"The guy who relaxes is helping the Axis" - I always loved the PT boats. Small boats made of plywood with very little armour - but with massive engines and a lot of guns who took on and defeated way bigger enemies. Regards from Germany!!
Pt boats at their peak were ton for ton some of the most heavily armed ships in the fleet. Many were individual, modified to suit the needs of the assignments. Thank you so much for your work and dedication to preserving these unique ships! They were plywood so as to minimize the risk of attracting magnetic mines.
Good morning Mrs. National Museum.Thank you for very important , rarely and uknow information abaut: boat PT 305 Restoration Proyet. This is very interestig and historic of U.S. NAVY. Sincerelly, Edgar H. Ayala C. Quito- Ecuador Sud- America.
You people who volunteer on this project are great citizens and patriots! Artifacts like this PT boat are so important to American history! Great work all-around!
Another product of "The Greatest Generation", we can never repay those people. To the people who participated in the restoration of P T 305, thank you so much for your dedication, and outstanding work in preserving a living peace of American military history.
I remember when it sat in the parking lot for years in the back of the National WWII Museum. Unbelievable they where able to restore it with its original engines. Congrats to all that where involved in PT-305s restoration
Awesome work folks. Keep it up. Almost all of our WWII vets have passed, and I truly believe that they were the "Greatest Generation ". Unfortunately, their sacrifice to this country has led to promoting immortal life choices. God bless these folks.
Having the opportunity to watch the stages or the rebuild, it was amazing. I was honored to be able to see it up close while it was rebuilt. Thank you to all that donated time, energy and money to bring the Lady back.
I mucked up the previous reply. Here follows the version in actual understandable language. I love that old wide format HP printer in the background. I had and used one of these in the last few years before I retired. As to the old torpedo boat, well postwar, its size was both a blessing and a curse. It wasn"t metal, so it wasn't about to be scrapped and recycled. Its wooden structure would have made it a relatively affordable post-war surplus buy BUT that same wooden structure was prone to rot rather than rust. Be it Higgins or Elco, it wasn't built to last decades. It is amazing that the few that still exist are here at all.
Wow, you are so very lucky to be able to work on this boat. Holy cow, what a great feeling,what a great piece of history. Thank you all for volunteering and giving your time to bring the old girl back to the water. She is going back in the water,right?
In mid-2016. my wife and I were extremely fortunate to get a personal tour of PT305 as it neared the end of its magnificent restoration. Special thanks to Josh Schick! We were on a cross-country RV trip and visited the museum. Back in 2000, I had helped the museum acquire an original WW2 Higgins-built LCP-L landing craft that I had once owned back in the 1970s. I used it back then as a fishing boat in the SF Bay Area. It had been sitting for decades in a quiet backwater, a home to pigeons and struggling to remain afloat. I told the museum about its existence and helped them purchase the boat. This LCP-L was then trucked from San Francisco back to New Orleans where it was totally restored just like this PT boat, launched and operated on the Industrial Canal in a big celebration. It was then placed on display in the museum where it remains today. Bravo to the museum team on the PT305...and thanks again to Josh and the folks who kindly gave us our memorable tour.
Great story, good for you. You probably saw this, but for other that want to know what a an LCP-L is, this is an article on that boat. www.maritimeprofessional.com/blogs/post/higgins-boats-continue-to-tell-wwii-story-in-new-orleans-12314
Good Luck to all those who are working to save this valuable piece of history.. We had the PT-308 in Delaware, trying to salvage it, when they got the PT-305 from over in Rock Hall, Maryland... Unfortunately, land developers cared more about the all mighty dollar than they did about saving history.. They put a halt to our work and then destroyed the 308.. Here's to all the men of Ron 22.. May their memories live in the 305 and 309 boats!!!!!!
We went to the museum, myself my wife and daughters. my father in law was on pt boats in the Pacific, he was 19 years old and motor mac 1st class. a guy in the shop saw his "PT Boats WW II " shirt and begged him to come look at the PT 305 restoration. they showed him some parts in a box that went with the Packard marine engine. He was 91 years old, with the start of dementia. and identified each and every part. It was astounding and beautiful to see. So proud of him and all who served us in our time of need.
Fair Winds and Following Seas to the old sailor . As a USN sailor vet of WW2 he earned his Ruptured Duck . May this boat remind the generations of what he and his shipmates did to preserve America and the free world .
love the video, I just took 3 of my grand daughter to visit the PT-658 when she docked in St Helens Oregon last weekend. They loved it and they saw why I love the PT's. God bless all the PT boat sailor's Semper FI
I love that old wide format HP printer in the background. I had and used one of these in the last few years before I retired. As to the old torpedo boat, well postwar, its size was both a blessing and a curse. It wasn'amazing
*Love* this... I had heard only a couple of static models remained and were mostly displays or non-operational. So, to see one stripped down and built back up from scratch like new is really exciting. I feel they should build a couple more.
