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Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-307



Call sign:
Nan - King - Easy - Nan
78' Higgins Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 3 April 1943 by Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA
  • Launched 1 June 1943
  • Completed 2 December 1943, placed in service and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWENTY TWO (MTBRon 22), under the command of Lt. Comdr. Richard J. Dressling
  • MTBRon 22 was assigned to the Mediterranean, based at Bastia, Corsica, and St. Tropez, France, and had action along the northwest coast of Italy and southern coast of France, operating under the British
    Coastal Forces
  • Loaded on USS Chicopee (AO 34), 10 May 1944 at Norfolk, VA for transport to Oran, Algeria; arriving on 23 May 1944
  • On 31 May 1944, Lt. Edwin W. Snodgress, USNR, patrolling between Leghorn and La Spezia in PT 304, with PT's 306 and 307, found a destroyer and a corvette moving southward and began to close the
    range for an attack. The newly risen moon revealed the PT's to the enemy. The destroyer and corvette opened fire. The 306 and 307 slowed down while the 304 increased speed. The 304 fired two torpedoes at long range, and then, when it was again taken under fire, tried to lead the enemy ships back past the other two PT's. Again the high visibility favored the enemy. The 306 launched two torpedoes at 1,600 yards range, but the torpedoman on the 307, William I. Fuller, TM2c, was wounded by a 20mm shell from the corvette before he could get his torpedoes away. The destroyer and corvette turned toward the 307 and raked it with 20mm and 40mm, closing to 300 yards before the PT began to pull away. The 307 fired all its guns as it retired. The 306, which was not hit, dropped two smoke pots over the side and these drew most of the enemy fire, permitting the 307 to escape. Three men were killed and five wounded on the 307. The boat captain, LTJG Paul F. Fidler, USNR, wounded in the leg, head, and shoulder, refused first aid until all the others had been treated and remained at the conn until he had brought his boat back to Bastia, 90 miles away. It was learned later from prisoners of war that the German Torpedo Boat destroyer T-29 had been considerably damaged by 40mm hits from the 307, and that two men were killed and a dozen or more wounded. LTJG Fidler was awarded the Silver Star for this action
  • After the end of the Mediterranean campaign in April 1945, the squadron was shipped back to the United States for reconditioning and reassignment to the Pacific, but the war ended while the squadron
    was still in New York
  • The "Sad Sack", ex-"Lucky 7", ex-"Sack Happy" was placed out of service 15 October 1945
  • Transferred to the War Shipping Administration 19 March 1948
  • Sold in 1950 to Bludworth Shipyard of Houston, TX for use as a fishing boat and named Gimick
  • Stranded 23 February 1952 about 25 miles north of the Padre Island, TX Coast Guard Station on the Gulf side
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 78'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5' 3"
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: One 40mm mount, four Mk 13 torpedoes, two twin and two single .50 cal. machine guns, one 60mm mortar and two 20mm mounts
  • Propulsion: Three 1,500shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-307 72k France
    Under inspection by an unknown Vice Admiral    		 Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-307 73k France
    Crew photo
    PT-307 332k Mediterranean Sea
    Crew photo
    From the collection of Ed Groweg, Jr.    		 John Groweg
    PT-307 382k
    PT-307 71k Radioman Joe Starita
    From the collection of Motor Machinist Mate Sam Spiro Pavlos, PT-304    		 Debbie Pavlos
    PT-307 89k Radioman Joe Starita on left with John Cook from PT-304
    From the collection of Motor Machinist Mate Sam Spiro Pavlos, PT-304
    PT-307 62k c. June 1944
    Damages to charthouse    		 Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-307 75k
    PT-307 237k c. June 1944
    Awards ceremony for action described above
    From the collection of Motor Machinist Mate Sam Spiro Pavlos, PT-304    		 Debbie Pavlos
    PT-307 311k
    PT-307 257k
    PT-307 250k
    PT-307 367k
    PT-307 296k
    PT-307 359k
    Boat Captains
    01LTJG Paul F. Fidler, USNR - Awarded the Silver Star and the Purple HeartMay 1944
    02LTJG Walter E. Powell, USNR - Awarded the Bronze StarApril 1945
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-307
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    This page created by Joseph M. Radigan and maintained by Tom Bateman
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