Today, just four combat-veteran PT boats still exist in the United States; of those, only PT-305 is fully restored and operational, complete with original-model engines.
What does PT on a boat mean?
PT (Patrol, Torpedo) boats were small, fast, and expendable vessels for short range oceanic scouting, armed with torpedoes and machine guns for cutting enemy supply lines and harassing enemy forces.
How many ships were sunk by PT boats in WW2?
By the last patrol on the night of April 28, 1945, American PT boats had been fighting in the coastal waters of North Africa, Italy, and France for two years. During that period, they fired 354 torpedoes, claiming 38 vessels totaling 23,700 tons sunk.
How much does a PT boat cost?
How much do PT boats cost? PT boats for sale on YachtWorld are listed for a variety of prices from $39,000 on the relatively more affordable end, with costs all the way up to $139,000 for the more lavish yachts on the market today.
Do any PT boats still exist? – Related Questions
Did PT boats have toilets?
There is a comfortable, open air, relatively private, small space between the torpedo and the depth charges located on either side of the boat at the rear of the boat that is used as the bathroom.
How fast could a PT boat go?
Three Packard Marine gasoline engines powered the boats to a top speed of 45 knots. At the end of World War II, the expense of returning PT boats to the United States from overseas was considered prohibitive, so most boat were stripped of useful materials and burned.
What engine was in a PT boat?
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.
Were PT boats used in Vietnam?
PTF-26 is the final PTF and the last U.S. PT boat ever built. Following its service in Vietnam, PTF-26 returned to the United States in 1971.
What are the dimensions of a PT boat?
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. With accommodations for 3 officers and 14 men, the crew varied from 12 to 14. Its full-load displacement was 56 tons.
How thick was the plywood on a PT boat?
Made of two-inch thick planks of mahogany, these boats were 80 feet long, 20 feet 8 inches wide, and displaced 56 tons of water. They were powered by three fuel-guzzling 12-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engines built by Packard, rated at 1,200 brake horsepower each.
Are PT boats made of wood?
One of the most notable types of wooden crafts was the PT or Motor Torpedo Boat. This small, fast craft would race at the enemy to launch torpedoes before making a hasty retreat.
How many sailors died on PT-109?
Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F. Kennedy.
Has PT-109 ever been found?
A National Geographic expedition has found the WWII patrol boat that became a cornerstone of the Kennedy legend. A National Geographic expedition led by explorer Robert Ballard has found what is believed to be the remains of John F. Kennedy’s PT-109.
Are there any PT-109 survivors still alive?
Zinser is the last man alive who was aboard Patrol Torpedo Boat No. 109 the night it was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific and cut in two. He joined other World War II veterans and relatives Monday in commemorating the 50th anniversary of that fateful night.
How true is the movie PT-109?
Overall, PT-109 does a good job with keeping things accurate. However, they altered one significant part of the story with the sole purpose of writing ethnic minorities out of history. In real life, two native islanders played a pivotal role in rescuing the crew of PT-109.
Did JFK see PT-109?
After seeing the film, President Kennedy called PT 109 a “good product,” but he worried about the length of the film at 2 hours and 20 minutes. He said, “It’s just a question of whether there’s too much of it”.
Where is the PT 73 boat today?
Shots of the crew aboard the PT-73 were filmed on a full-scale mock-up in a soundstage. “PT-73” was later sold to the mayor of Hawthorne, California, and was converted to a sport fishing boat. It was later destroyed when it broke loose of its mooring near Santa Barbara and washed up on the beach during a storm.
What happened to JFK’s PT boat?
PT-59’s legacy has long been overshadowed by the Kennedy’s first wartime boat, PT-109. Sunk off the coast of the Solomon Islands in August 1943, the ship endures in popular imagination thanks to the then-25-year-old lieutenant’s heroic efforts following the crash.
What was the fastest boat in ww2?
This April, travelers and history buffs alike will be able to enjoy public rides on the fastest torpedo boat from World War II. The Patrol-torpedo PT-305 was first tested prior to the war in Lake Pontchartrain of New Orleans.
How many engines does a PT boat have?
All U.S. PT boats were powered by three 12-cylinder gasoline-fueled engines. These engines were built by the Packard Motor Car Company, and were a modified design of the 3A-2500 V-12 liquid-cooled aircraft engine.