I remember watching McHale's Navy on TV when I was a child waiting to see the PT-73 flying across the ocean with those egines rumbling. What a sound they made.
@@joeschlotthauer840 The Wikipedia article on McHale's Navy has good information on PT-73. From IMDB, "This movie's PT-73 was a British-designed seventy-foot Vosper MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat) built under license in the U.S. for export to Russia. World War II ended before the boat could be sent to the Soviet Union. The boat was used for shots of the PT-73 underway at sea, while a full-scale mock-up was used for studio scenes. The real PT-73 in World War II II was a seventy-eight-foot Higgins PT boat, assigned to the U.S. Navy's MTB Squadron 13, and was placed in service on August 12, 1942. PT-73 was destroyed to prevent capture after running aground while delivering supplies to guerrillas near Lubang Island in the Philippines, on January 15, 1945." In addition to the Vosper, there were two 63 foot utility boats that were made up to look like the Vosper which was made up to look like the Higgins. When PT-73 is shown at sea, it's the Vosper. When the boat is shown up close, it's usually one of the utility boats. The Vosper was destroyed by a storm in 1992. It is unknown what happened to the utility boats, although one of them was seen (in really bad shape) in Season 4 Episode 8 of the "Emergency!" TV series.
When I was at the age of 9 or 10 I watched a movie with my father with Cliff Robertson staring as John F. Kennedy in the movie PT-109. This was the first time I had ever seen this type of watercraft and I was in love with it, Love the sound of the engine and the way it looked in the water. I hope one day before before long to able to go to the National WWII Museum and see this PT-305. I was very saddened to have read what happened to most of the PT boats that didn't get brought back to the U.S. I'm so glad that these folks volunteer to keep our history alive. So that we do not forget the mighty machines and the brave men that maned them so we can have the freedoms we have today. Thank you to all the volunteers!
The PT's were so much a part of me childhood, I can remember John Wayne in They were expendable. Just like I watched it today. Great boat, great movie.
The low level P-39's "harassing" the boats footage is phenomenal. What a wonderful project...I work on a lot of old cars, guns, and airplanes (ok I just watch the guys work on the wooden airplanes) and I can appreciate how much these folks LOVE what they are doing and it is something meaningful. The camaraderie is wonderful and they know they are leaving something behind for future generations.
Beautiful! My grandfather worked for Higgins. He was one of the builders of these great boats. I have always had a soft spot for them. I watch McHale's Navy, whenever I can. The ORIGINAL PT-73 was a Higgins boat. I will have to come look over the 305, when it is finished.
One restoration is in progress at Karl Kellers Field Airport in Port Clinton Ohio. However they have to use a diesel engines in place of the original gas engines due to the freshwater Lake Erie rules. They will eventually let you fire a .50 cal with blanks though on the boat! Can't wait! Also stop in or fly in to eat at the airport diner(Tinn Goose Cafe) and visit the museum! A blast!
Thank you more than I can say.... I love this video. Thank all of you who refurbished this awesome boat; it was a labor of love. And thank all you Vets that sacrificed everything to give us the life that we have. I have a special place in my heart for PT boats and their crews.... You all are so very brave to take your tiny boats up against the giants; You are the David's, and the enemy ships were the Goliath's... And Thank my friend Frank who shares my love of these boats and in fact has made 2 large replicas of PT boats.
The great thing (well one of the great things) about the National World War II Museum is the ability not to just tell the story of the war but to preserve so much of the history from the war so that generations to come will be able to learn and understand the sacrifices made to defeat the forces of Fascism & Nazism in order to save Western Civilization and our Constitutional Republic.
I am in tears, I wish I was there to help. Built 22 small crafts in my life and rebuilt 3 medium sized boats. I love the culture of boat building - you know everyone else is a moron unless they are a genius. Yes, it is a constant argument... We have fun!
My dad served on a carrier flight deck in 1953 in korea.I loved his stories on Pensacola and the med.sea. and the f.4u.corsairs and the us.navy..love the museum's and the history and had 3 uncle's that served in Ww2..great history.rjones.
I admire your hard work. I'm glad you are going to run her on the lake, and I hope you document that with excellent and extensive video and sound, inside and out. While I lament that her seagoing will be breif, there are only a handfull of PT's left. Leaving her on the water long term would be like using a Duesenberg as a daily driver.
I know this... Feel it! I drove higgins boats in Nam... Papa, mike 6,8. Yea, gets in your blood. Started as a kid, sea scout in Berkeley. Weekends working on the boat; to relax n get away, and its great if you still get to do it as a grandpa!!!!
Man, I wish I had been there and able to volunteer for this project. I always had a great love for the WW2 PT boats. Hell, in all honesty, I would love to own one.
The boat was cut down decades ago. The restoration crew has restored the missing 13 feet. Using original blueprints, she'll be exactly like she once was.
Pretty cool, there is a PT boat that I pass every day on my way to work in Washington DC. It was converted to a cruiser boat decades ago and is still used as such and in good shape. I did not know it was a PT boat until recently, you'd never know unless you really looked at its hull.
