PT 617
Encyclopedia
PT 617, also known as Torpedo Boat PT-617, Big Red Cock and Dragon Lady, "is the sole surviving 80' Elco type PT boat
and represents [the USA]'s most heavily used, highly favored, and combat-tested PT boat type in World War II." It is a museum ship
at the PT Boat Museum
in Fall River, Massachusetts
.
The 80 foot Elco type boat was the predominant type and is the type of famous PT-109
commanded by John F. Kennedy
; the 78 foot "Higgins" boat is the other type.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1989.
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...
and represents [the USA]'s most heavily used, highly favored, and combat-tested PT boat type in World War II." It is a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
at the PT Boat Museum
PT Boat Museum
PT Boat Museum is located in Fall River, Massachusetts as part of Battleship Cove. It is a museum that exhibits two National Historic Landmark ships, an 80' Elco boat, PT 617, and a 78' Higgins boat, PT 796.-External links:*, official site...
in Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
.
The 80 foot Elco type boat was the predominant type and is the type of famous PT-109
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
PT-109 was a PT boat last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during World War II...
commanded by John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
; the 78 foot "Higgins" boat is the other type.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1989.