How did PT boats fire torpedoes?
WW2 PT boats generally carried four torpedoes when configured for anti-ship duty. Attacks were normally made with multiple torpedoes that were launched with their gyro angles set to provide a slight spread off of the ship’s course to help compensate for any errors and to provide a higher probability of a hit.
How do torpedo tubes work?
If the tube is set up for Impulse Mode the slide valve will open with the muzzle door. When the launch command is given and all interlocks are satisfied, the water ram operates, thrusting a large volume of water into the tube at high pressure, which ejects the torpedo from the tube with considerable force.
Did PT boats have torpedoes?
Introduction. 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 are torpedoes propelled?
Thermal torpedoes use a fuel, such as OTTO Fuel II, which can be burned without an external oxygen source. A gas turbine or axial piston engine converts this fuel into torque that spins counter-rotating propellers, propelling the torpedo up to speeds in excess of 60 knots.
How much horsepower did a PT boat have?
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.
What engines were in PT boats?
Propulsion was via a trio of Packard 4M-2500 and later 5M-2500 supercharged gasoline-fueled, liquid-cooled V-12 marine engines.
What happened to the PT boats in World War II?
Most of the PT boat attack force fired their compliment of torpedoes and headed for home, but three boats stayed behind including the 109. In the confusion and darkness at sea, Lieutenant Kennedy noted a vague shape approaching him. He assumed it was a sister PT boat, but soon discovered it was a Japanese destroyer.
Why was the pt8 not used in WW2?
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 for the U.S. Navy due to its weight. She was reclassified as a harbor patrol boat (YP 110) for the duration of the war.
How was the first PT boat made?
Elco answered the call to design a PT boat by purchasing a new Scott-Paine motor torpedo boat from England and having it shipped to Electric Boat’s Groton plant. Dubbed PT-9, America’s first PT boat was subjected to numerous sea trials, alone and against other PTs in prototype stages.
What is the longest PT boat in the Navy?
The Elco Naval Division boats were the longest of the three types of PT boats built for the Navy used during World War II. By war’s end, more of the Elco 80 ft (24 m) boats were built (326 in all) than any other type of motor torpedo boat.