The Fairmile B's strength was an adaptable hull that could change roles quickly. The same boat could serve as a command unit, minesweeper, minelayer, motor torpedo boat, or motor gun boat, and some conversions were said to take no more than 48 hours. That flexibility let a standard coastal craft meet changing operational needs without waiting for a wholly new design. The gun-boat role followed the older logic of the torpedo-boat destroyer: a practical counter to a torpedo boat was a roughly similar or slightly larger vessel with enough rapid-fire guns to overwhelm it.
Notable Point · 27:02-29:16
Fairmile flexibility and the torpedo-boat counter
Fairmile B boats could be adapted between command, mine-warfare, torpedo, and gun-boat roles, illustrating the value of flexible coastal craft.