US Navy PT Boats in WW2

[SpeedyHedgehog]

There were three types of US Navy PT (Patrol Torpedo) boats built during World War Two (seeing service in both the Pacific and Mediterranean):

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/3typesPT.gif

Elco (Electric Launch Company) - 77 foot and 80 foot - 326 80' boats were built, more than any other variant.
Higgins Industries - 199 boats built (78 foot)
Huckins Yacht Company - 18 78 footers built, none saw combat
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/1BayfrontParkMiami1943.jpg
Bayfront Park, Miami early in the war
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/7Melville10.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/6Melville9.jpg
Melville, Rhode Island - the PT Boat training center
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/13PT333offNY.jpg
PT 333 off NY August '43

Initial armament, in addition to torpedoes, was a 20mm cannon aft, and 2 twin .50 cal MG mounts. This, however, varied widely throughout both theaters.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/starboard50cal44.jpg
Starboard .50 cals
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/8FriedmanPT363.jpg
Elco 80' forward .50 cal turret
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/20mm.jpg
20mm

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/40mm.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/40mmPhilippines45.jpg
Later boats had 40mm cannon added

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/pt-596-3.jpg
PT 596 showing, I believe, 40mm aft, 20mm forward, .50 cal forward, and a twin .50 mount in front of the 40mm.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT109early.jpg
PT 109 before entering service, with “109” on the 20mm mount.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT109Tassafaronga2.jpg
PT 109 carrying 94 survivors of the USS Northampton 1 DEC 1942, Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal. This was prior to John F. Kennedy assuming command.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT-109_crew1943.jpg
JFK and crew of PT 109, 1943 (obviously prior to being cut in half by a Japanese ship)
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/4PT167-damaged.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/12PT174.jpg
PT 174, operations out of Rendova, Solomon Islands, January 1944.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/17.jpg
PT 243 Philippines, 1945
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/10crew-life-2.jpg
Morobe River, New Guines
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PTboatwithnatives.jpg
PT Boat with natives, Morobe River
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/16PT190.jpg
PT 190 Philippines 1945
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/ChiefEngineersPosition.jpg
I believe this should read 80-foot.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT168withcamo.jpg
PT 168
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT323-wreckage.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/15.jpg
PT 209 rescues crew of CG4A glider from Operation Dragoon (Invasion of Southern France) August 1944
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/11dramaticphoto.jpg
September 11, 1943 – The moment the USS Savannah is hit by a German radio-controlled Fritz X bomb off Salerno. PT Boat in foreground.

This link lists all PT Boats: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-pt.html

2 more excellent websites: http://www.geocities.com/pt_king/
http://www.pistolpackinmama.net/pb/wp_ae158d4d/wp_ae158d4d.html

[AroundTheCorner]

Great pictures...

[Ngati Tumatauenga]

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/pt-596-3.jpg

I believe that's a 37mm mounted forward. Many PT boats in the Solomon's were retrofitted with the nose cannon scavenged off USAAF P-39's to improve their firepower.

[SpeedyHedgehog]

I believe that's a 37mm mounted forward. Many PT boats in the Solomon's were retrofitted with the nose cannon scavenged off USAAF P-39's to improve their firepower.
You're right. I ran across those in my photo search. I found far more photos than I thought I would and it's difficult to keep track of all the weapons. I believe Kennedy's PT 109 was fitted with one of those before they were cut in half, but I'll have to go back and check that to be sure.

[SpeedyHedgehog]

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/arms4.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/elcoADforBrits.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/higgins2.jpg

[SpeedyHedgehog]

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/higgins.jpg

[SpeedyHedgehog]

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT1631945.jpg
PT 163
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/pt_base_south_pacific.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT103-refuling.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT253.jpg
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/USSMobjackSep43.jpg
My father was a Torpedoman's Mate and served on the USS Mobjack, a PT Boat Tender, sometime between 1943 and 1945. He was also on a Destroyer Tender and a Submarine Tender during those years, so I'm not sure exactly when he was on the Mobjack.

[Britishhawk]

Im suprised a kamikaze would have went for a PT boat?

[XShipRider]

PT boats may not have been able to fully control a sea-lane but the hit-and-run tactic served it's purpose. Disrupting the enemy and forcing them to waste valuable resources repelling them.

Gutsy sailors to a man.

[Pandemonium]

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7417/ptspatrollingoffcoastof.jpg

Pt patrolling of coast of New Guinea

[skipperbob]

Thanks! Great post about a little known part of the US Navy in WW II. They are showing the movie "They Were Expendable" later today on TCM, great movie about PT boats in the Phillipines! A little over the top in the claims made about the damage they did to the Japanese but still very interesting.

[NavyTimes]

I really like the Elco class, they were obviously an inspiration for the norwegian Tjeld class that were bought by several countries.

[loganinkosovo]

http://hnsa.org/doc/pt/doctrine/part1.htm


http://www.zagreusfilms.com/Friends%20of%20HMS%20Archer%20v2.htm


http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Ships/PTs/1943PTMinelayer.html


http://hnsa.org/doc/pt/doctrine/


http://www.ptboats.org/

[Creampuff]

Im suprised a kamikaze would have went for a PT boat?

I think the divine wind would lose face if it returned intact, not sure they had enough fuel for a return flight.

[Pandemonium]

Im suprised a kamikaze would have went for a PT boat?

you had to be very lucky to break through the airforce defence, then fly air filled with iron, hundreds of guns aiming for you, you need to get at the right altitude , wich is only a few feet above the sealevel, at full speed still avoiding the bullets, wich is almost impossible because you can't realy manoeuvre anymore, I believe you just take what you can get at that moment. It could also be that the pilot was already dead and this was a "lucky" hit

[SpeedyHedgehog]

http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT524Philippines.jpg
PT 524 Philippines
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PT_Boats_and_tender.jpg
PT Boats and seaplane
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/PTBoat37mm.jpg
PT 557 with bow 37mm, on the Hudson River after the war.
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/37mm.jpg
Bow 37mm
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/08OnThe37mm.jpg
37mm, Treasury Islands (part of the Solomon Islands chain)
http://i533.photobucket.com/albums/ee337/SpeedyHedgehog/PT%20Boats/3xarms.jpg
3 types of armament (left, 2-5 inch rocket launchers, center top Mk4 20mm cannon, right 37mm automatic cannon from a P-39)