The Giant Killers : The Story of WW2 ELCO US Navy PT Boats

The Giant Killers : The Story of ELCO US Navy PT Boats in WW2. This 1945 ELCO produced film from WW2 discusses the building process of PT Boats designed by ELCO as well as the history of ELCO designing these powerful boats for the US Navy.
Film part of ELCO Archives. Director: Wallace Van Nostrand; Narration: Van Deventer
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[@battleshipcove-americasfle2150]

The only 80' Elco PT Boat on display in the world is at Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA, USA as part of the National PT Boat Memorial and Museum.

[@davidsimmons8628]

Along with the USS Massachusetts the Big Mamie!

[@dickkail5964]

@@davidsimmons8628 .

[@stevecolby7348]

There is one being restored at the airport park in DeLand Fla

[@markdemelo7221]

Im from New Bedford ive been to Battleship Cove tons & tons of times on feildtrips i freaking love that place.

[@paulsuprono7225]

I used to pass by on the bridge connecting the Cape, in transit to Camp Edwards, a state National Guard facility . . . with a veterans cemetery framing its' entrance ! 🇺🇸

[@jerryhouck2708]

My father, Bruce Houck, served in the South Pacific in WWII on PT 147. Dad was a combat vet and he loved his PT's the rest of his life. RIP Dad, we miss you and your incredible PTs.

[@robertlewis1965]

I'll bet that your dad didn't want anyone mistaking him for a Battleship sailor . He was part of the greatest generation !

[@johnhaile5026]

Thank you Sir for your service. R.I.P.

[@robertgreer4296]

God bless you and your Dad. Those guys were all volunteers. And they had balls!

[@andrewlisenby9693]

Jerry, I hope you and your family never forget the stories your father recounted from his time in the Navy.

[@GoodForYou4504]

Be very proud of your lineage. Thank you for your service Bruce. RIP

[@looper9264]

2 things stick out for me. #1) Wars are won in the factories; something today's politicians have long forgotten or never known about. #2) The design was so good, boat builders, the likes of Roger Fountain, continue to build hulls modeled after these boats (Fountain Ocean Racing Boats)...even today's engines sound like the Merlins back in the day.

[@jon2016]

They are the original offshore powerboat.

[@stevek8829]

Of course you know, the PT boats had Packard engines.

[@donaldteuber8588]

Wars are won in the factories.... commen sense and great wisdom. The insanity of having our products made overseas...often by countries that hate us... is and should be regarded as acts of treason deserving the appropriate punishment.

[@charlesoliver2535]

Logistics wins or loses wars.

[@wd4269]

Back when American Made meant Quality.

[@radioguy1620]

Just imagine the skills all those people learned in schools and shops before the war, something we miss out on today. thanks for posting. I worked at Rybovich yachts back in the 92 era and some of the same techniques are still used. If you ever see one you will be amazed at how fair the hulls are.

[@DougsterCanada1]

Used to built trailerable fiberglass sailboats boats for MacGregor Yachts in Orange County, CA at night while in HS. The one place I wish I had worked was Wooden Boat School when I lived in Maine.

[@BFD378]

@@DougsterCanada1 I own one! '74 venture 25

[@DougsterCanada1]

@@BFD378 I may have built it! I graduated in 1975. Small world.

[@user-dc1dr9kr8x]

Question from an observer...why would a hull be(or not be) fair?

[@radioguy1620]

@@user-dc1dr9kr8x Fair hulls are not full of waves or depressions, sighted down the side appear smooth, take a look when you can at a production molded boat and you will see the difference from intended, doesnt mean they are necessarily bad but can indicate stress areas on an older boat especially

[@echohunter4199]

I’m very proud to be an American, my family has been here since 1639 and fought in every war in her defense, I fought in two wars myself as an Infantryman. I pray our nation stays strong in the future but it’s not looking good. God be with all of us, we’ll need it.

[@robertrusnak620]

We need all the help we can get these days 🙏

[@rogerringold616]

Mine was here before that as native and Hebrew trans atlantic enslaved....and also fought in every war usa13 colonies had. Even CMofH

[@Unknown15916]

Did your family kill many native Indians and black folks ?

[@richardcorcoran6582]

​@@rogerringold616... I presume, you have a proud heritage from ancestry as an American Indian as well as a proud person of Jewish descent. From the context of your statement, members of your family have served admirably in every war/conflict in our country's proud history. I would like to pass on my humble and heartfelt thanks, to you and your family members for their proud service in helping to make this country free. For the life of me.... I can not figure out what war/conflict "CMofH" stands for???? Thank you for your service. May you be blessed by the almighty for your sacrifice to our country.

