Manned largely by reservists, these 110-foot long wooden hulled warships were the unsung heroes of WWII. Mounting a 3in. gun forward and two heavy machine guns amidships and twin depth-charge racks at the stern and with a crew of just 30 they performed critical tasks for the Navy everywhere: leading landing craft right up to the assault on the beaches, protecting them from enemy fire, fighting off air attacks, sweeping for mines and laying smoke screens. Her ability to seek and destroy submarines was enhanced by the powerful twin 500hp diesels and, near her bow were mounted a deadly twin rack array of launchers known as 'mousetraps' which were capable of hurling eight fast sinking, contact-firing projectiles 200 yards ahead to rupture the pressure hulls of enemy submarines.