PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat - Photos & Videos

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat
Country	USA
Role	Nasty-class patrol boat
Entered service	1967
Built	Unknow

The Nasty class of fast patrol boats were a set of 20 vessels built for the United States Navy to a Norwegian design and purchased in the 1960s for covert operations during the Vietnam War. Following the conflict they remained in service until the early 1980s. PTF 17: 1967 by Trumpy (Stricken 1981)

Source: PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo on Wikipedia

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat Walk Around
Photographer	Bill Maloney
Localisation	Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
Photos	19

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 1

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 2

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 3

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 4

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 5

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 6

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 7

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 8

Trumpy PTF-17 Patrol Torpedo Fast Boat 9

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General Characteristics and Role

The PTF-17 (Patrol Torpedo Fast) is a fast patrol boat of the Nasty-class, a design originally developed in Norway (where it was known as the Tjeld class) and acquired by the United States Navy in the 1960s. The PTF-17 was one of six Nasty-class boats built under license by John Trumpy & Sons, Inc. in Annapolis, Maryland. These boats were significantly larger and faster than the World War II era PT boats, and were heavily armed gunboats primarily intended for covert coastal and riverine operations during the Vietnam War as part of Operation 34A. Their high speed and agility were crucial for hit-and-run tactics against North Vietnamese coastal targets. PTF-17 is now preserved as a museum ship at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park.

Property	Typical Value (Nasty-class PTF)
Class & Type	Nasty-class (Norwegian Tjeld-class) Fast Patrol Boat (PTF)
National Origin	United States (Design: Norway)
Builder	John Trumpy & Sons, Inc.
Commissioned	1968
Displacement	80–83 long tons (full load)
Length	24.49 m (80 ft 4 in)
Beam	7.49 m (24 ft 7 in)
Draft	1.17 m (3 ft 10 in)
Hull Construction	Double-planked Mahogany
Complement (Crew)	17–18 men

Propulsion and Performance

Engines: 2 x Napier Deltic Turboblown V18 diesel engines.
Power Output (Total): Approximately 6,200 shp (4,623 kW).
Maximum Speed: 38–45 knots (70–83 km/h; 44–52 mph), depending on load.
Range: 1,050 nautical miles (1,940 km) at 20 knots.
Key Feature: The high power-to-weight ratio and unique diesel engine design allowed for exceptional speed, crucial for escaping enemy coastal defenses.

Armament and Vietnam War Role

Primary Armament: The PTFs were typically heavily armed gunboats, with torpedo tubes often omitted or removed for heavier guns and unique weapons.
Typical Gun Armament: 1 x Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun (aft) and 2 x 20 mm Oerlikon cannon (amidships).
Secondary Armament: Often included a “Piggyback” 81 mm mortar/0.50 caliber machine gun mount forward, and sometimes captured Soviet rockets or recoilless rifles were jury-rigged for combat missions.
Role: Used primarily by Navy Special Warfare forces for landing operations, intelligence gathering, and hit-and-run raids along the North Vietnamese coast.