What kind of officers and ratings were assigned to Royal Navy motor gun boats?
Short answerThey combined junior officers with experienced chiefs, technical ratings for weapons and sensors, and crews focused mainly on gunnery and machinery.
NotesA typical command pairing used junior officers, often lieutenants and sometimes wartime-only commissions, with one expected to moderate the other's aggression. Experienced chiefs kept the machinery and weapons functioning. Specialist ratings handled sonar, radio, radar, torpedoes, and gunnery, with assistants supporting them. The remaining sailors concentrated on the guns and engine room. Even a small coastal craft depended on a carefully balanced technical and command team.