thanks Peter......... heres a pic of the CO of the Schnellbooten Rudolf Petersen : finally given the rank of Kommodore on September 23, 1944
The British didn´t have a "combination" boat like the E or S-boot, the PT or the Italian MAS; instead, they used MGB´s (Motor Gun Boat) that came with different sets of hardware, mainly owing to their size (even a steam powered one!), and MTB´s (Motor Torpedo Boat), both organized in independent flotillas but with the former usually in support of the latter during strikes on enemy shipping and operating alone while on search and destroy missions against their Nazi counterparts, ML´s (Motor Launches) and HDML´s (Harbour Defence Motor Launches), these two smaller and with less weaponry and performance than the first ones. Commonwealth forces used these small craft all over the world, including the Channel and the North Sea, where they slugged it out with the Kriegsmarine even until May ´45; the Med, where together with PT´s, both USN and their own, fought against the Italians and the Germans, including the infamous F-Lighters in the Adriatic and the Aegean; the Indian Ocean, where ML flotillas from the Indian Navy supported the Arakan campaigns; and the South China Sea, where several very outdated ML´s fought bravely defending Hong Kong in ´41. I have a book called "Lanchas Rápidas, Los Bucaneros", from Editorial San Martín, by Bryan Cooper (I guess it is a translation of an english-written original), which deals with the subject rather deeply, but haven´t been able yet to find it posted on the web so as to give all of you war buffs a link to explore.
Hard to know which ones to pick andy. Here are a few anyway to give you an idea. Most of the ones I have [hundreds] are of specific boats but here are a few wartime shots of mainly unspecific boats...
If anyone needs a lookup, I have a copy of "The Battle of the Narrow Seas: A History of the Light Coastal Forces in the Channel and North Seas, 1939-1945" by Lieut-Cmdr Peter Scott, M.B.E., D.S.C. & Bar, R.N.V.R. Lots of stuff about Motor Torpedo Boats, Motor Gunboats and Motor Launches. regards, Martin
The PT boats commanded by Johnny Bulkeley that took MacArthur to Mindanao were PT's 41,32,34,35. I believe that they were all destroyed to stop them falling into Jap hands after the passengers were transferred to B17's and a sub. Bulkeley and his crews were promised the Silver Star by MacArthur (not sure if they ever got them) and Bulkeley himself went on to serve in the Med with distinction. MacArthur was awarded the Medal of Honour and command of the SW Pac.
The British didn´t have a "combination" boat like the E or S-boot, the PT or the Italian MAS; instead, they used MGB´s (Motor Gun Boat) that came with different sets of hardware, mainly owing to their size (even a steam powered one!), and MTB´s (Motor Torpedo Boat), both organized in independent flotillas but with the former usually in support of the latter during strikes on enemy shipping and operating alone while on search and destroy missions against their Nazi counterparts, ML´s (Motor Launches) and HDML´s (Harbour Defence Motor Launches), these two smaller and with less weaponry and performance than the first ones. AFAIK the Italian MAS, at least the most common "500 series" was not a "combination" boat but a small torpedo boat with very limited gun armament, two 19" torpedoes on racks and 40+ knots speed in calm seas. Designed with the Adriatic in mind it generally proved usuitable for operations in the deeper Sicily channel so the MS was developed by making a copy of captured Yougoslav boats based on the same German Lurssen design that produced the S-Boote (but they had petrol not diesel engines like the germans). The Italian equivalent of the ML was the VAS while the German one was the R-Boote but AFAIK no axis nation built anything like MGBs in quantity. The British had a "combination boat" in the Fairmile D that I believe was a forerunnerr of the convertible armament boats that became popular for a while after the war.
The PT boats commanded by Johnny Bulkeley that took MacArthur to Mindanao. Bulkeley and his crews were promised the Silver Star by MacArthur (not sure if they ever got them) one of the Navy’s and America’s most decorated hero’s, having been awarded the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second award, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit with Combat V, the Purple Heart twice over, the Philippine Distinguished Conduct Star, and from France, the French Croix de Guerre. Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley, USN (August 19,1911 - April 6,1996) Admiral Bulkeley
I am very surprised that the Late President Kennedy was not mentioned on this thread as he was a Commander of PT 109. He was also considered to be a hero for rescuing a crew man by swimming and supporting the man until they reached an island. Report on Loss of PT-109 John F. Kennedy PT-109 loss The above is an excellent link which shows the report on the incident and rescue. Regards Tom
Motor torpedo boats of the Philippine Army Offshore Patrol on training maneuvers just prior to US involvement in WWII. Manila, Philippines, 1941. Motor torpedo boat of the Philippine Army Offshore Patrol on training maneuvers while American pilots in Navy fighter planes watch over them just prior to US involvement in WWII. 1941
A Naval crew taking a Torpedo Mosqutio Boat out of the Washington Naval yard onto an American River. 1940. Lieutenant Earl S. Caldwell (R) plotting points on a map with Lieutenant James D. Ball while aboard a Torpedo Mosquito Boat. 1940.
British motor boats helping to withdraw soldiers fr. the beach to destroyers waiting to take them back to England. Dunkirk 1940.
Officers heading out for Coast Guard lookout patrol, watching for drifing rafts and U-boats on a boat which is privately owned and commissioned by the Coast Guard. 1942.
