Miami Shipbuilding

Last updated
Miami Shipbuilding
Industry
PredecessorsFogal Boat Yard
FoundedJanuary 1939;86 years ago (1939-01)
DefunctJanuary 1993
Headquarters615 SW 2nd Ave,
Miami, Florida
,
USA
Area served
 US Navy and Miami
Key people
Jay Fogal, Robert Johnston
Products PT Boats, Crash boats, yachts, Hydrofoils
ServicesBoat building and repair
Halobates a 1957 prototype hydrofoil boat, used a US Navy LCVP(H) for a hull, built by Miami Shipbuilding for the US Navy Halobates 1957 hydrofoil boat.jpg
Halobates a 1957 prototype hydrofoil boat, used a US Navy LCVP(H) for a hull, built by Miami Shipbuilding for the US Navy

Miami Shipbuilding, (Miami Shipyards Corp), was boatyard in Miami, Florida founded in 1939. The Miami Shipbuilding was originally called Fogal Boat Yard. Fogal Boat Yard was founded in 1928 by Jay Fogal. Miami Shipbuilding had two boatyard sites one on each side of the Miami River. The main yard was between SW 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Miami Shipbuilding built many crash boats also called Air-Sea Rescue Boat, or ASR for World War II. [1] They are also known for building early prototype PT boats: PT-1 and PT-2. [2] [3]

Contents

History

Miami Shipbuilding became the second largest World War II employer in Miami from 1941 to 1945. After the war only the boatyard on the south side of the river was used. Miami Shipbuilding designed the boat known as the Miamis. The Miamis was designed by Dair Long. Miami Shipbuilding main building is known as its Art Moderne office style at 615 SW 2nd Ave was used as the police station on Miami Vice . The Art Moderne office had a large relief panel above the entrance with a man holding up a ship, kneeling in water and surrounded by a ship's helm, propeller, and gear. The site has been a boatyard since 1915. [4] The building was later demolished in 2007, as it was not put on a protected building list. [3] Miami Shipbuilding built 329 Air-Sea Rescue Boat and through its subcontracts 411 more were built, like HMAS Air Faith (909). In all 740 Air-Sea Rescue Boats were built for the war and place around the world to save down airman. Air-Sea Rescue Boat were design to be fast and rough. After the war Miami Shipbuilding built recreational boats and hydrofoils boats. The Hydrofoil Project of the Office of Naval Research had Miami Shipbuilding built a Hydrofoil boat from 1954 to 1957. The prototype hydrofoil boat completed was the Halobates, in 1957 with an U.S. Navy LCVP(H) as the hull. Halobates had water wings and could do more than 40 miles per hour. Steered was by an electronic automatic pilot. Miami Shipbuilding tested the LVHX-2 which used an US Army DUKW for is hull. [5] Robert Johnston was the main designer for Halobates and LVHX-2. Halobates development led to the design of a new boat the Denison a 104-foot, 95-ton hydrofoil, named after its sponsor, Col. Charles R. Denison. HS Denison was built by Grumman in Oyster Bay, Long Island completed June 5, 1962. LVHX-1 was built for the US Marine Corps built by Lycoming Division of AVCO, but tested by Miami Shipbuilding. LVHX-2 built by Food Machinery Corp for US Army with a DUKW for hull, was but tested by Miami Shipbuilding. [6] [7] Miami Shipbuilding closed in the January 1993. The boatyard site today is Latitude on the River Condo and Latitude One International Business Center. [2]

Crash boats

US Navy NH 96504 a 63 ft (19 m) air-sea rescue boat designed by Miami Shipbuilding and built by Fellows & Stewart NH96504 63-footair-searescueboat.jpg
US Navy NH 96504 a 63 ft (19 m) air-sea rescue boat designed by Miami Shipbuilding and built by Fellows & Stewart

Crash boats were wooden high speed boats built to rescue the air crews of downed United States and other Allies airplanes during World War II. Over 300,000 planes were built by America by 1945. This made the need to have crash rescue boat, also called Recovery Craft. These boats were stationed around the world. These boats saved pilots, crew, and passengers from downed aircraft in search and rescue, air-sea rescue missions. Miami Shipbuilding built 23 tons, 63-foot. Other designs were the 104-foot, 85-foot, and 42-foot. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Most of the Miami Shipbuilding boats were used by the United States Army Air Forces, but the Miami Shipbuilding boats were mostly used by the US Navy. Most of the Miami Shipbuilding boats used in the Pacific war bases across the vast South Pacific. The Pacific war was an Island hopping campaign. Before departing boats were used in the US Navy Small Craft Training Centers for training troops and sea trials. [13] [14] [15]

PT boats

PT-1 (and PT-2) built by Miami Shipbuilding as prototype PT boats in 1941 PT-1 by Miami Shipbuilding.jpg
PT-1 (and PT-2) built by Miami Shipbuilding as prototype PT boats in 1941

PT-1 and PT-2 were built by Miami Shipbuildinging in 1941. The to boats were 59-foot US Navy prototype Torpedo Boat. They had a displacement 30 ton and top speed of 30 kts. had two 1,200 hp Vimalert gasoline engines built in Jersey City, New Jersey, with two shafts. George Crouch designed PT-1 and PT-2 in 1939. [16]


