Devil Boat
PT 548 in Leyte Gulf - Dec. 1944. The Japanese hated the PT boats so much they nicknamed them " Devil Boats."
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://ww2incolor.com/gallery/us-navy/59856/devil-boat
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://ww2incolor.com/gallery/us-navy/59856/devil-boat
The fore deck is too cluttered to make out what armament has been fitted but this Elco boat has the late torpedo installation that dispensed with the launch tubes, relying on the torpedoes being rolled off their racks, into the water.
IIRC this was due to a change to the same torpedo as carried by aircraft, which was too fat to fit in the tubes, so this simpler, lighter, more reliable launch method was adopted.
On the rear deck, a 40mm Bofors is fitted. Extra strengthening was required over the engine space to enable this installation. It wasn’t simply a case of “there’s space here, make it fit”.