Motor torpedo boats descended from spar-torpedo craft, while motor gunboats filled the role once assigned to torpedo-boat destroyers. The distinction was primarily the principal weapon carried on broadly comparable fast hulls. An MTB concentrated on torpedoes with a lighter defensive gun fit, while an MGB exchanged torpedo striking power for guns intended to defeat other coastal craft. Fairmile and Vosper examples show how displacement and armament changed even when the boats occupied the same tactical family. A craft's actual weapon fit mattered more than its label when defining its role.
Notable Point · 17:42-20:07
Motor torpedo boats versus motor gunboats
The distinction between MTB and MGB designs rests mainly on whether torpedoes or a heavier gun battery supplies the craft's principal attack.