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 Author  Topic: Shark nose art on PTs
Lee G

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Lee G  Posted on: Mar 24, 2018 - 1:25pm
Gentlemen, Im interested in the Shark nose painting seen on some of the PT boats e.g. PT 196 but there are images of other PT boats in the Pacific field with less professional paintings of a similar motif on their bows. My questions are: I have heard that it was official Navy policy to Not paint nose art on its ships so were the PT sailors just isoltated enough in their pacific bases to avoid official Navy rules? Also, what are your thoughts as to why this motíf was painted on some of the PTs? to cause fear in the enemy, to help identify their boat amongst other similar boats or were the crews trying to emulate the P-40 flying tigers? any other thoughts as to why they did this? Thanks, Lee Greenwood


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  TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Mar 25, 2018 - 9:26pm
Lee;
Welcome back! To answer your questions, the shark mouth was sort of related to the Flying Tigers, but more to the point, the Japanese called PT Boats Green Dragons or Devil Boats. One captured Japanese soldier's diary from Guadalcanal, described their fear of PT boats by describing them as "the monster that roars, flaps it wings, and shoots torpedoes in all directions".(RON 39 Squadron insignia was exactly this).
ELCO caught on to this and they produced a magazine ad to resemble this.

jQMuj.jpg


As for the Shark mouth, PT 30 RON 1, PT 116 RON 6, PT 156 RON 9, PT 196 RON 12, and PT 203 RON15 in the Mediterranean, all carried variations of the shark mouth.
Take care,
TED


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