There are few people of my generation who have not heard of the exploits of a Lt. J.F. Kennedy and the PT-109. His boat cut in half by a Japanese destroyer, Lt. Kennedy went on to save the lives of some of his crew and was eventually rescued. For those of you who want to read an interesting story of heroism and survival, I can highly recommend heading for your local library. If you have not heard of the PT-109, then surely you have seen the television comedy McHale's Navy or seen the superb movie They Were Expendable, which featured John Wayne. This movie is quite close to the real story of Torpedo Squadron 3 and its C.O. Lt. John Bulkeley, who operated out of the Philippines in the very early days of the war. His unit also transported Gen. Douglas McArthur and family out of the war zone to safety before the fall of Bataan.

The American PT (Patrol Torpedo) boat was developed along similar lines as the British MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat). Both were basically fast  wooden boats that carried torpedoes as the main offensive armament. Other than some machine gun and later cannon armament, it was the 40 know speed of the boats that was to provide its major defense. These boats were generally powered by three Packard V-12s, each producing between 1200 and 1500 horsepower apiece. British boats were slightly shorter and carried only two torpedoes while US boats generally carried four.

The author,T.Garth Connelly, has done a fine job with his book, which basically covers those boats used during WWII and the development of them. The initial pages covers the first US attempts at developing the PT type and covers several unsuccessful variants. It then goes on to describe the development of those boats used during the war. There were three main US boat builders; ELCO, Higgins, and Huckins. The Huckins boats were not at all successful and only a few of those were produced. Of the other two, the Higgins boats were only used in the Atlantic and Med while the ELCO PT boats (the most successful of the three) were primarily used in the Pacific though some were used in the Atlantic as well.

The author does a superb job of covering the development of the various classes of boats, noting the differences between the various manufacturers and production runs. The PT boat was constantly undergoing modifications and improvements as the war progressed. Much of this was done in the field and later incorporated into new boats. In addition to increased armament, many Pacific boats shed their torpedo tubes and replaced them with additional cannon for barge busting operations. As the war progressed, boats also replaced their tubes for a simpler torpedo launching mechanism.

In addition to descriptions of the boats themselves, there are sections on armament, engines and a section on the boats used in combat. As you would expect, the book is copiously illustrated and has the usual art work in the center pages and on the back cover. Many of these schemes are quite interesting and will be very valuable references for modelers. The choice of photographs is super and though there are the usual high speed trial shots, there are a large number of close ups and operational photos to really be effective.

As good a book as it is, I can not help but get the feeling that the author ran out of pages. The combat section seemed to me to have been abridged, as it just did not seen to flow well, as if the section had been severely edited. I realize that these in action books are primarily to be photo references, but I can't see how it would have hurt to add an extra page or two. Despite this minor shortcoming, the book is an excellent primer on the type. I learned a great deal from it and will be using it as my main reference for upcoming ship projects. 

The book is highly recommended as a look into one of the more interesting types that fought during WWII.

Review copy courtesy of the author, T. Garth Connelly and Squadron Mail Order 

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