How long was a WW2 PT boat?
80-foot long
Two basic and distinctly different types of PT Boats were built for combat with the predominant PT, the 80-foot long “Elco” boat, and the slightly smaller 78-foot long “Higgins” boat.
How did PT boats launch torpedoes?
WW2 PT boats generally carried four torpedoes when configured for anti-ship duty. A single torpedo sight was used to aim all four torpedoes. The torpedoes were launched when the PT boat had been steered in the direction you wanted the torpedoes to go.
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 many sailors does 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 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 ships did PT boats sunk in ww2?
38 vessels
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.
Where did PT-109 go down?
PT-109 sank in the Solomon Islands when a Japanese destroyer sliced through it, setting into motion the survival odyssey that became a cornerstone of the Kennedy legend. Nearly 60 years ago a Japanese destroyer materialized out of a moonless night and smashed through PT-109, sending 26-year-old skipper John F.
How long and wide was 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.
How many Elco PT boats were built?
Two basic and distinctly different types of PT Boats were built for combat with the predominant PT, the 80-foot long “Elco” boat, and the slightly smaller 78-foot long “Higgins” boat. By the end of World War II, 399 Elco PTs had been built.
What was an E-boat in WW2?
“E-boat” was the generic Allied designation for Kriegsmarine motor torpedo boats (MTBs) and similar craft. The “E” stood for “Enemy.”
When was the Luerssen submarine built?
In November of 1929, the German shipbuilder Luerssen was given a contract to build a boat to the new military-quality design. Two torpedo tubes were added along the forward castle and the engines upgraded for increased speed.
How many PT boats were built in WW2?
Two basic and distinctly different types of PT Boats were built for combat with the predominant PT, the 80-foot long “Elco” boat, and the slightly smaller 78-foot long “Higgins” boat. By the end of World War II, 399 Elco PTs had been built. Higgins built 199 or 205 PTs, depending on which figures are used.