My father was on PT 147, The "Who Me?" in the South Pacific, He had a couple of healed bullet holes in his leg and had malaria attaches once in awhile until he died in 1989. God love the PT's; "80 feet of fighting fury !"
They aren't known as the greatest generation for nothing. My father served in the navy at the end of Korea. He never saw combat but had the utmost respect for those who did.
My dad was in the Mediterranean. I don't have ron or number in my head. He did get to 2015 in his mid-90s. Like everyone else here, I should have listened a lot more.
My grandfather was in the medical corp in the army in the european theater. He didnt talk much about it except to his army buddies. He made it to 99 years old. He passed around 2006.
@@wilburfinnigan2142 ; That sounds even better. I'd feel bad even scratching it against flimsy coral, let alone scuttling or burning, so as not to be retrieved by the enemy. Had to be rough saying goodbye to an old friend, but you gotta' do what you gotta' do.
Salute to All those who served onboard these Wooden War Boats and to All those who crafted / assembled them...! From a : " Brown Water Vietnam Naval Vet "
25:30 mentions equipment being installed "too sensitive to mention." This refers to the radar which became available April 1943. At first only one boat in four to six got 'radio sets' as they were referred but by the time Uncle Leo Piersall's boat PT532 under command of Ensign Stephens from Moline launched October 1943 all the boats were issued them. One half of the boats were lost and a third of the crews. It was dangerous duty. The 'radio sets' really helped with navigation as many boats were lost due to 'reef hang-ups'. 28:30 mentions the term "Devil boats." In November 1944 for the Borneo campaign they were issued a four by four rocket tube launcher. These basically shot a five inch artillery shell a mile and a quarter. This is not the eight or ten miles of a cannon, but night engagements occurred at close quarters. Uncle Leo said they weren't too bad to reload either. These rockets gave these plywood boats a punch they previously lacked. A "Devil boat" is a rocket equipped PT boat. Great video of manufacturing techniques.
I have seen video of a restored PT boat. The rockets my Uncle described are actually a two by four configuration; mounted on the Bow, one starboard and one on the port side. He said they weren't too bad to reload either.
I am shocked and greatly saddened to learn that one third of the crews were lost. Such bravery. This was a very special generation here in Australia and N.Z. U.K. Canada and U.S.A. etc. As a boy I grew up with PT109 and the movie staring John Wayne. Thanks for the info on the radar. My uncles served in the war. I wish I new more about there time during this horrible event. Sadly none of them are alive today to ask.
@@stephenkayser3147 Recently I watched a video of Col. Prouty who wrote the book The Secret Team. He stated in Vietnam we lost 5,000 helicopters, some just crashed and some were shot down mostly with a Russian type .50 caliber gun (in mm). We lost 58,000 dead in the War and he said one third were in helicopter crashes. A great tool for mobility but they don't fly like a plane they beat the air to stay aloft. One interesting thing about PT boats, I have seen pictures of the little desk with the lift top for the Captain's log book and the piece of wood at the top attached to the boat had an ink well and a quill. Ball point pens were not invented until 1947; makes one rethink books like The Diary of Anne Frank where she laments dropping her ball point pen behind a radiator and being unable to retrieve it. The title means Freedom is a Gift from God.
@@AndrewGivens At Close Quarters: A History of US Navy PT boats in WW II by Buckley Hard Cover @1962 US Navy Publishing It has a blue cloth cover. My Uncle Leo's boat PT 532 is mentioned a handful of times regarding engagements in which they were involved. Many of the boats were lost to reef hangups, especially before they were outfitted with "Radio Sets" as they referred to Radar. The Radar helped them avoid reefs at night. One half of the boats were lost and one third of the crews which is pretty risky business. If you have a source with different figures I would guess they are only counting casualties and boat loses from enemy action and discounting boat loses and casualties from reef hangups. I imagine boats can come to an abrupt halt when they hit a reef; get hurt or even killed like an automobile accident. Uncle Leo mostly operated a dual 50 caliber machine gun on an electric mount with pedals to turn the mount left or right.
I grew up with the sound and image of these beautiful vessels. Amidst the comedy of the television show around them, I fell in love with the look of this warship... this from a war I had only heard about from uncles who had served. My model of PT 109 was a treasured toy that sailed a hostile creek from my younger days. These boats were a marvel of what can be done in the defense of one's nation...
Cool video, from a period when we were a manufacturing power house. Some old school craftsman and modern technology for the day. Funny when he said girl welder made me think of my mother she was a welder and worked at the Fore river shipyard in Quincy Mass she worked on the the WASP, it was sunk in the south pacific, I use to tease her that her welds must have failed. I've had a thing for PT'S for over 60 years especially the ELCO. Thanks for sharing the video.
@@SeverityOne Today when we know that women are as able as men it is a little humoruos, Like they were a different kind of "critters"! But times back then was not what they are today :)
Very unlikely that America could match that sorta manufacturing scope, effort, and accomplishment today - especially in a short period of time from conception to full production. Even for a similar low technology product. Back then there was a spirit, work ethic, character, level of education, and organization not found today. Plus too many limiting regs.
What a GREAT boat! It fills my heart with pride watching this film and it makes me wish I was part of the team of ELCO builders. The Patrol Torpedo Boat has always been my favorite since I was a child.
I love where he stated " Scandinavian Craftsman " with an Adz. During the 60's thru 90's there Sons would come back stateside to frame homes galore in Staten Island. They could cut a roof better & faster with a hatchet than a guy with a skill saw. Started working for some of them back in HS, I carried lots of lumber & had to make sure they never ran out of beer. Eventually they taught me. Best Education ever. Wouldn't trade it for anything!
Hello Joseph, had a teacher, a carpenter master, exactly like you describe the scandinavian craftsmen - only we are / wer in Bavaria / GERmany. Totally agree w you: QUOTATION: Best Education ever. Wouldn't trade it for anything! Best regards from GER / close to Munich / Oktoberfest - City... ;)) s.j.l.
A fantastic documentary! Exemplary writing - descriptive, emotive, inspiring. I felt as though I were a boat- my parts coming together - moving through the factory - and finally being born on the water. The level of complex sophistication in design, construction, workmanship and handling - produces a marvel of functional fine art - designed to kill. I can't help but love it.
