Headline production comparisons depend on what historians count as a motor torpedo boat. The wider Fairmile family may outnumber Elco's PT boats, even though many Fairmile B boats are classified through mixed duties rather than a single torpedo role. American PT boats served mainly as offensive craft, while British Fairmiles were often part of a defensive coastal system. Some Fairmiles carried far more depth charges than torpedoes because anti-submarine work was central to their employment. Doctrine and classification can therefore reshape an apparently simple production statistic.
Notable Point · 56:05-57:36
Why Elco and Fairmile production totals are hard to compare
Claims that Elco built more motor torpedo boats than anyone else depend on how mixed-role Fairmile craft are classified.