Were PT boats used in Europe?
Built in New Orleans by Higgins Industries, the patrol-torpedo (PT) boat PT-305 was a critical asset for the US Navy during World War II, serving in European waters from 1944 to the end ofthe war.
Were PT boats lost in ww2?
Losses. According to the book "At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy," 99 of the 531 PT boats that served during World War II were lost to various causes.
Were PT boats effective in ww2?
PT boat action during World War II is well documented in history books and popularized in movies. Serving in multiple theaters, PT boats effectively and consistently challenged their adversaries. These fast ships, manned by courageous sailors, fought magnificently against long odds.
Who built PT boats in WWII?
Eventually Elco (Elco Motor Yachts) with a factory located in Bayonne, New Jersey and Higgins Industries in New Orleans, Louisiana were the dominant two builders with Elco producing the largest number. In the later years of the war the U.S. Navy standardized the design and construction of the PT boat.
What boats did Germany use in WW2?
Germany retaliated by using its submarines to destroy neutral ships that were supplying the Allies. The formidable U-boats (unterseeboots) prowled the Atlantic armed with torpedoes. They were Germany's only weapon of advantage as Britain effectively blocked German ports to supplies.
What types of boats did Germany use?
No capital ship was sunk in WW2 by a motor torpedo boat/PT boat but one Dreadnought Battleship was sunk by an Italian motor torpedo boat in WW1. SMS Svent Istavan of the Austro Hungarian Navy a Dreadnought of 21000 tons was torpedoed and sunk by the 30 ton torpedo boat MAS-15 the sinking was filmed.
Could a PT boat sink a battleship?
How many ships did PT boats sink in WW2? PT-59 (more on her later) is credited with sinking Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) submarine I-3 on December 9, 1942 near Guadalcanal. PT-37 and PT-40 sank destroyer IJN Teruzuki on the night of 11–12 December, barely three months after the Japanese had put her into service.
Did a PT boat ever sink a submarine?
Today, just four combat-veteran PT boats still exist in the United States; of those, only PT-305 is fully restored and operational, complete with original-model engines.
Do any PT boats still exist?
The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.
Was there a real pt73?
Though few PTs sank major Japanese ships, they enjoyed more success in other operations, including reconnaissance and search and rescue. The boats often harassed and broke up Japanese barge traffic, earning the nickname “devil boats” among the enemy.
Did PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
Yamato 's Last Voyage. On her last morning, before the first American planes intercepted her, Yamato would have appeared indestructible. After all, she was the heaviest and most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable guns ever mounted at sea.
Who had the strongest ship in ww2?
At the end of World War II, the expense of returning PT boats to the United States from overseas was considered prohibitive, so most boat were stripped of useful materials and burned.
What happened to all the PT boats after ww2?
Their role was replaced in the U.S. Navy by fast attack craft.
What replaced the PT boat?
Engines. PT-109 was powered by three 12-cylinder 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) Packard 4M-2500 marinized aero gasoline engines (one per propeller shaft), with a designed top speed of 41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph).
How fast was a WWII PT boat?
In the end, the defeat of the U-boats really came down to a numbers game. The strategic goal of the German U-boat force was to sink more shipping than the Allies could replace and force surrender through starvation. This was a fight the Germans were sure to lose.
Why did German U-boats fail?
Though six major units of the Kriegsmarine were sunk during the war (both Bismarck-class battleships and both Scharnhorst-class battleships, as well as two heavy cruisers), there were still many ships afloat (including four heavy cruisers and four light cruisers) as late as March 1945.
Did any German ships survived ww2?
Their ability to submerge and to surprise enemies led to massive casualties: Germany and Austria-Hungary sank almost 5,000 merchant ships during World War I, killing approximately 15,000 Allied sailors.
Why were German U-boats so effective?
There probably many reasons for the failure of the German U-boats, especially given the success of American submarines against the Japanese in the Pacific, but in my opinion, the biggest reason for their failure was the improvements made by the Allies in submarine detection and anti-submarine warfare and weapons.
Why did the U-boats fail ww2?