A slide ruler,....wow,...who remembers how to use one, let alone what it was? (P.S. I am gratified with the amount of responses! I started my scholastic pursuits (late 1970s) with a slide ruler and ended using calculators. In the end I recall I had a TI-55 and TI-57).
@@paulne1514 I have 4 of them. The oldest one I inherited from my father. I was saving up to get a metal "Pickett" brand,....then the calculator (Texas Instruments TI10) came along.
Used one/learned in 1969, Jr. High, "Slide rule's" got us to the Moon, it backed up the Apollo, on-board computers, as using a "Rule" was "+ 0r - " 7%, close enough to verify.
My Father joined the Coast Guard on Dec 8th, 1941. The Navy wouldn't take him because a few bad teeth, so he joined the Coast Guard and fought along side the U.S. Navy on an 83' Cutter, hunting Submarines and other duties. He saw lots of action in the Philippines, and the Pacific Theater for the duration of WW2. He was Proud to Serve, and won 3 Bronze Stars for Bravery. That's when America was America!
Wonderful documentary. They were well loved by their crew and those of us who saw them in action. I am proud to have been a US Navy sailor who served as GMSN on the USS BORIE, DD 704. Thank you for the history of this great boat. JRH Hatboro, PA
This video bring tears to my eyes. How much we have lost I am young compare to the many who witnessed this time and lived it in fact this long before my time history now. To think that we had such perfection and dedication, determination…. Now we are on decline dying. How sad my home ….
STFU I WORKED IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ WITH THIS YOUNG GENERATION...STFU WE ARE BETTER NOW GREATER NOW THAN EVER . THE GREATEST WARRIOR WINS THE BATTLE WITHOUT A FIGHT .
My Great Uncle Lester used to serve in the navy during WW2. He used to tell me and my brother how he served aboard one of these Elco PTs. "How the Japanese loathed us." he used to say. How every time they fought the Japanese Navy was more afraid of these PTs than even the mighty US Destroyers. How the Zeroes would even ignore the larger ships to try and strafe them to keep them away from any Japanese destroyers or cruisers in the area. A well feared and highly respected warship.
I am always amazed by the actual work bening these movies about manufacturing.. Imagine, all the work from engineers, draftsmen, making molds, making plans, down to the man wielding a hammer to insert a nail at a crucial place. To all the working men and women to make plans become a reality, ¨Sometimes it is almost overwhelming.. It shows what we can accomplish when working together to a common goal.
@@judythomas2939 try interesting information. Thanks. I've always had it in my head (though I knew it wasn't true) that their yard was up near Ipswich. Thanks for clearing it up.
@@judythomas2939 Looked it up. Found the old Supermarine site (that was pretty easy because of the angled launch ramp) and the Vosper Thorneycroft yard but no luck with the Husband’s yard.
I wish I could remember the words of my Dad when he spoke of the training he received for his service aboard the PTs. Gunnery, radio, torpedo, and such was held around Palm Beach, Florida as I remember. He spoke of having to fill fuel tanks from 55-gallon drums by hand when fueling docks weren't around. SPAM kept the Navy afloat. Torpedo juice was the cocktail of choice. Night patrols against barges was routine. Having their fluorescent wake was the enemy's target with the boat being hundreds of feet ahead.
the Packard Merlin was a license built Rolls-Royce Merlin, engineered by Rolls-Royce in England and had nothing to do with the Liberty engine. My father worked for Rolls-Royce in England and was a tool maker who built the jigs for engine parts in Liverpool and Manchester
Robert Jones You could not be more wrong !!! The Packard M2500 was Packards own design, designed and built and delivered tothe US navy and the Brits in 1938 3 full years before RR came on their begging mission to Packard for Merlins for the Brits. Packard ran their first merlin in Aug 1941 There is a nice video here on you tube, PACKARD V12 PT Boat engine that discusses the design and history of it. Yes Packard also built 55,525 Merlins, 27,137 for the Brits and 18,000 for the USA, Packard also built 14,000 of the M2500 PT boat engines. By the way the Packard is 2500 cu in displacement the merlin was a measly 1650 cu in displacement. Too bad you have not a clue what the hell you are talking about.
Packard was directed build the Merlin under license when the U.S. was informed of the results of British experimental installations of the Rolls-Royce Merlin in RAF mustangs.
My Father and Paternal grandfather were heavily involved in the production of the Elco and Higgins and Huggins PT boats. They brought boat loads of African Mahogany timbers to their Norfolk, VA plant where said logs were converted to veneers and lumbers for hulls and decking for the PT program. My Father spent the war years in a procurement/production international triangle from Ivory Coast to Hampton Roads, VA to Bayonne, NJ and NO,LA and Pascagoula,MS to insure quality standards as prescribed in this video. A fascinating career stage for this young businessman who was my Father, John Robert!
According to the Naval War College Museum in Newport, RI, when the PT boat was being designed, a couple of admirals went over to Little Compton, RI to talk to some rum runners from the Prohibition days. The admirals wanted to find how the runners boats could outrun the Coast Guard so frequently. After a few drinks, the runners provided some key elements that went into the design of the PT boats.
😱 i know a tiny bit about modern weaponry, but i know for sure you do not mess with that gunboat, even now 80 years after...i bet if they put a dozen of those in the gulf of Aden pirates will stay home...now this was a fabulous documentary!! 😃
I grew up in Bayonne, NJ, not far from the old ELCO works. The giant crane was still there. It was disassembled in 2006 and relocated to a park on Newark Bay as a monument to the city's maritime heritage. I love the scene where they are bandsawing the laminated beam into two halves...apparently freehand! Amazing what skilled people can do. I also have to figure that a lot of body parts got sawed off, working that close to a big unguarded blade!
you would be surprised to know that people were smarter back then, they knew how to handle moving sharp things...It also weeded out the not so smart ones too..
@@jreese46 A bandsaw even a huge one like that is inherently safer than an enormous table saw. No binding. You can control the feed, no kickback and you don't have rookies doing that. The guy in the rear is just bearing the weight and nothing to do with the feed.
I would say only one lost part every 5 or 6 years. People CAN be smart, especially with an occasional object lesson. Unfortunately the production of SMART people hasn't been a priority for a rather long time...😔
My Uncle served on a PT guarding the Panama canal, mostly off the Pacific coast. His was torpedoed on a day when he had swapped patrols with a buddy as the buddy wanted the night free for a date that night. His Buddy and PT Boat both died that day. RIP - Uncle spent the whole war there on the boats.
