Posted on 03/11/2017 3:43:33 AM PST by ARGLOCKGUY
Senior Captain George Benedetto pushes the throttle forward, and PT-305 – the only combat-hardened World War II boat of its kind to be sailing today – rumbles even faster through the waters of Louisiana’s Lake Ponchartrain, bobbing up and down as wind hits the captain’s helm with an intensity enough to make one’s eyes squint. “We’re setting a speed record for this millennium!” gushes Mark Masor, a naval architect, holding up a phone app indicating that the 73-year-old boat is pushing 30 knots (around 34 mph), the fastest it has gone since the completion of its restoration. pt-305 WWII boat 1 WWII ship PT-305 returns to the water THE WEEK IN PICTURES The exhilarating moment onboard the Higgins Industries Patrol-Torpedo boat was just one of many as Fox News got an early ride on the finished product of a multi-year project at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. “It’s going to be a fabulous ambassador for the museum. It’s going to give kids and people a chance to actually feel and be on a World War II vessel and feel in a sense what the servicemen felt at that time riding on the same type of boat,” Jerry Strahan, a volunteer and author, told Fox News. “Seldom do you get a chance to really ride or take a vessel like this.” The boat operated in the Mediterranean along the coasts of southern France and Northern Italy during World War II, conducting more than 77 offensive patrols and operations. PT-305 fought in 11 separate actions and sank three German ships during its 14-month deployment. After WWII, PT-305 acted as a civilian tour boat in New York Harbor and a fishing charter, while falling into disrepair.
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approximately 800 gallons per hour of 100 octane.
It looks like another craft from D-Day is on it’s way to being restored after being a 70’s nightclub in Liverpool and then left to rot in Birkenhead on the other side of the River Mersey.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/history/524081/70-years-on-D-Day-landing-craft-ready-makeover
It’s good to see these restoration efforts in progress, soon there won’t be enough steel left on these WWII abandoned hull to restore.
Ernie’s boat!
“He’s the Tiger of the Pacific. Quinton McCale!!!!!!!!!”
I believe that only three engines were fitted; the center engine faced aft and drove the center prop while the other two engines faced forward and used a V drive to turn the prop shafts on their respective sides of the hull.
A Packard v-12 used 60 gals/hr. X 3 = 180 gals/hr. cruise speed (2300 RPM) and 120 gals/hr. X 3 =360 gals/hr at max speed (3,000 RPM).
I am certain it was John Kerry, because he is such a hero. Barf! Bwahahaaaaa!
Gunner
John got a splinter and a purple heart.
There used to be a couple of them that ran tours in Wildwood, NJ. I worked for one of the companies. They had one but it wasn’t running. To my shame, I never asked for a tour of the boat. Stupid of me.
Chris’ in Ocean City ran a couple when I was a kid.
But they were set up to carry passengers.
The one I saw in Wildwood carried passengers too. The tour company I worked for had one but it was just docked. I assume the captain had plans to outfit it for customers someday but someday never came.
This guy’s father started the tour company. He was dead and the son and his mother ran it. She was a nasty, nasty old lady and he seemed scared to interact with people.
I honestly worked there about 6 weeks before I found out he even knew my name.
It was a fun job and by far the easiest job I ever had. The old lady sold the tickets. We’d make sure they parked cars right then go for a boat ride.
Words to live by.
Sounds expensive until you figure what it cost to rebuild the boat.Cheap.To fill the tanks on B17 main tanks is 1600 gallons not including the tokyo tanks.B17 wright 1820 engines burn 75 each per hour.Are you sure of the burn rate for those V12s.
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