Page 36: of Marine News Magazine (February 2015)

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NAVAL ARCHITECTURE

WWII Museum’s

PT Boat Readies for

Passengers Next Year

A cadre of volunteers navigate the regulatory labyrinth and a host of safety requirements to bring back to life an enduring symbol the nation’s can-do spirit and resiliency.

By Susan Buchanan arly next year, a 78-foot Patrol Torpedo 305 boat, being restored at the National WWII Museum,

Eshould be U.S. Coast Guard compliant and ready for passengers. The fast-attack PT-305, equipped with can- nons, torpedoes and machine guns, served in the Mediter- ranean in 1944 and 1945, operating from Bastia, Corsica.

PT boats ? red at warships, mainly under cover of night, and then ? ed at speeds of up to 43 knots, making it dif- ? cult for enemies to retaliate. The overhaul of PT-305 started at the New Orleans museum eight years ago.

Rich History

The boat, built and commissioned in1943, was among 199 produced by Higgins Industries in New Orleans. New

Jersey-based Elco was the biggest builder, churning out a total of 385 PT boats in a number of U.S. yards, and

Top image: The vessel’s framing completed, waiting for planking. Center image: The