A PT boat contracts give for construction of PT boats. Miami Shipbuildinging had competition against other bulders: Higgins Industries (PT5 and PT6), Fisher Boat Works (PT-3 and PT-4), and Philadelphia Navy Yard (PT-7, PT-8) for 81-foot boats. [19] The PT-1 and PT-2 design was not used in the final production of PT boats, as long and larger boat three engineer designs were used, the 70-foot, 78-foot and 80-foot PT boats. [20] [21]

Boats

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fellows & Stewart</span> Shipyard in San Pedro, California, United States

Fellows & Stewart Inc. was a shipbuilding company in San Pedro, California on Terminal Island's Pier 206. To support the World War II demand for ships Fellows & Stewart built Crash rescue boats and submarine chasers. The Crash rescue boats were operated by both the US Navy and US Army during the war. Some crash rescue boat also served in the Korean War. Fellows & Stewart was founded as Joe Fellows Boat Shop in 1896. Joe Fellows was an English immigrant who learned boat building in Seattle and San Francisco. The company changed to Fellows & Stewart as the shipyard manager, Victor Stewart joined in as a partner. Many of the boats were designed by Joseph Pugh. From 1907 to 1917 called the Joe Fellows Yacht and Launch Company. In the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s the shipyard built many yachts and sailboats. The name changed to the Fellows & Stewart Inc. in 1917. In 1967 the shipyard was sold to Harbor Boatbuilding. The shipyard is sometimes listed as being in Wilmington. The records of Fellows & Stewart are housed at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. Notable boats and ships: HMAS Air View, USS SC-1012, Rudolph Valentino's 1926 yacht Charade (Phoenix) and the Ranger built in 1917 active at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Boat Building Company</span> Shipyard in San Pedro, California, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast Shipyard</span> Shipyard in Newport, California, United States

South Coast Shipyard was a shipbuilding company in Newport, California. To support the World War II demand for ships South Coast Shipyard built: minesweepers, Torpedo Boats, Submarine chasers, & Air-sea rescue boats. South Coast Shipyard was opened in 1938 by Walton Hubbard. After World War II the shipyard continued to build ships for the US Navy till 1955. The shipyard was located at 2300 Newport Boulevard, Newport, California. The shipyard closed in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington Boat Works</span> Shipyard in Wilmington, California, United States

Wilmington Boat Works, Inc. or WILBO was a shipbuilding company in Wilmington, California. To support the World War 2 demand for ships Victory Shipbuilding built: Tugboats, crash rescue boats and sub chasers. Wilmington Boat Works opened in 1920 building Fishing boat and yachts, by Hugh Angelman, Willard Buchanan and Tom Smith. After the Korean War the shipyard closed in 1958. The shipyard was located at 400 Yacht Street, Wilmington, the site of the current USC boatyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kneass Boat Works</span> Shipyard in San Francisco, California, United States

Kneass Boat Works was a shipbuilding company in San Francisco, California. To support the World War 2 demand for ships, Kneass Boat Works built: US Navy Sub chasers, US Army barges and tugboats. Kneass Boat Works was started by California native George Washington Kneass (1859–1923) in 1868, at 22 Mission Street, San Francisco. George Kneass started as an apprentice to boat builder Martin Vice. The two became partners operating a shipyard at Pier 70 at 671 Illinois Street, San Francisco. Business was good and in 1898 Kneass opened a second shipyard at 718 3rd Street, San Francisco. At its peak, Kneass employed 50 workers. George Kneass died in 1923 and his two sons, George Jr. and Webster, took over the shipyard. Kneass built small boats, launches, rowboats, barges, lifeboats), sailboats, and a few wooden cruisers. For World War 2, in 1941 the company built a small emergency shipyard. The shipyard closed in 1970, but the site is now the art studio of Ruth Kneass; she kept the boatyard name for her studio.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooden boats of World War II</span> United States wooden boats used in World War II

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">US Navy Small Craft Training Center</span> World War II Naval Training Bases

US Navy Small Craft Training Centers(SCTC) were United States Navy training bases used to train sailors in the operation of the many small wooden crafts used in World War II. These crafts were given the nickname Splinter Fleet. There was a shortage of steel and steel shipyards during World War II, so there was a need for a vast wooden fleet of crafts. The Small Craft Training Centers had classrooms and crafts for training. The bases had barrack housing and mess halls. To get the men and crafts out into the field quickly, at many of the bases men trained on new ships. The new ships were at the center for about 4 weeks as part of the vessel's sea trial. Tugboats, Minesweepers, Net laying ships, Crash boats, PT boats and other crafts built near the center were taken to the Small Craft Training Centers for testing. Crafts built at Lynch Shipbuilding in San Diego, California were taken to the Small Craft Training Center at Terminal Island, San Pedro, California for their sea trial. Lynch Shipbuilding built tugboats, and minesweepers. Some of the craft at the Terminal Island school were: USS Density (AM-218), USS Waxsaw (AN-91), and USS Climax (AM-161), USS Wateree (ATF-117), USS Quest (AM-281), USS Snowbell (AN-52). The US Navy also had Small Craft Training Centers in Miami, Florida, Santa Barbara, California, New Orleans, Louisiana and other sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet Obsolete</span> Restoration organization of Torpedo boat of the U.S. Navy