Awesome video and project. Given the current state of the country, I am happy and proud that this project is underway. Please post a follow-up when it is ready.
try getting in touch with Halifax boat works in daytona beach fl. they were building these boats there as well as new orleans. They still have all the original patterns for the pt class boats.
I did a lot of growing up in the Canal Zone. In "56 I remember taking the ferry from Balboa across to the other side when a ( I believe it was privately owned) PT Boat at full blast went by the ferry ! OMY- was it LOUD !!!. Never forgot that !
#223 Wonderful Video! Hard work and well done. Lt. Luigi Rizzo (Italian Navy) would have been proud to see the US Navy's Motor Torpedo Boat. Lt. Rizzo proved in World War I that Motor Torpedo Boats had a place in The Navy!
My father and a few friends working on Okinawa right after the war bought PT 105 for $25. It was their fishing boat for 6 years and left there wen they all rotated home. I'm trying to get a short 8mm film of the then 28 year old kids working on it.
God I so wish I could have been part of this project. As a designer, it would have been fascinating just to see the plans and work off them. I was always a fan of the MTB squadrons. Yesterday, 2 Aug, 2021 marked the 78th anniversary of the PT-109 tragedy. I asked all the young guys - 35 and younger - what happened yesterday. I was saddened to find none knew and these are bright people - engineers, designers, directors, department heads and none knew even after I almost gave the answer. Some didn't even know who JFK was. I was so taken aback by that alone, you just couldn't believe we were here in the USA. Unbelieveable to me.
Thats so interesting ! My Father was there on DDay - Sword -Caen- Nijmagen - Eindoven were main place before chasing then back ! - After the war he joined the Control Comission to help rebuild Europe - Dad always wanted to go back and visit- But alas he died on the 11-11-11-1993 -Just look at that time ?- So we never got to go ! Thanks for sharing this video about your PT-305 - Steve UK
Kali.. yes, an ex-seabee friend, my nephew and I were the so called spearheads.. they were more construction oriented, I was in charge of paperwork.. We incorporated in Delaware and obtained our non-profit status here.. My family and a few friends were the workforce.. Since it was beached with the stern in the water still, we had to cover the entire outside with plywood, scab up the inside and frame the deck to keep it solid....
There was a yacht that was built on a PT hull by the factory moored at Day Island Yacht Club in Tacoma for years. Old guy had it since the late 40s. Beautiful hull. Twin diesel if I remember rightly. No idea where it is now.
Bob, I am one of the volunteers on the project. It is so very unfortunate that PT- 308 was destroyed, but she, and other PTs, will live on through the restoration of PT-305 as salvaged parts from the 308 and others will be used in the restoration. She has yet to go on her final patrol! You were a part of the crew trying to save PT-308?
There used to be a few old converted PT boats used for fishing and diving here in So. Cal. They had smaller diesel engines, but you could get a bit of the idea of what it was like. They were so old and rotten, I kept my weight belt out of my gear bag so I could get to my stuff in case they sank.
A bunch of these boats were refurbished and placed in service as off shore party boats in ocean city ,maryland. Fished on them a few times when I was a kid.
+Steven Grotte They weren't plywood in the modern sense. They were layered wood (planks). Many people mistakenly think that they were made of sheet plywood. Not so.
@@scdevon The "planks" were laid diagonally with a second layer diagonally over that and in the British Thornycroft boats that had a layer of calico material between. See my earlier entry.
How much of the original was left? Beautiful build. Double diagonal planking with calico between? Stiff, strong but, my word, what a lot of work to repair one small hole!!! I was on a privately owned TSDY in 1946, an ex R.N. torpedo retriever which had a third engine fitted making it a "tri screw diesel yacht" with 3 x 180 HP high speed Perkins diesels (if I remember correctly) and I tell you, it was fast!!! Don't ask what it was used for between UK, France, Algiers and across the Med. Only those of the older generation will know what went on then!!! Exciting days for a 14 year old ex school boy..............
In about 1967 or 68, I lived in Tustin, CA. 15 MILES from the ocean. There was a PT BOAT HULL on the lot of a closed down Orange packing plant. It was there for a couple of years. I never saw anyone working on it, and it finally disapeared! I wonder what ever happened to it.
When the boat was in production, the factory had jigs and fixtures to mass-produce the parts. They doubtless cut a whole stack of ribs, etc with one pass of a saw. Now everything is a one-off and that eats up time. Same thing with auto restoration.
In the 60's, as a young sailor, I was attached to the Presidential yacht. We had a boat we called a chase boat, in that it chased the yacht on a boat trip. It was a aluminum hull, diesel power, PT boat. If I remember correctly it had 4 screws with 2 diesels per screw. I wish I could remember the hull number. I am curious about what ever happened to that boat .
You could ask those that represent the current iteration of the body you were attached to. I'm sure they could provide you with a registration number and who knows, even the fate of the boat. Generally speaking unless so really big paper work error occurs these records are well kept.
