PT boat – Photos & Videos

A PT båd (forkortelse for patruljetorpedobåd) var et torpedobevæbnet hurtigt angrebsfartøj (MTB), som blev brugt af den amerikanske flåde under 2. Det var lille, hurtigt og billigt at bygge, værdsat for sin manøvredygtighed og hastighed, men hæmmet i begyndelsen af krigen af ineffektive torpedoer, begrænset bevæbning og forholdsvis skrøbelig konstruktion, der begrænsede nogle af varianterne til kystfarvande.

Kilde: PT båd på Wikipedia

A PT boat was a type of small and fast vessel used by the United States Navy during World War II to attack larger enemy ships with torpedoes. The name PT stands for Patrol Torpedo, and the boats were also known as “the mosquito fleet” or “devil boats” by the Japanese. The PT boats had a wooden hull and were powered by three gasoline engines that could reach speeds of up to 40 knots (74 km/h). They were armed with four 21-inch torpedoes, two twin .50-caliber machine guns, and sometimes a 20 mm cannon. The PT boats operated in all theaters of war, but were especially effective in the Pacific, where they harassed Japanese supply lines, transport ships, and barges. One of the most famous PT boat commanders was John F. Kennedy, who later became president of the United States. He commanded the PT-109, which was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in 1943. Kennedy and his crew survived the ordeal and were rescued after several days on a nearby island.