Fleet Obsolete is vessel restoration nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in Kingston, New York. Fleet Obsolete rescues and restores rare artifacts and boats from World War II era. Fleet Obsolete owns and is restoring four of the rare PT boats. Fleet Obsolete is housed in the historical Cornell Shops Building on the waterfront of the Hudson River at the mouth of Rondout Creek. Cornell Steamboat Company was founded in 1827 and used the Cornell Building as a machine shop. Fleet Obsolete was founded by Robert Iannucci in 2005. Robert Iannucci purchased five PT boats built during World War II. Robert Iannucci worked on racing teams for classic motorcycless and is now a retired Brooklyn attorney. Iannucci passion for United States Navy boats came from his time as a Sea Scout in Hackensack, New Jersey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Boatworks</span> Marine service provider and shipbuilder in Detroit, Michigan

Fisher Boatworks was boatyard in Detroit, Michigan founded in 1937 by William P. Fisher. The Fisher Boatworks site was first the Russell J. Pouliot Boat Works founded in the 1930s. Fisher Boatworks built many Submarine chaser boats for World War II. They are also known for building one of first Prototype PT boats: PT-3 and PT-3. Fisher Boatworks closed after the war in 1945. The boatyard was on Motor Boat Lane, now the Gregory Marina on the Detroit River of the Waterworks Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One</span> World War II Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron of US Navy

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One was a World War II United States Navy PT boat squadron based at Naval Base Hawaii's Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base on 7 December 1941 during the Attack on Pearl Harbor. It was commanded by Lieutenant Lt. Comdr. William C. Specht and made up of 12 PT boats. After Pearl Harbor, MTBRon 1 was sent to Midway Atoll and took part in the Battle of Midway. MTBRon 1 was then sent to take part in the Aleutian campaign. MTBRon 1 was commissioned 24 July 1940 and decommissioned 9 February 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two</span> World War II Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron of US Navy

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two was a United States Navy PT boat squadron first based at Panama Sea Frontier in December 1941 with 11 new Elco Naval Division boats. Before Panama deployment MTBRon 2 tested new PT boats in Florida and the Caribbean. In fall 1942 with six of MTBRon 2 77-foot Elco boats and six 80-foot Elco boats were shipped to the South Pacific War operating against the Tokyo Express in the defense of Guadalcanal in the Solomons campaign.

References

  1. 1 2 "63 ft. Rescue Boat". www.uscrashboats.org.
  2. 1 2 3 "Miami Shipbuilding".
  3. 1 2 Dahl, Marc. "Miami Shipbuilding Corporation". www.historicpreservationmiami.com.
  4. ↑ Piket, Casey. "Miami "Vice" Shipyard". www.miami-history.com.
  5. ↑ "Miami Shipbuilding Corporation". Foils.org. Archived from the original on 2014-08-16. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  6. 1 2 Florida, State Library and Archives of. "Florida Memory • Two engineers discussing in front of the boat "Halobates" built by Miami Shipbuilding Corporation - Miami Florida". Florida Memory.
  7. 1 2 "The Rise and Fall of Miami Shipbuilding Corporation, by Robert Johnston, 14 Jul 03" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "The Forgotten Ones: 5 Fascinating Stories from the Korean War". July 27, 2019.
  9. ↑ Jordan, Margaret. "1943: The Development of Air-Sea Rescue".
  10. ↑ "Memorial Park". www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
  11. ↑ "The birth of modern Air-Sea Rescue". April 28, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Marker Monday: WWII Rescue Boat Station - Georgia Historical Society".
  13. ↑ "Design & Construction of Boats". Uscrashboats.org. 1944-07-25. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  14. ↑ "US Army Rescue Boats P". shipbuildinghistory.com.
  15. ↑ "Boats of the United States Navy". Maritime.org. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  16. ↑ Garth Connelly, T. (2010). U.S. Patrol Torpedo Boats in World War II, 1939-1945. Nimble Books. ISBN   9781608880133 . Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  17. ↑ "PT-1". www.navsource.org.
  18. 1 2 "PT-2". www.navsource.org.
  19. ↑ At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy, May 24, 2017, by Robert J. Bulkley
  20. ↑ The Chief of Naval Operations,Report of Conference on Motor Torpedo Boats, Op-23D-KM, PT/S1(410414)Serial 181923 (Navy Department, 17 June 1941)
  21. ↑ David Seidman (June 1991). "Damned by Faint Praise: The life and hard times of Albert Hickman" (PDF). WoodenBoat. pp. 46–57. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "PT-1". www.navsource.org.
  23. 1 2 3 Du Toit 1992, p. 255.
  24. ↑ "The Erma S., 14 F.2d 696 | Casetext Search + Citator".

25°46′05″N80°11′51″W / 25.768056°N 80.197389°W / 25.768056; -80.197389

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