What happened to all the PT boats after WW2?
After the war, most of the remaining PT boats were destroyed by the US Navy because they were too expensive for a peacetime Navy. Each boat had three Packard 3A-2500, V-12 aircraft engines with as much as 1,850 hp each, which consumed vast quantities of high-octane gasoline.
How many PT boats were made during WW2?
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. Forty-three PT squadrons, each with 12 boats were formed during World War II by the U.S. Navy.
How many PT boats were lost in WW2?
69
At the end of WW2, of the 531 patrol torpedo boats built, only 69 were lost, including losses to enemy fire, storms, accidents, friendly fire, or simply being worn out.
Who built PT boats in WWII?
Higgins Industries
Built in New Orleans by Higgins Industries, the patrol-torpedo (PT) boat PT-305 was a critical asset for the US Navy during World War II, serving in European waters from 1944 to the end ofthe war.
How far could a PT boat go?
Primary anti-ship armament on the standard PT boat was four 21-inch Mark 8 torpedoes, each had a 466-pound (211 kg) TNT warhead and had a range of 16,000 yards (15,000 m) at 36 knots (67 km/h).
How fast did a PT boat go?
Patrol torpedo boat PT-109
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Installed power | 4,500 horsepower (3,400 kW) |
| Propulsion | 3 × 12-cylinder Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines 3 × shafts |
| Speed | 41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph) maximum (trials) |
How fast was a WWII PT boat?
41 knots
Patrol torpedo boat PT-109
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Installed power | 4,500 horsepower (3,400 kW) |
| Propulsion | 3 × 12-cylinder Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines 3 × shafts |
| Speed | 41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph) maximum (trials) |
What engines did ww2 PT boats have?
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.
Did PT boats ever sink a ship?
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 claims were all false.
What was the top speed of a WW2 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.
How fast did WWII PT boats go?
How many sailors died on PT-109?
Two crewmen
Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F. Kennedy. Japanese aircraft had been on a PT boat hunt in the Solomon Islands, bombing the PT base at Rendova Island.
Has PT-109 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.
What engines were in ww2 PT boats?
How many sailors died on PT 109?
How fast could a ww2 PT boat go?
How fast was a World War II PT boat?
Do any PT boats still exist?
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. An operational PT-305 promises to become one of The National WWII Museum’s most exciting artifacts and teaching tools.
How big was the crew on a PT boat?
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.
Are there any PT-109 survivors still alive?
Gerard Zinser, the last surviving crewman from the sinking of John F. Kennedy’s PT 109 in the South Pacific in World War II, died on Aug. 21 at a hospital in Orange Park, Fla. He was 82.
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”.
Has PT 109 been found?
Does the Navy still use PT boats?
Nicknamed “the mosquito fleet” and “devil boats” by the Japanese, the PT boat squadrons were hailed for their daring and earned a durable place in the public imagination that remains strong into the 21st century. Their role was replaced in the U.S. Navy by fast attack craft.
What was the top speed of a ww2 PT boat?