Ref.: MERI-64802
U.S. Navy Elco 80
PT boats were a variety of torpedo-armed fast attack craft used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. "PT" is the US hull classification symbol for "Patrol Torpedo". The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "devil boats". During World War II, American PT boats engaged enemy destroyers and numerous other surface craft, ranging from small boats to large supply ships. PT boats also operated as gunboats against enemy small craft, such as armored barges used by the Japanese forces for inter-island transport. The primary anti-ship armament was two to four Mark 8 torpedoes, which each weighed 2,600 pounds (1,179 kg) and contained a 466-pound (211 kg) TNT warhead. These torpedoes were launched by Mark 18 21-inch (530 mm) steel torpedo tubes. Mark 8 torpedoes had a range of 16,000 yards (14,630 m) at 36 knots (41 mph). Common to all US PT boats were two twin M2 .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns. Another automatic weapon commonly mounted on PT boats was the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. All U.S. PT boats were powered by three 12-cylinder gasoline-fueled engines running on high octane aviation gasoline (AvGas). These engines were built by the Packard Motor Car Company, and were a modified design of the 3A-2500 V-12 liquid-cooled aircraft engine. The Elco Naval Division boats were the longest of the three types of PT boats built for the Navy used during World War II. By war’s end, more of the Elco 80 ft (24 m) boats were built than any other type of motor torpedo boat (326 of their 80 ft (24 m) boats were built). The 80 ft (24 m) wooden-hulled craft were classified as boats in comparison with much larger steel-hulled destroyers, but were comparable in size to many wooden sailing ships in history. They had a 20 ft 8 in (6.30 m) beam. Though often said to be made of plywood, they were actually made of two diagonal layered 1 in (25 mm) thick mahogany planks, with a glue-impregnated layer of canvas in between. Holding all this together were thousands of bronze screws and copper rivets. This type of construction made it possible for damage to the wooden hulls of these boats to be easily repaired at the front lines by base force personnel. Five Elco Boats were manufactured in knock-down kit form and sent to Long Beach Boatworks for assembly on the West Coast as part of an experiment and as a proof of concept. PT-109 (Elco 80’ boat) was a PT boat (Patrol Torpedo boat) last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade (LTJG) John F. Kennedy (later President of the United States) in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Kennedy’s actions to save his surviving crew after the sinking of PT-109 made him a war hero, which proved helpful in his political career. The incident may have also contributed to Kennedy’s long-term back problems. After he became president, the incident became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a song, many books, movies, various television series, collectible objects, scale model replicas and toys. Interest was revived in May 2002, with the discovery of the wreck by Robert Ballard. PT-109 earned two battle stars during World War II operations.