WWII PT boat in NOLA museum

[Tom]

A resorted PT boat on display. https://www.legion.org/legiontv/FLlEg8BvcEH4ZVkK6f9s_Z6Q/YfRq_ET5ykY

[charlie b]

That was cool.

[Triple Jim]

When I was a kid, the family would spend August in Ocean City, NJ.  Chris' seafood restaurant had a PT boat, the  Flying Cloud, and they'd sell rides on it.  It had its original three Packard V-12 engines, and the rides out in the ocean looked pretty exciting from the beach.  My parents thought it was silly to have to don a raincoat, and get pounded around in the waves, getting soaked for half an hour or so, so they never took me for a ride.  Looking back on it, I regret never going ahead without them.  Rotten Ralph may know about the PT boats that Chris' ran.

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

I'd love to hear that supercharged V12 Packard engine at full power, what a sweet song that would be. 

[kingoffleece]

We have one on display here in Buffalo.  Very cool.
On another note a new ship will be christened HERE this Sept.  The new Little Rock (I think that's it) will be commissioned right next to the old one.  I gather it'll be a first of it's kind.  Very much looking forward to being there for that.

[tris]

I like fast patrol boats from WW2.

What with the American PT boat there was the British MTB and the German E Boats. Did the other protagonists have their own equivalents?

I know there was a war on but blasting about in a fast boat must have been fun

Sadly the only MTBs I saw back in the day had been converted to house boats. A sad end

[JJ]

What a great story!   The late husband of my wife's cousin, "Russ" was on a PT-boat in WW II.  I loved hearing his stories....I also always like "McHale's Navy" also.

[azguzzirep]

Commonly known as "plywood coffins".

The boys on these boats were truly brave. Or nuts.

I'll dig out a story from the history of my father's  Destroyer's history. In it, it recounts a battle in the Liety (sp)Gulf where many of these were destroyed making torpedoe runs on a Japanese battleship. The U.S. Navy turned the Japanese fleet around at this battle. Truly historic.

My father's destroyer followed next after the PT boats, nearly being blasted to bits by a shell from the battleship

[Sheepdog]

My father worked at the Higgins Shipyard before he entered college; usually coming home covered with the glue that held those wooden boats together. Motor Torpedo Boats played a significant role in Battle of Leyte Gulf; one of the most inspiring naval battles in US Naval history. Along with some destroyers, escort carriers, and obsolete aircraft, these small boats attacked Japanese battleships and heavy cruisers in defense of the invasion of the Philippines, while Bull Halsey and the first-line fleet was chasing an enemy diversion. It was magnificently courageous and turned the Japanese attack.

The National WWII Museum is a must-see for a history buff. The displays and restored aircraft/boats/weapons/tanks are pretty interesting, but the stories of the soldiers/marines/sailors/airmen is what makes the place compelling. Plus, it is right near the New Orleans Triumph/Ducati/Vespa dealership...

[Roebling3]

Wow! I'm so glad to see that video. I'm somewhat of a Packard fanatic, especially that engine. It was great to listen that veteran speak and see how vital he is. I've lost 2 close friends, both Marines w/in the last 3 years, that landed on the IWO & Okinawa.
IIRC: Rob Iannucci, owner of Team Obsolete, has a PT boat, perhaps needing a 'refresh'. Thank you sheepdog!  R3~

[rodekyll]

After the war most of the boats were so shot up that they weren't worth bringing back.  They tied them up in big rafts and burned them.  A few escaped and got converted into fishing and charter boats, often changing out the V12's with '71-series Gray Marine and Detroit Diesel powerplants, also surplus.  They are still in use along the Washington and Alaska coast.  There are at least two in Sitka Harbor, along with a variety of period tugs, landing craft, and other small launches and fast boats.

When I was a kid, we fished a converted cousin of the PT boat, a 42-foot fast boat designed to dodge fire and rescue downed pilots during fleet attacks.  I forget the name of the type, but it had nice lines -- looked like a half-scale PT boat.  It sported twin Rolls Allisons or Packard V12 engines and no real armor or guns.  We had a 671 Jimmy.  They did about 60kts.  We did about 12, flat-out.  I also crewed on converted picket boats and launches, and later viet-nam-era swift boats.  Humbled for sure, but still a better fate as a commercial fishing boat or houseboat than burned to the waterline.

[Rough Edge racing]

When I was a kid, the family would spend August in Ocean City, NJ.  Chris' seafood restaurant had a PT boat, the  Flying Cloud, and they'd sell rides on it.  It had its original three Packard V-12 engines, and the rides out in the ocean looked pretty exciting from the beach.  My parents thought it was silly to have to don a raincoat, and get pounded around in the waves, getting soaked for half an hour or so, so they never took me for a ride.  Looking back on it, I regret never going ahead without them.  Rotten Ralph may know about the PT boats that Chris' ran.

