pt boat Archives

Why the Navy doesn’t use these small boats with a big punch

October 1, 2022

Back in World War II, patrol torpedo, or PT, boats were the scourge of the Japanese Navy. These vessels were so small, they weren’t even measured in tons, but rather by feet. The

How this patrolman engaged 50 enemy troops with a single M60 will make you proud

September 25, 2022

By Tim Kirkpatrick

On Aug. 2, 1969, David Larson was serving as a gunner’s mate on a patrol boat as it steered up the Saigon River, transporting a seven-man ambush team.

The team was a part of the Army’s LRRP — or Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol. After…

Pound for pound, these were the deadliest boats of World War II

September 3, 2022

By Logan Nye

They were made of wood, carried no heavy guns, and would sink at the drop of a hat. But they were fast, hard to hit, and could kill nearly anything afloat. Pound for pound, the deadliest boats of World War II weren’t the carriers or the legendary b…

Here is the story behind John F. Kennedy’s Purple Heart

February 17, 2022

By Orvelin Valle

John F. Kennedy was born into privilege, graduated from Harvard, and did not have to fight in World War II, but he did — he insisted.

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The iconic PBR was based on a recreational boat and powered by Jacuzzi jets

September 17, 2021

By Miguel Ortiz

Picture the brown-water Navy of the Vietnam War and you probably picture Martin Sheen as Capt. Willard floating upriver on a PBR to “terminate Col. Kurtz’s command…with extreme prejudice.” The Patrol Boat, River was a small rigid-hulled patrol …

What happens if a PT boat took on a Littoral Combat Ship

April 6, 2020

By Harold C. Hutchison

The littoral combat ship was intended to carry out a wide variety of missions for the United States Navy in the 21st century. From mine-countermeasures to coastal anti-submarine warfare to combating small and fast enemy surface craft, these vessels …