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MTBSTC, Melville, RI - PAGE 1
The Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center - was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy on February 17, 1942. Known as "Spect Tech" for its first commander, Lt. Cmdr. William C. Specht USN, the Center began operations in the middle of March 1942 with the ten boats of MTB Squadron Four--Elco 77-footers PT's 59-68--attached to the facility as the training squadron. When these photographs were taken in April 1942, 51 officers and 177 enlisted men were learning the rudementary skills of PT boat operation, the ten boats of MTB Squadron Four (Elco 77-footers PT's 59-68) were available for training, 47 Quonset huts were in various stages of completion, and 44 more huts were requested to be built. Eventually the Center would become a sprawling facility with 13 buildings devoted to office space, 34 classrooms, 42 maintenace buildings, and 197 huts for living quarters. This expansion would allow the Training Center to handle a student load of 90 officers and 860 sailors in a two-month (later extended to three months) training period. By the time of its third anniversary in March 1945 the Center would have trained some 1,797 officers and 11,668 bluejackets. Squadron Four would be enlarged as well, until the end of 1944 saw the squadron operating 28 boats of four distinct types (Elco 80-footer, Higgins 78-footer, Huckins 78-footer, and the 70-foot Higgins Hellcat PT 564). Some of the images on these two pages have seen print in other publications, while some are being shown for probably the first time since they were taken.
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More familiarization lectures aboard PT 66. The officers in the right of the picture are examining a disassembled .50 caliber machine gun. (National Archives)
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.50 caliber lecture, PT 66. (National Archives)
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Depth charge familiarization lecture, PT 61. (National Archives)
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Underway on a training cruise, PT 61. Note the original Navy smoke generator on its carriage. This was replaced by an Elco generator sometime in 1943. (National Archives)
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