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Topic: Did many boats have a 40 mm on the foredeck? |
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PeterTareBuilder
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 12:23pm
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Hi there.
Curiosity has gripped me again.
Did many boats have a 40 mm on the foredeck?
I"m guessing that a 40 mm fore and a 40 mm aft was pretty rare?
Cheers from Peter
"Give me a faster PT boat for I'd like to get out of harm's way!" |
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Will Day
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 12:56pm
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@ Peter: I think pretty rare. The 174 boat had a 40mm forward (not sure about the aft mount - almost looks like a Thunderbolt setup in the one fuzzy photo I have. Maybe Al knows).
PT-59 had 40s forward and aft in her gunboat configuration. The postwar metal boats had them also.
Probably some others, but weight had to be a limiting factor.
Will |
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alross2
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 1:37pm
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No. For certain - 59, 60, 61, 174, 221, 223, 285 (photos). PT560-563 were authorized to carry a 40mm fore and aft, but I've never seen a photo of this configuration, so it may not have been carried out. The Argentine Higgins and some of the Jugoslavian Higgins derivatives (MT108 series) did mount a 40mm forward.
Al
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Wayne Traxel
MASTER
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 3:50pm
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Written and crew accounts Include Ron 23 Higgins PT's 283 and 284 skippered by I. Richard Haspel having 40's installed on bow and stern and the 4 Mk-13 torpeodes removed by the repair ship Argonne. In March 1944 PT-283 was destroyed and PT-282 was converted to a gunboat as 283's replacement.
Wayne |
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Nuge210
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 6:11pm
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Guys,
It's hard to believe that a 40mm on the bow wouldn't affect a high speed run to a patrol area,
have you ever read or heard anything about one of these boats in heavy weather ?
Steve |
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Allan
MASTER
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 6:34pm
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I have a hand-written account by then Lt Comdr De Mond of an instance when the 40-mm bow piece tore loose on the 114 boat (Div 17, just absorbed by Ron 8) in extremely heavy seas and the motor mac was severly injured with what became life-long back problems as he was tossed down the forward ladder twice in trying to secure it to the kingpost (as I recall). The 40-mm had been mounted while at the Hilo in April or May of '43.
Allan
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 7:00pm
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In my book "PT Boats behind the Scenes" is a great shot of PT-60 showing the 40mm on the bow. Maybe Dick will post it for me, as I have it on Tiff File, but it is so large I could never send it............
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