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PT boats were fast-moving, heavily armed vessels used by the U.S. Navy during World War II. They were designed to achieve speeds of 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed, and 550 miles at cruising speed. The U.S. Navy used the Packard V-12 Marine Engine (4M-2500) in all PT boats, which was based on the 1925 Liberty Aircraft Engine. The engine was modified throughout the war to increase horsepower and maintain high speeds as heavier armaments were added to the boats.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 40 knots |
| Cruising speed | 550 miles |
| Length | 50' to 60' |
| Speed demonstrated in 1915 | 35 knots |
| Horsepower | 1,100hp to 1,500hp |
| Speed with 36-knot torpedoes | 67 km/h |
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What You'll Learn
- The performance specification was to achieve 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed
- The Packard V-12 Marine Engine was used in all U.S. Navy World War II PT boats
- PT boats were used to engage enemy warships, transports, tankers, barges, and sampans
- PT boats were used in the Pacific and European Theaters in World War II
- The smaller boat proposal was to weigh no more than 20 tons so it could be easily transported by larger cargo ships
The performance specification was to achieve 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed
The performance specification for PT boats was to achieve 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed. This was a challenging target, as the boats needed to be fast and manoeuvrable while also being stable and seaworthy.
To achieve these speeds, PT boats were powered by high-performance engines, such as the Packard V-12 Marine Engine (4M-2500), which was based on the 1925 Liberty Aircraft Engine. The Navy steadily increased the horsepower of these engines throughout World War II, from 1,100hp to 1,500hp, to maintain high speeds as heavier armaments were added to the boats.
The design of PT boats also played a crucial role in their speed and performance. They were typically small and lightweight, with a length of around 50 to 60 feet, to ensure they were easily manoeuvrable and could be transported by larger cargo ships.
PT boats played a significant role in World War II, particularly in the Pacific and European Theatres. Their speed and agility allowed them to engage enemy warships, transports, tankers, and barges effectively. They were also converted into gunboats, which proved effective against enemy small craft, especially armoured barges used by the Japanese for inter-island transport.
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The Packard V-12 Marine Engine was used in all U.S. Navy World War II PT boats
The engine had a single magneto that fed power to two distributors. Each cylinder had two spark plugs, one powered by each distributor. Horsepower was 1,200 @ 2,400 rpm. In an emergency, the engine could be run at 2,500 rpm. The Packard V-12 Marine Engine was designed by Vincent, Packard's lead engineer, who started with a clean sheet and designed a four-stroke, 60-degree V-12 with an aluminium block with a bore of 6.04 inches and a 6.50-inch stroke, which brought it to 2,490 cubic inches. A Holley 1685F aircraft carburettor supplied the fuel, 100-octane gasoline, fired by two spark plugs per cylinder.
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PT boats were used to engage enemy warships, transports, tankers, barges, and sampans
The U.S. Navy used the Packard V-12 Marine Engine (4M-2500) in all PT boats during World War II. The design was based on the 1925 Liberty Aircraft Engine, which had been converted for racing. Throughout the war, the Navy increased the horsepower from 1,100hp to 1,500hp to maintain high speed as heavier armament was added. The final engine was a super-charged, water-cooled, gasoline-powered V-12 engine that weighed 2,900 pounds. With a full fuel load, the PT boat had a range of 259 miles at 35 knots, which amounted to a total of 518 miles.
The primary anti-ship armament on the standard PT boat was four 21-inch Mark 8 torpedoes, each with a 466-pound (211 kg) TNT warhead and a range of 16,000 yards (15,000 m) at 36 knots (67 km/h). Two twin .50-inch (12.7 mm) M2 Browning heavy machine guns were mounted for anti-aircraft defence and general fire support.
PT boats played a crucial role in World War II, harassing enemy forces in both the Pacific and European Theatres. On October 24, 1944, all available 39 PT boats of the U.S. Seventh Fleet travelled at high speed into the Mindanao Sea just south of Leyte Gulf. The journey, which was approximately 1,200 miles, presented a challenge for the U.S. Navy as the distance was considered too far for the boats to complete in one hop, even with an escort.
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PT boats were used in the Pacific and European Theaters in World War II
PT boats were used in the Pacific and European Theatres in World War II. They were fast-moving, heavily armed boats used by the U.S. Navy to harass enemy forces. The boats were designed to achieve 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed. The smaller boat proposal was to weigh no more than 20 tons so that it could be easily transported by larger cargo ships.
The U.S. Navy used the Packard V-12 Marine Engine (4M-2500) in all PT boats during World War II. The design was based on the 1925 Liberty Aircraft Engine, which had been converted for use in racing. The Navy steadily increased the horsepower from 1,100hp to 1,500hp so that the boats could maintain high speed as increasingly heavier armament was added. The final engine was a super-charged, water-cooled, gasoline-powered V-12 engine that weighed 2,900 pounds. With a full fuel load, the PT boat had a range of 259 miles at 35 knots, which amounted to a total of 518 miles.
PT boats engaged enemy warships, transports, tankers, barges, and sampans. Some were converted into gunboats, which were effective against enemy small craft, especially the armoured barges used by the Japanese for inter-island transport. Several saw service with the Philippine Navy, where they were named "Q-boats". The primary anti-ship armament on the standard PT boat was four 21-inch Mark 8 torpedoes, each of which had a 466-pound (211 kg) TNT warhead and a range of 16,000 yards (15,000 m) at 36 knots (67 km/h). Two twin .50-inch (12.7 mm) M2 Browning heavy machine guns were mounted for anti-aircraft defence and general fire support.
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The smaller boat proposal was to weigh no more than 20 tons so it could be easily transported by larger cargo ships
The performance specification for PT boats was to achieve 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed (550 miles at cruising speed). The smaller boat proposal was to weigh no more than 20 tons so that it could be easily transported by larger cargo ships. This was because the Admiralty found that no fast boat of 50' to 60' length would be sufficiently seaworthy.
In February 1915, Hickman built a 41-foot sea sled that could reach speeds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) in rough winter seas off Boston. This led to the development of the Coastal Motor Boat, which first went into service in April 1916.
During World War II, PT boats were used by the U.S. Navy to engage enemy warships, transports, tankers, barges, and sampans. They were fast-moving and heavily armed, with a range of 259 miles at 35 knots (518 miles total). The primary anti-ship armament on the standard PT boat was four 21-inch Mark 8 torpedoes, each with a range of 16,000 yards (15,000 m) at 36 knots (67 km/h).
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Frequently asked questions
A PT boat could reach speeds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The performance specification was to achieve 40 knots with an operating radius of 275 miles at top speed.
PT boats are fast-moving, heavily armed U.S. Navy boats that were used in World War II. PT stands for 'patrol torpedo'.
The U.S. Navy used the Packard V-12 Marine Engine (4M-2500) in all PT boats during World War II. The design was based on the 1925 Liberty Aircraft Engine, which had been converted for use in racing.
The standard PT boat was equipped with four 21-inch Mark 8 torpedoes, each with a 466-pound (211 kg) TNT warhead and a range of 16,000 yards (15,000 m) at 36 knots (67 km/h).
