Harbor Defense Motor Launches (HDML)

Most recent update: January 11, 2017.

The HDML was a 72-foot, 54-ton, 12-knot, wooden launch, developed in Britain.  In total, 486 were built in boatyards in a remarkable range of countries.  U.S. yards built 70, as tabulated below, all for export under the Lend-Lease program, for Britain, Australia and New Zealand.  Most were returned after the war and re-transferred to other countries, but quite a few were sold for private use: if anyone has any information on what ultimately happened to these boats, please send it to timcolton@aol.com
Original Number Boatbuilder Location Built for Del'y. Disposition
Q 1171 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 11-Dec-42 Returned 1947
Q 1172 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 16-Dec-42  Returned 1947
Q 1173 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 7-Jan-43  Returned 1947
Q 1174 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 16-Jan-43  Returned 1947
Q 1175 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 12-Feb-43  Returned 1947
Q 1176 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 12-Feb-43  Returned 1947
Q 1177 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 12-Feb-43  Returned 1947
Q 1178 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 12-Feb-43  Returned 1947
Q 1179 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 4-Mar-43  Destroyed by hurricane in Jamaica 21-Aug-44
Q 1180 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 4-Mar-43  Returned 1947
Q 1181 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 23-Mar-43  Returned 1947
Q 1182 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 23-Mar-43  Returned 1947
Q 1183 Madden, Lewis Sausalito CA RNZN 6-Mar-43  Later Cook 1948, Maori (P-3551) 1949, to FPS as Mako 1956, sold 1976
Q 1184 Madden, Lewis Sausalito CA RNZN 9-Mar-43  Later Philomel 1948, P-3552 1950, to FPS as Paea 1954, sold 1985
Q 1185 Madden, Lewis Sausalito CA RNZN 6-Apr-43  To RNZA as Bombardier 1946, to RNZN as Manga (P-3567) 1959, sold 1981, abandoned
Q 1186 Madden, Lewis Sausalito CA RNZN 22-Apr-43  Sold 1947
Q 1187 Everett-Pacific SB Everett WA RNZN 13-May-43  To RNZCG 1946, to RNZN  as P-3566 1951, later Maori 1955, Mako 1979, sold 1984 as Tarapunga, burnt 2014
Q 1188 Everett-Pacific SB Everett WA RNZN 13-May-43  Later P-3556 1950, later Philomel 1955, Takupu 1955, Kahawai 1979, sold 1984
Q 1189 Everett-Pacific SB Everett WA RNZN 13-May-43  Sold 1946 as Alert
Q 1190 Everett-Pacific SB Everett WA RNZN 21-Jun-43  Later P-3562 1950, later Olphert 1956, Parore 1967
Q 1191 Grays Harbor SB Aberdeen WA RNZN 28-Sep-43  Later Tarnaki (P-3553) 1950, to FPS as Kahawai 1966, sold 1982, burnt 1997
Q 1192 Grays Harbor SB Aberdeen WA RNZN 28-Sep-43  Later Irirangi (P-3554) 1950, Maroro 1964, sold 1972, wrecked 1982 in Fiji
Q 1193 Grays Harbor SB Aberdeen WA RNZN 28-Sep-43  Later P-3555 1950, Viti 1955, Ngapona 1959, Tamure 1967, sold 1973
Q 1194 Grays Harbor SB Aberdeen WA RNZN 28-Sep-43  Later Ngapona 1948, P-3561 1950, stranded and broken up 1957
Q 1205 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN 1944 To Burma 1946
Q 1206 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN 1945 To Burma 1946
Q 1207 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN   Cancelled
Q 1208 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN   Cancelled
Q 1338 Leek & Sons Leektown NJ RAN 31-May-42  Sold 1949
Q 1339 Leek & Sons Leektown NJ RAN 15-Jun-44  Sold 1946
Q 1340 Sussex Thorsen Ellsworth ME RAN 1-Sep-45  Sold 1949
Q 1341 Sussex Thorsen Ellsworth ME RAN 12-May-45  Sold 1949
Q 1342 Sussex Thorsen Ellsworth ME RAN 6-Jan-45  Sold 1949
Q 1343 Sussex Thorsen Ellsworth ME RAN 31-Dec-44  Sold 1949
Q 1344 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN Sep-45  Sold 1949
Q 1345 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN May-45  Sold 1949
Q 1346 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN 6-Jan-45  Sold 1949
