what does the pt stand for in pt boat
Patrol Torpedo
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PT boat A PT boat (short for "patrol torpedo boat") was a torpedo-armed fast attack craft used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the war by ineffective torpedoes, limited armament, and comparatively fragile construction that limited some of the variants to coastal waters. The PT boat was very different from the first generation of torpedo boat, which had been developed at the end of the 19th century and featured a displacement hull form. These first generation torpedo
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 PT-109 was a PT boat (patrol torpedo boat) last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy (future U.S. President), in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Kennedy's actions to save his surviving crew after the sinking of "PT-109" made him a war hero. "PT-109"s collision contributed to Kennedy's long-term back problems and required months of hospitalization at Chelsea Naval hospital. Kennedy's post-war campaigns for elected office referred to his service on the "PT-109". "PT-109" belonged to the "PT-103" class, hundreds of which were completed between 1942 and 1945, by Elco, in Bayonne, New Jersey.
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tourists. "PT-109" was also a subject of toy, plastic and radio control model ships in the 1960s, familiar to boys who grew up as baby boomers. It was still a popular Revell "PT-109" (model) kit in the . Hasbro also released a "PT-109" edition John F. Kennedy G.I. Joe action figure, dressed in Navy khakis with a miniature version of the famous coconut shell. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 PT-109 was a PT boat (patrol torpedo boat) last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy (future U.S. President), in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Kennedy's actions to save
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
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PT boat A PT boat (short for "patrol torpedo boat") was a torpedo-armed fast attack craft used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the war by ineffective torpedoes, limited armament, and comparatively fragile construction that limited some of the variants to coastal waters. The PT boat was very different from the first generation of torpedo boat, which had been developed at the end of the 19th century and featured a displacement hull form. These first generation torpedo
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who called them "the yachts". Lindsay Lord, a commander in the United States Navy who was stationed in Hawaii during the war, examines wartime PT boat design in his "Naval Architecture of Planing Hulls" and records the Navy's planing hull research and findings. This is the most complete source of information on PT boat hull design and construction, and provides hull test data as well as detailed analysis and comparisons of the various PT boat designs. U.S. Navy Technical Specifications of the Huckins PT Boat (Patrol Torpedo) Motorized Torpedo Fast Boat: Crew: 11 Length: 78 ft (23.77 m) Beam: 19.6
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23, 1943: It was a patrol torpedo (PT) boat used for training while Kennedy was an instructor at Melville. He then led three Huckins PT boats—"PT-98", "PT-99", and "PT-101", which were being relocated from MTBRON 4 in Melville, Rhode Island, back to Jacksonville, Florida, and the new MTBRON 14 (formed February 17, 1943). During the trip south, he was hospitalized briefly in Jacksonville after diving into the cold water to unfoul a propeller. Thereafter, Kennedy was assigned duty in Panama and later in the Pacific theater, where he eventually commanded two more PT boats. In April 1943, Kennedy was assigned
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-658 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-658" is a "PT-625"-class Higgins PT boat, built for the United States Navy during World War II. "PT-658" is a prime example of US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat development during World War II. "PT-658" was in the last group of four boats delivered from the 36-boat contract NObs-1680, October 1944 for "PT-625" to "PT-660". Delivered and accepted on July 31, 1945, she was fitted with all of the latest armaments and design modifications as a result of lessons learned from previous contracts and battlefield experience. In this way, "PT-658" is a showcase of
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by the crew in 2014 include authentic IFF dipole antennae on the chart house and radar mast, and a US M2 60mm mortar on the starboard side of the bow. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-658 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-658" is a "PT-625"-class Higgins PT boat, built for the United States Navy during World War II. "PT-658" is a prime example of US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat development during World War II. "PT-658" was in the last group of four boats delivered from the 36-boat contract NObs-1680, October 1944 for "PT-625" to "PT-660". Delivered and accepted on July 31, 1945, she was
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT 617 PT 617, also known as Torpedo Boat "PT-617, Big Red Cock and Dragon Lady", "is the sole surviving 80' Elco type PT boat and represents the United States's most heavily used, highly favored, and combat-tested PT boat type in World War II." She is a museum ship at the PT Boat Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. The Elco type boat was the predominant type and is the same type as the famous commanded by John F. Kennedy; the "Higgins" boat is the other type. "PT-617" was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989. "PT-617" is
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and "PT-61" for transfer back home to the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center (MTBSTC) school in Melville, Rhode Island for use in training in hull repair techniques. PT boats lacked a large capacity refrigerator to store sufficient quantities of perishable foods. While docked, PT boat squadrons were supported by PT boat tenders or base facilities which supplied boat crews with hot meals. As PT boats were usually located near the end of the supply chain, their crews proved resourceful in bartering with nearby ships or military units for supplies and using munitions to harvest their own fish. Many PT
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-346 PT-346 was an 80 ft Electric Launch Company (Elco) Motor Torpedo (PT) Boat which suffered the worst PT-boat friendly fire casualties of World War II, with nine men killed and nine wounded. The majority of all friendly fire PT boat casualties during World War II occurred in the Southwest Pacific in two separate incidents occurring over the span of one month- the first on 27 March 1944, and the second on 29 April 1944. "PT-346", skippered by Lieutenant James Burk, USNR, was the rescue vessel in March and the victim in April. PT boat Squadron 25
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for all the early Elco PT boats. After the initial competition, in late 1939, the Navy contracted Elco to build 11 copies of "PT-9". The final PT boat design competitor was Huckins Yacht Corporation of Jacksonville, Florida. On 11 October 1940, an agreement between the Navy and Huckins was finalized. 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. This boat (designated MT-72) was a boat that became "PT-69". Huckins reported a profit of $28.60
