In the interval between the first and second test periods the PT-70 was repaired and an effort made to eliminate the causes of the structural failures. Listed in order from bow to stern, they are: Forepeak (Chainlocker), Forward Crew's Quarters/Galley, Officers Wardroom, Forward Tank Room/Head, Engine Room, Aft Tank Room/Head, Aft Crews Quarters and Lazarette . While visiting the British Power Boat Company, they purchased a 70-foot (21m) private venture motor torpedo boat (MTB) design - PV70 - (later renamed PT-9), designed by the power boat racer Hubert Scott-Paine. [48] The other six boats are in various states of disrepair, sunk or scrapped. Now located in a New Jersey boatyard in awaiting restoration.[46]. When these weapons were found to be successful, they were incorporated onto the PT boats as original armament. Their answer was found in the 37mm Oldsmobile M4 aircraft automatic cannon cannibalized from crashed P-39 Airacobra fighter planes on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. The larger punch of the 37mm round was desirable, but the crews looked for something that could fire faster than the single-shot army anti-tank weapon. [3] In February 1915, this Hickman sea sled demonstrated 35kn (65km/h; 40mph) speeds in rough winter seas off Boston to both US and foreign representatives but again, he received no contracts. The stern of the Vosper boat is visible in the footage of that event. PT 48 is the only remaining 77' Elco PT-Boat and a member of the heroic WWII "Mosquito Fleet". Marine Boat. The boats also used a lot of high octane gasoline for their size, making them too expensive to operate for a peacetime navy. In spite of Bulkeley's claim that introduction of the Mark 13 torpedo to PT boats in mid-1943 all but eliminated the early problems that PT boats had with their obsolete Mark 8s,[23] difficulties remained. In the USN they were organized in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons (MTBRONs).[1]. Starting in mid-1943, the old Mark 18 torpedo tubes and Mark 8 torpedoes began to be replaced. PT-305 fairly gleams, all fresh paint with nary a scuff on her gray deck. PT-766 is an 80-foot (24m) Elco boat that is a private yacht ("Finished Business") located in Washington D.C. She represents the final class of Elco's with significant updates to the superstructure and radar and was intended for MTBRON 44, but was cancelled due to the end of the war. PT-596 was one of the last built, entering service in May 1945. One such field modification was made to Kennedy's PT-109, which was equipped with a single-shot Army M3 37mm anti-tank gun that her crew had commandeered; they removed the wheels and lashed it to 2x8 timbers placed on the bow only one night before she was lost. [6] These last two boats were constructed mainly out of aluminum and had 4 engines. The first Higgins boats for the U.S. Navy were used in the battle for the Aleutian Islands (Attu and Kiska) as part of Squadrons 13 and 16, and others (MTBRON15 and MTBRON22) in the Mediterranean against the Germans. Of plywood and mahogany construction, a PT is light yet strong, lightly armored yet strongly armed. A few (one 80' Elco, one 72' Vosper, and three 78' Higgins) were cut up and destroyed between 1998 and 2008, leaving (a known) total of 12 PT boats, and 2 experimental PT boat hulls in various states of repair, surviving today in the U.S.: PT-48 is possibly the last surviving 77-foot (23m) Elco PT boat. [9], Nine boats participated in the trial. Maneuverability unsatisfactory due to inability to reverse outboard engines with a large turning circle of 443 yards (405m). Squadron 22 was operating with the British Royal Navy Coastal Forces, and saw action along the northwest coast of Italy and southern coast of France. Much of this destruction (121 boats) occurred at PT Base 17, on Samar, Philippines, near Bobon Point.[32]. After the war, American military interviews with captured veterans of the Imperial Japanese Navy, supplemented by the available partial Japanese war records, were unable to verify that all the PT boat sinking claims were valid. She was retired from service in the late 1950s. The handcrafted Huckins PT was produced at their civilian facility at a speed of one per month. PT boats were a variety of torpedo-armed fast attack craft used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The Navy would provide engines, and Huckins would build a PT boat at their own expense, with the caveat that the boat (upon completion) would be offered to the Navy for a later sum. After May-2017 repricing for Frosted Materials, these parts had to be sprued to reduce final price. "PT" is the US hull classification symbol for "Patrol Torpedo". Cost to the Government fully equipped $265,500. This second Squadron 3 was the first to arrive in the Solomons and saw heavy engagement with the "Tokyo Express". He named the boat Tarbaby VI, and used her through the 1950s. The boat was serviced and stored by Elco. ELCO 80' PT - 596 TORPEDO BOAT. Very little tendency to pound in a seaway. Back problems stemming from the incident required . The exaggerated claims by Bulkeley about the effectiveness of the PTs in combat against larger craft allowed him to recruit top talent, raise war bonds, and caused overconfidence among squadron commanders who continued to pit PTs against larger craft. During some of these nighttime attacks, PT boat positions may have been given away by a flash of light caused by grease inside the black powder-actuated Mark 8 torpedo tubes catching fire during the launching sequence. Operating personnel reported extreme discomfort and fatigue. Depth measurements are from the plans horizontal base line which is slightly