The video mentions telling us where they came from but the Brits don't get a mention, the Elco boats were developed from Scott Paine's British Power Boat Company. Quote: In 1939 agreement was reached with the American Electric Launch Company (Elco) to purchase a British Power Boat 70-footer (later named PT9), as a template for American production under licence. PT9 was taken by the SS President Roosevelt to Elco’s works at New London, Connecticut. On 3 October Scott-Paine met President Roosevelt and senior Elco representatives at the White House to authorize the creation of a new naval arm, the PT Boat Squadrons. (PT boat was short for patrol torpedo boat). Production started at a new Elco factory at Bayonne, New Jersey in January 1940.
I had a 1/35 scale R/C model PT BOAT and it was the coolest R/C BOAT AT ALL THE PARK LAKES IN TEMPE AZ. IT WAS SO FAST THAT 2/3s would plain on the water .
This was 'great' for the ruling class, the rich few that benefited from the war, and not for the men who were trapped on those boats for months and months.
See, not pointing out.... But rich or poor didn't matter. That generation did what they had to to secure the world. That's my dad's generation. Purple heart, Distinguished cross, silver star. And while he was at sea. Now we have convicts running who support white Nazis, and want to walk on the Constitution.
One of the last remaining PT boats lives in San Diego, CA and is a functioning sportfishing boat named the Malihini. It makes day long sport fishing trips and carries thousands of passengers yearly out of H & M Landing, San Diego CA
Elco PT specs: Displacement; 56 tons Length; over all 80 feet Beam; 20 feet 8 inches Draft; 3 feet 6 inches Power; 3 Packard V12 gasoline engines generating 4500 HP Range: 550 nautical mile radius at cruising speed Crew: 3 officers 14 enlisted Armament: 4 torpedo tubes, 1-20 mm cannon, 1- 37 mm cannon, 2 twin 50 cal machine guns, Some PTs fire power was modified for specific missions. There were several models of PTs, Elco being the largest. They had defective torpedoes which was a big problem in the early years of the war in the Pacific. The PT boats only sunk 2 destroyers in the Solomon Islands. They were more effective in shallow water against opposing torpedo boats, rescue of downed pilots, and especially sinking Japanese barges used to resupply land-based troops. The sinking of barges was probably their largest contribution in winning the war in the Pacific. One hundred forty six PTs were constructed for Lend Lease and used in the Atlantic and Mediterranean by Allied countries.
@@dieselyeti - The Government didn't want to pay for the storage / maintenance and ordered them to be burned. There is video proof of that here on youtube.
A couple of these old boats still exist in running order. They have been restored by volunteers and are available for tours and rides. Imagine, a boat made of wood, fabric and glue still running 85 years later.
@@skydiver6711 one is at a marina at Lake Ponchatrain (wrong spelling duh) at New Orleans with the Sea Scouts. I saw it on a video on utube so you ought to be able to find it.
saw one on a flatbed in ky one time said it was too be restored looked under back of boat it was flat bottom toward rear and wood was cut at a angle neat too see
Can't tell you how much I enjoyed this video. That was a time when the best of our predecessors gave their all to defeat evil and tyranny in the world. This is just one example of the Herculean efforts made by our grand parents and great grand parents. We shall remember them.
7:00 -- RE: Wooden Construction and Methods; I found myself wondering about 30 seconds ago if perhaps there was fiberglass being used somewhere, and then my mind was blown because I know what the word Laminated means. Quite impressive!
wow have things changed in this country....!...coveraulls & u got a lunch break & they fed u...!...u can c the employies taking "pride" in the job there doing....the team work...we used to make everything....now....everything is imported...!...damn shame....! they should show these videos in school with history classes...ahhhh....thank u for posting the video...god bless America...!
My Grandfather's buddy worked at the Elco plant in Bayonne during the war. For years there was n Elco hull moored in the Hudson River near Kearny, NJ. It disappeared in the late 70s or early 80s 😢
Sad to see how far we have fallen from the height of our manufacturing industry! We could still be great, if we had moral and thoughtful people teaching our children, and impartial judgments in our courts.
I moved to Rhoad Island from Arizona in 97 and went to work for Shannon Yachts building 30 to 60 foot Sailing and Motor Yachts in Bristol R.I. just across the bay from were the Elco's of this documentary and their crews took their training.... My boss remembered this company well and we even rebuilt an Elco Motor Launch from the 50s in our yard in Bristol....
PT boats were built on the St Marks River at a boat yard that still stands I think. My step father Bill Weaks built early fiberglass and plywood boats there in the 60's. His concrete molds are there still as far as I know.
I've worked in a few wooden boat yards before. Before epoxy we used resorsanol. That wasn't the keel it was the Stem. In Morehead NC the original charter boat Captain Stacy was a converted PT.
Awesome video always been a fan of the PT boats. Most of the PT crews are sadly at the end of they're lives as are those craftsman & craftswomen who built those mighty boats. They are all Patriots.
When I was a kid in the 50's-60's, I always wanted a PT boat. I never knew 'til recently that 1) there were many different models, or 2)they were SO BIG! I always thought they were 35-40 fet long, not 70-80 feet.
@@sebell69 ok that makes sense, but didn’t alot of ships go to the degaussing station? There slot left over from ww2 in northern Australia and papua new guinea.
My daddy was a Seabee on the island of Guam....I not only have his name,but my moma gave me his dog tags which I wear proudly. Love all the boats of the US NAVY...God bless America!!
Always fascinating PTs and crews, so much went into them, only for many to be shamefully burned at their demise? I recall being shocked years ago seeing that. Unbelievable.
by then many of the hulls were shot...a wooden boat often has a very short shelf life...and the maintenance required would be costly...they had served their purpose and were no longer needed
I think there's still one or two that have been preserved but otherwise, as soon as the war was over they were lined up on beaches and burnt as they were considered too expensive to run in peacetime. They were very maintenance intensive and used high octane avgas at an alarming rate.
@@johncole3010 One of those was AVR661 that we ( the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets) had restored to operational condition after getting it from the Air Force. It had been purpose built at the factory as an Air Sea Rescue boat, only having two engines. But because it was only armed with .50 Cal MG's and 20mm cannon, it was actually faster. The ammo storage spaces were used for extra fuel. Spent 3 1/2 years having a good ole time on that boat helping fix 'er up!