[@BigDaddy-hn7oh]

1622 when mine came to Virginia

[@JUNKERS488]

PT-73 will always be my favorite. My favorite TV show when I was a kid. Who would have guessed that some day "Happy" Hanes would become the captain of "The Love Boat"? PT-73 was so good a Monkey could sink a Japanese sub running it all by himself. LOL. Kidding aside These boats and crew were amazing. They put a hurting on the enemy and packed a punch. They filmed the movie "PT-109" on and around the island I live on my Dad and Uncle were both extras in the movie. My uncle was one of the Marines storming the beach and My Dad was a stand in on the boat. You get a good look at his back as he looks over the stern watching the wake. Unfortunately, since he was a stand in for one of the crew you never see his face he passed away when I was 6 so it would have been cool if we could see his face. He was a Chief in the Navy serving on the Carrier U.S.S. Enterprise in the early 1970's when he passed. I can still remember going on her at the dock. She was like a city and looked so huge to me as a kid.

[@parrot849]

What year in the 70’s was your father on the Enterprise? I was a Petty Officer 2nd Class on the Enterprise 1974-75.

[@DougsterCanada1]

@@parrot849 I believe an old buddy of mine Wayne Magill was a fireman aboard the Enterprise back around those dates.

[@parrot849]

@@DougsterCanada1 - sorry, doesn’t ring a bell. But that doesn’t mean we weren’t there together at some point. That ship was so damn big….

[@thethirdman225]

The PT-73 - as in 'McHale's Navy' - was a British Vosper.

[@troyjanise9051]

Yea,it was a shame out of the hundreds made none were available for the movie PT 109 and others. I've been a huge fan of the Elco 80' boats since I was little. I'm not sure how many plastic model PTs I built. When this movie was made President Kennedy was probably still in the Navy.

[@wb6wsn]

Circa 1970, I owned a fifty-foot trawler that I kept at New Elco Marina (the last commercial venture occupying the old Elco factory buildings in Bayonne). By that time, only one original Elco building was still standing (the three story tall final assembly building just behind the quay-side crane). Just before I left the New Elco Marina, I had them pull my boat for an annual hull inspection, using that huge crane. The crane was declared an historic site, but was disassembled and relocated (in non-functional condition) to a waterside site about two miles north of the Elco site on Newark Bay. The Elco factory site has now been completely re-built as Marina Condos.

[@billveek9518]

I'm so proud and grateful for these men and women who built, fought, died and sacrificed so much for our freedom, dam they were the best. My parents were both in the Navy out of north Island naval base San diego, I miss them and pray we'll be together again.

[@bengone3349]

My late uncle, Errol Merryman served aa a radioman on a PT boat at Guadalcanal in WWII.

[@CHixon]

The whole concept is fascinating: build yachts out of wood, saving the scarce steel for other weapons.

[@louislamboley9167]

A classic war movie that has real 80 foot Elcos with John Wayne is They Were Expendable.

[@DougsterCanada1]

That is cool. John Wayne owned The Wild Goose, a converted mine sweeper. Hornblower Yacht Charters picked it up. It's quite lovely on the inside.

[@davegeisler7802]

" Rusty from Brick , commence your run now . Ok Brick from Rusty ... Fire 1 , Fire 2 .. lets get out of here !!

[@chriskeating5926]

@@davegeisler7802 what is this from? Thanks

[@chriskeating5926]

@@davegeisler7802 thank you sir

[@jackhammer111]

2:08 "At full speed, the engines make a noise that discourages conversation but engineers are less dependent on small talk than those singing Cowboy diddy's on deck." LMAO. Seriously, the narrator actually says that! I got to know who the brilliant scriptwriter of this is! I think this is a really great video but that cracks me up.

[@MrJimboson]

My uncle, Carl Richardson served on PT 43 (built in Bayonne) as a machinist mate. The crew took Gen Mcarther and family away from the Philippian Islands and transferred the general to a submarine. Three PTs were involved, one disappeared. The 43 and crew then hid out on the island of Mindanow for a year until being sighted by a PBY and rescued. They burned their PT. He spent over 20 years in the Navy retiring as a LT Commander.

[@jon2016]

PT 728 still survives. In 2000 Bill Baumfaulk (rip, Bill) restored her with the help of Key West Captain Kelly. They assembled a motley crew of good-natured hooligans and put on a wonderful tour of Key West and the history of PT Boats for the public. I am proud to have been a member of that crew for a time. PT 728 had the honor of hosting many WW2 PT crew members for a ride around KW harbor for memories sake. I had the honor of meeting one of JFK's fellow PT Boat officers and drinking buddy. Heady days, for sure. PT 728 is now in Ohio? in a museum, I believe.