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to the same extent) as previously observed in "PT-26", "PT-30", and "PT-33". "PT-29" was assigned as a pace boat with "PT-8" in order to generate a pounding comparison. The average speed results from the course were: Elco 77-footer ("PT-21"), ; Higgins 76-footer ("PT-70"), ; Higgins MRB and Philadelphia Navy Yard boat ("PT-8"), . Accelerometers were again installed in the pilot house of each boat, but the readings were incomplete because the violent motion of the boats made observations extremely difficult and in some cases necessitated abandonment of the observing stations. Further, many of those taken were beyond the normal range
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yacht, and has since been acquired by the Liberty Aviation Museum to be restored back to original Vosper configuration. "PT-728", a surviving Vosper boat built under license at the Annapolis Boat Yard in Maryland, was restored in Key West, Florida. Her deck house was reconfigured to partially resemble an Elco instead of its original Vosper configuration. "PT-728" was acquired by Fleet Obsolete and moved to Kingston. There "PT-728" allows up to 49 tourists the chance to ride on a "PT boat". This boat is the only U.S. Coast Guard regulation-approved PT boat licensed to take passengers for hire, and the
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sold on 23 October 1947. In private hands the boat served as a yacht, and as a salvage and as a diving platform. She was bought by PT Boats, Inc. in 1979, and after restoration to her World War II configuration officially went on display on 1 September 1985. Motor Torpedo Boat PT 617 PT 617, also known as Torpedo Boat "PT-617, Big Red Cock and Dragon Lady", "is the sole surviving 80' Elco type PT boat and represents the United States's most heavily used, highly favored, and combat-tested PT boat type in World War II." She is a museum
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Repair Training Unit. "PT-59" was redesignated as a "Small Boat" and renumbered C102583 on 14 October 1944, and along with ex-"PT-47", used briefly as a crash rescue boat at NAS Norfolk, before being transferred to the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 15 December 1944 to serve as a test subject for dehydration tests. Surveyed on 21 March 1947, she was then stricken and sold. "PT-59" quietly ended her days in the 1970s after having served as a fishing boat in Manhattan. Because the "59" was thought the former "PT-95", a 78-foot Huckins PT boat of very different design, no efforts were
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late 1950s. 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. Today, "PT-796" is located at the Battleship Cove Naval Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts in a Quonset hut-style building, protected from the weather, and up on blocks. The boat is owned by PT Boats, Inc., a World War II PT veterans organization headquartered in Germantown, Tennessee. Two of the experimental PT-Boats also still survive, "PT-3" (built
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a high pressure oil failure and had to go DIW (Dead in the Water) in order to effect the repair); "PT-6", the Higgins 81-footer, with an average speed of ; and "PT-8", the Philadelphia Navy Yard boat last, at . The other two Elco boats, "PT-30" and "PT 23" (standby boat), followed "PT-31", placing before "PT-69". 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. Due to the problem with ingot loading, a trial (with
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Boats; 2 Shot Down in Mix-up of Signals.” New York Times, page 1. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-346 PT-346 was an 80 ft Electric Launch Company (Elco) Motor Torpedo (PT) Boat which suffered the worst PT-boat friendly fire casualties of World War II, with nine men killed and nine wounded. The majority of all friendly fire PT boat casualties during World War II occurred in the Southwest Pacific in two separate incidents occurring over the span of one month- the first on 27 March 1944, and the second on 29 April 1944. "PT-346", skippered by Lieutenant James Burk, USNR, was the
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along with "PT-657", "PT-659", and "PT-660", arriving on September 25, 1945. "PT-658" was then stationed at Port Hueneme, California, where on August 27, 1946, she was reclassified as a Small Boat and renumbered C105343 to serve as a missile range patrol boat. On December 3, 1948, she was reclassified as Floating Equipment. "PT-658" was then transferred to Naval Air Station Point Mugu, reclassified as "RCT-13", and used for patrolling the Point Mugu missile test range for stray craft into the missile landing area, and for towing targets. Also during this period, "PT-658" served twice a week as a high speed
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boats during World War II. Five 78-foot (24 m) boats were assigned to Squadron 14 ("PT-98" through "PT-102") which was commissioned in early 1943; and ten boats assigned to Squadron 26 (PT-255 thru PT-264) which was commissioned in mid 1943. They were assigned to specific outposts in the Panama Canal Zone, Miami, Florida, the Hawaiian Sea Frontier at Pearl Harbor and Midway, and a training center in Melville, Rhode Island. Although not used in any other PT boat design, Huckins licensed the use of his patented Quadraconic hull in his PT boat construction. He also granted permission for Elco, Higgins,
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speech in Terowie, Australia. After MacArthur's party left Mindanao, "PT-41", along with the two remaining PT boats of the squadron ("PT-34" and "PT-35"), established a new base of operations at Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, supporting the American military forces defending Mindanao and the nearby islands from the invading Japanese throughout late March and early April 1942. After a torpedo attack in concert with on the on April 9, 1942, "PT-41" became the last remaining PT boat of the squadron ("PT-34" was sunk in the aftermath of the attack and "PT-35" was burned at Cebu). With no more torpedoes available for
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT 796 PT-796 is a 78-foot PT boat built by Higgins Industries of New Orleans in 1945. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 as one of a very few surviving PT boats, which were built in large numbers during World War II. She is part of the collection of the PT Boat Museum, which itself is part of the Battleship Cove museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. "PT-796" was laid down on 3 May 1945, launched on 23 June, and completed after the end of the war on 26 October. The last of her type
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the Fogal Boat Yard, Inc., later known as the Miami Shipbuilding Co., of Miami, Florida, for "PT-1" and "-2" "Crash Boats", and to the Fisher Boat Works, Detroit, Michigan, for "PT-3" and "-4". These four boats were designed by George Crouch, and modified in some details by the Bureau of Ships. Then, three additional boats were built by Andrew Higgins of Higgins Industries in New Orleans. These boats were "PT-5" and "PT-6" (built using government-required Sparkman and Stephens design, scaled to an overall length of ) and then "PT-6 "Prime"" which was redesigned by Andrew Higgins personally using his own
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of Portland, Oregon. "PT-658" was transported from Alameda to Portland in May 1994 by the 144th Transportation Unit of the Washington National Guard on the deck of the US Army Logistics Support Vessel . A dedicated group of PT Boat veterans formed the organization Save the PT Boat, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The group restored "PT-658" to her original 1945 configuration between 1995 and 2005. "PT-658" is now fully functional and afloat, one of only two restored US Navy PT Boats that are operational today. "PT-658"s restoration includes (non-functional replicas of) a full armament of four Mark 13 Torpedoes,
