How many PT boats were lost in WW2?
According to the book "At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy" 99 of the 531 PT boats that served during World War II were lost to various causes. Accident, friendly fire, sea conditions – 32; Scuttled to prevent capture – 27; Rammed by the enemy – 8; Kamikaze – 2; Mined – 9; Enemy coastal artillery – 6; Strafed – 8
How many PT boats are still in the US?
A total of 11 PT boats, and 2 experimental PT boat hulls in various states of repair, survive today in the U.S.: PT-48 is possibly the last surviving 77-foot (23 m) Elco PT boat. In July 1942, PT-48 (nicknamed "Prep Tom" and "Deuce") was assigned to MTB RON 3.
What is the last PT boat in the world?
"PT-305: Ride a piece of history at the National WWII Museum". USA Today. ^ "PT-305: The Ride of a Lifetime". Retrieved 3 April 2017. ^ Parks, Casey (7 September 2012). "PT-658, last remaining operable PT boat from World War II, named to National Register of Historic Places".
What is the largest PT boat?
The Elco boats were the largest in size of the three types of PT boats built for U.S. use during World War II. Wooden-hulled, 80 feet long with a 20-foot, 8-inch beam, the Elco PT boats had three 12-cylinder Packard gasoline engines generating a total of 4,500 horsepower for a designed speed of 41 knots.
Who built the first PT boat?
Navy wanted a larger PT boat. After experimentation, the first PT boat built in any quantity was the 77-foot type built by Elco. These boats were used early in World War II.
Where were the 78 foot boats built?
Although the Huckins Yacht Company of Jacksonville, Florida, built a few 78 foot boats of the PT 95 class, the 80-foot Elco boats and the 78-foot Higgins boats became the standard motor torpedo boats of World War II. The Higgins boats which were built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans, Louisiana, were 78-foot boats of the PT 71 class.
How many guns did Elco boats have?
Early Elco boats had two 20mm guns, four .50-caliber machine guns, and two or four 21-inch torpedo tubes. Some of them carried depth charges or mine racks. Later boats mounted one 40mm gun and four torpedo launching racks.
What is a PT 109?
U.S. Navy PT Boats. PT 109 was one of the hundreds of motor torpedo boats (PT) of the PT 103 class completed between 1942 and 1945 by Elco Naval Division of Electric Boat Company at Bayonne, New Jersey. The Elco boats were the largest in size of the three types of PT boats built for U.S. use during World War II.
What were the PTs used for?
During the long Solomons campaign, they operated usefully at night and times of low visibility against Japanese barge traffic in the "Slot.".
Where is the Elco boat?
One Elco boat, PT 617, survives at Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts. Although more 80-foot Elco boats were built than any other type of motor torpedo boat, other types were built by the U. S. The British-designed 70-foot Vosper boats which were built for Lend Lease fired 18-inch torpedoes.
What was the purpose of the PTs in the Normandy invasion?
Though their primary mission continued to be seen as attack of surface ships and craft, PTs were also used effectively to lay mines and smoke screens, to rescue downed aviators, and to carry out intelligence or raider operations.
How many men were on a PT boat?
The crews of PT Boats were small, about 12–17 men, and their quarters were small, too. While it was normal in the navy for sailors to fill multiple roles, this was especially crucial aboard a PT Boat.
How dangerous are PT boats?
PT-Boats could operate at very high speeds, if necessary, making up for their lack of armor with speed, but this also made them dangerous. A sailor could easily trip and end up flying overboard. Consequently, aboard a PT-Boat, underway, sailors always wore a life jacket. High speed, of course, also meant high fuel consumption; due to their size, PT-Boats had a limited fuel capacity, and thus a limited range. Most boats did not operate more than 120–150 nautical miles from their base. Needless to say, this meant that many PT-Boat bases were close enough to the front to be bombed and strafed. Thus, PT-Boat crews were almost never safely out of the combat zone.
Why did the PT-boats have to have a muffler?
Noise itself was also a problem. The three large Packard engines of an American PT-Boat required a muffler to enable the crew to hear incoming enemy planes - and to mask the sound of the boat itself in close proximity to enemy shipping.
What was the oldest warship in WW2?
Contrast that to the British HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned warship in the world, which saw action in WW2 when it was bombed by the Germans and suffered a broken keel. The Victory was used as a secret conference room by the Admiralty during the war. Note that another historic ship, anchored behind the Victory, was destroyed by German bombing that same time.
How were PT boats vulnerable?