[@MrJeep75]

758 in Portland still survive

[@smgri]

Broker bill and captain Kelley ...remember them . Actually I might have met you . I spent a lot of time in kw . Did you live on the boat “”?

[@jon2016]

@@smgri I had a sailboat that I lived on there, yes.

[@smgri]

@@jon2016 yea ...sad that now the western union , America , and pt are gone . You just assume things will always be there . I did try and get a job in there....but broker bill was always too drunk to remember our conversation the day before . Captain Kelly seems to be doing well...I still see him now and then at schooners . Wish I could afford to live in kw...it’s crazy price town now ☹️.

[@jon2016]

@@smgri Sorry to hear America and WU are gone. I miss Schooner's, was my favorite place for sure. Great to hear Kelly is ok. If you see him please tell him Jon from Minnesota said hello! I was there from 2002-to 2005. Living in KW was cheap for me. I rented a mooring ball. Good Luck to you and be well!.

[@ivanleterror9158]

Portland, OR is the home to the only fully operational PT Boat still in it's original configuration. It has guns and torpedo tubes (non workable of course) It has been resurrected by an all volunteer group. I've toured it myself during our Rose Festival when the US Navy ships visit for Fleet Week. The crew actually sleeps between the interior bulkheads and the outer hull. They even found and installed 2 original Packard engines. After the war people would buy the surplus ones and turn them into their own mini-yachts. Some tried using GM diesels in them with poor results. It's based on Swan Island.

[@debbienye6002]

I wish I could have seen it! I lived in N. Portland for 25 years, until 2016!

[@jimcongdon8191]

I took a tour on it a couple of years ago. I watched as they fired her up and took her down river (the Willamette). She was very loud!

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

Those PT Boats used THREE of the Packard designed and built in Detroit M2500 engines, 2500 cubic inches of supercharged power from 1200 to 1500 HP Each depending on model. And NO those were NOT the Packard built Merlin engine built for the Brits and the USAAF P51 Mustangs. different animal all together. Packard built 14,000 of the M2500 PT Boat engines and 55, 525 of the Merlin engines. Packards war time contribution to the war effort !!

[@BSPIVEY100]

That was great. Really so cool to see how people can work together so proudly. To be so big and so fast was quite the engineering accomplishment.

[@daffyduck9901]

Make America Great Again 🇺🇸💪

[@chrisambrose8838]

What a fantastic place to visit! Plan on spending a lot of time there . The USS MASSACHUSETTS alone could take a day! All the PT boats are in a big building out of the weather and very nicely displayed! The USS Lionfish is moored there too. If anywhere near Battleship Cove stop and visit!! 👍🖖🏻🖖🏻

[@algorel4763]

Fall River, MA Battleship Cove

[@someonethatwatchesyoutube2953]

I have wonderful memories of taking my two very young boys to Battleship cove several times during the mid to late 2000s and a few times since. After watching this video I’ll definitely go there again next time we visit my kid’s cousins in Massachusetts!

[@myfavoritemartian1]

What they don't dwell on is that PT boat duty was hazardous to the extreme. When they needed to get Mac off of the Philippines, they used PT boats.(They were the masters of sneak) Yes, PT109 was just another boat, but it's story is an example of what all of them went through.

[@jon2016]

The PTs now have to have railings for passengers. They would run PTs in the Bering Sea with no railings...up to 12 guys on a boat. Staying onboard in rough seas ...wow.

[@douglaspefferd.c.2988]

My uncle was on thoughs boats with Mc.

[@michaeloneil2379]

Dug out Doug loved em. Left the troops to get home on the Death March.

[@myfavoritemartian1]

@@michaeloneil2379 A family friend was one he left behind. He took the stroll with the rest. The Elite is the same everywhere and any time. Give orders and duck the payment.

[@unitedwestand5100]

​@@michaeloneil2379 ,. Go back to mamma's basement. McArthur was ordered to leave the Philippines.. Furthermore, He retired from The Army in 1937. The US recalled him to duty in 1941. You talk rubbish, and you've probably never served. Rubbish = talk with no historical knowledge, or education.

