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PT Boats

Discussion in 'War in the Pacific' started by Half Track, Feb 18, 2021.

  1. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    I assume this is under the proper heading of War in the Pacific, as I have looked on line and could not find the answer, could one of you old “salts” please tell me what the two “things” that I have drawn the two arrows to indicating, are used for on a PT Boat? (the six on the stern and that device about three quarters back on the deck.

    E9BFAB06-3DF4-4712-8E8C-7490885A5566.jpeg
     
  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    The holes on the stern gate are exhaust pipes.
     
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  3. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for that one!
     
  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    The piping is grab bars for the loaders.
     
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  5. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Ok, I believe I understand that one. Thanks for your reply.
     
  6. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    Those are not simply holes in the stern. They are mufflers that allow the PT-Boat to approach almost silently, while at slow speed.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    The bars are not for loaders to hang on to or climb on,,,They prevent the barrel of the 40mm from being swung towards the superstructure, torpedoes, and other topside areas that you would not want to ventilate with 40mm gunfire.
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Thanks much
     
  8. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Somebody lied to you. That would be me. ;)

    A PT boat veteran said the "don't shoot the skipper" was secondary to "don't fall off the boat".
     
  9. the_diego

    the_diego Active Member

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    Ok, what are the instances of enemy warships / merchantmen sunk or torpedoes by PT boats? I recall one case in the English Channel ports by hit-and-run German Schnellboot attacks but that was it. I also recall a lot of PT boat bases in the Med. Maybe hunting was a little better there.
     
  10. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
  11. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    Depends on the skipper.
     
  12. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    How about that young wannabee politician from New England, Dad used to be ambassador to England despite being fervently Irish? I heard his brother got killed in some secret project.
     
  13. the_diego

    the_diego Active Member

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    "I just thought of something..." [KABLAM!!!!]
     
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  14. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    Takao is correct about the purpose of those safety bars. It will not do to blast one's own ship.

    There's some good books on MGB/MTB/SGB/PT boats and their development.

    Theodore Mason who served aboard the ocean going salvage tub Pawnee didn't think too highly of the PT boat skippers. The Pawnee was almost sunk by one.
     
  15. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

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    rkline56 and Half Track like this.
  16. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Some fun, that one.
     
  17. rkline56

    rkline56 USS Oklahoma City CG5

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    Happy happy New Year, LJ! I was on hyperwar looking for surrender details re: Okinawa. Is this Col. Yahara? Can you identify the American officers? Is Gen. Hodges there? [​IMG]
     
  18. rkline56

    rkline56 USS Oklahoma City CG5

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    :eek: never step into a bight of line. Almost got caught up in heavy seas during an Unrep.
     
  19. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Sorry, not once I provenanced. Sadly Clancey has gone these many years ago.
     
  20. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    The Schnellboote incident you are thinking of may be Exercise Tiger, in which the Germans encountered a group of LSTs exercising in preparation for the Normandy invasion and sank IIRC two of them, with about 700 Allied fatalities. AFAIK the Germans were just sweeping along the coast, prepared to attack whatever they encountered rather than having specific knowledge of the operation.

    A couple of Schnellbooten had an exciting voyage at the time of the Italian surrender in 1943. Leaving Taranto they laid mimes which a few days later sank the minelaying cruiser Welshman which was carrying troops to occupy the port. Heading up the Adriatic they sank a couple of Italian ships including a troop transport, then ended up in Venice where they helped secure the port for the Axis.

    During Operation Pedestal, the famous convoy to Malta, two Italian MS boats sank the cruiser Manchester, IIRC the largest warship sunk by MTBs in WWII. MSs were similar to Schnellbooten and were adopted as being more seaworthy than the smaller MAS type.

    American PTs sank the light cruiser Abukuma during the battle of Surigao Strait, part of the battle of Leyte Gulf. Earlier, in 1942, they sank the large destroyer Terutsuki (Akizuki class) off Guadalcanal; she was serving as flagship for the famous destroyer admiral Tanaka Raizo.

    The biggest warship ever sunk by an MTB was the Austrian dreadnought Szent Istvan (~20,000 tons) in WWI, by an MAS commanded by Luigi Rizzo. This was Rizzo's second battleship; he had previously sunk the older battleship Wien at anchor in some harbor on the Adriatic coast.
     
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