 Jim, that's interesting... I'm a bit older than you and being we lived in NJ, my family vacationed at Point Pleasant in the summer ,1950's. My father took me for a boat ride on what I remember as a stripped PT boat.. We sat in back near the engines and it was loud and fast...

  Doing a little reading I see a PT boat burned 500 gallons an hour of aviation gas at maximum speed...

In the 1980's a guy near NYC was selling surplus Packard 2500 engine in Hemmings magazine...

  King of Fleece, our daughter lives in West Seneca and she has taken us to the naval display in Buffalo, WW2 ship and sub.. Where is the PT located? We were there today and walked around near the ships..

[Triple Jim]

Jim, that's interesting... I'm a bit older than you and being we lived in NJ, my family vacationed at Point Pleasant in the summer ,1950's. My father took me for a boat ride on what I remember as a stripped PT boat.. We sat in back near the engines and it was loud and fast...

I did a little searching and found that the Flying Cloud took passengers on quick fishing excursions in the ocean.  There was another one that had an deck that was stripped except for rows of seats, and passengers were taken for a fast ride, rather than fishing.  It was the Flying Saucer.   Chris also had a couple other PT boats at times.

[oldbike54]

 Wonder if Robert Ianucci ever turns Dave Roper lose in one of his PT boats ?

 Dusty

[Roebling3]

Dusty,
I see Dave, usually in better weather than current. Good question. I'll ask. R3~

[oldbike54]

Dusty,
I see Dave, usually in better weather than current. Good question. I'll ask. R3~

 Visited with Dave very briefly at an AHRMA national several years back . Really nice guy , always believed if he was motorcycle racer sized he would be very famous .

 Dusty

[charlie b]

After the war most of the boats were so shot up that they weren't worth bringing back.  They tied them up in big rafts and burned them.  A few escaped and got converted into fishing and charter boats, often changing out the V12's with '71-series Gray Marine and Detroit Diesel powerplants, also surplus.  They are still in use along the Washington and Alaska coast.  There are at least two in Sitka Harbor, along with a variety of period tugs, landing craft, and other small launches and fast boats.

When I was a kid, we fished a converted cousin of the PT boat, a 42-foot fast boat designed to dodge fire and rescue downed pilots during fleet attacks.  I forget the name of the type, but it had nice lines -- looked like a half-scale PT boat.  It sported twin Rolls Allisons or Packard V12 engines and no real armor or guns.  We had a 671 Jimmy.  They did about 60kts.  We did about 12, flat-out.  I also crewed on converted picket boats and launches, and later viet-nam-era swift boats.  Humbled for sure, but still a better fate as a commercial fishing boat or houseboat than burned to the waterline.

I wonder if those were what my father-in-law called torpedo recovery boats.  He said they were like PT boats with two or one engine.

A family friend was in the brown water navy.  It was what caused him to stop drinking.  Glad you got out of it in one piece.

[kingoffleece]

It's a static land display.  As you enter the park it's on your right.

[rodekyll]

I wonder if those were what my father-in-law called torpedo recovery boats.  He said they were like PT boats with two or one engine.

A family friend was in the brown water navy.  It was what caused him to stop drinking.  Glad you got out of it in one piece.

Lest there be confusion -- I served as crew on CONVERTED SURPLUS hulls that were operated as commercial fishing or charter boats.  I have never been in the armed services.

I took a look at torpedo recovery vessel pictures and didn't see any hulls like ours.  Ours was a hard chined, semi-deep, 42' PLANING hull.  The service pictures I've seen show it on-step, mostly out of the water, throwing a rooster tail.  The images I see on google show larger displacement hulls.

[Waterbottle]

What the hey, didn't we sign an ANZUS treaty back in the 50's that binds us on military maters ?
The video is not available for our country?????  I served on Fremantle Class patrol boats in the early 80's
Does this not qualify me to view a restored PT boat video ?   
I would say almost every Aussie of the 60's and 70's would know of these beasts from McCales Navy , a very funny tv show. I guess a lot of the Stars have now passed on 

[charlie b]

RK, sorry for the confusion.

Yep, those torpedo recovery boats (US versions) were planing hulls.  Father-in-law never described them much more other than saying they were scaled down PT boats.  From what I recall he said there sere not very many of them made.  When in the sub service he was involved in a bit of torpedo testing.  Even in the 50's they were having steering problems (recall in WWII there were suspicions that some subs were sunk by their own circling torps).  He rode in the recovery boats quite a bit during this.  One time he managed to slip a noose over a torp that had circled so they finally got a live specimen to dissect. 

I always wanted to own one of the 40+ ft Coast Guard lifeboats.  I almost bid on one at an auction before I pinched myself  :)