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Topic: PT-61 Update, Stan Pienkowski’s current build |
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: Dec 16, 2015 - 8:19pm
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Lew;
I too am originally from Long Island(born 1963 in Amityville), I grew up in Massapequa and Lindenhurst. I know the areas that you mentioned quite well.
As for Ex PT Boats in the Howard Beach, Rockaway and East Rockaway, Sheepshead Bay, etc. I know of 3.
Between all of Long Island and New Jersey coast 1947-1970's, I know of about 12 boats.
Take care,
TED
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Michael Vorrasi
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Dec 22, 2015 - 10:17am
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I was born in 1955 and raised in Brooklyn NY. All my childhood friends and I had PT boat models, the Revell 109 and the smaller Revell Higgins 207 boat. In 1967, I spied a Higgins boat tied up in the Stillwell Avenue Creek near Coney Island Brooklyn as we passed in my Dad's car on the Belt Parkway. Could not believe my eyes.
Well, soon thereafter a recon force of 12 year old PT fanatics on bikes made the ride to the spot. There she was. We met the owner, an old timer in (I would guess) his 70's or 80's. We got the tour. She was PT-309 and he told us she had seen lots of action. He bought her surplus after the war. We were disappointed to learn that he pulled the three big gas guzzling Packards out and put a diesel in. The boat was earning her living as a floating welding shop. The chart house was still in place, but the side bulwarks with the turrets were removed. On her aft deck, a shop structure had been built, no doubt to house the welding shop. I recall a navy style life raft on the stern mounted on a railing across the transom. Her foredeck still had all the ventilators and her ship's wheel was still in place. It sticks in my head from that 12 year old's impression that I was surprised that a fast boat would have a traditional ship's wheel with all the handles on the spokes. It was varnished wood. Her overall color was still Navy Haze gray overall. It also made an impression as to the actual size of a PT boat, a lot bigger than I had visualized in my head.
She was there for many months and we made additional trips. Once, passing on the Belt in Dad's Chevy, I saw her heeled over on her starboard side (she was tied up along a bulkhead wall to port with her starboard deck edge awash. I thought she had sunk, because after that, she was gone. I thought the City of NY had towed her out and junked her. Turns out she was just bottomed out and heeled over by low tide.
Years later, I read of PT-309 being restored for the Nimitz Museum. I contacted them and told them the story of our 1967 PT summer field trips. They were very interested because some years after this, she was made into a party boat running out of Long Island somewhere when they acquired it. Nobody alive knew her past history once she was surplussed. They asked me to send a letter detailing what I knew, and so I sent it to them. They wanted to put it on file as it filled in the boat's history from being surplussed onward until she became a party boat. They were quite surprised that in 1967, she still had her original chart house. They wished they still had it.
Mike
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Dec 26, 2015 - 3:31pm
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Wow, what a sad end for the 59.
Breaks your heart to see that 1974 photo of her...
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David Buck
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jan 1, 2016 - 9:04pm
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Ted,
Where did the information that you have added under the photo of the 59 sunk at the Harlem river come from?
And might you have ever gone looking to see if she is still there or possibly somewhere else?
Dave.
D.buck |
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Lew Zee
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Jan 5, 2016 - 7:28pm
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Does anyone have good information on the armor shield (wind screen) used on the PT-61 (gunboat version)? I have a copy of the "Oct. 43" drawing for the 61 and the top view shows the pilot side set back from the right side. The photo of the 60 boat's bridge (Lt. Thom at the wheel) seems to show the leading edge where the shield meets the cabin's roof as being straight across. Also the curved (drawing) top/side edge is straight on the photo.
It would be great if I could include a sketch or photo of what I mean - anyway of doing this?
Lew
Lew Zee |
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David Buck
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Posted on: Jan 6, 2016 - 2:05am
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Hi Lew,
When you have a moment could you email me.
Yours,
D.buck |
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David Buck
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Posted on: Jan 6, 2016 - 2:11am
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Hi Drew,
When you have a moment could you email me.
Yours,
D.buck |
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jan 6, 2016 - 6:42am
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Lew;
On the enlarged side of the "windscreen" was the Radar unit(at least it was on PT 59). While it is not a good rule of thumb to have this electrical radar unit/equipment to be in what I consider an exposed(to the elements) location, this is the way they did it. I know this had to be a "mobile" unit with quick disconnects in this location, so it could be moved into the cabin. But this is the location the PT 59 diagrams show it in. there is also another compass on top of this portion
Take care,
TED
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Lew Zee
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Jan 6, 2016 - 1:15pm
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It would seem that all three boats would be quite similar as they were modified during the same month. However, sometimes when I build a group of similar parts I wind up making changes/improvements to the followup parts and re-making the first one or two. Perhaps the 60 & 61 are different from the 59.
About the radar electronics in the 59, if the unit was on the flying bridge perhaps it was covered by pert of the armor shield or maybe even weatherized. Look at the WW2 radios used in the field - they look like the were in a rugged package.
Another thing I am looking for is where is the communications antenna. I read somewhere that the boats had a 20-foot whip antenna. From some of the photos of the gunboats it looks like it is behind the flying bridge but in front of the 50's-tubs slightly offset to the port. Anyone able to pinpoint this and what the mount looks like.
I ask all these questions as I am trying to make the model as accurate as possible.
Many thanks to all for your help. Lew
Lew Zee |
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jan 7, 2016 - 8:41am
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Lew;
There was a top plate on the enlarged windscreen section.
In the photos below, the 20' whip antenna is mounted on the plate that goes across the back of the cockpit. some boats moved this over time to a mount on the port side of the cabin, but the gunboats seem to have left it where it was always mounted, on the plate(rear splinter shield).
PT 60 Oct-Nov 1943.
PT 61 May 1943. Notice radio antenna mounted on plate.
Hope this helps.
Take care,
TED
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