[1] It remained active until the last minesweepers to wear the "HM Coastal Forces" cap tally were taken out of reserve in 1968.

[2] The Royal Navy had previously operated flotillas of small torpedo- and depth-charge-armed craft (coastal motor boats) during World War I (1914–1918).

[citation needed] Royal Navy Coastal Forces craft operated mainly in the English Channel and North Sea waters.

They were used to attack German convoys and their S-boat (known to the Allies as "E-Boat") escorts, carry out clandestine raids and landings, and pick up secret agents in Norway and Brittany.

Alongside British officers and men, the coastal craft were manned by various Allied nationalities including Dutch, Norwegian, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealanders.

[8] Operating with Coastal Forces officers embarked and responsible for controlling and providing radar support to groups of Coastal Forces' motor torpedo boats intercepting German motor torpedo boats in the North Sea,[9] these frigates were involved in the destruction of at least 26 E-Boats.

Affectionately known as the Royal Navy's "little ships", they fought over 900 actions and sank around 400 enemy vessels, including 48 E-boats and 32 midget submarines.

In 1960, a question was asked in the House of Lords why Coastal Forces had been reduced to a skeleton of three patrol boats and three ships operated by two crews, based at HMS Dolphin in Gosport, when considerable expenditure was made in the 1950s but not followed up, and thus wasted.

In addition, Coastal Forces was invaluable as a means of training young officers, and the development of small ships, often to the benefit of the navies of Britain's allies.

The exhibition shows that, with 3,000 decorations, including four Victoria Crosses, Coastal Forces personnel received more gallantry awards than any other branch of the Royal Navy.

[16] It was also apparent that larger craft were needed as the operational capability of the short boats was too restricted by sea conditions.

Headquartered at HMNB Portsmouth, as of the mid-2020s the In-shore division of the squadron is playing an increasing role in supporting Royal Navy exercises beyond U.K. waters in both the Baltic and the Norwegian Seas.