showed that the Fairmile B was not quite maneuverable at slow speeds required for the ASDIC to work correctly, the need for more anti-submarine vessels was so great that the Naval Staff proceeded with the program.

By April 1941, contracts for the first twenty-four Fairmile B boats was signed with seven builders in Ontario, three in British Columbia, and one in Nova Scotia for a "standard price for each vessel of $85,000 in the east and $76,000 in British Columbia." It was expected that the twenty-four boats would be delivered by the end of 1941 but shortages of resources and components delayed builders efforts. As such, only thirteen Fairmiles built in the Great Lakes region were delivered in 1941; nine in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and four laid up at Sarnia and Toronto, Ontario, due to winter storms. Once in Halifax, only four of the Fairmiles could be kept operational due to a general shortage of naval personnel and all other available crews being prioritized to corvettes and minesweepers.

In July 1941 the Naval Staff let out another contract for twelve MLs in order to help provide for the defence of Newfoundland and adjacent waters. Intended for anti-submarine patrols at St. John's, Botwood, and at Red Bay on the Strait of Belle Isle, continuing material shortages delayed the commissioning of these vessels to May and June 1942.

Design Originally designated and painted up as 'Coastal Motor Launch' (CML) 01–36, the Canadian Fairmile B was built of double mahogany wood with an oak keel. Based on a line of destroyer hulls, they arrived in prefabricated kits, ready to be assembled for the RCN by a number of different boatyards. In contrast to the British built boats, the Canadian Fairmile was narrower, had a greater draught, and were slightly more powerful giving the Canadian boats a speed advantage over the British boats. As one former Fairmile Captain described them, "sheathed for operation in ice and displacing 100 tons, they were indeed veritable 'Little Fighting Ships'." Crewed by two or three officers and 14 sailors, accommodation on the Fairmile B was thought to be "cramped but comfortable".

Propulsion With a fuel capacity of 2,320 gallons of 87 octane gasoline, the early Fairmiles (Q050 to Q111) were powered by two engines, could reach a speed of maximum, sea speed and had a range of at . Later versions (Q112 to Q129) were fitted with larger engines able to achieve a top speed of with an identical range.Joseph A. Heenan RCNR in Crowsnest gives the later engines as "Sterling Admiral engines of 850 hp" and making 24 knots

Armament A unique design feature of the Fairmile B was that with forty-eight hours notice each boat could be reconfigured to serve in a different role. Fitted with steel strips and tapped holes to ease equipment swaps, weapons and specialist gear such as torpedo tubes, mines, depth charges, and guns could be quickly stripped and attached to the boat. In two days, a Fairmile could have its weapons and equipment reconfigured to serve as an escort, minesweeper, minelayer, navigation leader, coastal raider, patrol boat, ambulance or rescue launch. Small arms for the crew were a 9 mm Sten submachine gun, two .303 rifles, and three .45 revolvers

Each boat was equipped with sonar, radar and wireless telegraphy.

+Example armament combinationsArmamentUpgunned sub chaserTorpedo boatAcoustic minesweeperAft2 x 20 mm Oerlikon -2 x 20 mm OerlikonAmidships1 x 20 mm Oerlikon -1 x 20 mm OerlikonBridge wings2 x twin 0.303 in machine guns2 x twin 0.303 in machine guns2 x twin 0.303 in machine gunsForward 3 pdr high-angle/low-angle gun3 pdr high-angle/low-angle gun3 pdr high-angle/low-angle gunOther12 depth charges Holman Projector

Y-gun (4 reloads)2 x 21 in torpedo tubes Holman projector14 depth chargesArmamentMoored minesweeperRescue boatCanadian B type (final)Aft1 x 20 mm Oerlikon1 x 20 mm Oerlikon1 x 20 mm OerlikonAmidships1 x 20 mm Oerlikon1 x 20 mm OerlikonBridge wings2 x twin 0.303 in machine guns2 x twin 0.303 in machine gunsForward3 pdr high-angle/low-angle gun2 pdr gun1 x 20 mm OerlikonOther6 depth charges Y-gun (0 reloads)6 depth charges14 depth charges Y-gun (7 reloads)

Fairmile flotillas

During the Second World War the Canadian Fairmile B of the RCN played a vital role escorting shipping along the St. Lawrence River, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and between Newfoundland and the mainland of Canada. Regularly deployed in flotillas of six "The Little Ships" relieved larger escort craft urgently needed elsewhere by carrying out anti-submarine patrols, port defence and rescue duties. Based out of shore establishments on the St. Lawrence River, Halifax, Saint John, Shelburne, Sydney and on the West Coast; at sea the RCN Fairmile Fleets were accompanied by two "mother ships" and providing fresh water, fuel and medical services.