[@davidroby7290]

Who doesn't think that the local bar was packed after every shift A lot of strong young girls wow

[@jngordon]

Being from Bayonne I can tell you there was a bar on every corner in town as we were a big Navy town! 😂

[@johnstenglein9097]

Thank you for posting this informative video. The ELCO company employed thousands of workers at their facility in Bayonne, NJ. My mother commuted from Staten Island by ferry across the Kill Van Kull to Bayonne where she worked as a secretary for the company. (Incidentally, for her war time wages of $10 a week !) On display in this video are the tremendous skills and craftsmanship of a hard working generation of men and women from all walks of life who gave their all during WW II in critical industries to support the war effort. Inspring stuff.

[@minerran]

The PTs didn't make many ship kills and they would not be expected to - mainly they were up against Japanese destroyers and most people don't realize that the destroyer class of ships was originally intended to be an anti-torpedo boat weapon. Only later did destroyers take on other roles. Killing a destroyer, was an extremely difficult challenge for any PT boat of any nation or design. It took great courage for the PT crews to challenge destroyers and the probability of coming back alive, much less sinking one was very low indeed. Impossible during daylight and still very hard at night.

[@warbuzzard7167]

Honestly, to me, the PT was one of the big Navy failures of World War 2. They were not very effective, many were destroyed and loads of crews were killed doing dangerous and foolhardy attacks on capital ships. Their best use was in harrying Japanese barges and other small craft, or rescuing downed airmen. The best of these types of craft were the German E-Boots as they were much stronger, larger and far better armed.

[@alext8828]

@@warbuzzard7167 Interesting viewpoint.

[@peterforden5917]

You are correct, the original (but clumsy) name for a Destroyer was.....'. a TORPEDO BOAT DESTROYER' I for one am glad for te name shift !! :)

[@peterforden5917]

@@warbuzzard7167 there is a U Tube video about the surrender of the E- boats to Britain, apparently they were badly maintained and at the end were so ill kempt that they were very nearly lice ridden, The Andrew (Royal Navy or RN) used some after the war with German crews for amongst other things mine sweeping. I believe that after that they were then handed over to the NEW German Navy, which is why one of the RN German boats still exist fully restored to be seen today.

[@bo0tsy1]

They did a job. Coastal Interdiction

[@jngordon]

I grew up in Bayonne which was always a Navy town. We used to go to the ELCO boatyard where there was a bar that was a great place to hang out by the water. ELCO became a marina after the boatyard closed and then after that they built condominiums there. They moved the boat crane to a park uptown and it is a monument there. We Bayonne natives are very proud of the naval history of Bayonne. On the other side of town we had at one time the world largest drydock at a bustling naval base that became a military ocean terminal that supplied troops all the way until it's closure in the 1980s.

[@1hasbeen531]

My uncle was a MoMM on PT-337, RON 24. God Bless all who serve this great nation.

[@skipmountain9283]

Wholeheartedly agree with you Radioguy! Mercy the bar has been lowered these days:/ Let's keep reaching out to our youth and do our best to educate them with facts 🇺🇸

[@hellboundrubber4448]

Same process is in use today. The difference is the material is Carbon Fiber. And they're now high end Sports Cars. The bar has been raised my friend.

[@OldinMariner]

A man I worked with in the 1970"s was a shipright on the PT's. He rode with some of the boats and crew being shipped out to Hawaii. The captian who wrote the book "They Were Expendable" gave him a signed copy in thanks for his work. (he was on the ship wih him) He loaned it to me to read, it made the history of it feel more real to me.

[@lancelot1953]

America, the Beautiful! When an entire nation rallied together to save the world from tyranny and oppression - we were once united as such. Yes, I can read complaints, America was not perfect but it was a step in the right direction and our countrymen/women supported their children that went in harm's way. Let's not forget, Ciao, L (Veteran)

[@johnnycee5179]

What a tremendous amount of work went into making these boats.

[@jhardman4534]

Excellent documentary. Im a former US NAVY Gunners Mate. DD 704 USS BORIE Served in the very early 50's. and proud of our country.

[@douglassauvageau7262]

A nod to Scandinavian-American craftsmen is much appreciated. A wood-based construct benefitted from that heritage.

[@mikehurricane5767]

Thanks . Such Craftsman and Craftswomen doing amazing work . So sad that after the war these proud boats were lined up and burned . I guess I know why , it just doesn't sit very well with me . As battle lines are being drawn . Can Americans be Americans again ? Let's take our anger out on our foes and not each other . May God Bless Us All .

