Vosper built the 70-foot motor torpedo boat 102 as a private venture. Whether it was the original Vosper is disputed, with its claim resting on being the first to do useful work. By Dunkirk it was among the fastest British craft available, while many boats ordered in 1939 were still under construction. Their small hulls did not make production quick because high-performance engines were a major bottleneck. Fighter aircraft needed the same class of engines. A few naval craft received Merlin, Griffon, or Napier Sabre powerplants, but those installations remained exceptional.
Notable Point · 19:29-21:22
A Vosper private venture meets an engine bottleneck
Vosper's privately financed 70-foot boat was fast and available at Dunkirk, but competition with fighter production for powerful engines slowed the wider coastal-craft programme.