The vulnerability of PT-Boats meant that their crews had to anticipate trouble and be ready to respond instantly. For this purpose, officers were always careful in arranging lookout posts, and certain types of tools had to be kept at the ready. If a torpedo, or “fish,” didn’t launch, for instance, it had to be disarmed within seconds; that was possible, but you needed the right kind of tool to do it. Exposure to the elements meant that PT-Boat crews had to “operate” most of their equipment - from radios to torpedo racks - for about 15 minutes, daily, to keep it working. Ironically, PT-Boat radio operators were also warned to maintain radio silence most of the time, as their communications were not as secure as they often imagined.
What were the activities of PT boats?
Of course, they did a lot of patrol work, trying to locate the enemy, and sometimes they attacked enemy shipping. PT-Boats were especially effective in interdicting Japanese barges ferrying troops between occupied islands. PT-Boats also took prisoners - often by rescuing Japanese sailors and soldiers who ended up in the water. This, however, was often a delicate operation, as the boats were not equipped to secure prisoners, and because boats often exposed themselves to attack while rescuing enemy combatants.
What did the cooks on the PT-boats do?
Even so, some of the better PT-Boat cooks managed to bake bread and pastries (somehow), and turn out all sorts of appetizing, complete meals. Other cooks, less ambitious, served mostly sandwiches. Officers, apparently, would pull rank to get the “best” cooks aboard their particular vessel. The galley contained the all-important fridge and the fresh water pump, and for this reason was often equipped with some DIY armoring by the crew.
What is a PT boat?
Military PT boats for sale, It is a rare aluminum PT boat as Torpedo Boats which continues to exist today. The 1938 United States Navy PT, which has been restored and adapted to Coast Guard Standards, is a durable boat that was originally used in the US fleet for a period of time. It was renewed for personal use after its noble history. Also, PT Boat speed is nearly 66 knots.
What is a PT-8?
Amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of US Naval history! This is an original, partially restored, and totally refurbished 1938 US Navy built Patrol Torpedo Boat (PT-8). “PT-8” is the only aluminum PT boat ever built, and one of only a few PT boats on the water today. Totally operational, this PT boat has been fully restored by its current owner and has been brought up to Coast Guard Standards. New aluminum hull, 2 Detroit diesel, custom six (6) axle trailer and more await the lucky new owner of this exceptional, vintage Naval vessel. Originally powered with five gas engines, she has been converted to two Detroit diesel for efficiency and ease of maintenance.
Overview
Surviving boats
At the end of the war, almost all surviving U.S. PT boats were disposed of shortly after V-J Day. Hundreds of boats were deliberately stripped of all useful equipment and then dragged up on the beach and burned. This was done to minimize the amount of upkeep the Navy would have to do, since wooden boats require much continuous maintenance, and they were not considered worth th…
Development
At the outbreak of war in August 1914, W. Albert Hickman devised the first procedures and tactics for employing fast maneuverable seaworthy torpedo motorboats against capital ships, and presented his proposal to Rear Admiral David W. Taylor, the Chief of the US Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair. In September 1914, Hickman completed plans for a 50-foot (15 m) "Sea Sled" torp…
Construction
PT boats offered accommodation for three officers and 14 enlisted men. Crews varied from 12 to 17, depending upon the number and type of weapons installed. Full-load displacement late in the war was 56 tons.
The hull shape of the Elco and Higgins PT boats were similar to the contoured "planing hull" found in pleasure boats of the time (and still in use today): a shar…
Armament
The primary anti-ship armament was two to four Mark 8 torpedoes, which weighed 2,600 pounds (1,179 kg) and contained a 466-pound (211 kg) TNT warhead. These torpedoes were launched by Mark 18 21-inch (530 mm) steel torpedo tubes. Mark 8 torpedoes had a range of 16,000 yards (14,630 m) at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). These torpedoes and tubes were replaced in mid-1943 by four lightweight 22.5-inch-diameter (570 mm) Mark 13 torpedoes, which weighed 2,216 pound…
Engines
With the exception of the experimental PT boats, all U.S. PT boats were powered by three marine modified derivations of the Packard 3A-2500 V-12 liquid-cooled, gasoline-fueled aircraft engine. 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. Their superchargers, intercoolers, dual magnetos, and two spark plugs per cylinder reflecte…
Service
PT boats operated in the southern, western, and northern Pacific, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea and the English Channel.
Originally conceived as anti-ship weapons, PT boats were publicly credited with sinking several Japanese warships during the period between December 1941 and the fall of the Philippines in May 1942 – even though the Navy knew the cl…
Supply
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.