[@secretsquirrel6308]

Sorry, pal. There are people living in America who aren't Americans. These are they who despise my country, who proclaim their disdain and discomfort at seeing the stars and stripes, who kneel in disrespect during the national anthem, who conjure every wickedness to blame upon my country. They are not backing down, they grow bolder every day. They antagonize for a fight, they destroy what is good. You may argue my point but what say you that full all of human history, the enemy that has destroyed a country has been from within. The Founders, being versed in history, knew this well. That is why an oath contains the terms, 'foreign or domestic' in the context of fighting an enemy. The greatest, most dangerous enemy of these United States is domestic.

[@wil7228]

I love PT boats , and our U.S. Navy . Full Speed ahead !

[@paulbfields8284]

Such a beautiful water craft to watch at high speed. “They were Expendable” is a treasure to watch and get a glimpse of what it must’ve been like to command/serve such an effective and versatile design. It had to be a real dream to be at the helm.

[@davidcruz8667]

Frickin' beautiful. I want one. I have always loved and admired the elegance, craftsmanship, and performance on the water of PT boats. This is an outstanding piece of Naval engineering created during World War Two, almost 100 years ago, that is still impressive and awe-inspiring today. I love older technological advances brought upon by the demands of war that surpass all expectations and are still venerated and in wide use today, such as the M1 Garrand and later the M14 battle rifle, the Ka-bar knife, the P51 Mustang and the Vought F4U Corsair, and beautiful airplanes such as the Consolidated PBY Catalina and the Lockheed P38 Lightning. So proud to be an American as well as a US Marine Corps veteran. Semper Fi.

[@V8SKULLS]

What an absolute pleasure to watch this video, so very proud to be an American, as a Union electrician for almost 30yrs now, I know the proud Men & Women who built these phenomenal watercraft and the feeling of Wow, I helped craft / build those water beauties. God Bless you & the U.S.A.

[@fatboyrowing]

Thanks for sharing this historic film.

[@patagualianmostly7437]

Thoroughly enjoyed that.....Many thanks for posting.👍👍👍

[@jaytomson7052]

A 'build" order for 2500 of these with the latest and greatest armament should be placed right about now.

[@mrcarlo1966]

Thank you for sharing this with us all🇺🇸.

[@larry-fr1zr]

I'd always wondered about the building process of PT boats, all I can say is.... FASCINATING !!!!

[@roku5071]

My Uncle, George Fowler, served on a PT Boat in WW II. A while back my dad found a PT Boat website and the guy who ran it served with my uncle. He even sent my dad a picture of uncle George helping to invent or improve a type of gyroscope for the PT Boats. I am still looking for that picture. It was around 2011 if I remember right

[@ralphbuschman3364]

Amazing how these craft were built out of wood, so much craftsmanship. Skills we probably don't have any of anymore.

[@kenneth9874]

There's still a few shipwrights

[@JackBWatkins]

I loved seeing the designers using slide rules for calculations. If you wonder how well you can design something without computers and just draftsmen using slide rules, look at the incredible service life and projected future service life of the B-52’s.

[@hosmashumake4172]

When I entered machine shop math instructor insisted on slide rules no calc's . "Learn on sliders and you will be able to ~ smell ~ a mistake" --- he was right!!! Got to a point of the "impossible" .000 + - .001 , or less. Minds eye dividing spaces between lines . Sadly been using "idiot" box (faster) too long. Can still "sense" a bogus # !!

[@jamesnielsen347]

Excellent video. Thank you!

[@gkprivate433]

war sucks. but it can give a sense of unity and cooperation within a company and teamwork that rarely happens in other cases.

[@OdeeOz]

One of the most Underrated Warships ever, is the Elco PT Boat. 👍👍& 10⭐ for this highly accurate, historical video documentary.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

And do not forget the Higgens version of the PT Boats either, same power plants.

[@geoben1810]

At 27:40 > 27:43 + where she's passed the Hellsgate Bridge, that's in Astoria Queens, crossing the East River and along the Astoria Park waterfront heading east towards Long Island and open water. I grew up there and spent a good part of my youth playing in the park as a kid in the 60s and then as a young man I lived in different neighborhoods around Astoria after getting out of the Navy in 1977. ('73 >'77) So long ago...

[@PlanetEarth3141]

These are my favorite WWII boats.

