Motor Torpedo Boat PT-658
Encyclopedia
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
, similar in function but slightly different in design and layout from the more common Elco
Electric Launch Company
The Electric Launch Company, later renamed Elco Motor Yachts, is a United States boat building and electric motor company that has operated from 1893 until present . It was originally run by Henry R. Sutphen in 1895...
boats.
The 78 foot Higgins PT Boat, the USS PT-658 has been completely restored to its original 1945 configuration during the years 1995 to 2005. PT-658 is now fully functional and afloat. It is the only 100% authentically restored US Navy PT Boat that is operational today in the world. The USS PT-658 is located in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
at the Swan Island Naval Reserve Center Pier.
She is afloat and has 3 working 1,850 hp Packard Model 5M-2500 V12 gasoline engines. A dedicated group of PT Boat veterans formed the organization Save the PT Boat, Inc., and then restored the boat, to include a full armament of 4 Mark 13 Torpedoes, 2 twin .50 caliber
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
Browning M2 machine guns, a 40 mm Bofors cannon
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
, two 20 mm Oerlikon cannons
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
, and 2 Mark 6 300 pound TNT depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s.
While the restoration is essentially complete, the boat is open to the public on Mondays and Thursdays most every week when the crew is there restoring the boat. The boat has now been moved into the new boathouse (as of July 2008) and the group continues trying to raise money for ongoing projects such as deck replacement, charthouse repair, and interior detailing. Money is also needed for final boathouse improvements and to build a PT Boat Museum.
As of January 2010 replacement of the deck is underway and is expected to be completed by June 2010 for various summer festivals and shows.
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