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Professional class A research project. Special thanks to the work crews whom were involved in the construction of the Elco pt boat project.
Always been thrilled by the PT Boats ever since reading about JFK's wartime exploits as a boy. To this day I still have an almost 2' RC Model of the PT 109 I've kept since I built it between age 11 to 13,-JPG. (Just Prior to Girls😉😁)
Robert Montgomery and John Wayne show off the PT boats in fine form in, They Were Expendable (1945). It was director, John Ford's first movie after being released from the Navy and Robert Montgomery had served on PT boats.
Until a few years ago there were a few of these still active as conveted sight seeing tour boats in Wildwood NJ, forget the exact names but I rember one called "PT109" was later changed and had a big fiberglass seahorse figurehead added to it I think it was then named the "famous sightseer " the other was called the "big flamingo" I used to love hearing them run out in the ocean as a kid.....I believe one is now in Chicago as a party yacht lol......what a life for a boat.
I lived in Stone Harbor in the mid 1950's til early 1960's when I was really young under 9 years old. Of course Stone Harbor was just up the coast a couple of miles from Wildwood and we had one there that was still actively used I think for fishing. I don't recall to much about it but I sure remember it. And when they cranked it up man what a sight.
They were great boats and fast being made of plywood. Look up one of the fastest planes used in the WW2 the British Mosquito, made of plywood also. My uncle during WW2 was a LTJG who commanded a Elco PT boat. He operated out of the Philippines and later the Solomon Islands. He said he loved it and was the best days of your life. Imagine being 22 years old, with your own command in the South Pacific. No cell phones, his boat had no radar, used the stars and maps and math in their heads to navigate. Sadly when the war was over almost all boats were gathered in spots, stripped down and burned because it was to expensive and not needed to send them back home as they were now considered obsolete.
My Uncle as well. He served guarding the Pan-Canal area though and his boat was sunk by a Japanese sub/torpedo, But he wasn't on it during that patrol so he survived the whole war there.
it can get pretty black out there at night...minus radar, these boats were vulnerable...remember destroyers were originally designed specifically to defeat them
My father was on PT 147, The "Who Me?" in the South Pacific, He had a couple of healed bullet holes in his leg and had malaria attaches once in awhile until he died in 1989. God love the PT's; "80 feet of fighting fury !"
Semper Fi Father Houck
They aren't known as the greatest generation for nothing. My father served in the navy at the end of Korea. He never saw combat but had the utmost respect for those who did.
My dad was in the Mediterranean.
I don't have ron or number in my head.
He did get to 2015 in his mid-90s.
Like everyone else here, I should have listened a lot more.
My grandfather was in the medical corp in the army in the european theater.
He didnt talk much about it except to his army buddies.
He made it to 99 years old. He passed around 2006.
I'll bet your dad was a real character he had to be to be stationed on a PT blessings to you and yours coming at you from Southern Oregon
That PT boat hull is one of the most beautiful, graceful shapes to ever hit the water and is a benchmark that is still used today
Boats of wood and men of steel, the good old days when made in America was no joke.
Imagine walking out and buying mahogany plywood nowadays?
@@JohnnycdrumsImagine a recruiting drive and getting not men of steel but men in frocks.
@@Mangsaab1954 ; We'd be better off returning to mahogany plywood, and letting the old timers run it.
@@Johnnycdrums Pt Boats were planked with 1 " mahogany PLANKS, 2 layers NOT plywood !!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 ; That sounds even better.
I'd feel bad even scratching it against flimsy coral, let alone scuttling or burning, so as not to be retrieved by the enemy.
Had to be rough saying goodbye to an old friend, but you gotta' do what you gotta' do.
Because of motivational films like this, John Wayne & hearing my uncle's sea stories, I signed up in the US Navy. I had 20 yrs. of fun.
Semper Fortis
Happy veterans day! Thank you for my freedom.
Semper Fi
Salute to All those who served onboard these Wooden War Boats and to All those who crafted / assembled them...!
From a :
" Brown Water Vietnam Naval Vet "
Where were the boats made?
@@erikbostrom.9318
Not exactly sure but I'm pretty sure in Louisiana...
@@nelsonlanglois9104
They were built in Bayonne, New Jersey. Should learn how to google, son.
A true historical gem of a film. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing video and time travel, truly Americas greatest generation. What a beautiful boat design and build.
25:30 mentions equipment being installed "too sensitive to mention." This refers to the radar which became available April 1943. At first only one boat in four to six got 'radio sets' as they were referred but by the time Uncle Leo Piersall's boat PT532 under command of Ensign Stephens from Moline launched October 1943 all the boats were issued them. One half of the boats were lost and a third of the crews. It was dangerous duty. The 'radio sets' really helped with navigation as many boats were lost due to 'reef hang-ups'.
28:30 mentions the term "Devil boats." In November 1944 for the Borneo campaign they were issued a four by four rocket tube launcher. These basically shot a five inch artillery shell a mile and a quarter. This is not the eight or ten miles of a cannon, but night engagements occurred at close quarters. Uncle Leo said they weren't too bad to reload either. These rockets gave these plywood boats a punch they previously lacked. A "Devil boat" is a rocket equipped PT boat.
Great video of manufacturing techniques.
I have seen video of a restored PT boat. The rockets my Uncle described are actually a two by four configuration; mounted on the Bow, one starboard and one on the port side. He said they weren't too bad to reload either.
I am shocked and greatly saddened to learn that one third of the crews were lost. Such bravery. This was a very special generation here in Australia and N.Z. U.K. Canada and U.S.A. etc. As a boy I grew up with PT109 and the movie staring John Wayne. Thanks for the info on the radar. My uncles served in the war. I wish I new more about there time during this horrible event. Sadly none of them are alive today to ask.
@@stephenkayser3147 Recently I watched a video of Col. Prouty who wrote the book The Secret Team. He stated in Vietnam we lost 5,000 helicopters, some just crashed and some were shot down mostly with a Russian type .50 caliber gun (in mm). We lost 58,000 dead in the War and he said one third were in helicopter crashes. A great tool for mobility but they don't fly like a plane they beat the air to stay aloft. One interesting thing about PT boats, I have seen pictures of the little desk with the lift top for the Captain's log book and the piece of wood at the top attached to the boat had an ink well and a quill. Ball point pens were not invented until 1947; makes one rethink books like The Diary of Anne Frank where she laments dropping her ball point pen behind a radiator and being unable to retrieve it. The title means Freedom is a Gift from God.
