ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY M
30)ML 1028 (MOTOR LAUNCH)
Image by A. I.
Motor Launch ML 1028 (specifically classified as HDML 1028, a Harbour Defence Motor Launch) was assigned to the 108th Motor Launch Flotilla based at Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Its primary roles and operational history at the strategic West African port included:
Defence and Coastal Patrol: As part of the HDML class, its core mission was to protect the vital anchorages of Freetown. Freetown served as one of the most critical Allied convoy assembly points in the South Atlantic during World War II.
Anti-Submarine and Anti-Infiltration: Armed with depth charges, a 2-pounder or 3-pounder main gun, and anti-aircraft machine guns, vessels like ML 1028 patrolled the harbor entrances to detect and deter German U-boats or covert saboteurs.
Convoy Escort and Local Transit: It assisted in guiding inbound and outbound merchant shipping through local waters, ensuring safe passage through defensively mined areas and shallow channels
Deployment Timeline:
In early 1942, ML 1028 was positioned on the River Clyde in Scotland awaiting freighting. It was subsequently shipped to West Africa to join the rest of the 108th Flotilla, which provided local naval security alongside other coastal forces before the vessel was eventually reassigned to the Mediterranean theatre later in the war.
CHARACTERISTICS
Displacement 46 BRT
Length 72 feet
Complement 10 men
Armament 1 3 pdr (or 2 pdr).
Max speed 12 kts.
Power 300 480 HP
Armament 4 .303 AA (2.2)
