From the early wooden-walled steamships to coastal destroyers, the fleets of coastal vessels grew to become a major part of the naval armoury. It was the wholesale introduction of the internal combustion engine in the early part of the 20th century that saw the development of fast patrol craft and torpedo boats. These reached their zenith with the Fairmile MTBs of World War II. The first history and directory to look at all of these vessels, Coastal Forces Vessels will become the definitive history of the Navy's small craft.