One half of PT boats were not lost. US Navy records say otherwise - where are you getting this?
@@AndrewGivens At Close Quarters: A History of US Navy PT boats in WW II by Buckley Hard Cover @1962 US Navy Publishing It has a blue cloth cover. My Uncle Leo's boat PT 532 is mentioned a handful of times regarding engagements in which they were involved.
Many of the boats were lost to reef hangups, especially before they were outfitted with "Radio Sets" as they referred to Radar. The Radar helped them avoid reefs at night. One half of the boats were lost and one third of the crews which is pretty risky business.
If you have a source with different figures I would guess they are only counting casualties and boat loses from enemy action and discounting boat loses and casualties from reef hangups. I imagine boats can come to an abrupt halt when they hit a reef; get hurt or even killed like an automobile accident. Uncle Leo mostly operated a dual 50 caliber machine gun on an electric mount with pedals to turn the mount left or right.
I grew up with the sound and image of these beautiful vessels. Amidst the comedy of the television show around them, I fell in love with the look of this warship... this from a war I had only heard about from uncles who had served. My model of PT 109 was a treasured toy that sailed a hostile creek from my younger days. These boats were a marvel of what can be done in the defense of one's nation...
I'm with you; at 70. My favorite boat as an Air Force Brat, later a Coast Guard Machinery Tech!
Cool video, from a period when we were a manufacturing power house. Some old school craftsman and modern technology for the day. Funny when he said girl welder made me think of my mother she was a welder and worked at the Fore river shipyard in Quincy Mass she worked on the the WASP, it was sunk in the south pacific, I use to tease her that her welds must have failed. I've had a thing for PT'S for over 60 years especially the ELCO. Thanks for sharing the video.
"...from a period when we were a manufacturing power house."
It's not exactly like you get your aircraft carriers from Amazon, you know. 🙂
@@SeverityOne Today when we know that women are as able as men it is a little humoruos, Like they were a different kind of "critters"! But times back then was not what they are today :)
Very unlikely that America could match that sorta manufacturing scope, effort, and accomplishment today - especially in a short period of time from conception to full production. Even for a similar low technology product. Back then there was a spirit, work ethic, character, level of education, and organization not found today. Plus too many limiting regs.
Yea they built them right then also cool fact JFK was a PT BOAT skipper
Too bad a great number of school systems stopped woodshop and metalshop classes.
What a GREAT boat! It fills my heart with pride watching this film and it makes me wish I was part of the team of ELCO builders. The Patrol Torpedo Boat has always been my favorite since I was a child.
I love where he stated " Scandinavian Craftsman " with an Adz. During the 60's thru 90's there Sons would come back stateside to frame homes galore in Staten Island. They could cut a roof better & faster with a hatchet than a guy with a skill saw. Started working for some of them back in HS, I carried lots of lumber & had to make sure they never ran out of beer. Eventually they taught me. Best Education ever. Wouldn't trade it for anything!
Hello Joseph, had a teacher, a carpenter master, exactly like you describe the scandinavian craftsmen - only we are / wer in Bavaria / GERmany. Totally agree w you: QUOTATION: Best Education ever. Wouldn't trade it for anything! Best regards from GER / close to Munich / Oktoberfest - City... ;)) s.j.l.
Outstanding . Thank you for this. America was proud and could accomplish anything.
My father served P.T Philippines WW2 Thank you
love these hard working people..They never stop...
There was a major war on at the time...
A fantastic documentary! Exemplary writing - descriptive, emotive, inspiring. I felt as though I were a boat- my parts coming together - moving through the factory - and finally being born on the water. The level of complex sophistication in design, construction, workmanship and handling - produces a marvel of functional fine art - designed to kill. I can't help but love it.
I believe one is in the Cleveland area?
@@TERoss-jk9nyqq
A slide ruler,....wow,...who remembers how to use one, let alone what it was? (P.S. I am gratified with the amount of responses! I started my scholastic pursuits (late 1970s) with a slide ruler and ended using calculators. In the end I recall I had a TI-55 and TI-57).
You want mine? I don’t use it anymore
@@paulne1514 I have 4 of them. The oldest one I inherited from my father. I was saving up to get a metal "Pickett" brand,....then the calculator (Texas Instruments TI10) came along.
Started engineering school with one. Graduated with a calculator.
@@sknemo Ditto,...
Used one/learned in 1969, Jr. High, "Slide rule's" got us to the Moon, it backed up the Apollo, on-board computers, as using a "Rule" was "+ 0r - " 7%, close enough to verify.
My Father joined the Coast Guard on Dec 8th, 1941. The Navy wouldn't take him because a few bad teeth, so he joined the Coast Guard and fought along side the U.S. Navy on an 83' Cutter, hunting Submarines and other duties.
He saw lots of action in the Philippines, and the Pacific Theater for the duration of WW2. He was Proud to Serve, and won 3 Bronze Stars for Bravery. That's when America was America!
Wonderful documentary. They were well loved by their crew and those of us who saw them in action. I am proud to have been a US Navy sailor who served as GMSN on the USS BORIE, DD 704. Thank you for the history of this great boat.
JRH
Hatboro, PA
Gunnersmate Striker, huh? I remember those abbreviations. I was a SMSN then I got out as a SM2.
The Navy in America came up with so many great war machines. The PT boat was one of them and was driven by very brave sailors.
What a beautifully crafted boat.
I used to watch the old 60's series called PT109, never missed a show.
You are thinking of "McHale's Navy" and the adventures (or misadventures) of the crew of PT 73.
This video bring tears to my eyes. How much we have lost I am young compare to the many who witnessed this time and lived it in fact this long before my time history now. To think that we had such perfection and dedication, determination…. Now we are on decline dying. How sad my home ….
people want to vote for democrats that’s what happens
STFU I WORKED IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ WITH THIS YOUNG GENERATION...STFU
WE ARE BETTER NOW GREATER NOW THAN EVER .
THE GREATEST WARRIOR WINS THE BATTLE WITHOUT A FIGHT .