Q 1347 Truscott Boat St. Joseph MI RN 31-Dec-44  Sold 1949
Q 1348 Ackerman BW Newport Beach FL RNZN 4-Mar-44  Later P-3563 1950, Pegasus 1956, Kuparu 1967, Toroa 1968, sold as Haku 2002
Q 1349 Ackerman BW Newport Beach FL RNZN 4-Mar-44  Later P-3565 1950, Wakefield 1956, Haku 1964, sold 19?? as Black Watch
Q 1350 Ackerman BW Newport Beach FL RNZN 27-Mar-44  Later P-3564 1950, Toroa 1950, Koura 1967, to Paeroa 1984 for museum
Q 1351 Ackerman BW Newport Beach FL RNZN 15-Mar-44  Sold 1947, Aotearoa 1951, Pakatoa 1965
Q 1352 Freeport SY Freeport NY RAN 12-May-44  Sold 1949
Q 1353 Freeport SY Freeport NY RAN 18-Oct-44  Sold 1949
Q 1354 Freeport SY Freeport NY RAN 11-Dec-44  Sold 1949
Q 1355 Freeport SY Freeport NY RAN 11-Dec-44  Sold 1949
Q 1356 Elscot BW City Island NY RAN 20-Dec-44  Sold 1949
Q 1357 Elscot BW City Island NY RAN 4-Nov-44  Sold 1949
Q 1358 Elscot BW City Island NY RAN 21-Oct-44  Sold 1949
Q 1359 Elscot BW City Island NY RAN 22-Sep-44  Sold 1949
Q 1360 John & Assoc. Rye NY RN 25-Oct-43  Later FDB 28, returned 1947
Q 1361 John & Assoc. Rye NY RN 22-Dec-43  Later FDB 29, returned 1947
Q 1362 John & Assoc. Rye NY RN 21-Nov-43  Later FDB 30, returned 1947
Q 1363 John & Assoc. Rye NY RN 15-Feb-44 Later FDB 31, returned 1947
Q 1364 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 20-Jul-43  Returned 1947
Q 1365 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 9-Oct-43  Returned 1947
Q 1366 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 27-Oct-43  Returned 1947
Q 1367 Dodge Boat & Plane Newport News VA RN 27-Oct-43  Returned 1947
Q 1440 Hiltebrant DD Kingston NY RN 29-Mar-45  Later FDB 15, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Poema (RP-117)
Q 1441 Hiltebrant DD Kingston NY RN 20-Apr-45  Later FDB 16, returned 1945, sold 1946 as Buccaneer, scrapped 1963
Q 1442 Hiltebrant DD Kingston NY RN 20-Apr-45  Later FDB 17, returned 1945, sold 1948 as Flo-Ja-Lis, to El Salvador 1950 as GC-1
Q 1443 Hiltebrant DD Kingston NY RN 1-Jun-45  Later FDB 18, returned 1945, sold 1948 as Dragon Lady, Surveyor II 1970, Par Five 1972, Dragon Lady 1978
Q 1444 Freeport SY Freeport NY RN 26-Apr-45  Later FDB 19, returned 1945, sold 1947 as Glenmore, Orion 1954, Midnight II 1964
Q 1445 Freeport SY Freeport NY RN 6-Apr-45  Later FDB 20, returned 1945
Q 1446 Freeport SY Freeport NY RN 1945  Later FDB 21, returned 1945
Q 1447 Adams YY Quincy MA RN 16-Dec-44  Returned 1946
Q 1448 Adams YY Quincy MA RN 1-Jan-45  Returned 1946, sold 1950 as Jebo, Coweta II 1952, Highlander 1955
Q 1449 Adams YY Quincy MA RN 17-Mar-45  Later FDB 32, returned 1946, to the Netherlands 1946 as Tijge (RP-118), to Indonesia 1950
Q 1450 Harris & Parsons East Greenwich CT RN 4-Jan-45  Later FDB 11, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Dingo (RP-113)
Q 1451 Harris & Parsons East Greenwich CT RN 26-Mar-45  Later FDB 22, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Wolf (RP-109), to Indonesia 1950
Q 1452 Harris & Parsons East Greenwich CT RN 19-Apr-45  Later FDB 23, returned 1945, sold 1945 as Estrellita, Nohaba III 1948, to El Salvador 1951 as GC-2
Q 1453 Perkins & Vaughan Wickford RI RN 24-Jan-45  Later FDB 12, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Bever (RP-110)
Q 1454 Perkins & Vaughan Wickford RI RN 13-Mar-45  Later FDB 24, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Luipaard (RP-114), to Indonesia 1950
Q 1455 Perkins & Vaughan Wickford RI RN 2-Apr-45  Later FDB 25, returned 1945
Q 1472 Huckins Yachts Jacksonville FL RN 13-Mar-45  Later FDB 13, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Marter (RP-111), to Indonesia 1950
Q 1473 Huckins Yachts Jacksonville FL RN 17-Jan-45  Later FDB 14, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Wezel (RP-112), to Indonesia 1950
Q 1474 Huckins Yachts Jacksonville FL RN 17-Mar-45  Later FDB 26, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Leeuw (RP-116)
Q 1475 Huckins Yachts Jacksonville FL RN 17-Mar-45  Later FDB 27, returned 1945, to the Netherlands 1946 as Bizon (RP-115)