[@331SVTCobra]

This is a great insight to the US at home during ww2. The book The Mosquito Fleet documents all theaters in which the PT fleet operated. Cliff's notes: PT boats were used at night, and the few times they approached IJN battleships they would crawl along at low speed to try to get within a mile of the target. US torpedoes were unreliable and it's not certain they ever hit anything. The PT missions were uncoordinated since it was dark and they would maintain radio silence. If spotted the PTs would create lots of smoke and leave as quickly as possible. PTs in the South Pacific eventually had their main threat change from battleships to destroyers to armed barges, and thus the need for torpedoes diminished. The PTs landed their torpedo launchers and mounted additional gunnery. 40 mm anti aircraft guns were very effective against barges, and were about the largest gun that could be mounted. I believe some PTs mounted rocket launchers to assist with beach landings in Italy. To confuse German defenses, the PTs would navigate to a couple miles off a beach at 3am, and start generating lots of voice communication over their radios, trying to sound like an invasion force. Either there would be no invasion or else another beach would be attacked, but meanwhile the Germans would report an imminent attack where none was coming.

[@charlielaudico3523]

People actually knew how to do something then! Craftsmen at it's finest!

[@davidmcleod7757]

those 80 foot Elco's were some beautiful pt boats and deadly there are 2 examples at Battleship cove in fall river Massachusetts

[@battleshipcove-americasfle2150]

Yes that is us on this channel. We have PT-617!

[@garvinhooper]

have been to the pt museum a couple time years ago, a great place to visit along with the other ships there, one sad point was that so many of the PT boats were just burned after the war, not many survived

[@davegeisler7802]

Elco , the pride of Bayonne , New Jersey 🇺🇸👍

[@josephrogers8213]

In the sixties and seventies PT BOATS were used as sight seeing boats on the New Jersey coast and probably other places

[@steelwheels327]

Real craftsmanship , skill & pride is what those ships were built with.. I would of love to heard workers commentary about building something like that !!

[@sabrecatsmiladon7380]

WHO hasnt imagined being on a PT boat at some point in their lives?

[@DougsterCanada1]

I had the pleasure to be on a Patrol Rescue boat quite similar in build. It served to rescue downed pilots in the Aleutian Islands in WWII. It was converted to a pleasure craft, and ultimately ended up in California. It is now called Dream Maker. I think Hornblower now runs it for charter.

[@douglassauvageau7262]

This video-production evokes the excitement which must have been resident in the operational crews. Just WOW!

[@ant-1382]

Facinating! So many were made no doubt few remain.

[@grantovenden2646]

Amazing doco - much appreciated, thank you!

[@EldredTGlass]

When I was five years old I used to swim in theThames River down stream from ELCO one day I heard a mighty Roar the man of the house came running out hollering for me to get out of the water then ELCOs prototype PT boat came by I was then told that the previous time that boat was traveling at top speed they were going out on the sound for testing they had left a four foot high wake causing a lot of damage to boats and piers along the river a sound and sight I will never forget 👍👍

[@johnfleury5430]

Those were the days when people were proud to go to work and put their heart in their task

[@markmccarthy9868]

Give credit where credit is due. Hubert Scott-Paine of the British Power Boat Company had developed Air Sea Rescue fast motor boats in the UK. He took his PT boat to Elco in 1939. This was the template for these boats.

[@kenneth9874]

No it wasn't

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

It was only the idea for the boats designed and built by ELCO and HIGGENS !!! With the PACKARD engines !! !

[@Barchenhund]

1942 General MacArthur‘s favorite mode of transportation.

[@dalecomer5951]

That's why they called him "Dugout Doug."

[@davegeisler7802]

Dugout Doug leaving Gen Wainwright to defend Corregidor ,many of our men fought with valor against overwhelming Japanese forces , Wainwright finally surrendered on May 6, 1942 and many of our soldiers were tortured and killed by the Japanese on the Bataan death march 🇺🇸🥲

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

@@dalecomer5951 Mac was ORDERED out of the Phillipines by FDR as he knew too much about the war plans !!!!

[@wilfredofernandez689]

The late president John F. Kennedy served in the US Navy as a patrol boat officer.

[@DougsterCanada1]

PT 109, just one of many amazing stories of the PT boats.

[@davedunn4285]

What a fantastic video

[@joejuska5390]

Proud to be born and bred in NJ

[@randycockrell9276]

Try. TEXAS

[@jngordon]

Proud to say I grew up in Bayonne,NJ

[@williamgibb5557]

Just not proud to be paying high taxes and costs for everything.

[@johnnycee5179]

I have no stories but love these great boats

[@mikeskelly2356]

I'm 75 now, when I first got into manufacturing it was the tail end of slide rules and drafting boards. Not a computer or CAD program to be had. The engineers still built the most amazing tools and machines. The amazing pool of talent that was needed was mind boggling and a thing to behold. Computers have taken over most of the 'grunt work' involved, but the talent still exists today. I just wish so much of it didn't have to be dedicated to war production...