My Great Uncle Lester used to serve in the navy during WW2. He used to tell me and my brother how he served aboard one of these Elco PTs. "How the Japanese loathed us." he used to say. How every time they fought the Japanese Navy was more afraid of these PTs than even the mighty US Destroyers. How the Zeroes would even ignore the larger ships to try and strafe them to keep them away from any Japanese destroyers or cruisers in the area. A well feared and highly respected warship.
I am always amazed by the actual work bening these movies about manufacturing.. Imagine, all the work from engineers, draftsmen, making molds, making plans, down to the man wielding a hammer to insert a nail at a crucial place. To all the working men and women to make plans become a reality, ¨Sometimes it is almost overwhelming..
It shows what we can accomplish when working together to a common goal.
WOW THAT S AMAZING TO SEE TODAY the efforts it must have taken to make these boats was fantastic to watch THANKS
It is absolutely staggering what mother America can do when it turns it on. May god bless that country
Based on a British design.
@@judythomas2939 I'm not sure. Was that where the Vosper yard was?
@@judythomas2939 try interesting information. Thanks. I've always had it in my head (though I knew it wasn't true) that their yard was up near Ipswich.
Thanks for clearing it up.
@@judythomas2939 Great project to have been involved with. A credit to you.
@@judythomas2939 Looked it up. Found the old Supermarine site (that was pretty easy because of the angled launch ramp) and the Vosper Thorneycroft yard but no luck with the Husband’s yard.
I wish I could remember the words of my Dad when he spoke of the training he received for his service aboard the PTs. Gunnery, radio, torpedo, and such was held around Palm Beach, Florida as I remember. He spoke of having to fill fuel tanks from 55-gallon drums by hand when fueling docks weren't around. SPAM kept the Navy afloat. Torpedo juice was the cocktail of choice. Night patrols against barges was routine. Having their fluorescent wake was the enemy's target with the boat being hundreds of feet ahead.
I was four years on MTB's,we did 60 knots with turbines,a lot of fun.. :-)
Bend Boat Basin in portsmouth rhode island was a home base for pt boats for testing and deployment.
the Packard Merlin was a license built Rolls-Royce Merlin, engineered by Rolls-Royce in England and had nothing to do with the Liberty engine. My father worked for Rolls-Royce in England and was a tool maker who built the jigs for engine parts in Liverpool and Manchester
The Meteor engine is a derated Merlin. No supercharger. It was used in British tanks too.
Robert Jones You could not be more wrong !!! The Packard M2500 was Packards own design, designed and built and delivered tothe US navy and the Brits in 1938 3 full years before RR came on their begging mission to Packard for Merlins for the Brits. Packard ran their first merlin in Aug 1941 There is a nice video here on you tube, PACKARD V12 PT Boat engine that discusses the design and history of it. Yes Packard also built 55,525 Merlins, 27,137 for the Brits and 18,000 for the USA, Packard also built 14,000 of the M2500 PT boat engines. By the way the Packard is 2500 cu in displacement the merlin was a measly 1650 cu in displacement. Too bad you have not a clue what the hell you are talking about.
Packard was directed build the Merlin under license when the U.S. was informed of the results of British experimental installations of the Rolls-Royce Merlin in RAF mustangs.
My Father and Paternal grandfather were heavily involved in the production of the Elco and Higgins and Huggins PT boats.
They brought boat loads of African Mahogany timbers to their Norfolk, VA plant where said logs were converted to veneers and lumbers for hulls and decking for the PT program.
My Father spent the war years in a procurement/production international triangle from Ivory Coast to Hampton Roads, VA to Bayonne, NJ and NO,LA and Pascagoula,MS to insure quality standards as prescribed in this video.
A fascinating career stage for this young businessman who was my Father, John Robert!
According to the Naval War College Museum in Newport, RI, when the PT boat was being designed, a couple of admirals went over to Little Compton, RI to talk to some rum runners from the Prohibition days. The admirals wanted to find how the runners boats could outrun the Coast Guard so frequently. After a few drinks, the runners provided some key elements that went into the design of the PT boats.
😱 i know a tiny bit about modern weaponry, but i know for sure you do not mess with that gunboat, even now 80 years after...i bet if they put a dozen of those in the gulf of Aden pirates will stay home...now this was a fabulous documentary!! 😃
Even the sweeper is wearing a tie! At 9:24
I grew up in Bayonne, NJ, not far from the old ELCO works. The giant crane was still there. It was disassembled in 2006 and relocated to a park on Newark Bay as a monument to the city's maritime heritage.
I love the scene where they are bandsawing the laminated beam into two halves...apparently freehand! Amazing what skilled people can do. I also have to figure that a lot of body parts got sawed off, working that close to a big unguarded blade!
I was watching that same scene, thinking what would happen if the guy at the tail end kept pushing. Bye bye thumb.
you would be surprised to know that people were smarter back then, they knew how to handle moving sharp things...It also weeded out the not so smart ones too..
@@jreese46 A bandsaw even a huge one like that is inherently safer than an enormous table saw. No binding. You can control the feed, no kickback and you don't have rookies doing that. The guy in the rear is just bearing the weight and nothing to do with the feed.
Ukraine war
I would say only one lost part every 5 or 6 years. People CAN be smart, especially with an occasional object lesson. Unfortunately the production of SMART people hasn't been a priority for a rather long time...😔
My Uncle served on a PT guarding the Panama canal, mostly off the Pacific coast. His was torpedoed on a day when he had swapped patrols with a buddy as the buddy wanted the night free for a date that night. His Buddy and PT Boat both died that day. RIP - Uncle spent the whole war there on the boats.
WOW!!!!!
Man! those good lookin' boats!
The video mentions telling us where they came from but the Brits don't get a mention, the Elco boats were developed from Scott Paine's British Power Boat Company.
Quote: In 1939 agreement was reached with the American Electric Launch Company (Elco) to purchase a British Power Boat 70-footer (later named PT9), as a template for American production under licence. PT9 was taken by the SS President Roosevelt to Elco’s works at New London, Connecticut. On 3 October Scott-Paine met President Roosevelt and senior Elco representatives at the White House to authorize the creation of a new naval arm, the PT Boat Squadrons. (PT boat was short for patrol torpedo boat). Production started at a new Elco factory at Bayonne, New Jersey in January 1940.
