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PT Boats - General
Post a reply to: PT 486 Oct-Nov 1944
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[StartQuote] Andy; I have a few ideas, but I have to do a little more research. As for the photos, I could only think of one person to ask, for his input. I had some ideas and asked about the possibility, here is my letter and lower is his response: I hope all is well up in the "PT Boat center of the universe". An interesting set of photos, of PT 486 in Norfolk, Virginia Oct 1944, has come to light. http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=4156&pg=1&sc=20&x=0 Any ideas what this cribbing/bracing might be for? Would this be enough bracing for additional fuel bladders? I am thinking, that this was an experiment to modify boats to carry extra fuel for the run from Toguchi, Okinawa to Kyushu, Japan for opening stages of the Invasion of Kyushu Japan, "Operation Olympic" originally slated for 1 November 1945. You know this part of the boat, Any ideas? Take care, TED he is going from the bottom up. So the first picture is bracing for the thunderbolt . Looking at it I could only think the steel bracing is supporting a lot of deck load. I think you could be right about additional fuel. The only thing is that putting it that far forward would challenge the planing characteristics. But not sure. The cribbing isn't square to the hull ,but pitched to be level with the planing hull. So my question would be, what does the thunderbolt need to operate. Generator or hydraulics. Battery bank? With such large fire capacity, ammo stores? My guess . So until I find something more, we could go a few directions with these photos. Back story: When RON 12 showed up with 40mm's at Morobe, then CDR Bowling got 12 from the Australians for his RON 21 boats. Originally, in November 1943, the Thunderbolt was rejected by Seventh Fleet in favor of the 40mm. 7th Fleet ,after seeing the results of RON 12 and RON 21, requested 30 40mm's be shipped out. PT 138 RON 7 was originally sent out with a Thunderbolt in 1943. As stated 7th Fleet deemed it unsatisfactory. As for the Thunderbolt, success with it was in the Med, then they began re-thinking the application for the Pacific. In the Spring of 1945, PT 174 RON 10 had her aft 40mm removed and a Thunderbolt mounted. RON 21 also received 3 of the mounts, but I have yet to see a photo of these RON 21 boats. The standard installation required a "strengthened deck and an additional 5-kw 24 volt DC Generator" (reference; US Small Combatants, by Norman Friedman, USNI 1987). This is really an interesting set of photos you "un-earthed"!! I look forward to more. Take care, TED [EndQuote]
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