Vessels in class +List of Canadian-built Fairmile BNamePennant #ShipbuilderLocationOrderedCompletedFlotilla(December 1944)NotesImageML 050Q 050Midland Boat WorksMidland, Ontario3 January 194118 November 194171st Flotilla – Gaspé ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 001Sold 1945 as Stanba IML 051Q 051Midland Boat WorksMidland, Ontario3 January 194124 November 194177th Flotilla – Halifax M.L. Force (SO)Originally designated and painted up as CML 002. Sold 1946 as Radel II. Abandoned 2004ML 052Q 052Taylor & Sons, J. J.Toronto, Ontario3 January 194131 October 1941Free French Navy – Newfoundland ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 003. To Free French 1943 as Gallantry (V 111) Returned to RCN and sold 1949 as Cyrius. Later La Marie-Jo, activeML 053Q 053Taylor & Sons, J. J.Toronto ON3 January 194117 November 194171st Flotilla – Gaspé ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 004 Sold 1945 as Aloma IIIML 054Q 054Greavette Boats Ltd.Gravenhurst ON3 January 194117 October 194171st Flotilla – Gaspé ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 005 Sold 1945ML 055Q 055Greavette Boats Ltd.Gravenhurst, Ontario3 January 19416 November 194171st Flotilla – Gaspé ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 006 Sold 1945ML 056Q 056Greavette Boats Ltd.Gravenhurst, Ontario3 January 194124 November 194171st Flotilla – Gaspé Force (SO)Originally designated and painted up as CML 007 Sold 1945 as Esso Ayacucho

Scrapped 1957ML 057Q 057Minett-Shields, Ltd.Bracebridge, Ontario3 January 194128 October 194171st Flotilla – Gaspé ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 008 Sold 1945ML 058Q 058Minett-Shields, Ltd.Bracebridge, Ontario3 January 194124 November 194172nd Flotilla – Sydney ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 009 Sold 1945 as Katherine G Burnt 1949ML 059Q 059Minett-Shields, Ltd.Bracebridge, Ontario3 January 194126 May 194272nd Flotilla – Sydney ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 010 Sold 1946 as RodcoML 060Q 060Hunter BoatsOrillia, Ontario3 January 19411 November 194172nd Flotilla – Sydney Force (SO)Originally designated and painted up as CML 011 Sold 1945ML 061Q 061Hunter BoatsOrillia, Ontario3 January 194111 November 194172nd Flotilla – Sydney ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 012 Sold 1945 as Esso ConcordiaML 062Q 062Mac-Craft Ltd.Sarnia, Ontario3 January 194118 April 1942Free French Navy – Newfoundland ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 013 To Free French 1942 as Langlade (V 112), reacquired 1954 as HMCS Wolf, breakwater 2003ML 063Q 063Mac-Craft Ltd.Sarnia, Ontario3 January 194118 April 1942Free French Navy – Newfoundland ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 014 To Free French 1942 as Colombier (V 113), later Cumbrae IIML 064Q 064LeBlanc Shipbuilding Co., J. H.Weymouth, Nova Scotia3 January 194115 May 194272nd Flotilla – Sydney ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 015 Sold 1947 as Six-Four, foundered 1952ML 065Q 065LeBlanc Shipbuilding Co., J. H.Weymouth, Nova Scotia3 January 194115 May 194272nd Flotilla – Sydney ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 016 Sold 1946 as Nadine II, later Audrey A, burnt 1978ML 066Q 066Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd.Vancouver, British Columbia3 January 19413 June 194275th Flotilla – Esquimalt ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 017 Sold 1946 as Earlmar, gone 2010ML 067Q 067Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd.Vancouver, British Columbia3 January 194127 March 194275th Flotilla – Esquimalt ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 018 Sold 1946 as Stranger II, burnt 1966ML 068Q 068A.C. Benson ShipyardVancouver, British Columbia3 January 19417 August 1942Flotilla unknownOriginally designated and painted up as CML 019 Sold 1946 as Salvor, later Marine Freight No. 1, Miss LindaML 069Q 069A.C. Benson ShipyardVancouver, British Columbia3 January 194128 March 194275th Flotilla – Esquimalt ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 020 Sold 1945 as Harwood, Casa Mia, lost in hurricane 1978ML 070Q 070Star Shipyards (Mercer's) Ltd.New Westminster, British Columbia3 January 194114 March 194275th Flotilla – Esquimalt ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 021 Sold 1945 as Machigonne, later Gulf Ranger, Coast Ranger, Saracen III, Lahaina Lady, Noble Lady, activeML 071Q 071Star Shipyards (Mercer's) Ltd.New Westminster, British Columbia3 January 194115 April 194275th Flotilla – Esquimalt Force (SO)Originally designated and painted up as CML 022 Sold 1946 as Gulf Wing, later Troubadour III, Nimpkish Princess, Northland Princess, Kona Winds, Knight Time II, sank 2015ML 072Q 072Grew Boats Ltd.Penetanguishene, Ontario3 January 194124 November 194173rd Flotilla – New Brunswick Force (SO)Originally designated and painted up as CML 023 Sold 1945ML 073Q 073Grew Boats Ltd.Penetanguishene, Ontario3 January 194124 November 194173rd Flotilla – New Brunswick ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 024 Sold 1945ML 074Q 074Minett-Shields, Ltd.Bracebridge ON22 July 194126 May 194277th Flotilla – Halifax M.L. ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 025 Sold 1945 as Aloma III, later Terra MarML 075Q 075Minett-Shields, Ltd.Bracebridge, Ontario22 July 194122 June 194273rd Flotilla – New Brunswick ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 026 Sold 1945ML 076Q 076Minett-Shields, Ltd.Bracebridge ON22 July 194123 June 194273rd Flotilla – New Brunswick ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 027 Sold 1945ML 077Q 077Greavette Boats Ltd.Gravenhurst, Ontario22 July 19412 June 194273rd Flotilla – New Brunswick ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 028 Sold 1947 as Coastal QueenML 078Q 078Greavette Boats Ltd.Gravenhurst, Ontario22 July 19412 June 194273rd Flotilla – New Brunswick ForceOriginally designated and painted up as CML 029