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-34 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-34 was a of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser "PTC-14, but was reclassified as "PT-34" prior to its launch on 14 June 1941, and was commissioned on 12 July 1941. "PT-34" was placed in service with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two (PTRon 2), and was transferred to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three (PTRon 3) on 12 August 1941. Under the command Lt(jg). Robert B. Kelly (also the executive officer of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-59 was a of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser "PTC-27, and was reclassified as BPT-11 when assigned to transfer to Britain under Lend-Lease. However, this was cancelled, and she was reclassified as "PT-59" prior to launch on 8 October 1941, and was completed on 5 March 1942. "PT-59" is noted for being the third command of Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, who served in the Solomon Islands, in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
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riverine operations. In 1961 she participated in John F. Kennedy's inauguration repainted as . The boat was placed out of service on 7 July 1970, and signed over to PT Boats, Inc. Restored to her original configuration, and has been displayed at Battleship Cove since 14 August 1975. Motor Torpedo Boat PT 796 PT-796 is a 78-foot PT boat built by Higgins Industries of New Orleans in 1945. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 as one of a very few surviving PT boats, which were built in large numbers during World War II. She is part of
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-41 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-41 was a of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser "PTC-21, but was reclassified as "PT-41" prior to its launch on 8 July 1941, and was completed on 23 July 1941. It was used to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur from Corregidor at the beginning of the war in the pacific in World War II. "PT-41" served as the flagship of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, which was based in the Philippines from late 1941 to
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Kennedy appointed Paul Burgess ("Red") Fay Jr., skipper of "PT-167", as Under Secretary of the Navy. Several of the crew of PT-109 rode on a patrol boat float at his inauguration. In 1948, as a member of the House of Representatives, Kennedy came out strongly in favor of retaining the Marines as a separate division of the armed services. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-59 was a of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser "PTC-27, and was reclassified as BPT-11
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dangerous by BuOrd. PT-3 and PT-8 were both part of Squadron 1 (RON 1) during the testing period. After testing was completed, PT-3 was transferred to Canada in April 1941 under lend-lease. PT-3 served with the RCAF Fleet as the RCAF Bras d'Or M413 (B119) based at Eastern Air Command in Halifax. She was transferred back to the United States in April 1945. Now located in a New Jersey boatyard in awaiting restoration. "PT-8" (built at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard) in Louisiana was built entirely from aluminum but did not pass the speed acceptance criteria for use as a PT boat
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did not complete this run because of engine trouble. The Higgins 76' (PT-70) and boats of the Elco 77' (PT-20 Class) developed structural failures even under moderate weather conditions prevailing. 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. 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. PT-69 and PT-21 experienced structural failures during the second run though these were much localized as compared with those found
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away from the scene of the action and returned to base without checking for survivors from "PT-109". There had been no procedure outlined by Commander Warfield of how to search for survivors or what the PT flotilla should do in case a ship was lost. In the words of Captain Robert Bulkley, naval historian, "This was perhaps the most confused and least effectively executed action the PTs had been in. Eight PTs fired 30 torpedoes. The only confirmed results were the loss of "PT 109" and damage to the Japanese destroyer "Amagiri"" [from striking the "109"]. Kennedy was able to
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had departed for home, "PT-109" was run down on a dark moonless night by the Japanese destroyer , returning from the supply mission. The PT boat had her engines at idle to hide her wake from seaplanes. Conflicting statements have been made as to whether the destroyer captain spotted and steered towards the boat. Members of the destroyer crew believed the collision was not an accident, though other reports suggest "Amagiri"'s captain never realized what happened till after the fact. The captain of "PT-109" was future U.S. President John F. Kennedy. His crew was assumed lost by the U.S. Navy,
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at Tulagi on and took command of "PT-109" on . Considerable repairs were required on the boat, and Kennedy pitched in to help the crew get his ship seaworthy. On , several PT boats, including "PT-109", were ordered to the Russell Islands in preparation for the invasion of New Georgia. After the capture of Rendova Island, the PT boat operations were moved north to a crude "bush" berth there on . The Rendova base held the potential for its residents to contract a host of unpleasant diseases like malaria, dengue, dysentery, and elephantiasis. The Navy men stationed there also contended
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squadron. The executive officer Iliff David Richardson remained in the Philippines with the guerrilla forces, and later an account of his experiences were published in a book (later made into a film) "American Guerrilla in the Philippines". Motor Torpedo Boat PT-34 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-34 was a of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser "PTC-14, but was reclassified as "PT-34" prior to its launch on 14 June 1941, and was commissioned on 12 July 1941. "PT-34" was placed in service with Motor
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"PT-41" to use, it was commandeered by the United States Army to patrol Lake Lanao, Mindanao. It was destroyed by the Army on April 15, 1942, to prevent its capture while being transported via road to Lake Lanao. The exploits of "PT-41" are portrayed in the 1945 film "They Were Expendable" directed by John Ford with Robert Montgomery, John Wayne and Donna Reed. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-41 Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-41 was a of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser "PTC-21, but
