ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY M
31)ML 1041 (MOTOR LAUNCH)
Image by A. I.
Motor Launch ML 1041 (classified as HDML 1041, a Harbour Defence Motor Launch) was assigned to the 104th Motor Launch Flotilla. Commissioned on May 29, 1941, the vessel played a critical role in the maritime defense of West Africa during World War II.
Its primary roles and movements associated with the Freetown Strategic Command included:
1. Convoy Security & Harbour Defence
Freetown, Sierra Leone, served as one of the most vital Allied convoy assembly hubs in the South Atlantic. ML 1041 was originally sent from Greenock, Scotland in mid-1941 to bolster the area's defense infrastructure. Its objective was protecting merchant shipping from German U-boats trying to disrupt trade routes.
2. Forward Operations at Takoradi
While based under the broader West Africa regional command centered around Freetown, individual boats of the 104th Flotilla were dispersed to secure surrounding colonial ports. By January 1942, ML 1041 was primarily forward-deployed to Takoradi (in modern-day Ghana).
From this station, it engaged in:
Anti-Submarine Sweeps: Historical operational logs record ML 1041 actively hunting enemy threats. For instance, on November 5, 1942, it sailed alongside a combined task force (including HMS Bengali) to hunt an enemy submarine reported by a Catalina reconnaissance aircraft outside Takoradi.
Coastal Escorts: Guiding regional supply transports and merchant navy forces safely through the volatile waters between Lagos, Takoradi, and Freetown.
3. Return and Final Incidents at Freetown
As the war progressed and regional duties shifted, the launch operated closer to its primary command base. In July 1944, while operating off the coast of Freetown, ML 1041 was severely damaged by an accidental onboard fire. It survived the incident but spent the remaining months of the war sidelined before eventually being put up for disposal in mid-1945.
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)