The Lusitania was carrying a cargo of rifle ammunition and shells (together about 173 tons), and the Germans, who had circulated warnings that the ship would be sunk, felt themselves fully justified in attacking a vessel that was furthering the war aims of their enemy.
Why did Germany sink the Lusitania?
Germany built 1,162 U-boats during World War II and 785 were destroyed by the end of the war. The remaining 377 U-boats were surrendered (or scuttled by the Germans). In contrast, U-boats sank about 3,000 Allied ships (merchant ships and warships).
How many U-boats did Germany lose in ww2?
Specialized yacht brokers, dealers, and brokerages on YachtWorld have a diverse selection of PT models for sale, with listings spanning from 1979 year models to 1986.
Can you buy a PT boat?
One of the most notable types of wooden crafts was the PT or Motor Torpedo Boat. This small, fast craft would race at the enemy to launch torpedoes before making a hasty retreat. The complex curves of the boat's hull would have been very difficult to manufacture from steel.
How big was a PT boat?
This is the inside story of Operation 34A and the Nasty Class PT Boats – and the crews that manned them during the Vietnam War. Most Americans consider that our involvement in the Vietnamese War began with the Tonkin Gulf incident.
Were PT boats made of wood?
Galley. -Here is where the "cook" heats up the cans. A PT galley is much more than that. It can and has turned out American, Italian, French, Chinese, and even Japanese cuisine.
Were PT boats used in Vietnam?
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.
Did PT boats have a galley?
According to W.L.White's 1942 book “They Were Expendable,” the three Packard engines could drive a PT boat almost as fast as a car on the highway, which was then about 45 MPH. From other sources, I would say more like 35–40 knots, which is close.
How many men were on a WWII PT boat?
Lieutenant John F. Kennedy's encounter with a Japanese destroyer on the night of August 1, 1943, may be the most famous small-craft engagement in naval history, and it was an unmitigated disaster.
How fast would a PT boat go?
During the night of August 1 into the second in 1943, the 80-foot boat was struck in the South Pacific by a Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri. The PT boat itself was destroyed. MATT PORTER: And on that night, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, commander of the PT-109, led his crew members to a nearby set of islands.
What is the most famous PT boat?
There was a real PT-73 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. it ran aground at Baliquias Bay, Mindoro, Philippine Islands in position 13º50'N, 120º10'E.
What happened to JFK's PT boat?
Actual U.S. Navy 80-foot Elco PT boats were used throughout filming, albeit re-marked with false hull numbers in use in late 1941 and early 1942.
Was there a PT 73?
By war's end, the American units' boats had fired 354 torpedoes and claimed to have sunk 38 vessels totaling 23,700 tons.
Was that a real PT boat in McHale's Navy?
Losses. According to the book "At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy," 99 of the 531 PT boats that served during World War II were lost to various causes.
How many ships sunk by PT boats?
PT boat action during World War II is well documented in history books and popularized in movies. Serving in multiple theaters, PT boats effectively and consistently challenged their adversaries. These fast ships, manned by courageous sailors, fought magnificently against long odds.
Were PT boats lost in WW2?
Nagato survived the battle, retreating to Japan to be refitted for coastal defense. She also escaped serious damage from an Allied air attack in July of 1945 and was the only Japanese battleship to survive the war.
Were PT boats effective in WWII?
Yamato has the advantage in main battery, secondary battery, armor protection, propulsion layout, and rudder control. Bismarck is superior in fire control, officer performance, crew training, speed, and damage control.
Did any Japanese ships survive WWII?
One of the ships in the U.S. Navy during World War II that could be considered as "the luckiest" in terms of surviving significant damage is the USS Franklin (CV-13), an Essex-class aircraft carrier. The USS Franklin endured a devastating attack on March 19, 1945, during operations off the coast of Japan.
Is Bismarck better than Yamato?
The German battleship Bismarck has been described in superlative terms ever since she sank the “Pride of the Royal Navy,” the venerable battle cruiser HMS Hood at the 24 May 1941 Battle of the Denmark Strait and drove the new British battleship Prince of Wales from the scene of the fight.
What was the luckiest ship in ww2?
The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.
What was Germany's strongest ship?
