[Llarry]

Some pages ago @Lady Jane asked me what the difference between the various sizes of combatant ships was and I discussed cruisers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes. Those are all ocean-going ships, but even smaller in size are fast attack craft (FAC) used by many navies. The motor torpedo boat (MTB; PT boat in American parlance) or motor gunboat (MGB) are good examples and there are a number of navies that still use FAC. More usually these days the weapon of choice for a FAC is the antiship missile.

The German Navy called FACs "Schnellboot" which is appropriate since they are invariably speedy little ships.

Here's a textbook example of a fast attack craft: The German Navy Type 143A Gepard class Schnellboot. A 76mm gun forward, four launch tubes for Exocet antiship missiles (range 20+ miles) and anti-aircraft capability in the form of a short-range Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher aft (the same launcher frequently seen on U.S. and allied navy ships.) The ten ships of the Type 143A class were built in the 1980s and retired about 6-10 years ago, leaving the German Navy without schnellboot for the first time. Two went to Ghana. Note that the hull number of this ship is P6122, where P = patrol. As opposed to F for frigate and corvette.

Some particulars other than armament:
390 ton displacement
57.6 m (189') long
7.8 m (25.6') beam
2.6 m (8.5') draft
4 Diesels/13,200 hp for 40 knots
Crew of 36

Considering the restricted waters that the German Navy had to defend in the 1980s, this type of combatant makes good sense. With the end of the Cold War, retirement of these makes good sense, too.