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rescue operations, rescue shipwreck survivors, destroy Japanese suicide boats, destroy floating mines, and carry out intelligence or raider operations. 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. Like many other victory claims by all parties involved (aircraft pilots, surface ships, submarines) this unclear verification was due in part to the Japanese military's policies of destroying military records. In 1944, several Higgins boats ("PT222", "PT-283", "PT-284", "PT-285", and "PT-282") were converted, releasing "PT-59", "PT-60",
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began taking on water. Meanwhile, the damaged PT had reported what had happened and a bomber was sent to investigate. Flying low, it spotted the men in the water, and another PT boat was sent to the rescue, covered by the destroyer . After three hours in the water, the LCVP's survivors were picked up by the PT boat. Eight Americans, including Major Vaden, had been killed and fifteen wounded, including the entire LCVP crew. Kaihu was missing and Robinson was contemplating how he would break the news to his family when Kaihu walked in, having swum back to Los
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PT boat. In July 1942, "PT-48" (nicknamed "Prep Tom" and "Deuce") was assigned to MTBRON 3. This second Squadron 3 was the first to arrive in the Solomons and saw heavy engagement with the "Tokyo Express". PT 48 was one of the first 4 boats to arrive at Tulagi, on 12 October 1942. On the night of 13/14 October 1942, PT-48 engaged a Japanese destroyer at . This Squadron saw action in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, and Funafuti. "PT-48" is today in need of major restoration, after having been cut down to and used as a dinner cruise boat. Because
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showing such good seakeeping further purchase of Scott-Paine boats was unnecessary. And, in early 1941, BuShips lent Packard engines to both Huckins and Higgins, which wanted to build competitive boats at their own expense. A Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) PT Boat Conference held in May 1941, convened to discussed future PT characteristics. All PTs prior to the Elcos had been found defective, and it was probable the extended Elco would not be an improvement. This conference, including representatives from BuShips, BuOrd, MTBRONs, Interior Control Board, and CNO, recommended a series of comparative tests to evaluate what turned out to
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Miami in March, was back in the hospital by May, and was finally given an honorable discharge in December 1944. After working as a journalist, he would begin his run for the House of Representatives in 1946, using his war time experience as a major feature of his candidacy. "PT-59" remained in the Solomons until August 1944, when she and five other 77-ft Elco PT boats, including "PT-36" and "PT-47" were transported back to the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center at Melville, Rhode Island. It is safe to assume repairs were performed on the boat by the MTB Base
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who continued to put PTs against larger craft. But many in the Navy knew the truth; his claims that PTs had sunk a Japanese cruiser, a troopship, and a plane tender in the Philippines were false. Kennedy completed his PT training in Rhode Island on , with very high marks and was asked to stay for a brief period as an instructor. He was then ordered to the training squadron, Motor Torpedo , to take over the command of motor torpedo boat "PT-101", a 78-foot Huckins PT boat. In January 1943, "PT-101" and four other boats were ordered to Motor
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1930s with 30-foot to 57-foot Veedettes and Flattops. During World War II, Elco formed the Elco Naval Division in Bayonne, New Jersey. Nearly 400 Elco PT boats were produced for the U.S. Navy. After experimentation, the first PT boat built in any quantity was the 73-foot type. Later 77-foot and 80-foot types were built. More 80-foot Elco boats were built than any other type of US motor torpedo boat. Perhaps the most notable 80-foot PT boat was PT-109, commanded by future president John F. Kennedy. In the film "PT 109", the "Elco" script logo can be seen on the cockpit
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Elco. She was sold several times, and moved to Kingston, NY for possible restoration. "PT-617" is an Elco boat located at the Battleship Cove Naval Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. She was obtained from the backwaters of Florida and moved to its current location by JM "Boats" Newberry, the founder of PT Boats Inc. "Boats" along with the team at Battleship Cove Museum restored her during 1984–89, inside and out, at a cost of US$1 million. The boat is owned by PT Boats, Inc., a World War II PT veterans organization headquartered in Germantown, Tennessee. The quality of the restoration
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT 105 PT-105 was a Motor Torpedo Boat of the United States Navy during World War II. The vessel was built by the Elco Motor Yacht Company of Bayonne, New Jersey, in early 1942, and served until the end of the war. "PT-105" was commissioned in June 1942, as part of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 5, under the command of Cdr. Henry Farrow. From September 1942 until early in 1943 she served on the Panama Sea Frontier, when she was transferred to the Solomon Islands. "PT-105", under the command of Lt. Richard E. Keresey, was present during
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Ensign Leonard Thom deactivated it. "PT 109" returned to Tulagi for repairs to the foredeck and the replacement of the depth charge, which Kennedy would later remove. "PT-109" was transported from the Norfolk Navy Yard to the South Pacific in August 1942 on board the liberty ship "SS Joseph Stanton". It is believed "PT-109" was painted a flat, dark green at Nouméa, New Caledonia after being off-loaded from "Joseph Stanton". "PT-109" arrived in the Solomon Islands in late 1942 and was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2 based on Tulagi island. "PT-109" participated in combat operations around Guadalcanal from
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Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Philippine Distinguished Conduct Star, and the Silver Star during his command of the squadron, making him one of the most decorated U.S. naval officers of World War II. Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three was a United States Navy squadron based at Cavite, Philippines, from September 1941 to mid-April 1942. It was commanded by Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley and made up of six motor torpedo boats: "PT-31", "PT-32", "PT-33", "PT-34", "PT-35", and "PT-41", the last as the squadron flagship. The other six boats of the squadron remained at
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Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three was a United States Navy squadron based at Cavite, Philippines, from September 1941 to mid-April 1942. It was commanded by Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley and made up of six motor torpedo boats: "PT-31", "PT-32", "PT-33", "PT-34", "PT-35", and "PT-41", the last as the squadron flagship. The other six boats of the squadron remained at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and were there when war broke out, eventually being shipped to the Solomons. After the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Japan on 7 December 1941, the squadron moved from Cavite