I had a 1/35 scale R/C model PT BOAT and it was the coolest R/C BOAT AT ALL THE PARK LAKES IN TEMPE AZ. IT WAS SO FAST THAT 2/3s would plain on the water .
To those that ride those PT Boats that never came back; I salute them and thank them for giving all!
Huckins also built them in Jacksonville Florida
Higgins Boat Company 😄
@@calvingifford9442 , Higgins and Huckins, Two different builders. Huckins is still building boats in Jax, Fl
That, by far, was the coolest video I've seen in a decade.
I'd like to know how they seal the prop shaft.
These were the boats that featured in the McHale's Navy movie series starring Ernest Borgnine.
Beautiful and effective boats!
Video was way cool!!! American engineering at its best!!! PTBoats are my favorite!!
THIS is the AMERICA we wish to MAKE GREAT AGAIN!
I’d like to see that.But when I see how bad a lot of things are getting here. I have to say it doesn’t look good.
This was 'great' for the ruling class, the rich few that benefited from the war, and not for the men who were trapped on those boats for months and months.
See, not pointing out.... But rich or poor didn't matter. That generation did what they had to to secure the world. That's my dad's generation. Purple heart, Distinguished cross, silver star. And while he was at sea.
Now we have convicts running who support white Nazis, and want to walk on the Constitution.
One of the last remaining PT boats lives in San Diego, CA and is a functioning sportfishing boat named the Malihini. It makes day long sport fishing trips and carries thousands of passengers yearly out of H & M Landing, San Diego CA
I would have liked to have heard more about the specs of the boat, weight, draft, range, speed etc.. Still a good video.
Still "Top Secret"
I love these documentaries.
This is a great documentary. Thanks for sharing. Have blessed days to come. :-)
Elco PT specs:
Displacement; 56 tons
Length; over all 80 feet
Beam; 20 feet 8 inches
Draft; 3 feet 6 inches
Power; 3 Packard V12 gasoline engines generating 4500 HP
Range: 550 nautical mile radius at cruising speed
Crew: 3 officers 14 enlisted
Armament: 4 torpedo tubes, 1-20 mm cannon, 1- 37 mm cannon, 2 twin 50 cal machine guns,
Some PTs fire power was modified for specific missions.
There were several models of PTs, Elco being the largest. They had defective torpedoes which was a big problem in the early years of the war in the Pacific. The PT boats only sunk 2 destroyers in the Solomon Islands. They were more effective in shallow water against opposing torpedo boats, rescue of downed pilots, and especially sinking Japanese barges used to resupply land-based troops. The sinking of barges was probably their largest contribution in winning the war in the Pacific.
One hundred forty six PTs were constructed for Lend Lease and used in the Atlantic and Mediterranean by Allied countries.
Amazing how far we've fallen as a Nation.
Especially when the majority of MTB PTs were ordered destroyed at the end of WWII.
Explain?
@@dieselyeti - The Government didn't want to pay for the storage / maintenance and ordered them to be burned. There is video proof of that here on youtube.
@@dieselyeti just look at the shit produced at GM, Ford, etc.. and the total failure F-35.
All totally planned demolition of USA.
I hope there is a couple of these boats preserved in museums.
There is one operating in Portland Ore, and one in the navy museum !!
Compared to how many were built, there are precious few that have survived.
A couple of these old boats still exist in running order. They have been restored by volunteers and are available for tours and rides. Imagine, a boat made of wood, fabric and glue still running 85 years later.
I would like to know where those boats are. Would love to go see one.
I think the USS Constitution has that beat at 226 years old still afloat and making the occasional trip out of mooring.
Yup, then we had real plastic phones! Now just glass! What have we learned? Nothing really besides let’s pay for something to make others richer
There is one in Portland, Oregon
@@skydiver6711 one is at a marina at Lake Ponchatrain (wrong spelling duh) at New Orleans with the Sea Scouts. I saw it on a video on utube so you ought to be able to find it.
I was station at the amphibious base in Saint Coronado Island 1970 I used to run on a PT boat out of there.
My father was on Elco Boats in the Pacific. Most heavily armed boats in the Navy.
Tossup between them and the LCS(L), the 'Mighty Mites'. Link provided: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Craft_Support
Respect and Honor to your father.
Fabulous fabulous. Inspirational. Magnificent Fast Boats.
saw one on a flatbed in ky one time said it was too be restored looked under back of boat it was flat bottom toward rear and wood was cut at a angle neat too see
I don't think the United States could manufacture boats like these today; the skills in the numbers needed do not exist.
They build boats just like this every day. Jarrett Bay, Merritt and many more use pretty much the same techniques with modern adhesives and coating.
Elco factory: low-skilled labor + efficient production = $$$.
Can't tell you how much I enjoyed this video. That was a time when the best of our predecessors gave their all to defeat evil and tyranny in the world. This is just one example of the Herculean efforts made by our grand parents and great grand parents. We shall remember them.
Oh thanks for the reference to the DeHaviland Mosquito. True nonetheless!
A different time, when everyone worked together to a common goal.
7:00 -- RE: Wooden Construction and Methods; I found myself wondering about 30 seconds ago if perhaps there was fiberglass being used somewhere, and then my mind was blown because I know what the word Laminated means. Quite impressive!
All of your Comments are as interesting as the video ! Love It . I did not know the PT's were made of Wood , And had 3 Engines in them !
wood was always used when metal was in short supply...the Brits even made high-performance planes out of it!
wow have things changed in this country....!...coveraulls & u got a lunch break & they fed u...!...u can c the employies taking "pride" in the job there doing....the team work...we used to make everything....now....everything is imported...!...damn shame....! they should show these videos in school with history classes...ahhhh....thank u for posting the video...god bless America...!
Great video.
Was there mention of cruising and top speed?
This is my favorite battle skiff.
My Grandfather's buddy worked at the Elco plant in Bayonne during the war. For years there was n Elco hull moored in the Hudson River near Kearny, NJ. It disappeared in the late 70s or early 80s 😢
My old friend carl bishop was a torpedoman in the Pacific he always said ir was a manuveral boat you could get in trouble and out faster he loved it
Sad to see how far we have fallen from the height of our manufacturing industry! We could still be great, if we had moral and thoughtful people teaching our children, and impartial judgments in our courts.
