PT Boat 658

[Doublegun]

Forgive me if this has already been posted. I thought many here would appreciate it: http://videos2view.net/PT658.htm

 

[Phantomfixer]

Great video. I wonder if the USN funded any part of the restoration? The video says that PT 658 is "back on duty with the USN". I remember reading about this boat years ago when the boat was discovered and restoration started. Glad it worked out.

 

[Stearmen]

Packard Engines

Great video, I hope they can keep the boat afloat for many years to come! Unfortunately, they perpetuate the myth that the V12 engines in the PT boats were modified aircraft engines! The Packard PT engines were 2500 cubic inches in displacement and weighed in at a whopping 2,900 ponds dry. If you put that into an airplane it would never get airborne. In comparison, the Rolls Royce Merlin was 1647 ci and weighed in at around 1,640 pounds give or take depending on variant. The famous Liberty engine that was supposedly the inspiration for the PT engine were 1649 ci and only 849lbs! The only relation between the PT engine and the Merlin was, Packard built both during and after the war. I know it may not seem important, but future generations need to know, if for no other reason then to see the incredible scale of war time production of all the different engines and material. The Arsenal Of Democracy!

 

[Phantomfixer]

So I have to ask the question..Was PT 73 a real PT boat in McHales Navy? If so what happened to it? I assume the three in the opening credits were stock Navy footage.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Great video! Thanks for posting it. There is also a rebuilt PT boat down in Key West, FL that is fully operational and is open to the public for tours and rides. As for the PT 658, I doubt the USN donated any money to the project. I am sure that any money support was all donated. However, I do know a lot of active duty sailors that donate their off-duty time to projects like this.

 

[Phantomfixer]

I was curious about the funding. The 512th reserve wing here at Dover AFB restored the Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby as a "training aid". Shoo Shoo belonged to the AF Museum so no conflict of funds. Still glad to see a PT boat PTing. What a sound those engines must have. Wonder if they run all three engines at the same time or split the time up to save on operating hours.

 

[Stearmen]

Pt73

So I have to ask the question..Was PT 73 a real PT boat in McHales Navy? If so what happened to it? I assume the three in the opening credits were stock Navy footage.

I found this on the internet, pretty fascinating! The vessel used for shots of the PT-73 under way was a 72-foot type II Vosper MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat), a British design built under license in the U.S. for export to Russia. The war ended in August 1945 before the boat, the real number of which was PT-694, could be sent to the Soviet Union. The boat was then purchased by Howard Hughes and used as a chase boat for the one and only flight of his Spruce Goose aircraft. The boat was then sold to the studio - as there were few other real PT boats left in existence at the time - and some liberties were taken in reconfiguring it to look like a PT Boat. Vosper PT's did not have machine gun turrets on either side of the pilot house (though ironically the real PT-73, a Higgins design did) as the PT-73 in the show did. Other irregularities are the main mast aft and a small mast right in front of the cockpit. Shots of the crew aboard the PT-73 were filmed on a full-scale mock-up in a soundstage. "PT-73" was later sold to the mayor of Hawthorne, California, and was converted to a sport fishing boat. It was later destroyed when it broke loose of its mooring near Santa Barbara and washed up on the beach during a storm. The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

My neighbor in Decatur AL told me (back in the 1990's) that the Navy Junior ROTC had a PT Boat that they played with on the Tennessee River back in the late 1960's to late 1970's somewhere. He said that they took both weekend and week long summer cruises. I have no way of finding any information on it now, George moved and so did we (15 years ago).

Later

 

[Rookie1]

Nice video. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Story]

Save The PT Boat, Inc. has accomplished quite a lot, but we still need help for a museum and restoring and maintaining the boat and other items. Your contributions of cash or equipment are greatly appreciated and are deductible on Federal and Oregon State personal and corporate income tax returns. Our IRS tax number is 93-1162295.

We are in need of $250,000 for hull restoration work!

http://www.savetheptboatinc.com/

 

[Sgt Brown]

No further information but it is my understanding that Liberty Air Museum, Port Clinton, OH, has just purchased a PT boat for their collection. The museum is located at Port Clinton Airport on Put-In-Bay, a major Great Lakes recreational area.

Tom

 

[Stearmen]

I thought some of you might like this! It's the new web sight for PT658. Be sure to take the virtual tour of the boat, it's great! http://www.savetheptboatinc.com/index.htm

 

[Treetopflyer]

The Battleship Massachusetts, in Fall River, has two great restored examples of WWII PT Boats.

 

[Stearmen]

Great video! Thanks for posting it. There is also a rebuilt PT boat down in Key West, FL that is fully operational and is open to the public for tours and rides. As for the PT 658, I doubt the USN donated any money to the project. I am sure that any money support was all donated. However, I do know a lot of active duty sailors that donate their off-duty time to projects like this.

I just found out, that is PT 728, is a Vosper boat made in the Annapolis Boat Yard under license for Russia. The war ended before it was sent over. The Packard V12s have been replaced and it has moved to the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio. They are restoring it back to WWII standards. Not sure if this includes the three Packard 4M-2500 engines. Only PT658 has them right now. At 400 gallons an hour wide open, I would imagine they idle around the water a lot!

 

[Stearmen]

This is good news! When PT305 is launched, it will be the only operational WWII PT boat with a combat record. http://pt305.org/home/#top

 

[Stearmen]

Good news, PT-305 USS Sudden Jerk has officially been re launched! Another Higgins PT boat is almost operational again, complete with her three Packard V12 Marine engines. http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=4184&pg=1&sc=20&x=0

 

[Stearmen]

Pt-305 lives! Here she is with all three Packard engines at full song. Interesting that the Higgins PTs survived in greater numbers then the ELCOs.