"The Mosquito Fleet" - PT Boats

Naval Historical Center ^ | unknown | Umknownl

[gc4nra]

Thanks Sam, interesting report. My Uncle, Leonard Kane, was a radioman aboard a PTB during WWII. Unfortunately he died about 6 years ago. I will foward this to my cousin(his son) in N.J.

[SAMWolf]

I thank your uncle for his service.

[mamelukesabre]

Packards eh?

All this time I thought they had used the same motor that was in the P51 mustang....an allison V-12.

I once saw a tractor at a tractor pull that supossedly had a motor from an old PT boat....that's what the owner claimed, anyway.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

The P-51A was the only model with the Allison. Beginning with the B they switched to the Merlin.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Look for the February issue of Naval History magazine where you'll find: "Coming in February Naval History: Article analyzing evidence that John F.
Kennedy's order stalled the engines on the PT-109 -- and that he never
admitted to the error in public -- along with a piece criticizing a recent
History Channel program on this subject."

[mamelukesabre]

What did they do with the allison motors after the switch? Did they ever put them in PT boats?

[TheLion]

Great post! Congradulations SpookBrat. Your grandad had to be tough when the going got real tough! Got to admire those men and women from that generation....because of them, we are free to be here today. My dad was Chief of Staff of Guantanamo Bay in the mid sixties. He served under Admiral Bulkeley, who was Commandant. I had no idea of his fame then. I can tell you, he was hell on wheels and would have hated to be on the wrong side of him! He used to careen around the base in an open jeep with a 375 mag strapped to his waist. Great memories!

[SAMWolf]

You're welcome Skull Stomper. I know SpookBrat wanted to honor her grandfather.

[RadioAstronomer]

Wonderful thread. Thank you so much for posting this in Spookie's Grandfather's honor.

[SAMWolf]

Hey RA. Good to see you.

[RadioAstronomer]

You also my friend. :-)

[Brad’s Gramma]

SAM, thanks for doing this.

Spooky, to your Grandpa, a HUGE patriotic hug from this family to him. Tell him thank you for serving his country so well. And thank him for making it a safer place for MY grandson!!!

[RadioAstronomer]

Spooky, to your Grandpa, a HUGE patriotic hug from this family to him. Tell him thank you for serving his country so well. And thank him for making it a safer place for MY grandson!!!

I could not have said it better! :-)

[SAMWolf]

[RadioAstronomer]

What a perilous time that was! Thank God Americans like Spooky's Grandfather stood forth and defended this great country.

[SAMWolf]

Yep. We owe our dad's and grand dad's a lot.

[MeekOneGOP]

Get well, Grampa ! :O)

[SpookBrat]

You forgot to tell my Gramps what a wonderful granddaughter he had. ROFL!

Hugs!

[alfa6]

Thanks SAMWolf for the interesting thread on the PT boats.

SpookBrat, My regards to your Grandfather, he will be in my thought the next couple of days.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}