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NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-103



Call sign:
Nan - Xray - Nan - Sugar
80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 24 January 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 16 May 1942
  • Completed 12 June 1942, placed in service and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 5 (MTBRon 5) under the command of CDR Henry Farrow, USN
  • MTBRon 5 was assigned to Panama Sea Frontier from September 1942 until the spring of 1943, when it was shipped to the Solomons. There its boats were in action at Rendova, Vella Lavella, Treasury,
    Bougainville, Green, and Emirau. After assignment to the Southwest Pacific area at the end of 1944, the squadron was decommissioned and its boats were distributed to replenish other squadrons which
    had suffered operational losses
  • Transferred 15 February 1945 to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 18 (MTBRon 18) under the command of LT Edward MacCauley, III, USNR
  • MTBRon 18 was assigned to the Southwest Pacific, had action at Dreger Harbor, Aitape, Hollandia, Wakde, and Mios Woendi, in New Guinea; at Manus in the Admiralties; and at Morotai in the
    Halmaheras. It also based for a time at Kana Kopa, New Guinea, and in San Pedro Bay in the Philippines, but had no action from these bases
  • Destroyed by U.S. Forces 4 November 1945 at Samar, Philippines.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 80'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5'
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: One single 40mm mount, four 21" torpedoes, one 37mm mount (added by crew 1 August 1943), one 20mm mount and two twin .50 cal. machine guns
  • Propulsion: Three 3,600shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-103 69k
    PT-103 216k Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, USN, speaking to Elco employees at launching of PT-103, Elco Naval Division, Electric Boat Company, Bayonne, New Jersey, 16 May 1942
    National Archives photo 80-G-17336 from National Museum of the U.S. Navy    		 Michael Mohl
    PT-103 202k Running trials, circa June 1942. Note depth charges fitted in place of after torpedo tubes; Elco (builder) flag; and men holding trial run no. 27 sign
    Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 85782    		 Mike Green
    PT-103 119k c. 1942/1943
    Mast plans for PT-103 to PT-196 and PT-314 to PT-388
    Elco Radar Mast Drawing No. 37
    PT-103 355k 6 January 1943
    PT boats [from MTBRon 5], hunting submarines along the Atlantic coast, get their supplies at sea from Navy auxiliaries. Here PT-103 is getting a towing hawser from its supply auxiliary
    U.S. Navy photo W-PAT-13-31452    		 Tommy Trampp
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-103
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