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 Author  Topic: Help Needed for Late Model Elco 80' PT
  Rock1947a

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Rock1947a  Posted on: May 6, 2013 - 11:05am
Hi everyone.
With the PT 109 and PT 596 kits that Italeri produced, I'm trying to decide which boats to represent in my builds.

Originally, I planned to use the Italeri Update set (when I can got one) to modity the PT 109 kit to a mid-war boat with roll-off torpedo racks instead of the tubes and add additional bow weapons. However, I think the torpedo tubes provide greater historical contrast to the later boats, so now I'm going to build it as an early 103 Class boat with original armament.

That leaves me with how to depict the PT 596 kit. My preference is to back-date it to a boat that saw action with the earlier SO radar instead of the SO3, but keep as many of the kit weapons as possible such as the twin .50 cal, turrets, stern 40mm, bow 20mm and 37mm, and at least 2 roll-off torpedo racks. If possible within the realm of accuracy, I'd like to add a couple of depth charges and pipe-mounted .50 cals.

The problem I have is that I can't find clear enough photos or references for specific boats in that armament/radar configuration. From the information I can find, I narrowed down the boats closest to that setup from Ron 27 PT 372-377 in the Pacific, Ron 29 PT 552-563 in the Mediterranean, or Ron 35 PT 510-521 in the English Channel.

I've ruled out PT 374 because I don't want to infringe on the superb PT-374 Memorial Project Diorama. Did the other Ron 27 boats have the same armament as the 374? I also prefer not to have to scratch-build the Thunderbolt quad 20mm on PTs 556-559.

I haven't been able to find adequate documentation in my numerous PT boat books and internet searches to identify my ultimate dream boat. I realize there might not have been any such boat, but I'd like to get as close to it as possible.

Any suggestions, photos, references, or corrections are welcome. Thank you very much for patiently reading this long-winded post.
Pete


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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: May 6, 2013 - 11:44am
PT-373 might be a good choice. The Pacific boats were the ones that tended to carry lots of firepower forward and stand-alone .30 & .50 mgs on pipe mounts spotted in various postitions.

Will

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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: May 6, 2013 - 11:44am
PT-373 might be a good choice. The Pacific boats were the ones that tended to carry lots of firepower forward and stand-alone .30 & .50 mgs on pipe mounts spotted in various postitions.

Will

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Rock1947a

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Rock1947a  Posted on: May 6, 2013 - 12:21pm
Thanks for the quick answer, Will. PT 373 is a definite possibility. I'm still open to other suggestions though.
Pete


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Wayne Traxel

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Wayne Traxel   Send Email To Wayne Traxel Posted on: May 6, 2013 - 1:55pm
PT-373 is an excellent choice. This PT brought Mac Arthur back to Corregidor in March of 1945.

Wayne Traxel

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Frank Andruss

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank Andruss   Send Email To Frank Andruss Posted on: May 7, 2013 - 6:04am
PT-373 is a great choice, using this Ron 27 boat as the main subject that MacArthur rode on. Thanks for your concern on not doing PT-374, my Memorial Diorama project, but if you choose this boat, that would be fine by me, although PT-373 might be the better choice.


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Rock1947a

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Rock1947a  Posted on: May 8, 2013 - 8:24am
It looks like PT 373 is the unanimous choice. Where can I find photos or descriptions of the boat's armament?

Thanks very much for everyone's kind help.
Pete


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Randy McConnell

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Randy McConnell  Posted on: May 8, 2013 - 7:11pm
Pete,

Sorry for a late suggestion, but two RON 27 boats you might consider are the 359 and the 361. From my picture collection it looks like the RON 27 boats had fairly standardized armament except for the pole mounted 50 caliber guns to port of the chart house. Then it was variations of single or twin guns. The outlier is the 359 boat with a second 37 mm cannon replacing the starboard 20 mm, an interesting set-up. It appears to have twin 50's to port.



This being my first picture post on the new forum, I'll see if this works before going further.

Randy McC


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Randy McConnell

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Randy McConnell  Posted on: May 8, 2013 - 7:41pm
Pete,

Okay, the first picture post worked so here's the foredeck layout of the 361. (Of course I'm biased towards this boat.) The port pole mount guns were twin 50's with curved ammo magazines. Maybe some other forum members can say what the magazines were originally intended for.



On the starboard side was a small mortar and 20mm magazines against the chart house. All of the staged photos of sailors at the mortar are with white-colored flare rounds. The only other picture I have of a mortar is of a much larger unit on the 377. The 37 mm on the 361 was originally on a low mount like those in the earlier picture of the 358 and 359. After an overhaul the 37 mm was on a taller mount.



I have a lot of pictures of the 361, including their monkey mascot, as well as other RON 27 boats, particularly the 359 and 360. I'll see if I have anything on the 373.

For the MacArthur "return" to Corregidor on PT boats, he actually did it four times. First on the 373 plus once on the 375 and twice on the 361, although I don't know what order the last three were in. I have some newspaper and magazine clippings on those trips which would be more appropriate for a separate thread. I do remember my Dad saying that RON 27 was selected for the photo-op return missions in recognition of some unit award that they were awarded.

Randy McC



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Rock1947a

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Rock1947a  Posted on: May 9, 2013 - 9:34am
Hi Randy.
Thanks for posting the great photos. I'm sure other members will appreciate them too. The port side pole-mounted twin .50 cal curved ammo boxes on the 361 foredeck look like the the same boxes in the .50 cal. turrets, but that's just a guess on my part.

I believe that the 356-361 boats were based on the early PT-103 series, so back-dating the PT-596 kit would involve major modifications to the turrets, day room, chart house, etc. What I'd like to do is build the 596 kit with the earlier SO radar without other major alterations. The PT 372-377 boats come close to my project, but I don't have adequate photos or documentation for them. I might still decide on an English Channel or Mediteranean boat if I can find enough references.

Thanks for sharing your very interesting information. I really appreciate your interest.
Pete




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