Torpedo Boats - USA: Books - History, Types and Construction

American PT Boats in World War II

An illustrated study of the development, construction, tactics, and combat actions, of U.S. PT Boats in the Second World War.

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American PT Boats in World War II (Volume 2)

This illustrated volume is the companion to Victor Chun's definitive history of American PT boats in the Second World War. Chun presents all new information gleaned since the previous book's publication and includes never before published drawings of PT 809, as well as details on the use of Elcoplane as used by Elco PT boats to increase running speed, described here for the first time.

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PT Boats - The US Navy's Fast Attack Patrol Torpedo Boats in World War II (Legends of Warfare)

Patrol Torpedo-or PT boats-captured the public's imagination during WWII due to the daring exploits of their crews. Built not of plywood, as many believe, but rather of mahogany planks, and powered by a trio of Packard marine engines, these vessels operated in every theater, often facing opponents many times their size.
The use of PT boats to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur and his family from the Philippines, a story dramatized in the movie They Were Expendable, put the PT boats and their crews in the public forefront, as did John F. Kennedy's loss of PT-109 and the subsequent rescue of him and his crew.

This book looks at all the PT boat configurations used by the US Navy during WWII through rare archival photos, augmented by images of the few remaining vessels of the type. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

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US Patrol Torpedo Boats - World War II (Osprey)

Motor torpedo boat development began in the early 1900s, and the vessels first saw service during World War I. However, it was not until the late 1930s that the US Navy commenced the development of the Patrol Torpedo or PT boat.
The PT boat was designed for attacking larger warships with torpedoes using its 'stealth' ability, high-speed and small size to launch and survive these attacks - although they were employed in a wide variety of other missions, including rescuing General MacArthur and his entourage from the Philippines.

This book examines the design and development of these unique craft, very few of which survive today, and goes on to examine their role and combat deployment in World War II.

Contents: Introduction - Development - Design - Operational History - Memorialised PT Boats and Organizations - Glossary - Bibliography - Index.

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Vietnam Riverine Craft 1962-75 (Osprey)

In 1965 the military situation in the Mekong River Delta of southern Vietnam had deteriorated to such a degree that the decision was made to commit a joint US Army and Navy Mobile Riverine Force to the area. This force was unique in its composition, mission, and the means by which it operated - riverine craft. Comprising the Army's 2d Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, and the Navy's River Assault Flotilla One, it used a variety of watercraft, including heavily modified landing craft, purpose-built patrol boats, and a whole host of auxiliary and support craft.

This book explores those craft, and also gives an account of Task Force Clearwater, a much smaller operation in the extreme northern part of South Vietnam.

Contents: Introduction - The Boats - Variants - The Riverine War - Surviving Riverine and Patrol Craft - Bibliography - Color plate commentary - Index.

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Patrouillenschiffe der U.S. Navy - seit 1939

The US Navy is today indisputably the largest and most powerful in the world, with impressive aircraft carriers and the most modern cruisers and destroyers.
But in many regions - and wars - the fighting took place near the coast and on rivers, where the "big ships" could not be deployed. The US Navy therefore developed a wide variety of different fast, torpedo and patrol boats.

In this book, Lutz Kowalzick and Wilhelm M. Donko present all of these ships of the U.S. Navy by type and class and describe all units ever classified as such, from World War II through the Korean War to the present day.

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