I moved to Rhoad Island from Arizona in 97 and went to work for Shannon Yachts building 30 to 60 foot Sailing and Motor Yachts in Bristol R.I. just across the bay from were the Elco's of this documentary and their crews took their training....
My boss remembered this company well and we even rebuilt an Elco Motor Launch from the 50s in our yard in Bristol....
PT boats were built on the St Marks River at a boat yard that still stands I think. My step father Bill Weaks built early fiberglass and plywood boats there in the 60's. His concrete molds are there still as far as I know.
what an amazing boat . Australia should build 100 plus for our shores .
An 80 year old boat ?
Great video. Very well done and very interesting.
I've worked in a few wooden boat yards before. Before epoxy we used resorsanol. That wasn't the keel it was the Stem. In Morehead NC the original charter boat Captain Stacy was a converted PT.
Awesome video always been a fan of the PT boats. Most of the PT crews are sadly at the end of they're lives as are those craftsman & craftswomen who built those mighty boats. They are all Patriots.
Very interesting. I wonder how many of these have survived since WW2
When I was a kid in the 50's-60's, I always wanted a PT boat. I never knew 'til recently that 1) there were many different models, or 2)they were SO BIG! I always thought they were 35-40 fet long, not 70-80 feet.
Does anyone know the reason behind the use of timber? Was steel too hard to get at this time?
mines in those days attacked steel and iron ships plywood boat were mostly immune to the mines of the day!
@@sebell69 ok that makes sense, but didn’t alot of ships go to the degaussing station? There slot left over from ww2 in northern Australia and papua new guinea.
@@sebell69 not to contact mines...there's a scene in the movie where they're using a long pole to push them aside...and this during the MaC run
@@frankpienkosky5688 mmmh I see
wonderful boats.
My daddy was a Seabee on the island of Guam....I not only have his name,but my moma gave me his dog tags which I wear proudly. Love all the boats of the US NAVY...God bless America!!
This has turned out to be a lost art now.
Why do we need timber boats today? They are a maintenance nightmare.
Always fascinating PTs and crews, so much went into them, only for many to be shamefully burned at their demise? I recall being shocked years ago seeing that. Unbelievable.
by then many of the hulls were shot...a wooden boat often has a very short shelf life...and the maintenance required would be costly...they had served their purpose and were no longer needed
I had no idea these things were made of timber. I wonder if many still survive today? fantastic video.
I think there's still one or two that have been preserved but otherwise, as soon as the war was over they were lined up on beaches and burnt as they were considered too expensive to run in peacetime. They were very maintenance intensive and used high octane avgas at an alarming rate.
Same here always thought they were chunks of steel, i have more appreciation knowing they're made of wood.
To the best of my knowledge, there are some of these vessels on Public display in the Norfolk/Newport News, VA area
I remember seeing a few on the hard at Great Lakes Naval boot camp in 1985
@@johncole3010 One of those was AVR661 that we ( the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets) had restored to operational condition after getting it from the Air Force. It had been purpose built at the factory as an Air Sea Rescue boat, only having two engines. But because it was only armed with .50 Cal MG's and 20mm cannon, it was actually faster. The ammo storage spaces were used for extra fuel. Spent 3 1/2 years having a good ole time on that boat helping fix 'er up!
Very cool and interesting documentary!
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Professional class A research project. Special thanks to the work crews whom were involved in the construction of the Elco pt boat project.
Always been thrilled by the PT Boats ever since reading about JFK's wartime exploits as a boy. To this day I still have an almost 2' RC Model of the PT 109 I've kept since I built it between age 11 to 13,-JPG. (Just Prior to Girls😉😁)
" Just prior to Girls "
Spot On !
😉😂😎
V cool. I had no idea that these were wooden boats !
Robert Montgomery and John Wayne show off the PT boats in fine form in, They Were Expendable (1945). It was director, John Ford's first movie after being released from the Navy and Robert Montgomery had served on PT boats.
When Mcarthur was rescued by a PT boat,it's Packard engines were so overdue for overhaul they could only achieve much lower speed.
And he was sea sick all the time.
And gas laced with saboteur's contaminates.
and he got sick as a dog!...over time and use the boats top speed would be reduced
My dad was with the 41st Recon group on Biak..PT boats would come and ferry soldiers around the island and looked for Japanese soldiers
Until a few years ago there were a few of these still active as conveted sight seeing tour boats in Wildwood NJ, forget the exact names but I rember one called "PT109" was later changed and had a big fiberglass seahorse figurehead added to it I think it was then named the "famous sightseer " the other was called the "big flamingo" I used to love hearing them run out in the ocean as a kid.....I believe one is now in Chicago as a party yacht lol......what a life for a boat.
I lived in Stone Harbor in the mid 1950's til early 1960's when I was really young under 9 years old. Of course Stone Harbor was just up the coast a couple of miles from Wildwood and we had one there that was still actively used I think for fishing. I don't recall to much about it but I sure remember it. And when they cranked it up man what a sight.
i GREW UP IN n.j. this is so cool makes me feel proud to be an AMERICAN !
Great documentary
They were great boats and fast being made of plywood. Look up one of the fastest planes used in the WW2 the British Mosquito, made of plywood also. My uncle during WW2 was a LTJG who commanded a Elco PT boat. He operated out of the Philippines and later the Solomon Islands. He said he loved it and was the best days of your life. Imagine being 22 years old, with your own command in the South Pacific. No cell phones, his boat had no radar, used the stars and maps and math in their heads to navigate. Sadly when the war was over almost all boats were gathered in spots, stripped down and burned because it was to expensive and not needed to send them back home as they were now considered obsolete.
colwilliamsnoyd WRONG !!! NOT plywood !!! 2 layers of 1" mahogany planking laid up opposite to each other with a layer of canvas in between !!!!
22, fast boat, thirsty for the kills. No rules.
Best days of your life.
My Uncle as well. He served guarding the Pan-Canal area though and his boat was sunk by a Japanese sub/torpedo, But he wasn't on it during that patrol so he survived the whole war there.
it can get pretty black out there at night...minus radar, these boats were vulnerable...remember destroyers were originally designed specifically to defeat them
It was based on a new British Powerboats design by Scott Paine. Genius of a man.
It's a shame that they burned these boats after the war. They could have been sold and repurposed for other uses.
The U.S. Military/Government can't be accused of being "too sentimental".
Nice and a great film!!❤