Calling all PT Boat (all types) fans!

[Garth]

All,

My revised PT book will be released on April 6, 2010, and it is now on www.amazon.com. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/PT-Boats-World-Wa ... 1608880133

Garth

[Sr. Gopher]

Does anyone know if Pt boats used to carry Marines on board in small teams?

I have an idea for my 1/35 PT boat for a diorama....

I must ask, do you want the scene to have the Boat inserting or extracting the marines? I have a book called MacArthur's Victory, which states that on a scouting mission, a landing craft and PT Boat were ambushed, the PT left and the landing craft sunk. Those on the landing craft survived, all were casualties, and all were later rescued by another PT Boat.

[Victor Chun]

As the author of the book AMERICAN PT BOATS IN WW II, I am now working on the forthcoming vol. II. I am collecting pictures and
information on PT boat model for a special chapter on modeling. Anything you can do to help will be appreciated.
Victor Chun
2584 Wellesley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

[Tracy White]

Hi Victor. If you have e-mail I'd be interested in "talking." I have some PT information and photos; my e-mail is plastered all over my website below.

[Sr. Gopher]

Does anyone know of vessels besides the PGMs that worked alongside PTs in WWII? I know that PTs were usually too fast for everything else, but in slower speeds - did they have other duties with other vessels?

[Tracy White]

I've seen in my research that some of the smaller landings later in the war were done with a PT boat (maybe two) supporting a LSM or two. I can't remember specific instances...

[Russ2146]

Photo #: USMC 68267

Bougainville Campaign, 1943-44

Transports unloading in Empress Augusta Bay, off the Bougainville beachhead, 20 November 1943.
Photographed by T/Sgt. J. Sarno, USMC, from on board a PT boat, one of whose twin .50 caliber machine gun mounts is in the foreground.
The LCVP just beyond is from USS President Jackson (APA-18).
A PT boat, two attack transports (APA) and a LST are in the distance.

U.S. Marine Corps Photograph.

Bougainville Landing.jpg (14.37 KiB) Viewed 4587 times

[NukeMM]

I know that this has been discussed recently but, I can't seem to find the message thread about it.

I'm asking for friend about 1/72 scale USN figures appropriate for the Revell 1/72 PT Boat PT-109.

Does anyone know if any exist or that can be modified or used for this kit. I think that it may already come with some figures but my friend wants more or different ones.

Thanks for any assistance!

[Russ2146]

I just did a quick search and it looks like all the figures out there are ground pounders and airdales.
http://www.tracks-n-troops.com/1-72%20figures.htm

[Sr. Gopher]

He could always reshape any resin figure he gets, and work on details afterwards.

[NukeMM]

Thanks, Russ! Thanks, Gopher!

I have recommended the Czech Master 1/72 USN Sub Crewmen to him. He may be able to use them if he isn't planning an "in combat" diorama.

[Will Day]

Granted that the PT boats were manufactured by different companies was there standard armament for each boat - later customized to fit the mission? I've seen everything from quad .50's to the 20mm bow-mounted (as well as stern), etc. And as noted in another thread PT-109 had 37mm gun rigged on it. Next-door neighbor's inlaw served late '44 and told me every boat ended up different - in his limited experience.

"Standard" armament varied by time-frame and theater of operations, but one standard load for Elcos would be 20mm & 37mm on bow, twin .50-cal mgs in both turrets, 40mm on stern and four MkXIII torpedoes in roll-off racks.

This load was often modified or augmented with additional cannon, mgs, rockets, mortars, small arms, etc. Not all boats carried four torpedoes, some carried only two and some carried depth charges. Quad-50 "Thuderbolt" mounts were tried in place of the 40mm. A few boats carried no torpedoes but had multiple mg locations throughout the boat.

[Sr. Gopher]

Quad-50 "Thuderbolt" mounts were tried in place of the 40mm.

The Thunderbolts were actually quad 20mm guns augmented by two 50s.

[Garth]

The Thunderbolts fitted to PT boats (the four of Squadron 29 and the 174 in 1945 did not have the two 50s. There were a few PTs, PT-195 most notably were fitted for a time with the quad 50 mount.

[Steve Sobieralski]

These are some in-progress photos of a conversion of the 1/35 Italeri PT 596 kit to PT 559, one of the Mediterranean Elco 80 footers from Squadron 29, based at Bastia in Corsica. This was one of the four boats that were equipped with the Elco-designed Thunderbolt 4x20mm mounting, instead of a single 40mm, at the stern.

The photo above shows some of the modifications to the bridge area, which include the moveable airfoil that could be adjusted to defect wind over the cockpit in lieu of a glass or plexiglas windshield, adding the binnacle and reworking the hatch and deadlight on the charthouse roof, changing the radio antenna housing from round to rectangular, and adding a small searchlight bracket to the port side spray shield.

The two photos above show some of the changes at the aft end of the boat, including the beginnings of the scratch-built Thunderbolt mount. In addition, the engine room intake was narrowed, the curved-topped life raft housing has been replaced with a box-shaped heater enclosure, the rear torpedo racks have been moved further aft, and the smoke generator moved to the stern. Still to be done are a new radome for the mast and other miscellaneous items. In adddition to scratchbuilt details I will also be using some pieces from the Eduard photo etch set.

[Garth]

Hello Steve,

That's very nice work, sir.

I cannot wait to see the finished model.

Garth

[dane]

Has anyone thought about making a Vietnam era Nasty Class in 1/72. Are these also called PTF's? There were IIRC, 3-4 here in Great Bridge, Chesapeake,VA back inthe 70's-1990's off of the Chesapeake and Albermarle Canal. They sure looked like PT's too me.
Dane

[Garth]

Yes, Dane.

The NASTYs, in USN service, were classified as PTFs. PTF stood for PATROL, TORPEDO, FAST.

Which was interesting to note, for me anyway, that in USN service, the NASTYs never were armed with torpedoes and the same type in both in the Norwegian and Greek navies were.

Garth

[SailorBill]

I have started my 1/72 Revell PT Boat conversion project and
am looking to borrow someone's 1/35 Italeri PT Boat instruction
booklet to make a copy for reference. I will gladly reimburse for
postage to mail to me. Any assistance with this request will be
greatly appreciated. Regards, Bill

[James Hood]

Will there EVER be a modern 1/72 kit of a 78 foot Higgins?

How long must we wait?