Romanian MTBs
MTB 20-23 were 71-foot MTBs being constructed by Vospers Ltd for the Royal Navy. On 2 August 1939, the Admiralty decided to place MTBs 20, 21 and 23 at the disposal of Vospers, who intended to sell them to Romania.
MTB 20 and 21 had not yet completed their acceptance trials, however MTB 23 had already been commissioned for service in the 3rd MTB Flotilla on 7 July 1939, and she was paid off on 4 August 1939 for handing back to Vospers.
Article 22 of LNT36 specified that “No High Contracting Party shall, by gift, sale or any mode of transfer, dispose of any of his surface vessels of war or submarines in such a manner that such vessel may become a surface vessel of war or a submarine in any foreign navy.” As MTB 23 had been commissioned as a vessel of war in the Royal Navy, this provision applied to her, and she could not legally be sold to Romania. The Admiralty were aware of this restriction, and on 18 July 1939 had proposed that an alternative MTB being constructed by Thornycroft be transferred instead, or a new boat constructed by Vospers for Romania. It would appear no action was taken on this proposal, and the sale of MTB 23 continued unhindered. What appears to be a clear intention to violate LNT36 was only prevented by the passage of time. The contract for the sale of the three boats to Romania was not finalised until 21 December 1939, and the boats did not commission into the Royal Romanian Navy until 16 February 1940, by which time Britain’s obligations under LNT36 had been suspended due to the outbreak of WW2.