The PT Boat Forum
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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?cid=101&fct=showf

ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?fct=gotoforum&cid=101&fid=102

ť Topic: Elco 80 differances
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=216

Hi to you all
As a newbie I would first of all like to say what a great site!
What I would like to know is did the superstructure change between the early elco 80 say PT109 to the later elco 80 PT596 ? there are obvious changes in weapons etc but what about the structure,any help would be apreciated
Regards Robin

Posted By: Robin Carpenter | Posted on: Jan 11, 2007 - 3:13am
Total Posts: 2 | Joined: Jan 11, 2007 - 3:00am

ROBIN;
THE MOST OBVIOUS CHANGES FROM THE ORIGINAL PT 103 CLASS BOAT AND THE LATER ELCO BOATS IS THE POSITION AND RAKE OF THE .50 CAL. MACHINE GUN TURRETS (BARBETS). THE EARLY BOATS HAD THE GUN MOUNT ROTATION RINGS LEVELED WITH THE WATERLINE AND THE LATER ONES HAD THEM LEVELED WITH THE WATERLINE AT ABOUT HALF SPEED. EARLY STARBOARD BARBETS WERE FARTHER FORWARD THAN THE LATER ONES. THIS WAS AN IMPROVEMENT FOR COCKPIT VISIBILITY.
THE STARBOARD COCKPIT SPRAY SHIELD ON THE '103' CLASS WAS RADIUSED. THE LATER ONES CAME TO A RIGHT ANGLE.
ON MOST BOATS, AFTER ABOUT MID 1943, THE ARMORED BULKHEAD IN THE COCKPIT WAS REMOVED. IN THE COCKPIT, THE NEWER BOATS HAD THE THROTTLE AND FIRING BOARD LOCATIONS REVERSED, SO THE SKIPPER COULD USE THE THROTTLES.
THE ENGINE ROOM HATCH BETWEEN THE TWO VERSIONS WERE VASTLY DIFFERENT. THE EARLIER ONES HAD FOUR COWLED VENTILATORS AROUND AN ANGLED AND RAISED HATCH WAY. THE LATER ONES HAS A LARGE RAISED AIR SCOOP.
I BELIEVE THAT THE MUFFLER DESIGN HAD CHANGED, ALSO. IF I'VE LEFT ANYTHING OUT, I'M SURE THE OTHER MEMBERS WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD. OH, YES! THE FORWARD BARBET HAD A REVERSED CUT-OUT NEAR THE BASE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE TO ALLOW MORE FOOT ROOM IN PASSING.
I HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL TO YOU.
SMOOTH SAILING.

Steve Tuhy

Posted By: Steve Tuhy | Posted on: Jan 11, 2007 - 5:40am
Total Posts: 114 | Joined: Oct 17, 2006 - 5:41am

Robin: I highly recommend the Lambert/Ross book ALLIED COASTAL FORCES Vol. II. It has excellent line-drawings of the different Elco layouts.

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Jan 11, 2007 - 10:02am
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

Robin:
Many changes took place from the first lauching of the 103 Class Elco. Steve has done an excellent job in giving you the information. The early boats of course had no Radar, so this was a big change in getting the SO Radar Dome on the boats giving them the eyes they needed in the dark.

The early boats only had the twin 50 caliber guns and one 20MM Cannon on the Stern, the early MK-8 Torpedoes in Launching Tubes, and of course Depth Charges, with Smoke Generator. Seeing the need for better weapons, the boats top-side started to add 20MM Cannons, 37MM Cannons, and 40MM Cannons to their arsonal. Many Crews also added extra 50 and 30 caliber weapons where they could. These were mounted atop long pipes Port and Starboard, usually in between the torpedoes, which by the way were upgraded to the MK-13's with roll-off racks, getting rid of the need for the launching tubes.

Some boats even had Mortors on the Bow and much later 5 inch rockets, were added giving the boats the punch of a destroyer. Below decks of course stayed pretty much the same, although what was once used as a day room would now be used to berth more Crew. The engines HP Output was increased, but the Packard design stayed the same with the 4M-2500 V-12's. Later this would be changed to the 5M-2500 packard Engine. Later all engines would be hooked up to the direct drive system. Why Elco never increased the size of the engine room is beyond me. They certainly had the tecnology. It seems that the engineers were less thought of then the comfort of the crew, because lets face it, the Crews-Quarters of an Elco PT Boat was just awesome. Spacious, Roomy, Comfortable, call it what you will it was the best on any small boat built during the War.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jan 11, 2007 - 1:37pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Hi To you all
Many thanks for this information it will be very useful for the model I am building, I sat for hours pouring over the site yesterday its one of my favourites now .
Best wishes Robin[:-lookhappy-:]

Posted By: Robin Carpenter | Posted on: Jan 12, 2007 - 12:50am
Total Posts: 2 | Joined: Jan 11, 2007 - 3:00am