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on either boat. After the aircraft made several runs, gunners on the "PT-353" fired seven or eight rounds of 40 mm and five rounds of 37 mm, and those on the "PT-121" fired seven rounds of 20 mm and three short bursts of .50 caliber gunfire. Lieutenant Hall on the "PT-353" and Ensign Secrest on the "PT-121" stopped the firing immediately. Both boats burned, exploded, and sank, except for a portion of the bow of the "PT-121". Shortly after the attack, two P-40s of the group that had investigated the schooner returned. They dropped a liferaft to the survivors and
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into the hull. Nine boats participated in the trial ("PT-26" had previously developed deck failures while conducting standardization trials off Block Island on July 21, 1941), and six boats completed the trial ("PT-33" suffered structural damage off Block Island and withdrew, "PT-70" suffered its damage from the ingots and withdrew, and MRB developed engine trouble at the start of the run and withdrew). By class, "PT-20", the Elco 77-footer, came in first with an average speed of ; followed by "PT-31", with an average speed of ; "PT-69", the Huckins boat, with an average speed of (note the Huckins experienced
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and they were not considered worth the effort. The boats also used a lot of high octane gasoline for their size, making them too expensive to operate for a peacetime navy. Much of this destruction (121 boats) occurred at PT Base 17, on Samar, Philippines, near Bobon Point. 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 Elco
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only surviving U.S.-built Vosper design. In spring of 2012, "PT-728" was acquired by the Liberty Aircraft Museum of Port Clinton, OH for further restoration. "PT-766" is an 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 MTB Ron 44, but was cancelled due to the end of the war. "PT-796" ("Tail Ender") is a Higgins. After the war ended PT-796 was used in the Key West/Miami area for experimental purposes. She was retired from service in the
PT boat
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agree to look at the Huckins boat. In early July 1941, the Navy accepted "PT-69". After obtaining excellent testing results at the Plywood Derby, the Navy awarded Huckins Yacht Corporation a contract in 1941 for 8 boats, and later added 10 more. The design was enlarged and modified to meet the new requirements. 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). Huckins ended up building just two squadrons of PT
PT boat
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"PT-323" (Elco) was cut in half by a "kamikaze" aircraft on 10 December 1944 off Leyte, yet remained floating for several hours. "PT-308" (Higgins) had her stern sheared off by a collision with "PT-304" during a night mission in the Mediterranean on 9 March 1945 and yet returned to base for repairs. "PT-167" (Elco) was holed through the bow off Bougainville on 5 November 1943, by a torpedo which failed to detonate; the boat remained in action and was repaired the next day. In 1943, an inquiry was held by the Navy to discuss planing, hull design, and fuel consumption
PT boat
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-121 PT-121 was a motor torpedo boat of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company (ELCO) of Bayonne, New Jersey, launched in 1942, and sunk in a friendly fire incident on 27 March 1944. On the morning of March 27, 1944, Lt. Crowell C. Hall, USNR, executive officer of Squadron 25, in "PT-353" (Ens. George H. Guckert, USNR), with "PT-121" (Ens. Richard B. Secrest, USNR), was trying to thread a way through New Britain's reefs to Ewasse, in Bangula Bay, to investigate a reported enemy schooner. At 0745, four P-40s fighters of 78 Squadron,
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-121
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next morning a PBY Catalina, from US Navy Patrol Squadron VP 34, picked up the five survivors and took them to Dreger Harbour. Little is known of the PT-337 crew members who attempted to reach the shore. A captured Japanese document indicates that one officer and two enlisted men were captured, although none of them was ever officially reported to be prisoners of war. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-337 PT-337 was a PT-103 Class Motor Torpedo Boat that was sunk in action during the Pacific Theater of World War II in Hansa Bay, New Guinea on March 7, 1944. PTs 337
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-337
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of this boat's extensive combat history, having survived 22 months in the combat zone at Guadalcanal (more time in combat than any other surviving PT boat), a preservation group, "Fleet Obsolete" of Kingston, New York, acquired and transported it to Rondout Creek in 2008 for eventual repair. One of two fully restored and operational PT boats and the only combat veteran of the two, "PT-305" ("Half Hitch", "Barfly", "USS Sudden Jerk") is a Higgins boat, assigned during the war to 22, and saw action against the Germans in the Mediterranean Sea. Squadron 22 was operating with the British Royal Navy
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the decision to depart by PT boat rather than wait for the submarine, Lieutenant Robert B. Kelly, executive officer of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, and commander of "PT-34", later recalled: Bulkeley and his crews overhauled the PT boats for the voyage. All of the engines had performed hard war service, and had been operated for double the recommended mileage without overhaul. As a result, they were reduced to operating at half speed. Since there were no replacement parts, the gaskets, which normally would have been discarded, had to be carefully cleaned and replaced. Each PT boat would carry twenty
Douglas MacArthur's escape from the Philippines
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on PT70. The Board is of the opinion that certain changes in design are required to enable PT-69 and boats of the PT-20 Class to carry safely their military loads in rough weather." The Board results provided very important benchmarks in the infancy of PT boat development. This type of craft presented design challenges that were still issues decades after, but there are some significant conclusions from the above recommendations and their order of merit. Those are: The Elco Naval Division boats were the longest of the three types of PT boats built for the Navy used during World War
PT boat
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Seamen Andrew Jackson Kirksey and Marney were killed instantly, and two other members of the crew were badly injured and burned when they were thrown into the flaming sea surrounding the boat. For such a catastrophic collision, explosion, and fire, there were few men lost when contrasted to the losses on other PT boats hit by shell fire. "PT-109" was gravely damaged, with watertight compartments keeping only the forward hull afloat in a sea of flames. "PT-169", closest to Kennedy's craft, launched two torpedoes that missed the destroyer and "PT-162"s torpedoes failed to fire at all. Both boats then turned
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
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Manus Island in the Admiralties; and at Morotai in the Halmaheras. She was also based for a time at Kana Kopa, New Guinea, and in San Pedro Bay, Philippines, but saw no action there. The vessel was placed out of service on 1 November 1945, and later stripped and scrapped at Samar, Philippines. Motor Torpedo Boat PT 105 PT-105 was a Motor Torpedo Boat of the United States Navy during World War II. The vessel was built by the Elco Motor Yacht Company of Bayonne, New Jersey, in early 1942, and served until the end of the war. "PT-105" was
Motor Torpedo Boat PT 105
