How did German R-boats fare against heavily armed Fairmile D Dog Boats?
Short answerThey seldom met on equal terms because the Royal Navy often concentrated larger mixed flotillas against smaller German groups.
NotesThese actions were seldom balanced design contests. German groups often operated with three or four boats, while British forces could arrive with eight to ten. Royal Navy flotillas also mixed Dog Boats with Vospers or Fairmile Cs so that different craft contributed guns, torpedoes, endurance, and numbers. The outcome depended on force concentration and flotilla cooperation as much as on any one boat's specifications.