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ARMAMENT FOUND ON PT BOATS
Typical and Not So Typical Armament
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CLICK ANY PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW
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I think most PT enthusiasts have seen in books the photo of the sailor testing the six-barreled bazooka mounted on the dayroom canopy of an Elco 80-footer--here's some more from that same set. I know I'm speaking from hindsight, but I really don't know what they were hoping to accomplish with this apparatus...and it's a pretty sure bet that the protective gear the sailor's wearing wouldn't be too popular in the tropics. To borrow a line from "Band of Brothers"--"that dog just ain't gonna hunt..."
(National Archives)
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A 40mm installation on the stern of an Elco 80-footer. Note the .50 caliber machine gun mounted at top. (National Archives)
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A good view of a Elco 80-footer's forward .50 caliber turret. (National Archives)
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A .50 caliber turret on an unknown Elco 77' PT of Squadron One, 1942.
(Author's Collection) |
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| A 37mm automatic cannon. I thought these babies were (until 1944) mounted in the combat areas, but since this photo was part of the same set as the bazooka shots, this photo was defintely taken here in the States. (National Archives) |
A single-shot Army 37mm cannon in action off New Guinea, July 1943. (National Archives) |
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