SMALL, SPEEDY, AND VERSATILE, PT (patrol torpedo) boats did
yeoman’s work for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Four 21-inch
torpedoes, two twin .50-caliber machine guns, and makeshift arma-
ment add-ons allowed this all-purpose vessel to attack warships,
barges, and transport ships; chase submarines; escort Allied landing
craft; lay mines; and generally harass the enemy in all theaters—
though it is most often associated with the Pacific War. The navy’s call
for designs in 1938 ended with contracts for two main suppliers, Elco
and Higgins, which between them produced over 500 PT boats.
On August 2, 1943, a Japanese destroyer in the Solomons rammed
the boat depicted here, PT-109, commanded by Lieutenant ( j.g.) John F.
Kennedy, killing two crewmen and sinking the vessel. An injured Ken-
nedy swam for miles for help, towing a badly burned sailor behind him.
Kennedy’s actions helped his remaining crew survive and earned the
future president the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart.
Just a few of these wooden boats survive today. –Larry PorgesBLOWING SMOKE
The Mark 8 and Mark 10 torpedoes first installed
on PT boats were prone to light flashes or small
grease fires during firing. To help the boats avoid
detection during night attacks, stern-mounted
generators pumped out smoke screens.DROP IN THE OCEAN
To reduce weight, PT boats replaced their original
torpedoes with lighter Mark 13s. Initally designed
to drop from airplanes, the Mark 13s were simply
released from deck racks when fired; the torpedo
would roll off into the sea before engaging its target.HALF-MAST
Elco PT boats featured
A-frame masts, which later
in the war supported radar
systems. Photos of PT-109
near the time of its demise
in 1943 show a mastless
deck, indicating the crew
had either folded down or
removed the mast.JACK OF ALL TRADES
WEAPONS MANUAL AMERICA’S PT BOAT
ILLUSTRATION BY JIM LAURIER48 WORLD WAR II