Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons

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Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
Melville Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center.jpeg
Melville Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center sign in 1942
Active1940 to 1943
AllegianceFlag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States
BranchFlag of the United States Navy (1864-1959).svg  United States Navy
Equipment PT boats
Engagements Pacific War
North African campaign
Italian campaign
D-day
Navy PT Boats of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two, Washington Navy Yard DC December 1940 Navy PT Boats of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two, Washington Navy Yard DC December 1940 or January 1941 (50274163838).jpg
Navy PT Boats of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two, Washington Navy Yard DC December 1940
Patrol torpedo boat PT-30 PT 30 off Sand Island during operations at Midway, May 21, 1943.jpg
Patrol torpedo boat PT-30
PT-9 torpedo boat in Washington DC in 1940 PT-9 torpedo boat Washington DC 1940.jpg
PT-9 torpedo boat in Washington DC in 1940
Patrol torpedo boat PT-59 afrer gunboat conversion Solomon Islands PT-59 after conversion.jpg
Patrol torpedo boat PT-59 afrer gunboat conversion Solomon Islands
The crew of PT 59 inspects the wreckage of the Japanese submarine I-1, sunk on 29 January 1943 at Kamimbo on Guadalcanal by HMNZS Kiwi and Moa after Operation Ke I1Sub.jpg
The crew of PT 59 inspects the wreckage of the Japanese submarine I-1, sunk on 29 January 1943 at Kamimbo on Guadalcanal by HMNZS Kiwi and Moa after Operation Ke

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons were United States Navy PT boat squadrons (groups) commissioned for operation during World War II. During the war 44 Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons were commissioned. At the end of the war all 44 Squadrons were decommissioned. In April 1940 the US Navy designed the idea of PT boat squadrons. PT boat squadrons would have 12 boats each with its own commanding officer. The PT boat captains, called officers-in-charge and the boat's crew in the squadron could move from boat to boat within their squadron, depending on availability of boats and crews. Boats could also be transferred from squadron to squadron on an as needed based or to replace losses. A total of 690 PT boats were built between 7 December 1941 and 1 October 1945. [1] [2]

Contents

History

In 1938 the US Navy put out proposal requests for a boats that would be fast, strong and heavily armed, a PT Boat design competition was held. From the designs, different shipyards were give contracts for the construction of boats. The Prototype PT boats were evaluated and tested, one test was the Plywood Derby. From these test Elco Naval Division and Higgins Industries were picked. The Test were done by the first two Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons one and two. [3] [4] With the new boats a new base was built, to train the new Squadrons at Melville, Rhode Island on Narragansett Bay, the Melville Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center. [5] Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 4 was based at the Training Center to train the new Squadrons. The Squadron Training Center's nickname was Spect Tech, after its first commander, Lieutenant commander William C. Specht. [2] [6] Squadrons were send to the Pacific War, which saw the most action; the Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base, the Aleutian campaign; Panama Sea Frontier, based at the PT Boat Base Taboga Island; North African campaign, the Mediterranean Sea, English Channel; and the Mediterranean Sea, working with English troops. [7] [2] Of the many PT boats in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons few survived. At the end of the war PT boats were not needed and they used vast amount of high octane fuel in their large three Packard 4M-2500 engines, so almost all were scrapped at the end of the war. Only about 16 PT Boats have survived from being scrapped. The 16 PT boats vary from running restored boats to just hulls. [8]

Squadrons

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons formed during World War II: [2]

MTBRon-1

MTBRon-2


MTBRon-3

MTBRon-4

MTBRon-5

MTBRon-6

MTBRon-7

MTBRon-8

MTBRon-9

MTBRon-10

MTBRon-11

MTBRon-12

MTBRon-13

MTBRon-14

MTBRon 15

MTBRon-16

MTBRon-17

MTBRon-18

MTBRon-19

MTBRon-20

MTBRon-21

MTBRon-22

MTBRon-23

MTBRon-24

MTBRon-25

MTBRon-26

MTBRon-27

MTBRon-28

MTBRon-29

MTBRon-30

MTBRon-31

MTBRon-32

MTBRon-33

MTBRon-34

MTBRon-35

MTBRon-36

MTBRon-37

MTBRon-38

MTBRon-39

MTBRon-40

MTBRon-41

MTBRon-42

MTBRon-43

MTBRon-44

Squadron 44 was never commissioned. PT's 637-648, 78' Higgins boats were assigned to Squadron 44. The boats were not placed in service. In April 1945 these boats were reassigned. The PT boats were loaded on boat for transfer under lend-lease to USSR. But boat was stopped in route. PT's 761-772, 80' Elco were then assigned to Squadron 44, but the contract for their construction was cancelled on August 27, 1945.

