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Topic: 37mm Anti-Tank Gun + 40mm Bofors Gun? |
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PeterTareBuilder

New Member
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Posted on: Oct 29, 2008 - 7:00pm
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Hi there.
Was there ever a known case of an 80' Elco PT boat mounting a 40mm Bofors on the stern deck and a 37m anti-tank gun (minus the wheels) on the foredeeck?
Cheers and thanks from PeterTareBuilder
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QM

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 1:25pm
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On our Elco 80' before the 40mm was installed we hat a 37mm mounted on the bow, and if memory is correct we had a 20mm on the stern. Later a 40 mm was mounted on the stern, and the 20mm was moved to the bow a short distance forward of the chart house and a few feet to starboard. I doubt if there was much uniformity when new guns were installed. |
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29navy

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 4:08pm
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Wasn't that kind of a standard configuration of the later boats?
Charlie |
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PeterTareBuilder

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 4:54pm
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Hi there.
I was refering to the army 37mm anti-tank gun like the one Kennedy placed on PT-109 *NOT* the 37mm auto-cannon from aircraft.
Cheers from PeterTareBuilder
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Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 4:59pm
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You are correct Charlie. Elco and Higgins both started coming out with the standard armament package to include a 37MM up forward on the bow, and 20MM. The Bofors Cannon was added to the stern. I think Ron 12 was the first Elco boats to have the 40MM Cannon's installed.
I have seen several varitiations of weapons, to include 37MM on the extream Bow, and even 2 20MM Port and Starboard just behind, some had mortars, 30Cal. Stingers, single 50's, both on pipe mounts, twin 50's on pipe mounts, and yes even the Kitchen sink. In any event, the fire-power was tremendous..........
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PeterTareBuilder

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 5:42pm
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Hi there again.
But did any boat ever have the US Army 37mm *ANTI-TANK* gun mounted on the foredeck with a 40mm on the aft deck?
PetertareBuilder
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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 8:15pm
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I have never seen one in this configuration. The only old Army 37MM with the chassis and the wheels taken off was PT 109, which we know did not have the 40MM on the Stern. The 40MM was only moved to the sern of the boat, when the 20MM and the 37MM was moved to the foredeck. By that time the rapid fire 37MM from the Airocobra had made its wa onto the boats, using jury rigged mounting. I know of no other boat ( I could be wrong ) that had the old army style 37MM up front........
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PeterTareBuilder

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Posted on: Oct 30, 2008 - 8:36pm
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Hi and thanks Frank.
I never heard of a 40mm and an army 37mm on the same boat either. I did hear that the army 37mm on the foredeck was planned for a number of boats. I hope I can find that article again.
Cheers from PeterTareBuilder
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Gary Szot

MASTER

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Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 5:38am
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I have posted this shot before but here is a boat with an Army 37mm mounted on the bow. You can see it is jury rigged.
My dad was in RON 36 but was assigned to Samar at the end of the war. I am not sure which boat this is.
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TGConnelly

MASTER

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Posted on: Oct 31, 2008 - 6:51am
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That's actually a M4 on a field-constructed mounting ...
Frank, yes - you're correct - Ron 12 was the first Ron to come from the factory with the 40mm, look at the side view of PT-196 with that dragon scheme as evidence of that.
BUT ... if you read HELL ON KEELS - some of the boats arrived in New Guinea without them. In fact, Harly did not want to take the 191 off the duty roster to allow her to get her 40mm gun in New Guinea.
Also, at the time the 190 and 191 were attacked by those 40 Japanese planes, the 190 had a 37mm M4 on the Mark IV mount for a 20mm ....
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