How many ships did PT boats sink in WW2? PT-59 (more on her later) is credited with sinking Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) submarine I-3 on December 9, 1942 near Guadalcanal. PT-37 and PT-40 sank destroyer IJN Teruzuki on the night of 11–12 December, barely three months after the Japanese had put her into service.
Was there a real pt73?
Today, just four combat-veteran PT boats still exist in the United States; of those, only PT-305 is fully restored and operational, complete with original-model engines. An operational PT-305 promises to become one of The National WWII Museum's most exciting artifacts and teaching tools.
Did a PT boat ever sink a submarine?
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.
Are there any original PT boats left?
Built in New Orleans by Higgins Industries, the patrol-torpedo (PT) boat PT-305 was a critical asset for the US Navy during World War II, serving in European waters from 1944 to the end ofthe war.
Were there PT boats in Europe?
Zinser, Motor Machinist's Mate 1/c (MM1) (Belleville, Illinois). Erroneously called "Gerald" in many publications, Zinser remained in the Navy for a career following the end of World War II, eventually retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. The last living survivor of PT-109, he died in Florida in 2001.
Were PT boats used in Europe?
Though few PTs sank major Japanese ships, they enjoyed more success in other operations, including reconnaissance and search and rescue. The boats often harassed and broke up Japanese barge traffic, earning the nickname “devil boats” among the enemy.
Are any PT-109 survivors still alive?
In 1954, U-505 was donated to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. She is now one of four German World War II U-boats that survive as museum ships, and just one of two Type IXCs still in existence with U-534.
Did PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
The damage inflicted by U-boats during World War I was powerful. Their ability to submerge and to surprise enemies led to massive casualties: Germany and Austria-Hungary sank almost 5,000 merchant ships during World War I, killing approximately 15,000 Allied sailors.
Do any German U-boats still exist?
After she had made two unsuccessful attempts to attack a convoy under Rear-Admiral Robert Burnett, the German battleship 'Scharnhorst' was intercepted by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser in the 'Duke of York'. Following a running fight lasting about three hours, she was finally stopped, surrounded and sunk.
Were German U-boats effective?
Once the pride of the German Navy, this 700 foot long heavy cruiser was used by the U.S. as a test target for not one but two atom bombs at Bikini atoll. Today, at the bottom of the ocean, the radiation levels of the Prinz Eugen are low enough for safe exploration.
Who sank Scharnhorst?
There probably many reasons for the failure of the German U-boats, especially given the success of American submarines against the Japanese in the Pacific, but in my opinion, the biggest reason for their failure was the improvements made by the Allies in submarine detection and anti-submarine warfare and weapons.
Is the Prinz Eugen still radioactive?
The introduction of aircraft carriers, Very Long Range aircraft and roving 'support groups' of warships eventually defeated the U-boats at the end of May 1943.
Why did the U-boats fail ww2?
In World War II Germany built 1,162 U-boats, of which 785 were destroyed and the remainder surrendered (or were scuttled to avoid surrender) at the capitulation. Of the 632 U-boats sunk at sea, Allied surface ships and shore-based aircraft accounted for the great majority (246 and 245 respectively).
What defeated German U-boats?
The U-boats could go faster and farther, and they could carry almost twice as many weapons as the newest U.S. submarines. They also could submerge four times faster. The U.S. Navy's subs possessed advantages only in maximum depth and an extra half knot submerged.
How many U-boats did the Germans lose?
Did Germany regret sinking the Lusitania?
Were U-boats better than American submarines?
Did Germany apologize for the sinking of the Lusitania?
Were Marines used in Europe?
Was Germany allowed to sink the Lusitania?
Were Marines used in Europe during WW2?
What type of boat did the Europeans use for exploring?
Marine detachments served on all battleships and cruisers operating in the European theater. In addition, from early August 1918 to the date of demobilization, the Commanding General of the Second Division and several officers on his staff were Marines.
Where were PT boats stationed?
The Marine Corps personnel in OSS made significant contributions to the Allied war effort in Europe and throughout the world. On 15 July 1941, the Marine Corps established its first embassy detachment at London, England. It was commanded by Major Walter I. Jordan.