This design is roughly based on a mid-war 80' Elco boat, of which 358 were built, many going to Russia. It was the primary PT boat used in the Pacific, also seeing some action in the Mediterranean (the very similar 78' Higgins boat was mainly used in that theater). This version includes the switch from generally ineffective WWI vintage tube-fired Mark VIII torpedoes to more modern (but still problematic) aircraft-launched Mark XIII's using roll-off racks. It also features one of the major armament upgrades, moving the 20mm Oerlikon from the stern to the bow and placing a 40mm Bofors at the stern. In addition, a 37mm cannon (originally scavanged from a wrecked P-39 Airacobra but later fitted as standard) was placed in the middle of the front deck on a low pedestal mount. Other weaponry (81mm mortar and swing-out 5" rocket launchers, all on the forward deck) can be added as the GM sees fit; indeed a large number of weapons were tested on PT Boats, from a powered turret with four 20mm cannons to an improvised mount with six bazookas lashed together; most such experiements disappeared quickly. Some carried depth charges (to dissuade pursuing destroyers, though there was an innitial attempt to use PT boats as ASW platforms) and many stopped carrying all four torpedoes by 1943 (they were fairly useless against the PT Boats main targets by 1943, shallow draft barges in the Pacific and the tough F-lighters in the Mediterranean) and were increasingly used as gun- and rocket-boats by the end of the war. Numerous small arms were carried, including automatic pistols, submachine guns and hand grenades (the last of which the crew also found useful in catching fish) for use by shore parties and serious night actions.
An armored plate was originally fitted behind the bridge, to protect the captain; however, many removed it, not wanting to give himself security the rest of the crew did not share. On .50-cal turret was located on each side of the boat, with the port turret slightly further back (on the 78' Higgins boats, they were both forward, adjacent to the bridge). Early turrets were enclosed in Plexiglas (like bomber turrets). However, they proved to fog up badly in the Pacific and were replaced with open turrets.
Most PT boats were viewed as disposable and they often had indaequate maintainence; it was not uncommon for well-used boats to be incapable of more than 20 knots due to hull barnacles and engine wear.
Special Notes
I was unable to find data for crew accommodations; I assumed one cabin
for the captain, one for the other two officers and seven bunks for the
remaining fourteen crewmen. I have assigned are four crew stations on the
bridge and four in the hull. There were four gunners (plus a loader for
the 40mm Bofors). The torpedo racks might be better built as hardpoints.
Subassemblies: Body +6, Superstructure (bridge) +4, two full
rotation Turrets +1, seven open mounts (#1-3 full rotation; #4-7 fixed)
+0 (OM1), +1 (OM2-7)
P&P: three 1350 kW HP turbocharged gasoline w/3x1350 kW
props, 3000 gallons aviation fuel (fire chance: 13) in three
1000 gallon standard tanks, 410 miles range @ 60% top speed
Occ: 3 officers + 14 ratings
Cargo: 40 cf hull + 10 cf bridge
| Armor | F | R/L | B | T | U |
| All | 2/5 W | 3/5 W | 2/5 W | 2/5 W | 2/5 W |
Weaponry
2*.50-cal MGs [Tur1:F] (500)
2*.50-cal MGs [Tur2:F] (500)
20mm cannon [OM1] (60 +300 in bridge)
40mm cannon [OM2] (10 + 400 in storage rack)
37mm cannon [OM3] (30 + 60 in bridge)
4 * 533mm torpedo racks [OM3-6] (1 each)
Equipment
Turrets: universal mounts for machine guns
Open Mount 1, 2 and 3: universal mount for cannon
Bridge: surface search radar (20 miles, Scan 19), precision
navigation instruments, two long range radios
Hull: full fire suppression, 800 man/days rations
Statistics
| Size: 12'x15.5'x80' | Payload: approx. 31,300 lbs | Lwt: 94,200 lbs (47.1 tons) |
| Volume: 5293 cf (Size Mod: +6) | Maint.: 27 hours | Price: $565,000 |
HT: 8
HP: 1254 [body], 239 [bridge]
| wSpeed: 46 | wAccel: 13 | wDecel: 5 | wMR: 0.25 | wSR: 5 | Draft: 6' |
Design Notes
Frame is expensive light for 4650 cf body, two 17 cf turret, one 7
cf open mount, one 12 cf open mount, one 30 cf open mount, four 40 cf open
mounts and a 385 cf bridge. Surface features include waterproofing. The
boat has fine hydrodynamic lines.
New Weapons
533mm Mark XXIII torpedo (early war): 6dx800, Max 6,300 yds,
unguided, Malf 14, Acc 6, SS 20, Speed 19; 1900 lbs
533mm Mark XXIII torpedo (late war): 6dx1800, Max 6,300 yds, unguided, Malf 14, Acc 6, SS 20, Speed 19; 2200 lbs
[Stats above are based on real-world numbers. Warheads are either 400 lbs TNT or 600 lbs Torpex. The low malfunction number represents the tendancy of the Mark XIII to run too deep, due to a major oversight during testing and perpetuated by the Navy, as well as (for aircraft) it needing to be dropped at an unusually low altitude and airspeed.]
Other weapon stats are on p.VE43