ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY M
35)ML 1052 (MOTOR LAUNCH)
Image by A. I.
ML 1052 was a Harbour Defence Motor Launch (HDML) constructed by Morgan Giles that served in the Royal Navy's 104th Motor Flotilla during World War II.
Freighted from Greenock to West Africa in mid-1941, it spent the duration of the war based at the strategic port of Freetown, Sierra Leone, before being put up for disposal there in January 1946.
As an HDML operating out of Freetown, its primary military roles included:
Harbour and Coastal Patrol:Securing the vital shipping lanes, anchorage areas, and approaches to Freetown Harbor against surface infiltration.
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW):Guarding the harbor entry against Axis submarines, underwater vehicles, or combat swimmers using its onboard ASDIC (sonar) equipment and a payload of eight depth charges.
Convoy Escort and Protection: Escorting local coastal convoys and reinforcing local defense networks along the West African coast alongside other coastal forces.
Defensive Picket Duty: Acting as an armed visual sentry utilizing its light armament—typically consisting of a 3-pounder main gun, twin Lewis machine guns, and a 20mm Oerlikon cannon—to identify or deter threats
