| RMLs (Rescue Motor Launches) were introduced by the Royal Navy's Coastal Forces branch in the spring of 1942 to extend ASR (Air-Sea Rescue) cover of the North Sea and English Channel which, up till then, had depended mainly on the small fast launches (HSLs) of the RAF Marine branch and, often, by the volunteer civilian crews of the Lifeboat Service. Their arrival was timely, with the first operational flotillas in place when the RAF launched the initial thousand bomber raid on Germany, signalling its intention of intensifying the air offensive that would contine until the end of the war and would soon be joined by the 8th USAAF. RMLs did not have the speed of the HSLs, but they had a much greater range and, though wet and uncomfortable for the crews and with its own possible dangers, stood up to severe weather conditions that the HSLs were never designed to endure. They had Royal Navy crews and operated under local RN Commands, though in close liaison with the RAF and the 8th USAAF. Boats were a version of the Fairmile Marine "B" design which were already carrying out a variety of duties, including coastal convoy escorts, minesweeping and anti-Eboat and anti-Uboat patrols. They were of wood construction, assembled in peacetime boatyards from prefabricated components produced by woodworking plants iinland. To crews, it was made clear that, while nominally warships, theirs was to be a humanitarian role with no discrimination between friend and foe in distress. To make the point, decks were bright yellow for easy recognition from the air but also with the hope that it might be accepted, as the Red Cross was supposed to be in wartime, as indicating a non-belligerant purpose. Unfortunately, it did not take long to find out that yellow decks were no guarantee of immunity from attack and they were repainted grey. However, the original concept of non-belligerance remained and crews were recommended not to pick a fight but to be ready to retaliate at once if attacked. So, armament was for defence, mainly against aircraft, which were thought to pose the greatest threat. Again there had to be a change from the original thinking because, with some searches taking boats uncomfortably close to the enemy coast, the risk of attack from surface craft was just as likely as from the air. Some of the anti-aircraft armament was replaced with a heavier weapon. Now, no longer hoping for special consideration because of having yellow decks, boats could be used freely for anti-Eboat and anti-submarine patrols as well as continuing with ASR duties. But by the end of 1943, with the 8th USAAF now adding its weight to the ongoing RAF offensive, giving the enemy no respite day or night, the RMLs returned to full-time ASR duty round the clock. The method of operation was for boats to be stationed beneath the bombers' flightpath and remain there in whatever the condition until the appropriate Command had assessed details of aircraft safely returned, those known to be missing and, if not already known, those whose crews might be somewhere drifting in a dinghy. Where there was a known or possible ditching, the nearest RML would be sent to search the area, sometimes patrolling through the night to be able to resume the search when a new day dawned. For the RMLs there were many frustrations and disappointments when searches proved abortive, but despite these, many hundreds of lives were saved in quite difficult conditions, which helped to restore the balance. |
| RESCUE MOTOR LAUNCHES By Don Macintosh |
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| Click here to read the rest of Don's RML history and see the statistics on RMLs. |