MTBRon-45

PT's 649-660, 78' Higgins boats originally were assigned to Squadron 45. But in April 1945, these boats were reassigned, before any had been placed in service, for transfer under lend-lease to USSR. PT's 773-784, 80' Elcom were then assigned to Squadron 45, but the contract for their construction was canceled on August 27, 1945. Squadron 45 was never commissioned.

See also

Notes

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    USS <i>Portunus</i> (AGP-4) Tender of the United States Navy

    USS Portunus (AGP-4) was an LST-1-class tank landing ship acquired by the United States Navy for use during World War II as a motor torpedo boat (MTB) tender. She was named after a Roman god of the sea, who had jurisdiction over ports and the shores.

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    USS <i>Oyster Bay</i> Tender of the United States Navy

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    USS <i>Wachapreague</i> Tender of the United States Navy

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    USS <i>Willoughby</i> (AGP-9) Tender of the United States Navy

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    USS <i>Orestes</i> Tender of the United States Navy

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    USS <i>Varuna</i> (AGP-5) Motor torpedo boat tender during World War II

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    USS <i>Acontius</i> Tender of the United States Navy


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    Patrol torpedo boat <i>PT-30</i> Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

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    Patrol torpedo boat <i>PT-29</i> Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

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    Patrol torpedo boat <i>PT-42</i> Torpedo boat of the United States Navy

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    Patrol torpedo boat PT-48 Torpedo boat of the U.S. Navy

    Patrol torpedo boat PT-48 is a PT-20-class motor torpedo boat of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. PT-48 was laid down on 6 June 194, launch on 8 July 1941, and was completed on 21 August 1941. PT-48 was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2` under the command of Lieutenant commander Earl S. Caldwell. PT-48 was part of 11 new 77-foot Elco boats that were assigned to the Panama Sea Frontier, to protect the Panama Canal, starting in December 1941. PT-48 was shipped to the Balboa, Canal Zone on the deck of USS Kitty Hawk at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, departing on 15 December 1941. PT-48 arrived at Balboa on 25 December 1941 and was transferred 27 July to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three under the command of Lieutenant commander Alan R. Montgomery. PT-48 operated out of Balboa and Taboga, Panama. On Taboga Island was PT Boat Base Taboga Island. At its peak the PT Boat Base Taboga Island had 47 PT boats and 1,200 troops. After the crew was trained and the PT Boat completed sea trails, they would be sent to other US Naval Advance Bases. PT-48 commander, Lieutenant Lester H. Gamble USNR was awarded the Navy Cross and the Silver Star in 1943.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Melville Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center</span> Rhode Island training base during World War II

    Melville Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center (MTBSTC) was a PT boat Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center found on February 17, 1942, by the United States Navy for World War II. The MTB Training Center Melvill was at Melville, Rhode Island on Narragansett Bay. MTB Training Center Melvill nickname was Spect Tech after its first commander, Lieutenant commander William C. Specht.

    <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. ↑ "Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive". www.navsource.org.
    2. 1 2 3 4 "HyperWar: At Close Quarters [Appendix A]". www.ibiblio.org.
    3. ↑ Museum, Mystic Seaport (March 28, 2017). "The Plywood Derby". Mystic Seaport Museum.
    4. ↑ "The Plywood Derby: The Birth of the PT Boat". May 12, 2022 – via YouTube.
    5. ↑ "Portsmouth Places: Melville and PT Boats". February 14, 2018.
    6. ↑ "HyperWar: At Close Quarters [Part I]". www.ibiblio.org.
    7. ↑ Barbin, Harold L. (November 23, 2010). Beachheads Secured Volume I: The History of Patrol Torpedo (PT) Boats, Their Bases, and Tenders of World War II June 1939-August 31, 1945. Xlibris Corporation. p. 400. ISBN   9781450003643.
    8. ↑ PT Boat burning – November & December 1945 – Samar, Philippines PT Boats Inc Archived 6 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine . Ptboats.org.

    Bibliography

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