below the lowest part of the planked hull. PT boats were also armed with numerous automatic weapons. When it eventually was delivered and tested in the summer of 1917, it was not deemed a success, so a second boat (C-378) of the sea sled design was ordered from Hickman in either late 1917 or early 1918 (conflicting dates). A hangar-style indoor display houses the Elco PT boat (PT-617) and Higgins PT boat (PT-796). All boats suffered from some sort of structural failure: forward chine guards ripped away, bottom framing under bows broken, side planking cracked [indicating lack of longitudinal strength], and other weaknesses. Lt. As the war went on, the PT boats also lightened their torpedo load and increased t Continue Reading 8 Sponsored by PureCare Knee Protector This gun was served by a crew of 4 men, and was used against aircraft targets, as well as shore bombardment or enemy surface craft. PT 109 boat model. PT-486, an 80-foot (24m) Elco boat, was placed in service on 2 December 1943. It was subsequently upgraded in stages to 1,500hp (1,100kW), allowing a designed speed of 41 knots (76km/h). Holding all this together were thousands of bronze screws and copper rivets. Again, it is true to the original and is just the right amount of custom to make your jaw drop, along with the custom teak floor. The first three of the new design (PT-95 through PT-97) were initially kept in the Jacksonville area for testing, resulting in several important modifications to the overall design (these boats were later assigned to Squadron 4 in 1942). PT-309 is restored (but non-operational) in a static diorama display without engines installed. A Higgins Class PT Boat (Based mostly off the PT-658) This is the fruit of my labor since 1.0.5's release (also doubles as a early Christmas present for some), smashing personal records by clocking in at 678 parts, with a complete detailed stock interior while being able to scream past at (35 m/s) 68 knots at it's top speed (with the Panther engine . As more PTs were fitted with dependable radar, they developed superior night-fighting tactics and used them to locate and destroy many enemy targets. Elco competed for the, Other PT boats gaining fame during the war were. During World War II, Vospers of Great Britain arranged for several boatyards in the United States to build British-designed 70ft (21m) motor torpedo boats under license to help the war effort. Packard's licensed manufacture of the famed Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engine alongside the marine 4M-2500 has long been a source of confusion. During World War I Italy, the US, and UK developed the first high-performance gasoline-powered motor torpedo boats (often with top speeds over 40kn (74km/h)) and corresponding torpedo tactics, but these projects were all quickly disbanded after the Armistice. She was acquired by Fleet Obsolete in June 2008 and moved to Kingston, New York, for possible restoration. Date October 1981 The design was enlarged and modified to meet the new requirements. [5] The second UK built boat is in private hands, floating on a canal north of London and being used as a private residence, though it is remarkably intact in its World War II configuration. The first class was for 54-foot (16m) boats, and the second class was for 70-foot (21m) boats. So here are a few more of my collection. Cost to the Government fully equipped $302,100. Although their primary mission continued to be attack on surface ships and craft, PT boats were also used effectively to lay mines and smoke screens, coordinate in air-sea rescue operations, rescue shipwreck survivors, destroy Japanese suicide boats, destroy floating mines, and carry out intelligence or raider operations. This article is about US Navy patrol torpedo boats in World War II. The Bofors cannon had a firing rate of 120 rounds/min (using 4-round clips) and had a range of 5,420 yards (4,960m). [16][17] Another automatic weapon commonly mounted on PT boats was the 20mm Oerlikon cannon. Those are:[9]. Lieutenant Kennedy was the first commanding officer of PT-59 after its conversion. Her deck house was reconfigured to partially resemble an 80-foot (24m) Elco instead of its original Vosper 70ft configuration. Maneuverability satisfactory with a turning circle of 368 yards. The winning design proposals would each receive a prize of $15,000 with $1500 for designs that reached the final part of the competition each to be given out on 30 March 1939. However, subsequent additions of weaponry offset this potential increase in top speed. These first generation torpedo boats rode low in the water, displaced up to 300 tons, and had a top speed of 25 to 27kn (46 to 50km/h). The Canadian Power Boat Company produced four Scott-Paine designed PTs for the U.S. Some boats carried a 20mm (0.79in) Oerlikon cannon. In my humble opinion US PT-Boats and crews operating before and during WWII around Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and many other Pacific island groups, did more damage to the Japanese military supply chain than anything else to save Australia from probable invasion and there is almost zero history of those events recorded Propulsion was via a trio of Packard 4M-2500 and later 5M-2500 supercharged gasoline-fueled, liquid-cooled V-12 marine engines. PT-658 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.