[@albundy5228]

When our military was strong, and we had pride in our country.

[@neildelaney5199]

200 gallons per hour at cruising speed ,,500 gallons per hour at top speed ,carrying 3000 gallons gave a maximum 8 hour range,,Wow that's some fuel consumption.

[@markrainford1219]

Thirsty beasts indeed.

[@hosmashumake4172]

If I remember twin V-12's Fuel hog👍yep.

[@neildelaney5199]

@@markrainford1219 Makes you wonder where all that Petrol (gas) came from?With all the Tanks and Lorries burning Petrol, there must have been many Floating bombs (Tankers) crossing the Ocean back then?

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

@@hosmashumake4172 NO !!! IF you had of paid attention to the video each PT Boat was powered by THREE M2500 Packard marine engines !! !

[@hosmashumake4172]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 yea , I remembered that fact right after I moved on 🙄 ....

[@alancranford3398]

Infrastructure fascinates me. How did all of those wooden boats get produced and delivered to the fighting theaters? Thanks.

[@wb6wsn]

Two to four PT boats could be carried as deck cargo on a freighter (beach assault craft were similarly carried). An LST could also carry several PT boats, but I think the space within an LST was usually too important to waste on irregular shaped cargo.

[@davidkimmel4216]

Very enjoyable. Thank You

[@finscreenname]

The Santa Maria was the largest of Columbus's expeditionary vessels and his flagship. Measuring around 70 feet in length, it carried a crew of 40 men.

[@markpiersall9815]

25.30 references "other equipment too secret to be mentioned" refers to radar sets. These became available in April 1943 in limited numbers. At first one in six received 'radio sets' as they were referred, then one in four. However by the time my Uncle Leo Piersall's boat PT532 was launch in October 1943 under the command of Ensign Stephens all boats got 'radio sets'. This greatly aided navigation as many boats were lost to 'reef hang-ups'. 28:30 references "Devil boats". This term began to be used in November 1944 when they were issued five inch rockets in a four by four tube launcher. Uncle Leo said they weren't too bad to reload either. These rockets carried a five inch artillery shell a mile and a quarter. This was not the eight or ten miles of a cannon, however it didn't matter as engagements at night occurred at close quarters.

[@raybame5816]

The big pity is that at war's end, with no use for the boats, scores were simply burned in the Philippines as there was no interest or the cost was too much to bring them home. Almost all wooden boats go the same way even today.

[@richardcline1337]

It was disgusting to see that happen. Can you imagine what they would bring on the open market today with sports fishermen or with those that just want a fast pleasure boat? Sadly, many would wind up in the hands of the anal born drug dealers and smugglers.

[@dukecraig2402]

Most of the aircraft were scrapped at the end of the war, the cost of bringing all those planes back from Europe and the South Pacific was just too high, carrier born aircraft made it home but not the vast majority of land based one's, they were piled up in holes and bulldozed over after having any usable engines and avionics stripped out of them. We and ooh and aah over stuff like that nowadays but at the end of the war nobody wanted to see that stuff anymore, and who can blame them given the memories that went along with them, and it was the dawn of the jet age, by the time they'd have gotten all those aircraft home their jet powered replacements would have already been sitting on the runways.

[@raybame5816]

@@dukecraig2402 I agree. After the war my father bought a Norden bomb sight for $15. 'cause he wanted all the bearings and gears and shafts just to build things. There was so much stuff, I still have a lot today. Hell, I was born in '44 so these parts are my age. When "909" crashed here in 2019, the plane, pilot and me were 75. I was on that bird in 2015 when it was last here.

[@sandranatali1260]

I remember seeing John Wayne's PT Boat at the marina, just amazing!

[@DougsterCanada1]

I believe the Wild Goose was a converted WWII mine sweeper. Used to walk or sail past it several times a week.

[@topturretgunner]

Those boats viewed in this video seem to be later production craft as they were armed with the Oldsmobile produced 37mm auto cannon similar to that in the Bell P-39 and P-63 aircraft. Also the single 40mm bofors on the stern. Upgrades over the twin M-2 50 cal Brownings in twin turrets and the single 20mm Oerlikon on the stern found in earlier versions of the ELCO boats.

[@edwardanderson8937]

I saw a P.Tboat tied up to a pier next to the USS Constituion in Sa Diego in '73. Although 80' long it look midgit size to the connie.when it took off it belched a huge cloud of blsck smog at first then just took off across the bay. Very impressive.

