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#1
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PT boats (ww2)
I picked up a copy of PT 109 over the long weekend and am reading it. I am fired up to find out more about PT boats. I think I will follow this with a watch of the movie pt 109 and try for some McCales Navy reruns!
I probably can start with Wiki.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC] ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
#2
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Another goof movie would be " They Were Expendable", starring ( as I stand) John Wayne.
IIRC, plywood was a relatively new product, and its use as the skin for the PT boats was cause for concern by some of the old salts.
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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags |
#3
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Plywood PTs are an urban myth.
Most of the PTs anyone ever heard about were Elcos out in the Pacific theater. Elcos were the most prolific PT (over 300 mfgd) and were double diagonal planked from mahogany.
Higgins' were 2nd in number produced (140 something) and were also double diagonal planked. Most Higgins hulls went to the Med and other European locations. Builders in Annapolis and Florida also built small numbers of PTs. They may have been plywood (but I seriously doubt it). I don't believe any of them saw combat either.
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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm. |
#4
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So we're talking about 500 boats total?
Seems like they got a lot of attention for such small numbers. No argument from me on the plywood myth; I was relying on memory. I just accepted what I had heard.
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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags |
#5
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I have always wanted one....
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#6
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Myself. I'd rather have a schnellboot.
- Peter.
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2021 Chevrolet Spark Formerly... 2000 GMC Sonoma 1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021 2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels 1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles. 1984 123 200 1979 116 280S 1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille 1971 108 280S |
#7
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At some point I want to build a half-sized aluminum hulled PT with twin Cummins 6BT engines. Not really a lot of point to that now that I'm off the coast though.
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#8
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I like wooden boats.... the kind with sails
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#9
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They sound like they would be fun to run around in but with no armor at all it would be a pretty vulnerable feeling with destroyers about.
all offense and no defense except speed and maneuverability.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC] ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
#10
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How larger were those PT boats, Tom? They always looked small next to destroyers, but I'm guessing they were pretty big compared to your typical weekend pleasurecraft.
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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century OBK #55 1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles 2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles 2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles |
#11
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McArthur's biography, "American Caesar," has an interesting segment recounting the evacuation of the general and his family by PT boat from Corregidor. The voyage (to Mindanao) lasted several hundred miles and was apparently pretty hard on the passengers. They were, of course, traveling as covertly as possible to avoid Japanese detection.
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#12
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Quote:
useful Info on the boats. http://www.ptboats.org/20-01-05-ptboat-001.html |
#13
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Quote:
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#14
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One of my father's friends [back in the 1950's] had a surplus PT Boat [Plywood hull, built in Oyster Bay NY]
Originally it had 4 Packard copies of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, driving two shafts. He made some serious modifications, ultimately to three shafts. The original transmissions and props were modified to work with a pair of marine diesel engines, and one Packard was retained with a new transmission and prop shaft [forward only] to provide just enough oomph to get the hull up onto the step. [Much lighter than the wartime fuel and ammo load] |
#15
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Apparently there were variations. PT 109 it says had three v12 packards. I assumed that it had three props but it does not specifically say.
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC] ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
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