[43]. Designers are involved from the early stages of the design process, even on production boats. By the war's end, most PTs had these weapons. The accelerometers ranked the boats as follows: first was the Philadelphia Navy Yard PT-8 with the least pounding, second was the Huckins PT-69, third was the Higgins PT-6, and last were the Elco 77-footers. PT-615, an 80-foot (24m) Elco originally assigned to MTBRON 42, was commissioned after the war ended. The overall result was an extremely light and strong hull which could be easily repaired at the front lines when battle damage was sustained. These torpedoes and tubes were replaced in mid-1943 by four lightweight 22.5-inch-diameter (570mm) Mark 13 torpedoes, which weighed 2,216 pounds (1,005kg) and contained a 600-pound (270kg) Torpex-filled warhead. U.S. Navy PTs were eventually fitted with Raytheon SO radar, which had about a 17nmi (20mi; 31km) range. PT-796 ("Tail Ender") is a 78-foot (24m) Higgins. PT-21 suffered minor cracks in the deck in the same location, but not to the same extent, as previously observed in PT-26, PT-30, and PT-33. During this trial, boats faced heavier seas, as high as 16ft (4.9m). In 1922, the US Navy reconsidered using small internal combustion engine powered torpedo boats. Tug Boats. PT Boat PT-658 Deck Tour and Interior Tour shows details and closeups of all weapons and equipment on board. Unlike the actual "planing hull" Huckins, which planed at 10-11 knots, the Elco and Higgins PT boats were intended to plane at higher speeds (PT 71 and PT-103 classes at around 27 knots, and the PT-265 and 625 classes at around 23 knots). The Admiralty representative for this sea sled demonstration was Lieutenant G.C.E. Many PT boats became famous during and after World War II: According to the book "At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy"[30] 99 of the 531 PT boats that served during World War II were lost to various causes. Wood Boats. PT-3 was designed by George Crouch and employed lightweight planing hull construction methods. This 72-foot (22m) boat (designated MT-72) later became PT-69. The 691 P boat is boathouse kept and the work continues at the current time with the gun carriages for the two twin .50 cal gun turrets under construction and as well, the interior accommodation continues to go forward. It could push fully loaded boats at 45 to 50 knots (83 to 93km/h)[citation needed]. While serviceable naval vessels in their own right, the group lacked the performance and capabilities that the USN sought. Wooden Boat Building. The smaller boat proposal was to weigh no more than 20 tons so that it could be easily transported by larger cargo ships. 58 footers Prototypes. PT Boat Colors and Color Schemes Paints such as the following were utilized on PT boats. The shallow depth meant Allied destroyers were unable to follow them due to the risk of running aground and the barges could be protected by an umbrella of shore batteries. By war's end, more of the Elco boats were built (326 in all) than any other type of motor torpedo boat. [47] All of these boats are now retired from naval use, with two still in civil use today as sightseeing boats on Mar del Plata: the Leonardo da Vinci and the Mar de la Plata. The quality of the restoration was extremely high, and the boat is on display inside a weatherproof building, on blocks out of the water. Carrollton: Squadron Signal, 1994. The primary anti-ship armament was two to four Mark 8 torpedoes, which weighed 2,600 pounds (1,179kg) and contained a 466-pound (211kg) TNT warhead. Relaunched after hull restoration from 1995 to 2005,[41] it is located at Pier 308, Vigor Shipyard in Portland, Oregon's Swan Island Lagoon. Elco PT Boat: 80 Feet of Wood and Weaponry Weapons & Gear Manual Elco PT Boat: 80 Feet of Wood and Weaponry Of the nearly 400 fast, light and heavily armed patrol boats Elco made for the U.S. Navy during World War II, a few achieved notoriety and one survives today as a museum ship. In early July 1941, the Navy accepted PT-69. SKILL 5. The boat is owned by PT Boats, Inc., a World War II PT veterans organization headquartered in Germantown, Tennessee. One captured Japanese soldier's diary described their fear of PT boats by describing them as "the monster that roars, flaps its wings, and shoots torpedoes in all directions."[27]. As a result, the Navy ordered further investigation and refinement of the existing designs until a satisfactory working design could be obtained. The population was thrust willingly into a role of background support for the troops fighting overseas. Initially, only a few boats were issued primitive radar sets. For other similar vessels, see, United States naval ship classes of World War II, Board of Inspection and Survey's findings. Improvements upon Packard's World War I Liberty L-12 2A engine, the successive "M" for "marine" designated 3M-2500, 4M-2500, and 5M-2500 generations all featured slight changes and more power. The boat was restored by a group of 12 WW2 PT Boat veterans. Shortly after her retirement from service, the PT-796 was used as a float during President John F. Kennedy's inaugural parade to represent PT-109, with the PT-109 hull number painted on the bow, and several of PT-109's surviving crew members manning the boat. With its stylish look, cold molded cabins, reverse S bend stem, it was one of the first successful . Huckins reported a profit of $28.60 on this transaction.[7]. The Huckins withdrew due to bilge stringer failure. Elco boats were found to pound heavily and confirmed previous reports of crew discomfort. Other paints were used as well, and as soon as I find their nomenclature and corresponding numbers, I will post them here. PT-69 and PT-21 experienced structural failures during the second run though these were much more localized as compared with those found on PT-70. However, during the second endurance run, which was made in a very rough sea for this size boat, structural failures again occurred in PT-70. 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