IPMS Book Review: Osprey Publishing: US Patrol Torpedo Boats World War II

Osprey Publishing

US Patrol Torpedo Boats
World War II

by Gordon L. Rottman; Illustrated by Peter Bull

Reviewed By Perry Downen, IPMS# 44000

MSRP: $17.95
ISBN: 978-1-84603-227-1
Website: www.ospreypublishing.com

This 48-page softcover book covers the design, development, operation and history of the United States Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat. To complement the excellent narrative, the book contains many black-and-white photographs, sketches, color illustrations, charts and tables.

The material is presented in the following major segments:

INTRODUCTION
This section presents an overview of the PT boat. There is a discussion of how the boat’s mission changed from its planned usage to how it was actually used in combat. Some of the boat’s various designations and names are also explained. The author also lists the colorful nicknames some of the crews gave their boats.

DEVELOPMENT
Here we are given the evolution of the WWII PT boat. The author begins with the invention of the self-propelled torpedo in 1866. He discusses the development of the boats and tactics that used this new weapon from then until 1937. In 1937, the US Navy began to get serious about such boats. The book goes into some detail about the various companies vying for the contract to build this new boat. After design refinements and tests, Electric Boat Company (ELCO) came out on top followed by Higgins Industries and Huckins Yacht Works. The focus of the remainder of the book is primarily on the ELCO and Higgins boats.

DESIGN
This is the largest section of the book. The author goes into detail providing us with design information. A comparison is given between the ELCO and Higgins boats with respect to speed, maneuverability, armament, etc. He follows this with a detail discussion on the 80 ft. ELCO boat and the 78 ft. Higgins boat. We are also provided with information on construction materials, structural design, and painting.

There was not much in the way of radio equipment on a PT boat, so not much information is provided in the book’s sub-section on "Signals."

Just the opposite is true for the sub-section on "Armament." Because of all the many types of missions the PT boats were involved in, the combination of machine guns, cannons, mortars, torpedoes, depth-charges, and rockets are discussed at length.

Because the PT boat relied on speed, three Packard 1200hp marine engines powered it. We are provided with an in-depth discussion of this important asset of the boat.

THE PT BOAT IN ACTION
This is a short section. Not much new information is provided here since most of this type of information is explored as other sections are discussed.

THE CREWS
The author gives us a look into the ship’s complement. He details the organization and each man’s responsibilities. This section explains the training the crewmen underwent and where. We are told that, due to poor logistical support, the PT boat crewmen had a reputation for being consummate scroungers.

UNITS AND BASES
A PT boat squadron normally consisted of 12 boats and approximately 168 officers and sailors. In this section, the author outlines the command structure and facilities needed to support a squadron. These included both fixed bases and sea tenders. Included in this section is a brief discussion of Lieutenant (j.g.) John F. Kennedy’s PT109. It details the painting and armament of this boat, including the scrounged U.S. Army 37mm anti-tank gun.

DEPLOYMENT
After sharing all this information about PT boats, the author discusses where they were used from December 7, 1941 to war’s end. He covers the South Pacific, Southwest Pacific, and European deployments.

While this book does not have many pages, the pages are full of information. I did not find any superfluous filler in the book. It is an easy and interesting read. Non-modelers will find the book enjoyable. The details provided in both text and graphics make this a must for the serious PT boat modeler.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it to all. I would like to thank Osprey Publishing and the IPMS for the opportunity to review this book.

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