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NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

HM MTB-266
ex-PT-17


PT-17 served the Navies of the United States and Great Britian.
70' Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 24 May 1940 as PT-17 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 2 December 1940
  • Placed in service 16 December 1940 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWO (PTRon 2) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Earl S. Caldwell, USN
  • PTRon 2 tested the first 70' Elco boats in Florida and Caribbean waters in the winter of 1940/41
  • The "Monkey's Uncle" was transferred to the Royal Navy 11 July 1941, reclassified HM MTB-266 and assigned to the 10th MTB Squadron under the command of Lt.Cdr. E.C. Peake, RN
  • Damaged in action 9 March 1944
  • Sank 17 April 1944 in Alexandria harbor from action damages.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 40 t.
  • Length 70'
  • Beam 19' 11"
  • Draft 4' 6"
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 15
  • Armament: Two twin .50 cal. Browning M2 machine guns in Dewandre turrets and four 18" torpedoes (MTB-266 added two .303 cal. twin Mk1 Lewis machine guns, one 20mm mount and two depth charges in addition to
    replacing the 18" torpedoes with two 21" torpedoes)
  • Propulsion: Three 1,500shp Packard V12 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-10 184k PT-17, PT-10, PT-11 and the other boats of PTRon 2 .
    PT-17 93k Underway during trials in the Caribbean. Her Dewandre gun turrets and her torpedo tubes are covered over
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    PT-17 136k The first PT tender, USS Niagara [AGP 1], a converted yacht, with PT-17 alongside
    National Archives photo 80-G-248513    		 Joe Radigan
    Commanding Officers
    01Lt. R. R. Smith, RN1942 - ?
    02T/Lt. John Norman Broad, RNZNVR9 April 1943 - 9 March 1944 (Killed in Action)
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-17
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back to the Patrol Craft/Gunboat/Submarine Chaser Index Back to the Motor Torpedo Boat (PT) Photo Index
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    This page created and maintained by Joseph M. Radigan
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