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Drake has ordered it to be scuttled with the gold still on board. Carter watches as Drake and the crew escape on the PT boat but Drake suddenly dives overboard and returns to the sinking ship as the PT boat explodes – killing any witnesses to the location of the gold. Drake clambers aboard and prepares to launch one of the tramp steamer's dinghies. Carter confronts him. The ship is sinking fast. Drake does not want to be arrested and hanged for the murder of his wife or sent to an asylum. He is washed overboard and is last seen
The Filthy Five
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above-deck to resemble the vessel used in filming the "PT-73" underway; a 71-foot type II Vosper MTB (motor torpedo boat), a British design built in the U.S. for export to the Soviet Union. The war ended in August 1945 before the boat, hull number "PT-694", was sent to the Soviet Union. The boat was purchased by Howard Hughes for a chase boat for the only flight of his Spruce Goose aircraft. The boat was sold to the studio—as there were few PT boats in existence, almost all having been sold, stripped, or destroyed after the war by various governments—where significant
McHale's Navy
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PTs fully fitted out) was conducted on August 12, 1941. Four boats returned: "PT-8", "PT-69", "PT-70", and MRB, and Elco sent two new boats, "PT-21" and "PT-29". During this trial, boats faced heavier seas, as high as . All except the Huckins ("PT-69") completed the run. The Huckins withdrew due to bilge stringer failure. The Higgins 76-footer ("PT-70") completed the entire run but also suffered structural failures, attachments between planking and web frames pulling loose, and deck fastenings in the neighborhood of engine hatches showing extensive failures. "PT-21" suffered minor cracks in the deck in the same location (but not
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was extremely high, and the boat is on display inside a weatherproof building, on blocks out of the water. She is available for public viewing, and has portions of her hull cut away to display the cramped interior of the crew's quarters. General visitors are not allowed inside the boat in order to help preserve her historic integrity. "PT-657", a Higgins boat, has been converted into a charter fishing boat. She is located in San Diego and is now named "Malihini". One of the best examples of a surviving Higgins boat is "PT-658", one of two 100% authentically restored and
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USNR. "PT-347" had become stuck on a reef during a night patrol to intercept enemy barges and destroy shore installations off the coast of Rabaul in Lassul Bay, located off the northwest corner of New Britain Island in New Guinea. (The waters of the Pacific were not well charted and during World War II, more PT boats were lost to reefs than to enemy fire.) At 0700, "PT-350" was attempting to dislodge "PT-347" from the reef, when two American Marine Corsair planes mistook the PT boats for Japanese gunboats and attacked. Taking heavy fire from the planes, "PT-350" shot down
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-346
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Mark 1 roll-off style torpedo launching racks. The Mk13 torpedo had a range of and a speed of . PT boats were also well armed with numerous automatic weapons. Common to all US PT boats were the two twin M2 .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns. Early PT boats (Elco PT20 through PT44) mounted Dewandre plexiglas-enclosed hydraulically operated rotating turrets. Almost immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dewandre turrets were replaced on the entire PT boat fleet with open ring twin mounts. The ring mount was designed by both Elco and Bell, and designated Mark 17 Twin 50
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base on Tulagi, to Lambu Lambu Cove, on Vella Lavella Island, a new advanced PT boat base. Over the next month, Kennedy's "PT-59" gunboat took part in thirteen patrols initially expected to discourage Japanese barge traffic in the north of Choiseul Island. Kennedy described his month on patrol with the "PT-59" as "packed with a great deal in the way of death". Constantly tracked by aircraft, Kennedy's refitted "PT-59" gunboat escaped from bombs dropped by Japanese floatplanes on 26 October, though one bomb landed only 150 yards away. On the evening of 1 November 1943, Kennedy was asked by Lt.
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59
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took the brunt of both incidents, which resulted in 22 men killed, including Burk, and 28 wounded. On March 27, 1944, "PT-346" and "PT-354" rescued the survivors of "PT-353" and "PT 121", which had been mistakenly destroyed during a mission off the coast of New Britain by five fighter planes under the command of the Royal Australian Air Force. Just over a month later, "PT-346" itself became the victim of friendly fire. The morning of April 29, 1944, "PT-346" was sent to the aid of "PT-347", commanded by Lieutenant Robert J. Williams, USNR, and "PT-350", skippered by Stanley L. Manning,
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-346
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gunboat, sometimes referred to as "PT-0001" was the first completed, and it carefully followed the design and planning of both Kennedy and squadron commander Cluster. Another PT gunboat was given to Lenny Thom, who helped in the refit, and later commanded. Thom had been Kennedy's former executive officer on "PT-109". Both sides of "PT-59"s highly flammable 3000 gallon gas tanks, housed below decks and immediately behind the cockpit, and the very top edge of the side of the boat (gunwales) were enforced with armor plate to protect them from return fire. Kennedy was aware that the PT's wooden hulls without
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59
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done by defining the open sets of pt("L") as for every element "a" of "L". Here we viewed the points of "L" as morphisms, but one can of course state a similar definition for all of the other equivalent characterizations. It can be shown that setting Ω(pt("L")) = {φ("a") | "a" ∈ "L"} does really yield a topological space (pt("L"), Ω(pt("L"))). It is common to abbreviate this space as pt("L"). Finally pt can be defined on morphisms of Frm rather canonically by defining, for a frame morphism "g" from "L" to "M", pt("g"): pt("M") → pt("L") as pt("g")("p") = "p"
Stone duality
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Coastal Forces, and saw action along the northwest coast of Italy and southern coast of France. In June 1945 the squadron was shipped to the U.S. for refitting and transfer to the Pacific, but the war ended while still in New York. "PT-305" was cut down to for use as an oyster seed boat in Crisfield, Maryland. "PT-305" was acquired by the Defenders of America Naval Museum (DOANM), and then sold in May 2007 to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. After a lengthy restoration "PT-305" has been restored to a seaworthy, operational vessel. It was relaunched
PT boat
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PT-109 (video game) PT-109 is a naval simulation video game developed by Digital Illusions and Spectrum HoloByte in 1987 for the Macintosh and MS-DOS. This game is roughly based on the events involving the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109. The game starts in the practice-tactics mode. In this mode, new players learn how to operate the boat, fire torpedoes, read radar on different displays, when to use the engine muffler for a quieter approach, how to operate smoke screens, and how to find other weaponry. Players also learn the history of the craft, as some patrol boats can be piloted only
