Brave Class Fast Attack Craft

Built by Vospers at Portchester, Brave Swordsman and Brave Borderer were the last operational fast attack craft built for the Royal Navy and entered service to ensure that experience and skills related to Coastal Forces survived. Their design was developed in the mid-1950s from early experience gained with the Bold Class Fast Attack Craft and was based around the inclusion of the Bristol Siddeley Proteus gas turbines. Although only two were constructed for the Royal Navy, further units of a simplified export design were subsequently built for the navies of West Germany, Denmark, Greece, Malaysia, Brunei and Libya and the design later formed the basis of the Royal Navy's Scimitar Class Fast Training Craft.

The Brave Class were fitted with two small Rover auxiliary gas-turbine turbogenerators and were powered by three Bristol Proteus gas turbines, each with a 3,500 horsepower. They were developed from engines used in the Britannia aircraft and ensured that Brave Swordsman and Brave Borderer were the fastest warships in the world- they had a cruising speed of 40 knots and a maximum speed of 52 knots and were highly maneuverable. The Brave Class had a standard displacement of 89 tons, a deep load displacement of 114 tons and measured 98ft in length, 25ft in beam and 7ft in draught. The beam was relatively large in order to position all three turbines next to each other. Accommodation was available for a complement consisting of three officers, three petty officers and sixteen ratings.

The two vessels could be configured as Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) or Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) - they could carry either one 40mm Bofor gun, four 21" torpedoes and two small depth charges or two 40mm Bofor guns and two 21" torpedoes. They had originally been intended to carry a 3.3-inch gun in a forward turrets, but trials on Bold Pioneer had proven unsuccessful.

With the disbanding of Coastal Forces the Brave Class had lost their principle role but remained in service in a training capacity. Brave Swordsman and Brave Borderer both decommissioned in 1970 and spent many years as targets at the Aberporth range prior to sale.

Craft	Pennant	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Accepted
Brave Borderer	P1011	Vospers (Porchester)		Janauary 7th 1958	January 26th 1960
Brave Swordsman	P1012	Vospers (Porchester)		May 22nd 1958	July 20th 1960

Above: HMS Brave Borderer (P1011) at speed. She is armed as a Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB), carrying four 21" torpedoes (two either side of the superstructure) and a single 40mm gun (mounted forward).

Craft	History
Brave Borderer	Upon acceptance in 1970 Brave Borderer was attached to Coastal Forces Trials at HMS Dolphin, Gosport. In August 1962 she joined the Fishery Protection Squadron. She decommissioned on April 2nd 1970 and spent two years laid up, first at Hythe and then at Portsmouth. In 1972 she was taken to Pembroke Dock for service as a target on the Aberporth range. She was sold in 1982.
Brave Swordsman	Upon acceptance in 1960 Brave Swordsman was attached to Coastal Forces Trials at HMS Dolphin, Gosport. Laid up at Hythe in 1970 and then at Portsmouth in 1972. Taken in 1972 to Pembroke Dock for service as a target on the Aberporth range. Sold in 1979 for preservation. In November 1998 Ships Monthly reported that Brave Swordsman had be scrapped by H.J Pounds of Portsmouth earlier that year.

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