Riding the PT-305 U.S.S. Sudden Jerk of the World War II Museum in New Orleans
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- PT (Patrol, Torpedo) boats were small, fast, and expendable vessels for short range oceanic scouting, armed with torpedoes and machine guns for cutting enemy supply lines and harassing enemy forces. Forty-three PT squadrons, each with 12 boats were formed during World War II by the U.S. Navy. PT boat duty was very dangerous and the squadrons suffered an extremely high loss rate in the war.
In 1938 the US Navy sponsored a design competition to small boat builders with a challenge to create a highly mobile attack boat. Prizes were awarded for the winning PT boat designs. Higgins Industries in New Orleans, Louisiana built 205 PT Boats.
Based in New Orleans, Higgins Industries was a small boat company owned by Andrew Jackson Higgins. Higgins built a wide array of boats. Most World War II historians often equate the beach landing crafts used at Normandy and Iwo Jima simply as “Higgins boats”. The first Higgins PT boats were used against the Imperial Japanese forces in the Battle for the Aleutian Islands and in the Mediterranean against Nazi Germany and her allies. They were used to support the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. PT boats were used for harassing enemy shore installations, supporting friendly troop landings, destroying floating mines, sinking enemy shipping targets, destroying enemy landing barges, rescuing downed pilots, landing partisans behind enemy lines, and attacking enemy island outposts.
The PT-305 was stationed in Italy. It was restored by the National World War II Museum in New Orleans in 2017 and is available for 45 minute rides on Lake Pontchartrain.
www.nps.gov/ar...
This is a great video. I wish it were still true. Sadly, the management of the WW2 Museum in New Orleans decided to remove the PT305 from the water and shrink wrap it. Most, if not all, of the volunteers have been let go and most of the docents who worked the boat for the museum were also reassigned, laid off, or fired. The wonderful boathouse has had its lease allowed to expire and is now for sale or rent to other users. All of this supposedly because "The boat was too expensive to operate". Also, the museum spokemen are saying "We only planned to operate PT305 for 2 years". In my opinion, both of these excuses are pure unadulterated BS! The bean counters at the museum who made this decision only care about how much money it can make them and care nothing for the hundreds of volunteer hours and the honor of the veterans that love this boat! This is a complete travesty of an epic level. The PT658 in Portland OR is operating in the water still to this day and believe me, it does not cost to operate anywhere near what they claim it does! I am a crew on 658 so I have an idea of the true figures involved. I wonder if the museum told their volunteers over that 10 year restoration period that the boat was only going to be operated for TWO YEARS!!!? Yeah uh huh right. This is disgusting. The 305 is still in great condition and to see the WW2 museum treat her like yesterdays garbage really angers me, as if you couldn't tell.
Jerry
Sad
Update as of April 2023 the PT305 is going to be on display inside of the WW2 Museum up on blocks safely out of the water. You will no longer be allowed to ride it or likely not go onto it either, but you can at least see it up close in the display area, which is better than being shrink wrapped!
Excellent job gentlemen. It's wonderful to see this and the PT Boat in Oregon restored and exposing folks to the history that these boats represent. as a child at the age of 10 I saw the Warner Brothers movie PT 109 and of course the TV series McHale's Navy. Needless to say I became quite infatuated with these swash buckling boats and their heroic crews. It's a pity that none of the ELCO boats exist today but I am happy to see the Higgins examples.
Actually about 4 elcos still exist, as well as one 77 foot elco
There is an Elco at Battleship cove, Fall River Mass.
Back in the 60's...My brother and I rode a converted pt boat down in NJ. I have a book on pt boats...with a pic and an information added by a local pt boat veteran..now deceased.
What an awesome job to cover the history of this WW2 battle patrol ship. I am so happy that many are still doing their best to honor our veterans in a time where this country is under attack and being dismantled from the inside by people who do not respect America anymore. I love history and this is a beautiful demonstration of what we have to be proud of as a Nation. This country deserves more respect than what it gets, because if it weren't for Americans taking a stand to defend Freedom world wide no of us would have any freedoms and neither would other countries.
What a job! What a gorgeous restoration job. First class, 4-0 job. The Navy should give you all medals.
I would love to take a cruise on that boat I've always loved pt boats
Cool
When you get a fantastic job on her but good thing we didn't depend on you all to build those boats back in the day otherwise we'd be still fighting the war. 10 years. Well after seeing the video of the layout of the boat I see my dad was correct in his drawing. I was trying to imagine what the boat look like on the inside but now I see. My dad served in the Navy from 1939 until September 1945 but the question has always came up to all of us when did he really get out of the Navy because even afterwards he was helping to put ships into Commission
Now I know why Benedettos charges so much more than anyone else. They paying for a hobby
that better small boat full of arm laser and gutling gun and torpedo and planax misile. to dameges other damages collateral of giant but shocking to opponents big ships..it can pinitreat in them.and destroy in them.
I saw the gunner was wearing a headset. Did the crew keep in contact with each other like a bomber crew? During combat.
No. That's a modern necessity. They didnt rely on such things, back then.
This is the kind of American we should all be.
All I can think about is Black Lagoon.
I wanted to go on a virtual ride in this video ... and that didn't happen.
What would be the operating range of a pt boat?