PT-109 (video game)
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operational U.S. Navy PT boats afloat today. Relaunched after hull restoration from 1995 to 2005, it is located at Pier 308, Vigor Shipyard in Portland, Oregon's Swan Island Lagoon. Maintained by an all volunteer group, it is powered by the three Packard V12 5M-2500 gas engines and includes all weapons, electronics, equipment and accessories restored to appear as they did the day the US Navy accepted the boat, July 31, 1945. "PT-658" was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. "PT-724", a surviving Vosper built at the Annapolis Boat yard in Maryland, has been used as a
PT boat
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them to locate and destroy many enemy targets. During the Guadalcanal and Solomon Island campaigns in 1942–1943, the PT boats of Squadrons (RON) 2, 3, 5 and 6 would lie in wait to ambush a target from torpedo range, generally about . 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. In order to evade return fire from the enemy ships, the PT boat could deploy a smoke screen using stern-mounted generators. Starting
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On 11 March 1942, the remaining boats of the squadron transported General Douglas MacArthur and several high-ranking officers from Corregidor to Mindanao, an act which earned every member of the squadron the Silver Star. "PT-32" was abandoned during this mission, reducing the squadron to three boats: "PT-41", "PT-34", and "PT-35". These three boats were based at Mindanao until mid-April 1942, where two of them ("PT-41" and "PT-34") attacked the , scoring at least one hit. This was to be the squadron's last action: "PT-34" was destroyed by Japanese aircraft, "PT-35" had to be scuttled to avoid capture, and "PT-41" was
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT-337 PT-337 was a PT-103 Class Motor Torpedo Boat that was sunk in action during the Pacific Theater of World War II in Hansa Bay, New Guinea on March 7, 1944. PTs 337 and 338 headed out to a known enemy stronghold on March 7, 1944. Picking up a radar target close to shore and closing to , they encountered two heavily camouflaged luggers moored together. Heavy machine gun fire opened from the beach, and as the boats turned and started to strafe the beach, more machine guns opened up, along with a heavy caliber battery from
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-337
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by Fisher Boat Works) in New Jersey and "PT-8". "PT-3" was designed by George Crouch and employed lightweight planing hull construction methods. A barrel-back (which provided increased strength to the sides and deck), a unique double longitudinal planked (mahogany outer planking and Port Orford cedar inner planking) lightweight hull on bent laminated oak framing, she was the "featherweight" of transportable PT boat design, but was later rejected by the Navy during trials in 1941 after being deemed too short to carry 4 torpedoes, as well as being able to only launch torpedoes stern first, which was a procedure considered too
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was served by a crew of 4 men, and was used against aircraft targets, as well as shore bombardment or enemy surface craft. In the Solomon Islands in 1943, three PT boats, "PT-59", "PT-60", and "PT-61", were converted into "PT gunboats" by stripping them of all original armament except the two twin .50 cal (12.7 mm) gun mounts, then adding two 40mm and four twin .50 cal (12.7 mm) mounts. Lieutenant Kennedy was the first commanding officer of "PT-59" after its conversion. On 2 November 1943, "PT-59" participated in the rescue of 40 to 50 Marines from Choiseul Island and
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waters. 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. The efficiency of the PT boats at sinking the Japanese supply barges was considered a key reason that the Japanese had severe food, ammunition, and replacement problems during the New Guinea and Solomon Island campaigns, and made the PT boats prime targets for enemy aircraft. The use of PT boat torpedoes was ineffective against these sometimes heavily armed barges, since the minimum depth setting of the torpedo was about
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war surplus by Howard Hughes and was used as the camera chase boat when the "Spruce Goose" made its only flight. The stern of the Vosper boat is visible in the footage of that event. In John Ford's 1945 war film, "They Were Expendable", two 80-foot Elcos were used during filming along with four former RON 14 78-foot Huckins. For the 1962 movie "PT-109", several 82-foot USAF crash rescue boats were converted to resemble 80-foot Elcos when the few surviving boats were found to need too much work to make them seaworthy for use during the film. PT boat A
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trying to pull away from the exploding 337. The currents were against them and after two hours, they were only from the boat. Outside the bay, PT 338 was also under fire from shore batteries. Just prior to the 337 being hit, PT 338 had laid smoke and ordered a high speed retirement. When PT 337 did not come through the screen, 338 tried to re-enter the Bay, but each time the boat came under heavy fire and had to retreat. Daley died before dawn, which left three officers and eight enlisted men on the raft. At dawn on March
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games gave it two and a half stars out of five. In 1988, "Dragon" gave the Macintosh version of the game 4 out of 5 stars. They gave the MS-DOS version 4½ out of 5 stars. PT-109 (video game) PT-109 is a naval simulation video game developed by Digital Illusions and Spectrum HoloByte in 1987 for the Macintosh and MS-DOS. This game is roughly based on the events involving the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109. The game starts in the practice-tactics mode. In this mode, new players learn how to operate the boat, fire torpedoes, read radar on different displays, when
PT-109 (video game)
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in honor of Frank Sinatra, with whom the boats' Commanding Officer met at a nightclub shortly before MTBRON 22 left New York for the Mediterranean Theatre. "PT-309" is located at the National Museum of the Pacific War / Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, and was restored by the (now defunct) Defenders of America Naval Museum (DOANM). "PT-309" is restored (but non-operational) in a static diorama display without engines installed. Her external restoration was completed by the Texas group in 2002, and is to a high standard. "PT-459" ("Mahogany Menace") a Higgins boat, was assigned to MTBRON 30 on 15
PT boat
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Harlem River near 208th Street indicated a strong possibility that "PT-59" could be found and recovered. He is looking to raise funds from Kennedy focused organizations to fully explore the area. Byron "Whizzer" White served as Deputy Attorney General under Kennedy who later appointed White as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court in the early 1960s. White had acted as the intelligence officer for Commander Thomas Warfield, Kennedy's commanding officer while he served in Rendova, and had investigated the sinking of the "PT-109". He joined Kennedy on several patrols of "PT-59", while Kennedy captained the boat from Lambda Lambda.