[@secretsquirrel6308]

Perhaps you mean the Star of India. As far as I know, the USS Constitution has never transited the Panama Canal nor rounded the Horn. There is but one USS Constitution, dating from 1797, and still in commission.

[@rolanddunk5054]

A brilliant and enlightening video,I also liked the comparison to the “Mosquito”very apt i thought.Roly 🇬🇧.

[@emcinc9654]

There was a factory near Wilmington De that built PT boats, when completed there were sailed up the Delaware River to the PHILA Navy Yard. That was during WWII

[@jslade60]

PT boats were also built at the Higgins yard and New Orleans Louisiana. I worked at that yard building the mark 5 assault boats and when they hit the water we put them in what they called the old PT slip to finish them out!

[@southronjr1570]

Can you imagine how much faster and agile they would have been if hydrofoil technology had been developed by then?

[@secretsquirrel6308]

That technology was in use in thise days. I reckon the foils and structure would prove problmatic for the intended use of the PT boat. Too, operations in swells or confused seas would be dangerous. I know of boats that were destroyed when the foil on one side malfunctioned which flipped the boats at high speed. Generally, foils require greater care. PT boats often operated in rough conditions far from major maintenance facilities.

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous.

[@battleshipcove-americasfle2150]

we are glad this video has been getting a lot of views in the next couple weeks we will be putting up some videos on pt 617 here at battleship cove

[@michaelgreenslade2161]

My father had the dubious honors of scuttling P.T. Boats in the closing days of W.W. II. He told me that they would take them out some where in the middle of the Bellingham bay Washington and set them ablaze.

[@Airsally]

Great vid showing the men and women that built these awesome boats. I have to wonder what happened to the skillful workers after the war ended.

[@Joellikestobox]

The. Fact that they spit out that many wooden boats is insane it takes a master carpenter years to learn the trade

[@alphamegaman8847]

Wow, I didn't realize how Slow, Speeding Bullets were back in the day!😁 Great Boats though!👍

[@SWATT101]

For a war ship, they were quite a work of art.

[@frequentlycynical642]

Check out that slide rule at about 2:00! I'm surprised that they were able to source so many tropical woods during the war. It seems that besides sourcing problems, a steel hull would have been far less resource and labor intensive. We all think about war, about the combat. Few recognize all of the planning and labor necessary to support combat. Especially during war, as compared to peace. Should a man help built PT's or bombers, or go into combat. The Willow Run B-24 bomber factory turned out a new plane every 55 minutes at its peak! Elco went on to make consumer boats after WWII with Elco as the brand.

[@loviedebiasio8864]

100% badass

[@cmennenger]

Amazing piece of hardware. Used correctly still a very lethal tool against large well defended targets. I'd like to have one.

[@Evilroco]

Great footage of these wonderful craft I always thought this was based on a British design such as the PV-70 ,and the PT-9 which was built by the BPC and Scott-Paine approached ELCO whom he already had dealings with about production using US engines due to supply issues in the UK.

[@mikemcfall6318]

American Power ! God Bless us All !!!

[@Jimmyfisher121]

Now if I ever win the lottery big time I am having five of these boats made, they are the best quality boats that I know.

[@gregwarner3753]

I spent some time on one of the PT's descendants. The plastic fantastic - the PBR of the riverine forces in Nam '66-67. I wonder if there is a River Rat museum somewhere.

[@VincentNajger1]

Its good that this is in focus...to a degree anyway. Theres a lot of examples on KZbin now where people are taking the time to convert all these old films to HD video and them put them online....Its a real shame when many of the ppl taking the time to do this dont seem to realise that there is a focus ring on a projector. There are also adjustments so the colour doesnt get washed out by turning the bulb down etc etc. If done right, tgey should be as crisp as any super high definition vid from the modern era.

[@stevenhershman2660]

I believe these boats are located in a building next to the Battleship. Until I visited Battleship Cove I thought the three ships ( Sub , Battleship and German ship) was everything but I was wrong. I have been there several times with the family. Great Time. Highly Recommended.

[@daffyduck9901]

The United States of America needs to retreat to the strength, determination and pride that it once had. Make America Great Again. 🇺🇸💪

[@eddiehaskell1957]

After the war they set them on fire. Beautiful craftsmanship up in flames. What a waste! Mchale's Navy was my introduction to the boat.

[@Robert-tt5tg]

Definitely a great

[@graememckay9972]

Is this the boat that Jeremy Clarkson had reproduced for the Vietnam Grand Tour special? Sounded amazing

[@garys9694]

No, that was a PBR (patrol boat river) used in the Viet Nam war, conflict, or whatever.