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59
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returned from the dead, he cautiously consented to risk two PTs to rescue them. Warfield selected "PT-157", commanded by Kennedy's friend and former tentmate Lieutenant William Liebenow for the rescue, as he and his crew were experienced and familiar with the area. Liebenow later said that his crew were chosen because they were "the best boat crew in the South Pacific." "PT-171" would travel ahead and radio Liebenow of any sightings of the enemy. Departing just after sunset from Rendova at 7:00 p.m. on August 8, Liebenow motored "PT-157" to Reginald Evans' base at Gomu Island, off Kolombangara. To prevent
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
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invitations to builders and designers were issued with prizes awarded for the winning PT boat designs given out on 30 March 1939. In an important note after winning the design competition for the smaller PT boat, George Crouch wrote that Hickman's Sea Sled design would be far superior "in either rough or smooth water to that of the best possible V-bottom or hard chine design". Earlier when Sea Sleds were specifically excluded, Crouch had informed the Bureau of Ships that the Sea Sled was the best type of vessel for the job. On 8 June 1939, contracts were let to
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made to save or salvage her. The actual "PT-95" had been destroyed in Newport, Rhode Island, after her services were no longer needed, in September 1945. When the actual identity of the fishing boat was discovered, James "Boat" Newberry, founder of PT Boats Inc., attempted to obtain her; however, her ownership was tangled up in NYC probate court. After an unexpected fire, the boat sunk at its mooring, beside the 207th St. Bridge over the Harlem River, around 1976. The hull sat for years and slowly rotted away. In May 2017, Kennedy biographer William Doyle announced preliminary explorations in the
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the final form that Motor Torpedo Boats would take by the end of World War II. "PT-658" was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 2012. Of three PT boats listed on the National Register, she is one of 2 maintained in operating condition. "PT-658" was one of a group of PT boats assigned to MTB Squadron 45 in April 1945, for transfer to the USSR under Lend-Lease. By the time she was completed on July 30, 1945, this transfer had been cancelled. "PT-658" was transported to Bremerton on the deck of "LST-375" from New Orleans
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-658
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armor plating could not withstand even a single bullet or bomb fragment, and that the tiniest shard of hot metal could ignite the gas tanks, instantly destroying the boat and crew. The "59"s crew set up some of the armor for live fire tests and found they could be breached at short range with .30 and .50-caliber machine guns at a frontal angle. On 7 October 1943, the five week redesign of "PT-59" was completed, and on the following day Kennedy was promoted to full lieutenant. A total of five former crewmen of "PT-109" joined Kennedy's crew on "PT-59". Kennedy's
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59
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prevented from reinforcing their garrison, though he was not on station till 12:30 a.m. All four Japanese destroyers would evade his grasp, as they arrived one hour early, before Burke had reached his post. The resulting battle would become the largest use of PT boats in the war, and the results would not be promising for the future use of PTs against Japanese destroyers. On August 1, fifteen PT boats, "PT-109" among them, motored from the PT base on Rendova around 6:30 p.m. on strict but cursory orders from Rendova's top brass, Commander Thomas Warfield. The combined PT task force,
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
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the business until 2002. Remarkably, the PT486 was sold to the son of the original owner, Capt. Ronald G. Sinn, who in 2012 sold the boat to "Fleet Obsolete" of Kingston NY. Plans are for restoring the vessel to recreate the World War II appearance. "PT-615", an Elco originally assigned to RON 42, was commissioned after the war ended. "PT-615" was returned to Elco after being sold and was heavily modified into a yacht, which was leased to actor Clark Gable. He named the boat "Tarbaby VI", and used her through the 1950s. The boat was serviced and stored by
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one of the two attacking fighters, believing them to be A6M Zeros. With three dead and four wounded and serious mechanical problems, "PT-350" headed back to base. "PT-347" remained stuck on the reef. Lieutenant Burk headed out with his crew and the base commander of the 25th Squadron, Lieutenant James R. Thompson, USNR, and Chief Pharmacist First Class John Frkovich, USNR, to render medical aid. When "PT-350" could not be boarded because of extensive damage, "PT-346" headed out to "PT-347" to provide assistance. "PT-346" arrived at 1230, and at 1400 was still attempting to dislodge "PT-347" from the corral heads
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-346
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from one end of the studio to another by truck, and wooden supports holding it had broken and trapped a man underneath. "PT-73" is visible on the bow, appearing as if the numbers had been removed, but an image of them remained. The boat was missing the pilot house, masts, and depth charges. No record of the final fate of this boat, or the other converted 63-ft boat has been found. The sea-going (ex-Howard Hughes "PT-694" boat) "PT-73" was sold to the mayor of Hawthorne, California, Hal Crozer, and converted to a sport-fishing boat. In 1992, the boat was destroyed
McHale's Navy
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increased power output of . It could push fully loaded boats at . However, subsequent additions of weaponry offset this potential increase in top speed. Fuel consumption of any version of these engines was exceptionally heavy. A PT boat carried of 100 octane aviation fuel, enough for an 4M-2500 equipped boat to conduct a maximum 12-hour patrol. Some an hour were consumed at a cruising speed of , increasing to per hour at top speed. Hull fouling and engine wear could both decrease top speed and increase fuel consumption materially. PT boats operated in the southern, western, and northern Pacific,
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were later released. The Search for Kennedy's PT 109 The Search for Kennedy's PT 109 is a National Geographic television special and video on DVD, directed by Peter Getzels. It documents the true story of John F. Kennedy's "PT-109" from World War II, and the successful search for the ship by Dr. Robert Ballard. The wreckage of "PT-109" was located in May 2002, when a National Geographic Society expedition, headed by Dr. Ballard, found a torpedo tube amongst wreckage that matched the description, and location, of Kennedy's vessel in the Solomon Islands. The boat was identified by Dale Ridder, a
The Search for Kennedy's PT 109
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The Search for Kennedy's PT 109 The Search for Kennedy's PT 109 is a National Geographic television special and video on DVD, directed by Peter Getzels. It documents the true story of John F. Kennedy's "PT-109" from World War II, and the successful search for the ship by Dr. Robert Ballard. The wreckage of "PT-109" was located in May 2002, when a National Geographic Society expedition, headed by Dr. Ballard, found a torpedo tube amongst wreckage that matched the description, and location, of Kennedy's vessel in the Solomon Islands. The boat was identified by Dale Ridder, a weapons and explosives
The Search for Kennedy's PT 109
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the existing designs until a satisfactory working design could be obtained. At the same time, Henry R. Sutphen of Electric Launch Company (Elco) and his designers (Irwin Chase, Bill Fleming, and Glenville Tremaine) visited the United Kingdom in February 1939 at the Navy's request to see British motor torpedo boat designs with a view to obtaining one that could be used as a check on the Navy's efforts. While visiting the British Power Boat Company, they purchased a Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) design - "PV70" - (later renamed "PT-9"), designed by Hubert Scott-Paine. "PT-9" was to serve as the prototype
PT boat
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1970s. 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 other six boats are in various states of disrepair, sunk or scrapped. The PT boat design was also exported after the end of the Second World War as an unarmed air-sea rescue launch for use by the South African Navy. The original 1962–66 "McHale's Navy" TV series used a Vosper design PT-694 Prior to starring in the television series this boat was purchased as
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PTs. The first P-40s recognized them and gave them a helping hand. One Beaufighter in the second group recognized them and tried to stop the attack. The other pilots simply mistook them for enemy craft. After an investigation by the Navy, Ensign Secrest received the Navy Cross. Motor Torpedo Boat PT-121 PT-121 was a motor torpedo boat of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company (ELCO) of Bayonne, New Jersey, launched in 1942, and sunk in a friendly fire incident on 27 March 1944. On the morning of March 27, 1944, Lt. Crowell C. Hall, USNR, executive
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-121